a deep dive into the V.Smile extended universe

[@planetclue]

The first 500 people to use my link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare skl.sh/planetclue09241 if you're reading this you have been cursed! you will have a good sleep tonight and wake up tomorrow feeling well-rested

[@MushroomzOMG]

Thank you!!

[@vampirelibrarian777]

yippee thank you, I need it lmfaooo

[@Felecc]

Thakns, good night 💚

[@TomahawkRiddles]

hell yeah I need that fr

[@repoversemedium]

🧢

[@PolygonDonut]

I feel like ENTIRE GAME CONSOLES being made solely for children is such a specific thing to OUR generation. Because nowadays you can just go play on an ipad or fortnite, games/devices made for all ages instead of only children. Being catered to as a child with games and consoles specifically made for you was so fun.

[@egg-y1u]

@@PolygonDonut pongon!?!?

[@ArtemisAYO]

​@@egg-y1ugreat minds think alike

[@liamhfjonereal]

POLYGONDONUT!?

[@Sealington]

pogo!

[@jan_Eten]

PLYONGO DUNTO?!?!

[@jane5886]

22:40 "I asked the v smile community discord" BRO THE WHAT

[@AcesInEmbers]

Yeah like pls where is that 😭

[@loaduscoolclipz5505]

MIDORANGER JUMPSCARE

[@STICKOMEDIA]

Lmao

[@SAEGEntertainmentV2.0]

​@@AcesInEmbersidk

[@justinnelson5960]

You shouldn't be so surprised. This is the internet, there's a fandom for everything.

[@JessicaFEREM]

26:32 Achievement unlocked: played a game that was so boring that you thought something was medically wrong with you because you kept dozing off

[@Zach0000001]

I would suggest that Achievement is called: "Who needs Melatonin?"

[@Memefan]

Or, better yet, “Too tired to play.”

[@Indigoification]

The fact that so many of the controllers for these consoles can be easily adapted for left-handed folks genuinely feels remarkable - that's such good design!

[@wolflee6618]

Every time clue showed off the accessibility features on the controllers my mind was blown. I don’t know why but every time I was like 😦🤯

[@MrCharlieBros]

Right? Like, why can't this be like... standard? WHY DO I HAVE TO USE SYMMETRIC JOYSTICKS SONY?

[@LepidoliteMica]

I feel like to some extent the accessibility features can cause problems down the line. There are plenty of options for southpaw mice, for instance, but most lefties just... use normal mice. Why? Not because it's hard to get left-handed options; it's just that so much of the ecosystem is designed for right-handedness that it becomes easier to just accept it and adapt to it. Handedness isn't even all that consistent; there are people out there who have attested to left-handedness in most of their lives, and then for some reason specifically bat and use scissors right-handed, simply because that's how they learned it. vTech may have been miles ahead of the curve by allowing kids that choice, but it's arguable they set those kids up to be familiar with that choice only to be faced with a world that doesn't give it as well.

[@Cole_McGill]

​@@LepidoliteMica its also arguable that they planted the seeds of change in those kids, by giving them a taste of accessibility at such a fundamental point in their development. If most things were designed so that they could just as easily be used by a left handed person as they are right handed people, even right handed people would benefit. So its an important seed to plant. We all would benefit from accessibility.

[@LepidoliteMica]

@@Cole_McGill That's all well and good for things that are easily changed from one to the other, or are cheap enough to be made another way, but that's not a universal guarantee. I find myself regularly using MMO mice as the availability of a full numpad of macro buttons under the thumb is a great aid in workflow, and it's hard enough to get those for right-handed people these days let alone a southpaw configuration. Keyboards are another case of right-handed preference, where the left-side counterpart to the frequently-used enter key is the frequently-maligned caps lock, and the numpad is always placed on the right when it isn't removed from the board entirely. The shifter for a manual transmission is a right-handed component, and even in an automatic car the gas pedal is in the natural resting position of the right foot, with the brake only slightly left of it. Lord knows I _want_ to be able to use a right-handed throttle with the frequently available left-handed joysticks of HOSAS rigs to achieve a backwards HOTAS setup, but there is a limit to what the market is willing to cater mass manufacturing efforts to Training people at a young age to use a backwards setup, only to rugpull them later when their failing neuroplasticity will struggle to recover, is a poor choice.

[@zorthonthedevistaorscott2481]

this was the early 2000's... and they even had the motion controls thing figured out before nintendo did with the wii u...

[@ducky_vt3982]

20:55 No, those skills are valuable NOW not just in 2007. iPads and Chromebooks are legitimately making kids and teens computer illiterate. For example, the 18-year-old that sits next to me in my college class asked me how to get the photos, that he took with his digital camera and that he had already uploaded to the Mac at this point, onto his phone. These tangible, tactile edutainment devices are needed now more than ever honestly because schools are now expecting kids to know how to use a computer because they know iPads; and that couldn't be further from the truth.

[@famitory]

to be fair getting anything onto and off of apple devices is harder than it should be if you don't want to go through a cloud service. you can't just plug in the usb cable and have an iphone show up as a usb drive like you can with an android

[@mattwolf7698]

Gen Alpha and the Boomers are bizzarely just as computer illiterate.

