As you know, we are science experts. We have never placed much faith in the mystical babblings of so-called 'telepaths'. Hard fact and empirical evidence are what we need - and this clever device gives you an awful lot of both. Quite simply, 20Q is a wonder of modern science. Using the latest AI technology it is a handheld game that guesses what you're thinking - usually in less than 20 questions (making it a great deal cleverer than some people). But it doesn't do it using basic guesswork or what others might call 'magic'; no, it is powered by the latest in AI (artificial intelligence) technology. Here's how it works:In the best traditions of the classic 'yes/no' parlor game, 20Q asks a series of questions and then, using the AI technology, guesses the object that the player is thinking of. It does this through a neural network of neron-like nodes, mirroring the structure of a simple human brain - no, I'm not referring to you. Please don't be touchy.

Rubbish!, 09 Oct 2008
I was interested in buying this and saw one out for demonstration, so i thought i'd test it out before i bought it. Lucky i did! I thought of a racoon and began the game. It began promising, asking sensible questions, then went totally off the point. It never got it in 20 questions and only got it on the 25 question, which i felt was a bit of a cheat. I tried again with something simple, but this time, it never got it. I was glad when the words "you win" came up on the screen and it turned itself off, probably because it was embarrassed! At that point, i had to leave, which i felt glad to do, and was very glad i tried it before i bought it. Some of my friends, who were unable to try it, felt disapointed they couldn't and have since got rid of them. It's a good idea, pity about the actual product. It's cheaper (and a lot more fun) to play this game using real people than a computer which can't even guess the item you're thinking of is a pen.

Family fun for a short time, 28 Aug 2008
I got this for Christmas for the whole family to play with and it is fun and amazingly works most of the time unless you pick something really obscure. The only real problem with this is that it can grow old very quickly and within about ten minutes the 20Q will be collecting dust in the corner. Not so good if you have a short attention span.

Get outta my mind!, 28 Jul 2008
...says a bloke on the current 20Q TV advert. And yes, it appears for most of the time this little round gadget is reading my mind, as long as I'm thinking simple thoughts...

Okay, this little beastie tries to guess what someone is thinking about by asking a series of questions that can be answered by a simple yes/no/maybe. After 20 questions it tries to guess what you thought of with varying degrees of success. For example, think of cola and it might guess a can or a bottle; which to be honest isn't too far from the truth.

Personally, I think it's one of those "coffee table" objects; something that would sit on a table and maybe once in a while you'll try it out. Mind you, the expressions on people's faces when it guesses correctly is priceless!

Mind reader?? Er...nope!, 09 Jul 2008
I bought the Harry Potter version of this for my son and we really enjoyed it for a while, then it kind of lost its appeal and we could outwit it most of the time. So I thought I'd get this and see how we got on. The first ten items I thought of it didn't guess!! And they were pretty obvious things... picture frame, domino, sweetcorn, golf club etc I was trying to answer them very obviously but some of the questions it asked were pointless and we were really disapointed. I don't think the aim of this is to try to thin of things it WILL get rather than what it WON'T! Big disapointment I'm afraid after the Harry potter one!

stocking filler?, 27 Jun 2008
Quite a clever little toy! Its fun for a while and will amuse the kids but gets boring within an hour or two. Makes for a good little present for someone who likes silly thing :)

My Life is a virtual life simulator designed especially for girls! It's the ultimate digital pocket games console that combines the charm of virtual fashion dolls with the ever increasing interest in video games! Becoming part of the My Life world is very easy, you just decide who you want to be and then create your own character! Each experience is different and each player can have fun by making a virtual life that can be shared with her friends! Just enter your desired physical appearance; shape of face, colour of eyes, skin colour etc. Then choose your look and personality! Add new fashions and accessories with My Cards 359356. There is so much to do; shop, love and nurture your pets and play games! This great virtual game also has one meter infared connection to send text messages to your friends and an organiser with diary and calendar! Featuring fun cool graphics! Girls will love creating their own virtual character and playing games on this pocket console! A great way to entertain children on long journeys! Keep your My Life Console safe in the My Life Fashion Bag 359364.

