uDraw GameTablet
© 2010 THQ, Inc.
Update: PS3 and Xbox 360 versions have been announced (call for pricing and release date), with integrated motion detection. See uDraw Studio Instant Artist. The Wii version (CTR Sept 2010) uses the Wii Remote to detect the motion as long as it is snapped inside the uDraw GameTablet holder. Visit www.worldofudraw.com for more information. The $70 Wii-only tablet works with a specific drawing-based titles. While I found the controls to be less-than-intuitive, older kid testers, aged 11 and 13, figured them out quickly, and were able to make some beautiful watercolor sketches, and replay them when using the included title, called uDraw Studio (to which the ratings apply). If you're looking for the smooth glide of a Wacom tablet, you're likely to be disappointed. There's a slight lag between the dab of your stylus and what you see on your screen, and younger children will need help in order to toggle between the drawing tools palette and their sketch. Soon, you discover that as a drawing tool, uDraw has some real chops. There's an infinite number of colors that can be mixed or layered on a range of textured surfaces. You can replay your drawings as a slide show, erase, cut & paste, stamp and change for switching between, say, markers or charcoal. Work can be saved, or exported to your Wii's SD card in JPG format, but unfortunately you can't import graphics. Sorry kids, no drawing mustaches on Grandma. Two additional games (E-rated) will be Dood's Big Adventure and Pictionary ($30).
$70, Wii, PS3 and Xbox 360
Teaches: art, creativity, fine motor control
CTR Rating: 88%