[@ducky_vt3982]

@@famitory true but I don't think I've plugged any of my android phones into my computer within the last decade. Gmail, Google Photos, or Drive are usually my go to. Imo, if you own an apple device you should be more than familiar with the cloud concept but I do see your point.

[@olive8604]

@@famitory there's air drop, although it's limited to apple devices

[@famitory]

@@olive8604 wireless standards are inherently slower and also like... i want to do the directory browsing from my computer with its full size keyboard and big screen. also phones should have thunderbolt so the files can zip across real fast.

[@visual_Memories]

The V-Tech standard was to make everything as bizarre and impractical a shape as possible. Definitely helped 'em stand out.

[@MrSkerpentine]

V-Tech walked so the Gameclam could *a s c e n d*

[@Cumbercuke]

​@@MrSkerpentine 1 2 3 4 clap your hands

[@BethesdaCakeDelivery]

@@Cumbercuke *BWOOOOP BWOOOOOP BWOOOOOOOP BWOOOOOOP!*

[@YukaAkemi]

The amount of left hand accessibility is actually mind blowing , that’s so crazy how clean and smooth they made the buttons or controller switch btwn R and L hand

[@TheBingoAstro]

I remember legitimately owning a V-Smile as a kid. Can't remember the games I played or...anything else for that matter, but the orange and purple colors along with the wacky design certainly left an impression on me as a young kid. Good times.

[@godzzwrath]

did you also want to eat the face buttons?

[@djdragontwist]

I absolutely recognize the colored controller buttons and the sun and moon buttons on the console.

[@coolcorvoid]

I remember owning one too! I know I had several games for it, but the only one I still remember anything about had something to do with Care Bears. Maybe I should look that up.

[@Kapier59]

I had one too! I dont remember all the games I had but I remember constantly playing the avengers game on it nonstop. Such a great learning tool for when I was young!

[@happyxdragon1215]

I remember having one when I was little and I remember playing the winnie the pooh, scooby doo, and adventure park games

[@Verminangel]

The hazy hypnotic comfort of the v.flash games should become a very pacific indie game niche

[@AcesInEmbers]

YWS

[@fezcrystal9]

​@@AcesInEmbers that stands for Your Water's Spotted

[@lauren-kitsuneroach]

jeez, clue. there’s no other youtuber who can simultaneously make you feel like a viewer, a student, and a friend

[@Zoopop13]

polygon donut and dream jelly are pretty cool too. all around my age with the same nostalgic things we all had/wanted/did.

[@KP_Uravity]

Getting a little parasocial are we Mr squidward?

[@mewity]

@@Zoopop13pongon mentioned 💥💥💥

[@SageArdor]

Sam O'Nella would like a word

[@eCtImanD]

pannen

[@Ragepyro]

18:30 You throw broken things in the garbage, I hold onto everything in case I can reuse it later, we are not the same.

[@nithpro1385]

i was genuinely surprised like why would he do this

[@solidargument]

It hurt me to watch. Bro didn't even bother putting the plastic in the recycling.

[@GamingWithKare]

@@nithpro1385he said why he did it in the video he wasn’t able to use it or repair it because it was broken

[@nithpro1385]

@@GamingWithKare still

[@pluutonius]

I'm low key a hoarder because of this

[@NegativeEnergyX2000]

Fun fact: the Shrek game at 2:15 straight up lifts music from Ocarina of Time

[@kacperolszowski1331]

Not only from ocarina of time, but also Super Mario Bros, Darkseed II AND SaGa Frontier

[@silvasoul8938]

Playing ocarina after getting too old for my V Smile was definitely uh. Something

[@idoghacker8008]

I'm also pretty sure it had several revisions which could have changed it out for something else. None of them did.

[@Jac-Man]

I NEED PROOF

[@TruxtonII]

@@Jac-Man Search for "Shrek: Dragon's Tale (V.Smile) stolen music comparison"

[@sk3llyb0nes]

Winnie the Pooh: Honey Hunt on the V-Smile was the beginning of my gamer days. That shit shapped me as a person and I am forever greatful

[@katanah3195]

That game was the absolute best!

[@neptunepie99]

Me too! That console was the only one I had and that game was the only one we bought and I loved it

[@NotStoopid0228]

PSA: WD-40 is absolutely not a lubricant, it's for cleaning and displacing. WD stands for water displacement. They do sell lubricants under the brand name though.

[@enbybunny9940]

Okay, cool. That’s what I initially thought and then I got really confused when he called it a lubricant. Genuinely thank you for the PSA, it saved me some confusion.

[@MatthewCobalt]

You can blame 'King of the Hill' for that

[@Italktocarrots]

the 40 stands for the fact it was the 40th formula that worked for them 🤗

[@tacoman6697]

Well, at least the vid does show that it did a great job cleaning the pad for them.

[@misseselise3864]

if lubricants are sold under the WD-40 brand name, then don’t you think when he refers to WD-40 lubricant, he’s talking about lubricants sold under the WD-40 brand name and not regular WD-40? using your brain should not be this hard.