Catcha Beast is a new electronic boys action game from Japan! The device incorporates a special digital compass where you must roate your body until you hook a beast, then reel it in and let the battle commence! Once you've caught a beast, train it and connect with friends for interactive battles! Over 100 beasts to find, catch, train, battle and exchange! Please note: Only compatable with Catcha Beast - Blue: 331496_blue (sold seperately)

Rubbish!, 09 Oct 2008
I was interested in buying this and saw one out for demonstration, so i thought i'd test it out before i bought it. Lucky i did! I thought of a racoon and began the game. It began promising, asking sensible questions, then went totally off the point. It never got it in 20 questions and only got it on the 25 question, which i felt was a bit of a cheat. I tried again with something simple, but this time, it never got it. I was glad when the words "you win" came up on the screen and it turned itself off, probably because it was embarrassed! At that point, i had to leave, which i felt glad to do, and was very glad i tried it before i bought it. Some of my friends, who were unable to try it, felt disapointed they couldn't and have since got rid of them. It's a good idea, pity about the actual product. It's cheaper (and a lot more fun) to play this game using real people than a computer which can't even guess the item you're thinking of is a pen.

Family fun for a short time, 28 Aug 2008
I got this for Christmas for the whole family to play with and it is fun and amazingly works most of the time unless you pick something really obscure. The only real problem with this is that it can grow old very quickly and within about ten minutes the 20Q will be collecting dust in the corner. Not so good if you have a short attention span.

Get outta my mind!, 28 Jul 2008
...says a bloke on the current 20Q TV advert. And yes, it appears for most of the time this little round gadget is reading my mind, as long as I'm thinking simple thoughts...

Okay, this little beastie tries to guess what someone is thinking about by asking a series of questions that can be answered by a simple yes/no/maybe. After 20 questions it tries to guess what you thought of with varying degrees of success. For example, think of cola and it might guess a can or a bottle; which to be honest isn't too far from the truth.

Personally, I think it's one of those "coffee table" objects; something that would sit on a table and maybe once in a while you'll try it out. Mind you, the expressions on people's faces when it guesses correctly is priceless!

Mind reader?? Er...nope!, 09 Jul 2008
I bought the Harry Potter version of this for my son and we really enjoyed it for a while, then it kind of lost its appeal and we could outwit it most of the time. So I thought I'd get this and see how we got on. The first ten items I thought of it didn't guess!! And they were pretty obvious things... picture frame, domino, sweetcorn, golf club etc I was trying to answer them very obviously but some of the questions it asked were pointless and we were really disapointed. I don't think the aim of this is to try to thin of things it WILL get rather than what it WON'T! Big disapointment I'm afraid after the Harry potter one!

stocking filler?, 27 Jun 2008
Quite a clever little toy! Its fun for a while and will amuse the kids but gets boring within an hour or two. Makes for a good little present for someone who likes silly thing :)

Much more complex than you'd think from the advert, 11 Nov 2008
We got this for our son a couple of weeks ago for his 7th birthday.

The console bleeps at you when a beast is near then you have to swing the console around to find the beast and then reel it in with the little fishing reel on the side.

There are apparently 105 different beasts. They are divided into different levels of difficulty to catch, so you start with the easy ones. Once you have caught something you can either keep it (up to 3 at a time) and train it, or exchange it for a lure or sell it for gold. Some beasts only come out at certain times of day. Other beasts require you to have a certain lure in your arsenal from previous catches or you need a trained beast to help you to fight the beast and tire it out so you can catch it.

