V.Smile (Platform)

V.Smile

PLATFORM» VSML» August 4, 2004

The V.Smile is an educational video game console made for young children.

Overview

The V.Smile is a game system designed around edutainment titles, with an intended age range of around 3-9 years old. Titles come on ROM cartridges, known as "smartridges", further driving home the educational intent. The system has simple, large controller buttons to accommodate a child's reduced dexterity. The system controller consists of one large push button in the middle of the pad as well as 4 smaller buttons in red, yellow, blue, and green. Also of note, the controller is designed to be adjustable, allowing users to maneuver the joystick with either their left or right hand. The V.Smile range of consoles are not region-locked. While NTSC and PAL versions were produced with region specific BIOS revisions (distinguishable by a speech sample when booting the console without a game), games purchased from an NTSC region play as expected on PAL systems and vice versa. Observations suggest that both the V.Smile and V.Smile Infant Development System used different methods of booting- The V.Smile and V.Smile Pocket variants will apparently boot into their own BIOS, then obligingly run the software on the cartridge. The V.Smile Baby appears to boot from the default BIOS when a cartridge of the same region is inserted or when there's no cartridge in the system, but appears to boot from a different BIOS when a cartridge of a different region is inserted. Currently it is unknown if the extra BIOS resides on the cartridge or on the console itself.

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