[@christophertibbitts5636]

Thanks for uploading! As a kid I remember dunking on VTech because I dismissed them as a "little kid brand". Amazing to see how much innovation and build quality went into their consoles and games. Glad you showed these off.

[@mightykingwario]

28:05 love that every time they say the word shrek they have to put the registered trademark next to his name. why did they do that

[@Insert_Creativity_Here]

Shrek®️

[@mariomaker69420]

Shrek®

[@DSYNC-RONIZED]

thanks for saving me shrek®!

[@bland9876]

Shrek® is love Shrek© is life.

[@RadeonVega64]

Shrek®

[@moonclowns]

29:55 “…give them the tools and the outlet to express themselves, instead of selfishly sucking that energy away in exchange for some brief silence-” is so poetic and beautifully said. it almost brought me to tears i constantly think about the damage ipad kids, more specifically PARENTS who give their kids ipads, have done to this generation. just because theyre sick of their child “begging” for their attention. kids have the most vivid imaginations ever, and to completely deprive them of their creativity in favor of simple distraction is sickening to me i was born at a point in time where tablets were given to kids left and right, and now that im older (im in highschool now) i found out how detrimental this is to childrens mental and emotional development

[@socialgutbrain7774]

My nephew constantly watches slop content on the google home whenever he's at grandma's house, which is really disheartening, especially knowing that it's definitely stunting his brain development. I know mine was.

[@dado__]

You're being extremely judgemental to the parents here, because we have actual studies about which group has the most toddlers with high screen time: People below the federal poverty level. These aren't people throwing money just to shut their kids up, but also people more likely to not have a desktop computer, to work hard and long for little pay, and have much less access to alternative resources for entertaining their kids. In 2021 you can see people over 400% of the federal poverty line go back down to pre-pandemic levels from the high of 2020 (49.2%->39.5%) but *not* people under 100% of the poverty line (60.9%->58.9%) according to a survey of 44,775 US children in "Screen Time, Sociodemographic Factors, and Psychological Well-Being Among Young Children" (Kwon, et al.). Just yelling "parents bad and lazy!!" doesn't solve the problem when it's intrinsically tied to socioeconomic pressures like this. If those parents had more options and more protections (in the US we don't even get guaranteed sick days) then I guarantee those numbers would go down.

[@aspookyladmusic4954]

@@dado__ While this may be true, there are other solutions. If a parent puts money towards an iPad or similar, that's a minimum of $500, which could go towards many other better tools for their child's enrichment. Art supplies, musical instruments, flashcards, books, enriching toys, and even used VTech consoles and games to play. There does come a point where you have to admit that the iPad ends up being the easy way out. Even an actual game console is likely to contain more substance for the children who are being fed slop by their iPads.

[@mydzy]

​@@aspookyladmusic4954 I don't think any parent below the poverty line is buying an iPad for their kid. They're almost certainly just using the smartphone they already own and need for other things in their life. I have genuinely never seen an 'iPad' kid in my life - it's always just the parent's phone, because it's way more convenient than having a separate device for their kid. Not saying it's good or anything, it's just what I've noticed.

[@hahasamian8010]

Art and craft supplies can invite a lot of messes I'm sure, but they're absolutely worth it. If you're gonna give your kids a tablet though, make sure the apps on there aren't just any old slop!! Focus in on things like drawing and other forms of creation and education. Tablets and computers can be used for these things too, it doesn't have to just be one or the other. As someone who has been using a computer since I was 5, it's definitely also a valid space for expression! I remember making weird folder tunnels, writing stories, messing around in Paint. It was great! Windows XP had so much kid appeal, really felt like a playground full of interesting things to find and create. I loved Clippy and Rover...!

[@FrostCHNOS]

"The only lubricant I had on hand was some wd-40" sounds like I line from a toxic ass romance novel

[@FrostCHNOS]

"What if I step on this with my giant adult foot" Sir?

[@patatochipz]

@@FrostCHNOS WHAT :sob:

[@FrostCHNOS]

@@patatochipz sorry I don't speak bottom

[@patatochipz]

@@FrostCHNOS erm

[@patatochipz]

@@FrostCHNOS wanana make out

[@paolaanimator]

I remember Leapfrog but never seen this before. That being said, I love seeing older tech like this, it’s always fun to watch. Seeing your video is always a joy! I want to add I saw the end and I agree with you so much. I babysit kids and I bring physical books to read to them, I try to help encourage them doing physical activities like puzzle games, drawing/writing, playing toys with them, etc. I noticed parents who raised kids away from iPad or limited iPad usage, they're more active, very creative, love to ask questions and engage in conversations, etc. It is worth it to be active in learning with them, they will do better in school, socializing and eventually future opportunities like college, trade school, better paying jobs, etc. Kids who are addicted to technology, it is hard to get them out of being dependent on technology all the time, they mostly use it as an entertainment device rather than for learning. I know technology is important to learn, but it is just as important to learn other skills like reading, writing, art, STEM subjects, etc.