To find out more about it I recommend you visit the website (google it, it's a .eu address) where you can see more about how you catch things and what sort of beasts there are. Having said which it sounds terribly complicated when you find out all the different layers of things you can do with it, but you can still get started without loads of that knowledge. My son got going with about 5 minutes of us reading the instructions with him and in the way of kids, then went on to work out loads of the other things as he went along.

What I do like about it is that it requires some perseverance to collect different lures and enough gold to get a better beast radar, and that it can require quite a lot of strategic thinking to plan how to get the more difficult beasts. There is a lot of remembering of statistics and abilities like in something like Pokemon or Top Trumps,my son has started writing down all the stats for the beasts he has caught. The difference with this compared to something like Pokemon is that you only have to buy the console once, and then the beasts come free after that, you don't have to keep shelling out to increase your collection. Although I understand that if a friend has a blue one and you have a red one you can get the maximum number of lures and beasts.

My only irritation with it has been that some of the instructions require the screen to be slid shut while doing them, but there is no backlight and it is quite hard to read without the screen slid up. I have emailed the manufacturer about it and they have said that they have passed it on to the R&D team so that's fair enough.

Overall this is a more complex and better long term buy than I was expecting it to be. It's very new, so i dont know how long I will feel this way about it! but I'm quite pleased so far. Perhaps most importantly (!) my son took it in to show and tell and came out of school with a trail of admirers from his class, so I am definitely in the good books for this purchase!

For up to 30 nail-biting minutes, player's nerves are tested to their limits by the threat of the infernal ticking bomb. Players live on a knife edge as they struggle to find a suitable word and pass the bomb on before it goes off! Not suitable for those with a nervous disposition. 2-12 players, age 12+ 12 Years +

Rubbish!, 09 Oct 2008
I was interested in buying this and saw one out for demonstration, so i thought i'd test it out before i bought it. Lucky i did! I thought of a racoon and began the game. It began promising, asking sensible questions, then went totally off the point. It never got it in 20 questions and only got it on the 25 question, which i felt was a bit of a cheat. I tried again with something simple, but this time, it never got it. I was glad when the words "you win" came up on the screen and it turned itself off, probably because it was embarrassed! At that point, i had to leave, which i felt glad to do, and was very glad i tried it before i bought it. Some of my friends, who were unable to try it, felt disapointed they couldn't and have since got rid of them. It's a good idea, pity about the actual product. It's cheaper (and a lot more fun) to play this game using real people than a computer which can't even guess the item you're thinking of is a pen.

Family fun for a short time, 28 Aug 2008
I got this for Christmas for the whole family to play with and it is fun and amazingly works most of the time unless you pick something really obscure. The only real problem with this is that it can grow old very quickly and within about ten minutes the 20Q will be collecting dust in the corner. Not so good if you have a short attention span.

Get outta my mind!, 28 Jul 2008
...says a bloke on the current 20Q TV advert. And yes, it appears for most of the time this little round gadget is reading my mind, as long as I'm thinking simple thoughts...

Okay, this little beastie tries to guess what someone is thinking about by asking a series of questions that can be answered by a simple yes/no/maybe. After 20 questions it tries to guess what you thought of with varying degrees of success. For example, think of cola and it might guess a can or a bottle; which to be honest isn't too far from the truth.

Personally, I think it's one of those "coffee table" objects; something that would sit on a table and maybe once in a while you'll try it out. Mind you, the expressions on people's faces when it guesses correctly is priceless!

Mind reader?? Er...nope!, 09 Jul 2008
I bought the Harry Potter version of this for my son and we really enjoyed it for a while, then it kind of lost its appeal and we could outwit it most of the time. So I thought I'd get this and see how we got on. The first ten items I thought of it didn't guess!! And they were pretty obvious things... picture frame, domino, sweetcorn, golf club etc I was trying to answer them very obviously but some of the questions it asked were pointless and we were really disapointed. I don't think the aim of this is to try to thin of things it WILL get rather than what it WON'T! Big disapointment I'm afraid after the Harry potter one!

stocking filler?, 27 Jun 2008
Quite a clever little toy! Its fun for a while and will amuse the kids but gets boring within an hour or two. Makes for a good little present for someone who likes silly thing :)

Much more complex than you'd think from the advert, 11 Nov 2008
We got this for our son a couple of weeks ago for his 7th birthday.

