The V.Smile is an educational game system by VTech. It is designed for children ages 3 to 8 (Europe models have 3-9), but offers software designed for several age groups between all ages, and had a suggested retail price of $59.99. Titles are available on ROM cartridges called "Smartridges", to play off the system's educational nature, and were sold for a retail price of $19.99. The graphics are primarily sprite-based. The console is often sold bundled with a particular game. Several variants of the V.Smile console are sold including handheld versions, or models with added functionality such as touch tablet integrated controllers or microphone support. The V.Smile Motion is a major variant with its own software lineup that includes motion sensitive controllers and has Smartridges designed to take advantage of motion-related "active learning". The V-Motion and Smartridges however are fully backwards compatible with other V.Smile variants and V.Smile Smartridges, and a V-Motion Smartridge can also be played on V.Smile console or handheld, albeit without the motion functionality used. All of the games support multiplayer. Except for Art Studio, Keyboard, PC-Pal and Storybook games
Several versions of V.Smile and V-Motion consoles and handhelds have continued to be sold after newer models are introduced, allowing consumers a wide variety of consoles to choose from (often offered in pink color schemes for girls, as well) without worrying about a lack of backwards compatibility between games or consoles. Some key differentiators between systems and the ability to fully utilize all game functions include the options of a microphone, touch tablet, additional joystick port (for 2-player gameplay), stylus-enhanced controller, or motion sensitive game pad (With V-Motion) among other features.
Models[]
List of Smartridges[]
| Title | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 101 Dalmatians | ~2006 (Unreleased) | Was announced on January 26, 2006 at the London Toy Fair |
| The Adventures Of Little Red Riding Hood | 2004 | |
| Adventures In Oz | Unreleased | Possibly the same developer/series as Little Red Riding Hood
Was originally a launch title |
| Aladdin's Wonders of the World | 2005 | |
| Alphabet Park Adventure | 2004
(2007 Re-Design) |
Launch title |
| The Backyardigans: Viking Voyage | 2006 | |
| Barney: The Land of Make Believe | 2005 | |
| The Batman: Gotham City Rescue | 2006 | |
| Sesame Street: Bert & Ernie's Imagination Adventure | 2006 | |
| Blue's Clues: Collection Day | 2006 | |
| Bob the Builder: Bob's Busy Day | 2005 | |
| Care Bears: A Lesson In Caring | 2004 | Launch Title |
| Cars: Rev it Up in Radiator Springs | 2006 | Also released on the V.Motion,
Released as Special Edition |
| Cinderella's Magic Wishes | 2005 | Also on the V.Motion |
| Cranium Partyland Park: A Carnival of Play-And-Learn Fun | 2007 | |
| Dora the Explorer: Dora's Fix-it Adventure | 2005, 2007 | Also on the V.Motion |
| Elmo's World: Elmo's Big Discoveries | 2005 | |
| Finding Nemo: Nemo's Ocean Discoveries | 2005 | |
| Go, Diego, Go! Save the Animal Families | 2007 | |
| Handy Manny | 2009 | Also on the V.Motion |
| Jammin' Gym Class (AKA Dance 'N Learn) | ~2005-2006 | Requires Dance Pad |
| Kung Fu Panda: Path of the Panda | 2008 | Also on the V.Motion |
| Whiz Kid Wheels | 2004 | Launch Title |
| Lil' Bratz: Friends, Fashion and Fun | 2007 | |
| Little Einsteins | 2009 | Also on the V.Motion |
| The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Majestic Journey | 2004 | Launch Title |
| Main Unit Test Program | 2004 | Found under every V.Smile rom when viewed through a tile ripping program. |
| Mickey Mouse Clubhouse | 2008 | Also on the V.Motion |
| Mickey Mouse: Mickey's Magical Adventure | 2004 | Launch Title |
| Monsters vs. Aliens | 2009 | Also on the V.Motion |
| My Pet Puppy | 2009 | Also on the V.Motion |
| Noddy: Detective for a Day | 2008
2009 |
Also on the V.Motion |
| PC Pal Island | ~2004-05 | Requires the PC Pal Keyboard. |
| The Princess and the Frog: Tiana's Big Dream | 2010 | Also on the V.Motion |
| Ratatouille: Remy's New Recipes | 2007 | |
| Scooby-Doo! Funland Frenzy | 2004 | Launch title
Also released on the V.Motion, Released as Special Edition |
| Shrek: Dragon's Tale | 2005 | |
| Shrek the Third: Arthur's School Day Adventure | 2007 | |
| Smart Keyboard (AKA Smart Keys) | 2008 | Requires the Smart Keyboard |
| Soccer Challenge (AKA Football Challenge) | 2006
~2008 |
Also on the V.Motion |
| Spider-Man & Friends: Doc Ock's Challenge | 2006 | |
| Spider-Man & Friends: Secret Missions | 2004 | Launch Title
Also on the V.Motion |
| SpongeBob SquarePants: A Day in the Life of a Sponge | 2005 | Also on the V.Motion |
| Superman: The Greatest Hero | 2006 | |
| The Lion King: Simba's Big Adventure | 2004 | Launch title |
| Thomas & Friends: Engines Working Together | 2005 | Also on the V.Motion |
| TinkerBell | 2009 | Also on the V.Motion |