[@Literally_dangeleeen]

I had one randomly as a kid probably cause my mom is a teacher😂😂 i think i got it randomly or as a Christmas gift, but tbh i had alot of hand held game , i had a nintendo 2ds lite , a psp 3000, psp go , psp vita , nintendo 3dxl , all accumulated from my childhood , i think my mom just randomly gave me things , cause most timed i rarely remember asking for stuff as a kid😂😂

[@Literally_dangeleeen]

I had one randomly as a kid probably cause my mom is a teacher😂😂 i think i got it randomly or as a Christmas gift, but tbh i had alot of hand held game , i had a nintendo 2ds lite , a psp 3000, psp go , psp vita , nintendo 3dxl , all accumulated from my childhood , i think my mom just randomly gave me things , cause most timed i rarely remember asking for stuff as a kid😂😂

[@oddpeople8733]

I had a V-smile!! Omg the nostalgia!! Edit: while on my nostalgia trip I remembered the most anxiety enducing thing ever in my childhood. The Cinderella math game. You play as Cinderella serving ice cream to your step sisters and step mother and you have to to MATH to deliver the ice cream, but you were on a timer, and when this timer got to a certain time your ice cream would start melting and this voice would tell you "the ice cream is melting!" While you're trying to do MATH

[@allycorley184]

Dude I remember having literal panic attacks over this

[@RadeonVega64]

​@@allycorley184BRO SAME

[@brookewells7208]

I used to hand it to my mom when I needed to go to the bathroom and that still haunts her 😂

[@atrociousraspberry1091]

THAT GAME. I had the exact same experience. I feel so validated that other people were scared of that part. 😆

[@Zahara-y5q]

OMG YOU UNLOCKED MY MEMORY

[@emilyfoutch]

OH MY GOD!!! The vtech paw controler I had the pink and purple one, while my brother had the original colored one. We had the oringinal v-smile console, and seeing it just makes me smile. I had one of those when I was really little, that was one of my favorite things I used to have. you just brought back some of my favorite childhood memories with a single image. I remeber playing the dora game ALL THE TIME! it is a litteral core memory of mine. thank you

[@MusicalBloodDrop]

I feel like I've *never* seen a teaching-typing game that's set in an email inbox and now I'm wondering why and how?? That seems like such a brilliant concept for engaging with a character, learning how they feel about a person by the emails exchanged! A slightly more advanced version could even have branching dialogue, how cool

[@bland9876]

Imagine a story driven game where it's all told through email and text messages and you get to pick the dialogue but then what you pick it you still have to type it out. If done correctly including multiple endings depending upon what choices you pick and how that affects the story could be really cool. I want saw an episode of a TV show where the entire episode took place over video chat and that was pretty unique.

[@elgatoamarillo]

It's like the typing books in club penguin where what you typed changed the story

[@sonicSnap]

@@bland9876 emily is away is kind of like this, but it's aol messenger and "typing it out" is pressing any key at all

[@AnonAmyTheSilly]

@@bland9876 Ever heard of Emily is Away?

[@miraastralis]

@@bland9876 lol, what you're thinking about is a chatsim visual novel ^^

[@fennecnuggets3451]

I really appreciate all the effort you go through for your videos! There's nothing wrong with people who simply use photos and other channels' footage (with credit) to discuss things, of course. But it's cool that you take the time to acquire everything you want to talk about so that you're able to experience it all for yourself and provide accurate commentary from your own perspective. It's just a unique thing that not everyone has the means to do, and again that's fine, but it really does add a lot. Not to mention your BGM choices, voice and narration just make the experience very chill and pleasant. Please keep it up!

[@fennecnuggets3451]

Just actually finished the video, and I also greatly appreciate your minor soapbox at the end. As someone who majored in child development, you're completely right and I can't stress those points enough either! It is so much healthier for them to have things like books, drawing tools and various toys and manipulatives to explore and develop their imaginations with.

[@loveslunae]

The V-Smile is my first “Gaming Console” and it’s quite silly when I think about it, because it did help with those basic things a child should learn. So it’s cool to see a video like this!!

[@ZephyrYeti]

Same, I didn't even know playstation was the big thing back then, just vibing on this

[@MtchndraLrd]

Alphabet Park was my fix as a toddler, it’s so surreal seeing a video made of it now

[@snoozersnail]

Haven't even fully watched the video, but I must say that it's genuinely such a treat whenever you upload. You are so clearly passionate about your niche little interests, the physical manifestation of "a joy to have in class."

[@grayskyee]

i feel the same way! i smiled a real, genuine smile when i saw this video in my recommended. kkclue is such a breath of fresh air.