The console bleeps at you when a beast is near then you have to swing the console around to find the beast and then reel it in with the little fishing reel on the side.

There are apparently 105 different beasts. They are divided into different levels of difficulty to catch, so you start with the easy ones. Once you have caught something you can either keep it (up to 3 at a time) and train it, or exchange it for a lure or sell it for gold. Some beasts only come out at certain times of day. Other beasts require you to have a certain lure in your arsenal from previous catches or you need a trained beast to help you to fight the beast and tire it out so you can catch it.

To find out more about it I recommend you visit the website (google it, it's a .eu address) where you can see more about how you catch things and what sort of beasts there are. Having said which it sounds terribly complicated when you find out all the different layers of things you can do with it, but you can still get started without loads of that knowledge. My son got going with about 5 minutes of us reading the instructions with him and in the way of kids, then went on to work out loads of the other things as he went along.

What I do like about it is that it requires some perseverance to collect different lures and enough gold to get a better beast radar, and that it can require quite a lot of strategic thinking to plan how to get the more difficult beasts. There is a lot of remembering of statistics and abilities like in something like Pokemon or Top Trumps,my son has started writing down all the stats for the beasts he has caught. The difference with this compared to something like Pokemon is that you only have to buy the console once, and then the beasts come free after that, you don't have to keep shelling out to increase your collection. Although I understand that if a friend has a blue one and you have a red one you can get the maximum number of lures and beasts.

My only irritation with it has been that some of the instructions require the screen to be slid shut while doing them, but there is no backlight and it is quite hard to read without the screen slid up. I have emailed the manufacturer about it and they have said that they have passed it on to the R&D team so that's fair enough.

Overall this is a more complex and better long term buy than I was expecting it to be. It's very new, so i dont know how long I will feel this way about it! but I'm quite pleased so far. Perhaps most importantly (!) my son took it in to show and tell and came out of school with a trail of admirers from his class, so I am definitely in the good books for this purchase!



Simple, but a heck of a lot of fun!, 16 Dec 2007
In this game a pool of thirteen cards is exposed one card at a time (with each card showing a short sequence of letters), then the special die is rolled stating where in a word it can and cannot appear, then the timer on the bomb is started. You must then think of a word that (a) contains the letter sequence on the card with no interruptions by other letters (e.g. if the card had the letters 'SAC' then words like 'ransack' or 'sacking' would be acceptable, but not 'stack' because the T interrupts the 'SAC'), (b) obeys the instructions of the die as to where the letters can appear in your chosen word, and (c) doesn't duplicate any words that have already been said in that round - once you have you can then pass the bomb onto the next player. Gameplay continues like this until the bomb plays an explosion sound; the person holding the bomb when this happens takes the card and keeps it beside him/her. Once all thirteen cards have been played the person with the fewest cards is the winner.

This is one of those games that's so simple to learn and play but is a lot of fun - and you really have no idea when that bomb will explode (sometimes it does so within ten seconds of activation, sometimes it lasts much longer!). Also, because it's not based on any particular fad, it's timeless.

Definitely recommended, although the £15 asking price is a bit steep.

Simple but Great, 21 Dec 2005
A family member bought this along to our Christmas celebrations last year, and it proved such a huge success that I bought my own copy this year. It's brilliance is in its simplicity. A must for all families.

I would point out that it takes 2 standard "AAA" batteries.

Tension, 11 Dec 2005
I have to agree with the reviews written so far, apart from the fact that the batteries I had in the game, when it was given to me, lasted for many hours.

Fun game, which is compact and easy to carry and play anywhere.

Everyone I've ever introduced to it has liked it and asked to play it again.