| Toy Story 2: Operation Rescue Woody | 2005 | Also released as special edition |
| Up | 2009 | Also on the V.Motion |
| V.Smile Art Studio | 2006 | Requires the Drawing Tablet |
| Wall-E | 2008 | Also on the V.Motion |
| Whiz Kid Wheels | ~2005 | Also released as special edition |
| The Wiggles: It's Wiggle Time! | 2005 | |
| Winnie the Pooh: The Honey Hunt | 2004
~2007 |
Was a launch title
Also on the V.Motion |
| Wonder Pets! Save The Animals! | 2008 | Also on the V.Motion |
| Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! Attack of the 50 Foot Fleegle | 2009 | Also on the V.Motion |
| Zayzoo: An Earth Adventure | 2007 | |
| Zayzoo: My Alien Classmate | 2004 |
| Name | Year |
|---|---|
| Dora the Explorer: Dora's Got a Puppy | 2007 |
| Scooby-Doo! A Night Of Fright Is No Delight | 2007 |
| Spider-Man & Friends: Where is HULK? | 2007 |
| Toy Story 2 | 2007 |
Low Battery[]
this console doesn't have a automatic turn off, a low battery icon, also seen on MobiGo and MobiGo 2, and the earliest versions of V.Reader (also known as Storio in Europe), the playtime when the icon is seen is aprox 10 minutes to half a hour. the later versions of V.Reader and the InnoTab tablets (also known as Storio 2+ in Non-English speakers). When the battery is critical, the system will power down automatically. The critical battery icon is just the same as the low battery icon but in center and has the 2002 VTech logo at bottom right.
Accessories[]
V.Mic (Model #:?, Year:?)[]
This would be used with some games for sing along modes only accessed on consoles with a Microphone connected. The Microphone itself had a button that would be held down to use your voice, and an LED light to indicate the status of the audio recording. Due to some consoles having this Microphone be connected with a 3.5mm aux cable, this can be replaced with any Microphone with supported output to 3.5mm aux cable.
| Game | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Alphabet Park Adventure | 2007 | Only on the revision |
| Go, Diego, Go! Save the Animal Families | 2007 | |
| Zayzoo: An Earth Adventure | 2007 | |
| Dora the Explorer: Dora's Fix-it Adventure | ~2007 | Only on the 2007 revision |
| Thomas & Friends: Engines Working Together | ~2007 | Only on newer revisions |
| Winnie The Pooh: The Honey Hunt | ~2007 | Only on newer revisions |
| Mickey Mouse Clubhouse | 2008 | |
| Wow! Wow! Wubzzy! Attack of the 50-Foot Fleegle | 2009 |
Art Studio Drawing Pad (Model #:?, Year:2006)[]
This would allow you to draw with supported games, among other features. The surface itself has a white area to draw on, along with a color picker on the left side, and various tools to select on the bottom row. The controller also has a d-pad, Quit, Help, and Free Draw buttons with the Enter/Ok button being located below the surface. The surface area is interacted with an attached stylus.
This came in Orange & Purple, Red & Yellow, and Pink & Purple. Maybe also Blue, these match with the different colors the console was available in.
| Game | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| V.Smile Art Studio | 2006 | This was designed for this device. |
PC Pal Keyboard (Model #:?, Year:~2004-2005)[]
This was the keyboard bundled with the PC Pal variant of the console. The keyboard along with the keys also had a joystick, two enter/OK buttons with the 2nd one being to the right of the drawing pad which slides out from under the keyboard. The device also has a built in puck shaped mouse with one button, and uses a trackball on the bottom of the mouse for movement. This uses IR to connect to compatible consoles, and features a handle on the top. It came bundled with a Smartridge labeled PC Pal, along with a mouse pad.
The keyboard came in Orange, and also Pink.
| Game | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PC Pal Island | ~2004-05 | This was designed for this device. |
Smart Keyboard (Model #:?, Year:2008)[]
The Smart Keyboard was an accessory for the V.Smile that unlike the PC Pal was wired, and and features a more normal look for keyboards. Below the keys are a trackball which is for directional movement, and two Enter/OK buttons to the sides of the buttons, with the color buttons being above the keys, with to the right of those being where the exit, Learning Zone, and Help keys are at.
| Game | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Smart Keyboard | 2008 | This was designed for this device. |
Jammin' Gym Class / Dance 'N Learn Dance Mat (Model #:?, Year:~2005-2006)[]
This is a dance mat that let's you interact with games by stepping on the mat's surfaces. This controller has no buttons. This game is only used with V.Smile Jammin' Gym Class (AKA Dance 'N Learn in UK).
| Game | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Jammin' Gym Class (AKA Dance 'N Learn) | ~2005-06 | Designed for the dance mat |
V.Link (Model #: 80-91560, October 17th, 2007)[]
V.Link was a device that gave the V.Smile line of consoles internet capabilities through USB.