[@DeviBuster]

Thank you for saying this, it’s exactly why his content is so good. It’s nice to learn about things I’ve never known much about, or learn more about things I only fiddled around with before. Definitely a treat to watch

[@jesuisfudgeman874]

I had a vsmile pocket gen 2 as a kid, and it was fantastic. I played it every day until the batteries died, and then I'd spend hours flipping the dpad because the mechanism was so fun. this video was a huge nostalgia trip, thank you

[@cattenchaostherandomperson]

as someone who played my v-smile all the time as an older toddler to very young child, the mental whiplash I got from this video popping up while eating my lunch and facing the box that my v-smile is currently sitting in cannot be measured

[@newtzrcool]

genuinely i cannot explain how happy it makes me to see you specifically talk about this. i have the weirdest amount of nostalgia for vtech and the vsmile and v reader specifically lmfao

[@cookiecowchu]

Once i saw a v smile at a goodwill, it was there for like a month. I have no idea who has it now. I wish i bought it lmao

[@jackpijjin4088]

Give it another month, they'll have several pop up. It's like mold, or something. Releases edutainment spores.

[@sparksfly13]

i work for a thrift store and we have the same problem - but it's with leapfrog/vtech tablets!!! we sell them for usually $5 to $7 but they just sit, and sit, and sit until they eventually get dropped off to the electronic recyclers :(

[@DrKoneko]

Thank you for bring back childhood memories in all your videos. Its comforting to know that other adults don't mind being absolutely obsessed with random niche products from my childhood.

[@unknownthing5258]

This couldn't come out at a better time, my family had a v-flash orbiting around the house when I was a kid and every few years I think about it and get the strong urge to re-live those memories.

[@happy-composer]

Your missive at the end on children’s interaction with technology really moved me. Been feeling the same and completely agree.

[@oswaldhomolka]

9:28 I LOVE this selector design, it's so elegant, Off in the middle, unusual switch shape, Player 1 and 2 on the ends. Wonderful.

[@Glacier_Nester]

It's such an elegant way to handle "what if a kid isn't dexterous enough to handle a normal left/right/middle switch", good touch

[@lauren-kitsuneroach]

yes!!! all switches with three options should follow this design, it looks so much easier to use

[@Hamster07]

I have been religiously watching KZbin for most of my life at this point, and I think this channel might be my favorite right now

[@thelittlecheese6]

I love silly 90's/ early 2000's tech

[@BinglesP]

Same

[@iampinball3669]

23:58 VFlash is considered obscure? It’s the only one I knew about, I was waiting for you to get to it. Me and my brothers had Jumpin Bean Island, and it’s all we were allowed to play.

[@swimmyswim417]

I have such fond memories of the V Smile console. My mom got a bunch of VTech stuff for my little sister because she was jealous that my brother and I were playing “big kid” consoles like the GameCube and the DS. When she got frustrated playing a game, my brother and I would take over to get through the level and it was a blast. Alphabet Park is the GOAT for VSmile games.

[@GrimRolland]

omg i had the artstudio tablet! my granny gave it to me for my birthday, except my mom and i didnt have a lot of money growing up, so i felt obligated to love every gift i got as a kid, and i KNEW the tablet was shitty, even by seven year old standards. but i couldnt say anything, so i would draw with it everyday after school when my granny came over, to show her and mom how much i loved my gift! fun fact, the pen starts to tear through the screen after a while and if it gets damaged, like at all some of the colors will stop working lmao

[@cbragg923]

Growing up, I had a Leapster and a Leap Pad. I loved them both! I also had a Leap Frog smart globe that was similar to a Leap Pad in that it had a pen you could tap on the globe and interact with it in different ways. Do you think you could do a Leap Frog video? ❤

[@ketameme5]

Man I remember absolutely craving one of those leap frog globes as a kid

[@Zoopop13]

the marshmellow marsh song is still going through my head to this day

[@Ezra6942.1]

I had a different brand but same idea, I think it was like Odysseyus or something, and it had currency and other stats about countries, got it from my grandmas friend, loved it as a kid. I had a VTech camera and my sister had some weird Cinderella Disney princess ds style handheld from VTech, I had a leap pad/leapfrog

[@NARUTOSTAN-ve8iv]

id LOVE to see a leap frog video, i had one of the original first gen leapsters while my younger sibs had newer ones, but man we LOVED those things lol

[@totallynormalhuman4999]

This channel is my favorite thing ever. I have no idea what any of this is, I have no attachment to it, but I could listen to this man talk about random stuff all day and be entertained the whole time.

[@NinetailsNineLives]

1:15 smartridges??? they call the cartridges smartridges??? yippee!!

[@N_S_K_A_]

Hooray!!🎉

[@AlijahPatt]

5:29 POKEMON GOTTA CATCH EM ALLLLLL such inspiring words

[@mc.gemstone]

The V Smile was one of the first consoles I ever own I mean yea it was no GameCube or PS2 and I didn't even get a Wii until like Christmas of 2008. But besides playing PC games and flash games, I have some nice little fond memories of playing it as a kid and I'm thankful for having that part of my childhood all those years ago. Also the 3 games that I had for the first gen V Smile was Winnie The Pooh, some Spider Man and friends game (I don't remember the title of it) and this football game. They might be simple and nothing special but I have a soft spot for what they are.

