Customer Reviews

Vg Pocket Caplet Fast Acting 50 Games (Portable Gaming Device)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

At first glance, the VG Pocket almost looks like one of those old style plastic candy containers. It really is a little game unit, very light, and under $50.

The unit doesn't take cartridges or disks. You can only play the 50 games that come pre-loaded in the system. Still, if you're a puzzle player, this may be all you need.

The puzzle games include Sudoku, a Tetris-like game, a Zuma like game, and several other block-matching or color-matching games. There are also versions of peg solitaire. For casino fans, you've got blackjack, slots and video poker.

There are a number of donkey kong style games, as well as side scrolling plane games and platformers.

Really, the only "known" game here is Space Invaders, and even that is Space Invaders II. You get 2 lives per run and the aliens seem to shoot much more quickly than in the arcade game I remember.

In the end, though, that's rather fine with me. I have other systems to play other arcade games with. I have a friend who loves Space Invaders, and she doesn't have a game unit, so for one low price I was able to get her Space Invaders plus 49 other games, all together.

The unit is powered by 3 AAA batteries and can't take a charger. It has a headphone jack and - intriguingly - an AV jack. They claim you can plug this into a TV and play your games on your TV! However, the AV jack is *smaller* than a headphone jack, and despite having every major console and handheld unit here, I've never seen a cable like this. It would be something most people would have to order on the internet. On the up side, it's apparently about $9.99 which includes a case, so it's not very expensive.

The controls are pretty straightforward. There's a D-pad on the left, four buttons on the right (X, Y, A, B) plus a menu and start button. They react relatively well to button presses. None of these games are complex in a "8 part combo to get a fighting move" way. They are typically more about strategy - how to move up the ladders to avoid the enemy, what Sudoku numbers to put in the cubes, how to pop the bubbles in order.

The screen size is a bit smaller than a DS screen. You can still see everything. In some games, like Hanoi Tower, everything is large and clear. You're moving rings from tower to tower in the classic puzzle game. In other games, like Space Invaders (II), the tiny aliens and even tinier bullets can make it a bit of a challenge. Still, it is certainly playable.

If you already have a game unit, you can often get a "10 classic games" compilation game for $20 or so. So in comparison, this is actually a great deal - and if someone doesn't have a game unit at all, this gets them 50 games in one fell swoop to play and enjoy. Just be aware that it is NOT a Nintendo DS or Sony PSP or other unit which takes commercially available games to play. If you are getting this as a present for someone and they have their heart set on getting Mario Kart to play, they can't do that with this unit. For them, you might do better at giving them a gift certificate towards the unit they actually want. But if the person you're buying for (or yourself, if you're considering this for yourself) isn't craving new games to add in, and just wants a collection of puzzle / platform games to play for very little money, I definitely do recommend this unit. If you can track down the AV cable and play them on the big screen, then it does double duty as a home gaming system too!

Game Title List:
Space Invaders, Bust-a-move, BurgerTime, Sudoku Quiz, Boxboy, Adventures of Valdog, Deep Storm, Bubble Wubble, Final Escape, Wolfy's Quest, Legendary Hero, Craig the Caterpillar, Crystal Cavern, Final Round Tennis!, Magic Jelly, Blazebusters, Rotating Puzzle, Underwater Pinball, Bubble Blaster, Greedy Grabber, Puzzle Chance, Victory Road, Jet Racing, Yummy and Tasty, Code Name: PLUMBER, Hanoi Tower, Leapfrog, Win or Lose, Pop goes the Ball!, Kart Racer X, Battle Blocks II, Switch and Mix, Survival Challenge, Go Bck Home!, Motojet Mania, Tiger Rescue, BIlliards Master, Mr. Onion, Wacky Racing, Tennis Caddie, Blaze of Glory, Underwater Memory, Crane Maniac, Go Bang, Jewel Master 2, Smashing Ladybugs, Submarine, Slot Machine, Video Poker, Black Jack

The VG Caplet is an obvious descendant of the plug-and-play style of TV games, though this unit has two main advantages. First, it comes with its own 2" color screen, which is surprisingly bright pretty. Resolution is just about the exact same as a standard TV, and there is no noticeable ghosting. I'd say the screen is comparable to a Game Boy Advance, though backlit for outdoor use. For those who still want to use a TV for their gaming, the option is still open through what appears to be a 2.5mm-Component video AV cable, available online.

The second main advantage is the game selection: unlike older plug-and-play consoles which featured only 3-5 licensed games, the Caplet features three licensed classics (Space Invaders II, Bust-a-Move and Burger Time) as well as 47 other classics clones. You get everything from your standard tetris and color-matching puzzles to top-down and Out Run-style racing to scrolling Shoot-em-Ups. Casual gamers will also enjoy slow-paced games such as Sudoku and billiards, and casino fans have video poker, blackjack and slots to choose from. Game quality unfortunately varies significantly, and the complete lack of options such as setting life numbers can make things difficult for those not willing to put in the time to improve their gameplay. As for visuals, the Caplet seems to run as a full 16-bit console, so while there is the occasional bit of slowdown (nothing bad, though) colors pop and animations are plentiful. Think SNES-quality, not quite Sega Genesis.