Pass the BOMB, 11 Feb 2005
A brilliant game for all the family. Any one can win it is a game of potluck, which comes along with histerical laughter, as you make up words as you go and then try to tell people what they mean!!! In my experience and not being at my best with language, ebven the most intelligent person can lose which is alwaYS A BONUS.

Pass the bomb, 12 Jan 2004
Great game, pity that the batteries run out after only an hour or two of play. It runs on watch batteries which makes it a very expensive game as you have to replace the batteries almost every time you play it.

Connect to see the learning and share the fun! Play anywhere and learn everywhere with the Pink handheld Leapster 2! With a huge amount of animated software games available, featuring your favourite characters, learning is fun and exciting.

Kids

Rubbish!, 09 Oct 2008
I was interested in buying this and saw one out for demonstration, so i thought i'd test it out before i bought it. Lucky i did! I thought of a racoon and began the game. It began promising, asking sensible questions, then went totally off the point. It never got it in 20 questions and only got it on the 25 question, which i felt was a bit of a cheat. I tried again with something simple, but this time, it never got it. I was glad when the words "you win" came up on the screen and it turned itself off, probably because it was embarrassed! At that point, i had to leave, which i felt glad to do, and was very glad i tried it before i bought it. Some of my friends, who were unable to try it, felt disapointed they couldn't and have since got rid of them. It's a good idea, pity about the actual product. It's cheaper (and a lot more fun) to play this game using real people than a computer which can't even guess the item you're thinking of is a pen.

Family fun for a short time, 28 Aug 2008
I got this for Christmas for the whole family to play with and it is fun and amazingly works most of the time unless you pick something really obscure. The only real problem with this is that it can grow old very quickly and within about ten minutes the 20Q will be collecting dust in the corner. Not so good if you have a short attention span.

Get outta my mind!, 28 Jul 2008
...says a bloke on the current 20Q TV advert. And yes, it appears for most of the time this little round gadget is reading my mind, as long as I'm thinking simple thoughts...

Okay, this little beastie tries to guess what someone is thinking about by asking a series of questions that can be answered by a simple yes/no/maybe. After 20 questions it tries to guess what you thought of with varying degrees of success. For example, think of cola and it might guess a can or a bottle; which to be honest isn't too far from the truth.

Personally, I think it's one of those "coffee table" objects; something that would sit on a table and maybe once in a while you'll try it out. Mind you, the expressions on people's faces when it guesses correctly is priceless!

Mind reader?? Er...nope!, 09 Jul 2008
I bought the Harry Potter version of this for my son and we really enjoyed it for a while, then it kind of lost its appeal and we could outwit it most of the time. So I thought I'd get this and see how we got on. The first ten items I thought of it didn't guess!! And they were pretty obvious things... picture frame, domino, sweetcorn, golf club etc I was trying to answer them very obviously but some of the questions it asked were pointless and we were really disapointed. I don't think the aim of this is to try to thin of things it WILL get rather than what it WON'T! Big disapointment I'm afraid after the Harry potter one!

stocking filler?, 27 Jun 2008
Quite a clever little toy! Its fun for a while and will amuse the kids but gets boring within an hour or two. Makes for a good little present for someone who likes silly thing :)

Much more complex than you'd think from the advert, 11 Nov 2008
We got this for our son a couple of weeks ago for his 7th birthday.

The console bleeps at you when a beast is near then you have to swing the console around to find the beast and then reel it in with the little fishing reel on the side.

There are apparently 105 different beasts. They are divided into different levels of difficulty to catch, so you start with the easy ones. Once you have caught something you can either keep it (up to 3 at a time) and train it, or exchange it for a lure or sell it for gold. Some beasts only come out at certain times of day. Other beasts require you to have a certain lure in your arsenal from previous catches or you need a trained beast to help you to fight the beast and tire it out so you can catch it.