[@snori3975]

I had the exact same ones!! Winnie the pooh and Spiderman. My brother used to get pissed off because I beat them way faster than he could lol

[@snori3975]

I had the same ones !! Winnie the pooh and Spiderman. I remember the Winnie the pooh one was my favorite cause it was a 2d platformer

[@kaylaeyles3677]

This video was so interesting and well researched!! I didn’t know about the Vsmile consoles growing up but it reminds me of my Leapfrog Leapster, I LOVED that thing when I was a kid.

[@AGood]

I'm sorry your telling me that my v flash is rare as heck and I have like. 5 of the games for it? AND MY CARS GAME DOES WORK THO LOL, the whole track maker and the lightning McQueen customization was so fun to me

[@raisumi7105]

I think it’s time you put that flash to good use.

[@playwonderwall]

Somehow my family still kept like 20+ games I had from my V-Smile too 🤯 HMM

[@PickledPlums]

OH MY GOD V FLASH MENTION!!! My brother and I grew up with one that one of my dad’s work friends passed on to him. The Disney princess game was ENTHRALLING to little me and is permanently lodged in my brain. I knew it was obscure but had no idea it did so poorly.

[@officialwatershieldchannel3858]

I sucked all of the air out of my body by gasping when I saw this video. Vsmile was my first video game console ever, and it just feels so right to hear a deep dive on it from you!

[@apex2504]

Great video! Love to see another V Smile 'enthusiast'. I have a board to dump V Smile cartridges and there are a few that are still yet to be dumped, particularly some regional variants of games (identical content, just different languages). I'd really love to have the entire game library preserved at some point.

[@aria_daize9926]

The v-flash princess game was actually my FAVORITE game growing up, and i already had an n64 at the time. Something about being abls to platform across princess worlds and sets fir the first time, and the creative element, was really fun! Maybe thata the nostalgia talking though .... i wish these consoles still existed. Kids need tech FOR kids....not unsupervised computer or social media time

[@Viteaification]

the dramatic music during the art tablet rant was hilarious

[@jaidenhowell1194]

I had the v-motion as a kid! No idea what happened to it, but I found some of the instructional booklets in a box recently, and was shocked when this popped up in my feed. I LOVED that thing.

[@RA1N_B000]

dude i geninuely thought me playing with one of these consoles as a kid was some weird fever dream/deja vu i had. I remember being like 4 and playing some low quality spongebob game on the learning system and i couldnt remember the name of the console till now. Thank you for confirming that I am not crazy and just hallucinated a very fond memory of mine

[@MrHack4never]

I really wish more creators used this much time on video creation, the quality is absolutely visible in the end product -Clue knows exactly how long to cover each subject to be interesting, yet informative, no part feels like padding -The change to the sponsor segment is beautifully done -Plenty of the creator's thoughts are mentioned, showing knowledge of the market it was released into Also, nice subliminal message, how long did it take to edit?

[@hahasamian8010]

I must know the subliminal message

[@MrHack4never]

@@hahasamian8010 That would spoil the intention, and therefore will not be mentioned

[@juan-ij1le]

@@MrHack4neverplease

[@MrHack4never]

@@juan-ij1le Rewatching the video could reveal it

[@Porschey]

For the past 18 or so years, I have struggled with a DISTINCT memory of playing Zayzoo as a kid. But for the longest time I had convinced myself that it was some sort of fever dream. Thank you for verifying that this did, indeed, exist and that my early onset of dementia was wrong.

[@dpat-64]

I loved that game, too😀! I loved the part of the game where there was playground tag/hide and seek.

[@Sheepy765.]

I’m so happy to see the V-Smile and V-Tech consoles be put in the spotlight, I grew up with it and loved it so much.

[@critten826]

VTech made me wonder on how many systems in the 2000's that matched the User Friendly/Accessibility of the VTech controller now. really cool to see VTech again and nostalgic it is.

[@gammafae]

The NOSTALGIA this brought back for me seeing this video pop up on my feed… I’m just glad someone knows what I’m talking about here 😭 the V-Smile and the V-Smile Pocket [the pocket without the stylus specifically] were the first consoles I owned growing up (note: technically I did have a DS lite beforehand but I had it taken away right after it was gifted to me because my mom was so worried about non educational content “turning my child stupid”) Also, it was so funny how whenever I wanted to play any of these games on the go that I’d just have to carry a plastic bag full of the cartridges and they’re SO BIG- I’d probably only be able to keep 3 max on hand Not to mention I always thought it was cute how you could flip the button layout to be right handed or left handed.. (as an autistic person this was one of my favorite ways to stim growing up, I didn’t even use it for its intended purpose) Okay lemme now watch the video and I’ll likely leave an update once I’m done LOL- EDIT: wow! I’ll be honest everything I recognized in the video were VERY EARLY into the V-Smile’s life! I had both the first gen console AND pocket (in the default blue and orange colors too, tho I think a cousin of mine had the pink and purple first gen pocket and console)! From what I could remember personally the ghosting on my pocket wasn’t horrible, but that also could just be nostalgia taking over (or the fact my memory is absolutely garbage)! I had a ton of the games shown here as well, I had the Toy Story 2 game for the original v-smile, I had the cars game, I had alphabet park (the first edition with the old crusty artstyle LOL), but some of the ones that weren’t mentioned that I had included Scooby doo, a different Shrek game I had with a.. skateboarding minigame of all things?? I don’t even remember what the educational part of tha game was anymore it might’ve been either math or spelling- Along with Finding Nemo iirc, Cinderella, like… I had a ton of those games. Seeing all the other products here was so interesting too, I had NO IDEA they made a leap pad of their own! Thanks for this, it’s such a blast from the past for me that I hope more people get to know about.