Compatibility List[]
| Name | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cars: Rev It Up In Radiator Springs | ~2008-09 | Only on newer revisions |
| Handy Manny | 2009 | |
| SpongeBob SquarePants: A Day in the Life of a Sponge | 2009 | Only on the 2009 revision |
| Wow! Wow! Wubzzy! Attack of the 50 Foot Fleegle | 2009 |
Smartbook (Model #:?, Year:2007)[]
The Smartbook is a device that allows you to interact with books on the V.Smile console. Games made specifically for use with the Smartbook include books that are intended to be inserted into the book holster, which can close when not in use. The right side of the device features the same buttons found on the standard controllers, with the bottom of this row being the same stylus that was provided with the drawing pads. On newer revisions of the V.Smile you could use the Smartbook to write in some games such as Toy Story 2.
The list of games that use this accessory can be found in the Games section.
Trivia[]
- Out of all the console in the V-series of systems, the original was the best selling, and got many awards from various companies.
- Product was featured on the second slot on Time's Cool Tech 2004 in the Top Toys category.[1]
- Some sources says the console first released in America an Europe in June 2004, while others says August of 2004.[2]
- Due to confusion, a few unreliable sources states the release of some games being in 1999, despite being false.
- The first V.Smile Pocket was announced on February 18, 2005[3]
- Generally the age range of the V.Smile is 3-7 years[2]
- The console was sometimes sold as a store exclusive at stores like Wal*Mart.
- The system's kiosk cartridge pins were soldered directly from the smartridge to the console board to prevent any kind of error when switching games.
- The smartridge is also permanently glued in place because of that game changer function in the kiosk
- The V.Smile's processor was also featured on many other plug & play devices of the early 2000s from companies such as Jackks Pacific, and the Chintendo Vii.
- This system has had a small community of people figuring out how to make homebrew for the console, with one member creating the first ever homebrew game for the V.Smile which is a simple game where you move a shape around the screen.
- This game was written in C, and was designed to test the V.Smile's emulation on MESS (Multi Emulator Super System) before any game dumps, or even a device to dump these games surfaced. It was coded by Jannik Vogel.
- When inserting a Chinese V.Smile game in a non-Chinese V.Smile the startup will play normally, not showing those Chinese characters only seen inside that region.
- Some V.Smile games had a sticker put on the game itself in China. It is unknown what this means, but is of an e inside two rotating arrows.
- In China, the console's tagline is sometimes "Learning is child's play!"
- The patent for the console's design was filed on 10/13/2003, with it being accepted on 4/5/2005, and expiring in 4/5/2019.
- Only one exclusive game was released in China, known as Primary English (小学英语)
- Inside the BIOS' rom is a sprite of the right portion of the controller that contains the buttons. It's unknown what this was used for, and has no other sprites like it in the rom.
- the power off sequence can be emulated in mame, just hold the F2 key or power off key. (Italian Toy Story 3 is unknown)
- When switching off the console, the screen freezes and a farewell message is heard, depending on the game.
Technical Info[]
- The AC adapter from UK's specs; Input is 230v at 50hz 7w, and Output is DC 9v 300mA 2.7va. Positive connection is on the inner pin.
- Get US adapters' info then place the UK info here with US being above this line.
- The pin count of a V.Smile, V.Smile Motion, and V.Smile Baby cartridge connector is 52, the same connector used on the Amstrad CPC's expansion port.
- The intro animation and battery low icon are stored at the bottom of every V.Smile game, including V.Motion titles.
- There is a unknown program found after the intro animation known as "Main Unit Test Program".
Gallery[]
External Links[]
- V.Smile product line announcement from January 26, 2006
- Wikipedia article (older revision with games list)
- The official V-Smile "press room" page from July 12th, 2004
- A list of V.Smile games, which include Motion, and Smart Book releases.
- An article off-site which groups all info of the console in China, with sources included.
- This trailer from when the console was released show a pre-release version of the controller, having the Enter text be on the center, and used a different font. also the three bottom buttons have no image, the V.Smile logo is just a solid blue color, and has many pre-release versions of labels on games.
- A sprite sheet showing the boot screen from all regions of the console.
- A site that had a system of trading an image of any V.Smile related product for some V-Points
- A forum talking about dumping V.Smile games, which on it mentions the Amstrad CPC expansion bay connector using the same pins as a V.Smile Smartridge.
- A supposed V.Smile database. The link says it can't be found, but says it was posted November 6th, 2016, has 3/5 Stars, and 60 Downloads.
- The official patent documents for the V.Smile console design