To find out more about it I recommend you visit the website (google it, it's a .eu address) where you can see more about how you catch things and what sort of beasts there are. Having said which it sounds terribly complicated when you find out all the different layers of things you can do with it, but you can still get started without loads of that knowledge. My son got going with about 5 minutes of us reading the instructions with him and in the way of kids, then went on to work out loads of the other things as he went along.

What I do like about it is that it requires some perseverance to collect different lures and enough gold to get a better beast radar, and that it can require quite a lot of strategic thinking to plan how to get the more difficult beasts. There is a lot of remembering of statistics and abilities like in something like Pokemon or Top Trumps,my son has started writing down all the stats for the beasts he has caught. The difference with this compared to something like Pokemon is that you only have to buy the console once, and then the beasts come free after that, you don't have to keep shelling out to increase your collection. Although I understand that if a friend has a blue one and you have a red one you can get the maximum number of lures and beasts.

My only irritation with it has been that some of the instructions require the screen to be slid shut while doing them, but there is no backlight and it is quite hard to read without the screen slid up. I have emailed the manufacturer about it and they have said that they have passed it on to the R&D team so that's fair enough.

Overall this is a more complex and better long term buy than I was expecting it to be. It's very new, so i dont know how long I will feel this way about it! but I'm quite pleased so far. Perhaps most importantly (!) my son took it in to show and tell and came out of school with a trail of admirers from his class, so I am definitely in the good books for this purchase!



Simple, but a heck of a lot of fun!, 16 Dec 2007
In this game a pool of thirteen cards is exposed one card at a time (with each card showing a short sequence of letters), then the special die is rolled stating where in a word it can and cannot appear, then the timer on the bomb is started. You must then think of a word that (a) contains the letter sequence on the card with no interruptions by other letters (e.g. if the card had the letters 'SAC' then words like 'ransack' or 'sacking' would be acceptable, but not 'stack' because the T interrupts the 'SAC'), (b) obeys the instructions of the die as to where the letters can appear in your chosen word, and (c) doesn't duplicate any words that have already been said in that round - once you have you can then pass the bomb onto the next player. Gameplay continues like this until the bomb plays an explosion sound; the person holding the bomb when this happens takes the card and keeps it beside him/her. Once all thirteen cards have been played the person with the fewest cards is the winner.

This is one of those games that's so simple to learn and play but is a lot of fun - and you really have no idea when that bomb will explode (sometimes it does so within ten seconds of activation, sometimes it lasts much longer!). Also, because it's not based on any particular fad, it's timeless.

Definitely recommended, although the £15 asking price is a bit steep.

Simple but Great, 21 Dec 2005
A family member bought this along to our Christmas celebrations last year, and it proved such a huge success that I bought my own copy this year. It's brilliance is in its simplicity. A must for all families.

I would point out that it takes 2 standard "AAA" batteries.

Tension, 11 Dec 2005
I have to agree with the reviews written so far, apart from the fact that the batteries I had in the game, when it was given to me, lasted for many hours.

Fun game, which is compact and easy to carry and play anywhere.

Everyone I've ever introduced to it has liked it and asked to play it again.

Pass the BOMB, 11 Feb 2005
A brilliant game for all the family. Any one can win it is a game of potluck, which comes along with histerical laughter, as you make up words as you go and then try to tell people what they mean!!! In my experience and not being at my best with language, ebven the most intelligent person can lose which is alwaYS A BONUS.

Pass the bomb, 12 Jan 2004
Great game, pity that the batteries run out after only an hour or two of play. It runs on watch batteries which makes it a very expensive game as you have to replace the batteries almost every time you play it.