[@katanah3195]

Omg yes, stimming with the accessibility switch, I did that too, it was the best! I had an official carrying bag for my pocket unit that fit quite a few cartridges. It was pretty bulky though, for sure. I agree that I don't remember the ghosting being that bad... it certainly existed, and compared to modern tech it was a truly shitty screen, but it didn't seem that awful as a kid with no standards or frame of reference.

[@playwonderwall]

Omg we literally had the same V-Smile childhood cause I had all of what you mentioned too 😭😭

[@AxolotlPog]

V smile was a very small part of my childhood that I wish I could have played more of. I went from the V-smile, to plug and play video games, then to old CD games on the family computer. Thank you for making this video

[@cbragg923]

I had a V Smile! My favorite game was the Winnie the Pooh game! I also thought it was cool that the controller had a lever that swiveled around so you could switch around the joystick for a right or left handed player.

[@katanah3195]

The Pooh game was the best!

[@_sumina]

Oh bother

[@lumiepop5049]

I have been waiting for someone to make a video on the Vsmile for so long. It was my first console alongside the original Nintendo DS. I was 4 when i got them :') I had no idea there were so many versions of this system!! Wow

[@pennysanchez7656]

Holy crap, I remember having the V Smile Motion! I played the Scooby Doo game, Funland Frenzy, the Monsters vs Aliens game, WALL-E, and my personal favorite, the one with Disney Fairies’ Tinker Bell to promote the movie back in 2008.

[@gwynnsquiglets]

Knew that my family had the original Vsmile for a while but totally forgot that we had the original pocket as well until you showed it, I remembered being so mesmerized by the flippable dpad, didn't understand how it was possible. I would always try to flip them halfway between each state and play like that. Also For Sure the screens were just always that bad. I specifically remembered not playing with it as much because the screen ghosting was so awful

[@UnknownAccordian]

I can confirm the screen was always that bad on the pockets lol. I vividly remember having mine taken away from me because the refresh rate made me sick

[@catsinbed7634]

"Young children are the most naturally imaginative creatures on Earth" is beautifully said and so so true

[@DaftDoof]

"Do you like the way that skin feels on your body?" 3:17

[@dinodoq5683]

i distinctly remember having a vsmile and a vtech mobigo when i was very young, (probably three or four). i was absolutely obsessed with it and the purple cartridges are so so nostalgic

[@the_blue_dragon_bd]

I grew up with the v smile game system with cartages, it was my childhood snes 😂 I also had 2 because one was bought when I was born but didn't work when I was old enough so I had 2 different controllers one with the big button and one with a pen pad

[@lilkeyla5769]

Oh my god.. you reminded me of it.. for years i wondered.. 😭 i never could remember the name of the console i had.. its the v smile motion from 2008 Thank you.. man i miss stuff like this, im glad i grew up with toys/gadgets like this

[@HalianTheProtogen]

My cousin had one of the VTech computers when we were kids, and I thought it was the coolest thing ever. Also, the SmartBook gives me serious Sega Pico vibes; I used to own one of the latter as a kid.

[@beckw1932]

omg nostalgia! i had the original console with the drawing tablet - i remember absolutely loving it! so incredible about all the accessibility features 🤯

[@octavgg]

can i just say i LOVE vtech educational game products. Their quality and ingenuity is something that modern day toy companies STILL cannot replicate quite as well.

[@starwalkeranon]

I had the v-smile motion!!! I LOVED it as a kid. I had several Disney games, and my favorites were a Tinkerbell game and a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse game.

[@Siphonay]

28:09 the way they added a registered trademark symbol to Shrek makes this read like a shitpost to me

[@giboi03]

I could be made fun of for owning a VSmile, but it (alongside my DS and GBA on the side) was my stepping stone to becoming gamer. For the life of me, I couldn't deal with enemy mobs that had anything to do with "death", and the Scooby Doo game was no exception, but I learned about the infamous water levels in that same game. I genuinely loved how the controller was simple, tactile, and strangely ergonomic. The colors were inviting and fun, and the sensations and sounds of the buttons made everything worth giving a first try. That smart keyboard makes me want a PC compatible one just so I can feel the squish on the orange plastic with office keyboardy sounds. Thank you so much for covering the systems because I couldn't keep track of anything after the Leapfrog 2 came out and subsequent rivalry. (And yes, Toy Story 2 on VSmile is goated)

[@Gafafsg]

God, I distinctly remember sitting on the floor by the living room computer while my mom tried getting the V Link to work, but I can’t figure out what it was for. All I remember is that it was finicky.

