Paper Jamz
© 2010 WowWee USA, Inc.
Cool looking but hard to use, these 1/2 inch thick musical instruments are good for pretend jamming. There are three components -- a guitar, a drum set, and an amp. Each is powered by batteries. The surface of each instrument is touch sensitive, covered with a capacitive paper Wowee calls "Active Graphics Technology." This allows you to strum the guitar or tap on the drums by merely brushing the tip of your finger across the surface of the instrument (not unlike an iPhone or mousepad). Each instrument includes 3 songs that you can play along with, and there are six versions of the guitars and drums, for added variety. You can also control the guitar & drum rhythm for each song. In addition, you can turn off the music and use the guitar and/or drum to create your own music; a process that requires mastering a rather complex menu system. The amplifier sells for $15. There are 18 songs in Series One (3 per guitar/drum pad) including Sweet Home Alabama, Hey There Delilah, All Star, Born to Be Wild, Rock Star and others. The bottom line? Our testers were instantly drawn to these zany looking instruments but the difficulty in playing music that you can control diminished interest rather quickly.
$2515, Smart Toy
Teaches: music, rhythm
CTR Rating: 80%