HitClips Video Jockey

$14.99, Smart Toy

Teaches: music

CTR Review

This fun little HitClip player is about 4 by 2 1/2 inches in size and displays a one square inch LCD screen. Children insert their favorite HitClip (this one comes with a portion of "Independent Woman" by Destiny's Child) and press the select button, bringing them to a menu of choices. Kids can play crude (but good enough) dance "videos" to go along with the songs. These routines can be customized, letting children choose between male and female bands or soloists (a nice touch). Supposedly, you can edit the frames of the dance routine, though our testers couldn't tell if their changes were incorporated or not. Considering the price and the addition of the LCD dances, this simple little gadget is worth buying in spite of its weaknesses.