[@Oakauo]

I'm actually kind of shocked how much the baby controller looks like a edutainment game I grew up with -- video buddy. Same colours on the big buttons, same weird combination of being shaped like both a controller and a paint pallet. I LOVED my video buddy, it attached to a CRT via a suction cup, which had a light censor inside. The VHS tapes that came with the game would pulse to let the game know what answer was supposed to be chosen on the quiz. Your channel taught me this is how duck hunt worked as well!

[@DarkKryo]

I never thought I'd be watching Clue complain about a decade old drawing tablet for a console targeted at children, but yet here I am (and I enjoy every second of it)

[@ShotofDespresso]

13:55 Damn that's a real throwback. I remember using a LeapPad when I was a kid. And before I got my first Nintendo DS, I had LeapFrog's Leapster L-MAX (or something like that). A big old chunky handheld console that was actually decently good for an edutainment device lol

[@zaccary14]

Finally, the V-Tech Iceberg video I’ve been looking for.

[@smolmachine]

I really appreciate this video actually. Whenever I see a youtuber talk about this console, they always go on about how cheap and slow and Not Fun it is. As someone who had this as a kid and actually got something out of it, I'm glad to see someone viewing it as a helpful learning tool and not a bad game console.

[@jamzee_]

Well, i know what im buying my nephew for christmas this year. unironically think he might like this sorta thing.

[@Avphonics]

2:44 this is far as I am rn in the video but I’m SO EXCITED I just had to comment, I haven’t heard or seen ANYONE talk about these in YEARS. My brother and I both had one as kids and since he was a chronic illness child , this console was most of what we could do to spend time together as kids. He was too young and too sick to remember it properly but I remember and it brings me so so much joy. Thank you for talking about this console ❤

[@naln1thevampire]

I had a V-Motion with a V-Link as a child, and neither me nor my parents could actually figure out how the V-Link was supposed to work. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if nobody knew how the V-Link worked, even at the time XD

[@brevin630]

I had this thing as a kid and I LOVED it. I only had a few games, and i barely understood how they worked because i was a dumb kid, but i LOVED the Blue's Clues game, and the Bert and Ernie game, and the Dora game, so many were core parts of my childhood. If possible, I'd love to see you talk about the Fisher-Price InteracTV, which was basically a giant glorified DVD player remote, but it was super fascinating. It basically let you play episodes of different kids shows, like Blue's Clues, Barney, Dora, Elmo's World, and Spongebob

[@repoversemedium]

These and the LeapFrog products were the peakness of edutainment.

[@micshork]

Thank you for making this video. The V. Smile has always been a curiosity for me and it is crazy that they made so many different devices.

[@ExcludedShadow]

28:25 If you’re having trouble falling asleep I also recommend Command & Conquer: Red Alert for the PS1, it puts me to sleep in 10 minutes.

[@Rat-Fanatic]

I LOVE V-tech, It has been one of my special interests for years, as have most edutainment consoles and video games. THANK you for covering it, I don't think it gets nearly enough love. Would you consider covering leapfrog and their long lineage of edutainment products?

[@scacknewman]

god what a throwback, i remember playing on the vsmile a LOT when I was younger but I don't have a single good memory. Having every game be education orientated just immediately drowned out any fun I could have possibly had

[@luigifan4585]

Man, I was the complete opposite I thought the games for these were fun as hell

[@leilalsw]

I'm so happy you made a video on this!!! I feel like no one talks about the V-tech smile! Very happy to see a recent video on it! I have a huge collection of v-smile games

[@rosierose1819]

24:13 "a lovely circular gay joystick" is what im calling every joystick that isnt the gamecubes now

[@phasmidgaming99]

I had a v smile as a kid and it ruled as it made learning fun, I also became invested with looking at the new tech they were advertising but never got to experience the, at the time, newer stuff! This video takes me back to those days!

[@ZunkleFunkle]

24:26 that's not an accessibility feature, that's a goddamn transformation sequence.

[@ZunkleFunkle]

Update, this can be timed REALLY well with the transformation theme from Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger

[@amusedchortles]

I had the original VSmile console and handheld, so many good memories. My favorite was always the Blues Clues game.

[@ybaggaby7350]

that final note about the trepidations of giving your child a tablet is something i'm thankful more people are speaking up about, especially creators with a larger audience speaking as someone who grew up on an unmonitored ipad as early as about seven (i'm late-nineteen now,) i wish i never grew up with one relating upon the educational issues you'd brought up, i believe it genuinely stunted my growth and is the result of a bunch of deep-rooted, unhealthy habits that are extremely hard to break in my present. things like dopamine dependency of all kinds, and some bad morals picked up from gross people i wish my innocent-self never had the displeasure of getting personal with it's a wish i'd dump every penny in the world into the well for; i believe i'd be 100% better off and more successful without it. the internet is no place for developing children.

[@ShyShaymini]

I have the V-smile console in my basement. the games i have are Simbas great adventure, Winnie Pooh, Scooby Doo, Ariell, Mickys magic adventure and some more and i loved it so much as a kid.

[@ilovebeansprouts2600]

It’s genuinely amazing how much they kept up the accessibility thing, even if it’s basic it’s seriously brilliant.