As for the console itself, I measure it at about 5x2.5", with the screen 2x1.5". Controls are a d-pad, four action buttons, start and menu buttons, a volume wheel and a power switch. There is also an AV out, headphone out and a mono speaker. The unit itself is light as can be, barely heavier than the three AAA's required to power it. The highlight is obviously the screen, which is surprisingly lovely and plenty big for all included games. The Caplet is available in several colors, but the games are the same regardless. The d-pad is good, but slightly mushy; the buttons seem just fine and are just big enough to push accurately.

+Great screen
+Small and light
+Licensed games are accurate to originals
+hardware is surprisingly powerful, and the non-licensed games make use of that power
+Lots of game variety
+TV-out lets you play the games on a TV, should you choose, and headphone jack makes it airplane/bus friendly

-Some games are simplistic clones
-d-pad is a tad mushy
-build quality is fine, but could be better.
-lack of options in games make things difficult for newbies

Overall:
I'd have to say I'm very impressed with the caplet. Bust-a-move never looked better, and space invaders, Zuma and breakout are fun no matter what you call them. For the money, if you don't want to invest in a GBA, DS or PSP it's a fine choice. Combined with the tablet, it's smaller brother, the caplet makes a lot of game for cheap, and is perfect for bus or plane rides.

PS: for those hardware tinkerers out there, this little thing deserves attention.

Snagged a Caplet today. It's a little bulkier than the Coleco/Sega unit, but otherwise looks very similar, down to the bright, sharp screen, the AV out capabilities, and the 3 AAA batteries needed to run it. Space Invaders is an improved arcade classic. Bust-A-Move seems to be a port of something with SNES-like resolution. Burgertime is a remake, definitely not an emulation of something we've seen before. The original games, which I've only tasted, are bright, colorful, and easy to control. There is a decent mix of puzzle, breakout-style, 2D and 3D racing, maze games, and platformesque run-n-jumps. Not a bad little toy for the price if you appreciate the retro style -- just over a dollar per game.

I purchased several of these over 3 yrs ago, plus the little round ones. My grandchildren love them.
I take one with me when I know I will have to wait awhile--drs..concert--plays. They are similar to games--if not
identical to many of the WebKinz's game online. I love them, durable, out of five gamers, only one wore out.

I got one of these units on clearance for less than $10.
As a fan of handheld game units, I've often been disappointed
by the poor images and simplistic games included. I was very
surprised then when I turned this on and got brilliant, bright
colours with great definition and a wide choice of good, fun
games. For the price, this unit is incredible. Some have
criticized the poor construction, but I've never felt it was
weak or shoddy in any way. The battery life has always been
very good in my unit as well.
Essentially this is like a Gameboy Advance for the price of
a cheap Tiger handheld game.

I kept my expectations low, and it was very light out of the box, but with fresh batteries, this really rocked. Some games take a little time to get used to, but it's a great product. It's also much smaller than I expected, a little over 3" long. I wouldn't go kicking it around too much as the plastic is a little thin, but if you can take care of your toys this is worth the money!

Note: You can buy this direct from the manufacturer if you are unsure of the prices, go to:[...] (VG Pocket Tab)

I'm a firm believer in the saying "You get what you pay for", so when I purchased the VG Pocket Caplet for $30 at GameStop, I wasn't expecting very much. First of all, the 2.5" LCD screen is amazingly sharp and crisp. The graphics are also impressive for a device in this price range. While the sound is a definite improvement over the VG Pocket Max (which I also own), the speaker isn't quite near the quality level of the brilliant display. The D-pad and fire buttons are about average for ease of use. Overall, the hardware on VG's Pocket Caplet is impressive considering the unit costs less than a fill-up at your local gas station.

The gaming experience is a mixed bag. As mentioned, the graphics and display are very sharp. Space Invaders is emulated perfectly, so anyone wanting to relieve the late 1970s arcade smash will be quite content. Burgertime's sound emulation strays a little from the arcade verison and the D-pad makes moving the chef a little difficult, but all things considered, you should have fun with that classic game as well. While I never played Bust-A-Move in the arcade, it is a compelling challenge on the VG Caplet. Of the 47 other games featured, there are a handful of really cool ones (Slot Machine, Video Poker, Smashing Ladybugs, Tiger Rescue, Battle Blocks II) along with a number of low-rate Tetris clones, boring race-types, and Mario/Sonic knock-offs. Some may find these games really exiciting while others may never play them any more than once; I guess it just depends on your taste in gaming.

The Sudoku game is presented well if you enjoy those type of puzzles (I do not) and there are a couple of 3-D games which sport some nice graphics. There's even a challenging man-vs-computer tennis game for those who like sports action.

For the money, I would certainly recommend the VG Caplet to just about anyone who likes video gaming.

This product is poorly made. It goes through batteries in a mater of a few hours. I spent more money replacing the batteries inthe week that I kept the product before returing it then I did on the actual game.

The company NEVER returns calls, they never pick up the phone (voice mail always picks up), there're 1-800 phone number is ALWAYS busy. There're phone hours are only 9am to 3pm Monday through Friday. They respond to emails with a generic reponse and when you follow there're return policy, good luck getting your money back. I have been trying to get it back for a month now. I recommend this product and company to NO ONE.