Stops working so easily, 24 Nov 2008
We have a new leapster 2 for my four year old who is really loving it. But we had only been using it a few hours and when we turned it off for lunch ( 15mins!) the screen was completely unresponsive when we tried to switch it back on just like the reviewer below. I remember reading this review before purchase and got the manual out and recalibrated the screen and it is working for now. Not impressed though. It is not something a child can do and it is a toy that you want them to pick up and be free to use without an adult having to "fix" it every time.

designed for kids who are right handed only, 02 Nov 2008
Bought this for my son who is almost 4 and he loves it and I think it is excellent and educational as well.
However, my son is left handed and found using the pen difficult since it is designed for people who use their right hand, which is a bit of a shame. I think toy makers should make their toys more flexible for people who are both left and right handed.

Good, but has some glitches, 26 Oct 2008
I bought this for my son's 6th birthday. He loves it and it is educational but also so much fun. However, I find that ever other time he turns it on the touch screen stops working, requiring me to recalibrate it. OK, so this only takes a minute, but is frustrating for him and me. More annoyingly, the online connection facility that it boasts does not seem to be working for me. I've followed all Leapfrogs instructions to the letter, but my son's rewards and saved pictures are not appearing on his profile's home page. I am currently in contact with their support team about this, so I'll hopefully get it sorted soon?!

Having said all this, he does love it and would be on it all the time if I didn't stop him!

Take pictures, make videos and play games on this sleek, easy to use and ultra tough digital camera! Capture images using the viewfinder and flash, preview on the 1.8" colour LCD screen then use the creative workshop to edit photos! Link up to the TV or computer to view and edit photos or watch videos. In-built games can be played on-the-move or via a TV. Interchangeable faceplates included for personalisation. 16 MB memory can be expanded with SD card (sold separately). Includes carry strap, CD-Rom and cables to link to PC and TV. Requires 4 x AA batteries (not included). 3 Years +

Rubbish!, 09 Oct 2008
I was interested in buying this and saw one out for demonstration, so i thought i'd test it out before i bought it. Lucky i did! I thought of a racoon and began the game. It began promising, asking sensible questions, then went totally off the point. It never got it in 20 questions and only got it on the 25 question, which i felt was a bit of a cheat. I tried again with something simple, but this time, it never got it. I was glad when the words "you win" came up on the screen and it turned itself off, probably because it was embarrassed! At that point, i had to leave, which i felt glad to do, and was very glad i tried it before i bought it. Some of my friends, who were unable to try it, felt disapointed they couldn't and have since got rid of them. It's a good idea, pity about the actual product. It's cheaper (and a lot more fun) to play this game using real people than a computer which can't even guess the item you're thinking of is a pen.

Family fun for a short time, 28 Aug 2008
I got this for Christmas for the whole family to play with and it is fun and amazingly works most of the time unless you pick something really obscure. The only real problem with this is that it can grow old very quickly and within about ten minutes the 20Q will be collecting dust in the corner. Not so good if you have a short attention span.

Get outta my mind!, 28 Jul 2008
...says a bloke on the current 20Q TV advert. And yes, it appears for most of the time this little round gadget is reading my mind, as long as I'm thinking simple thoughts...

Okay, this little beastie tries to guess what someone is thinking about by asking a series of questions that can be answered by a simple yes/no/maybe. After 20 questions it tries to guess what you thought of with varying degrees of success. For example, think of cola and it might guess a can or a bottle; which to be honest isn't too far from the truth.

Personally, I think it's one of those "coffee table" objects; something that would sit on a table and maybe once in a while you'll try it out. Mind you, the expressions on people's faces when it guesses correctly is priceless!

Mind reader?? Er...nope!, 09 Jul 2008
I bought the Harry Potter version of this for my son and we really enjoyed it for a while, then it kind of lost its appeal and we could outwit it most of the time. So I thought I'd get this and see how we got on. The first ten items I thought of it didn't guess!! And they were pretty obvious things... picture frame, domino, sweetcorn, golf club etc I was trying to answer them very obviously but some of the questions it asked were pointless and we were really disapointed. I don't think the aim of this is to try to thin of things it WILL get rather than what it WON'T! Big disapointment I'm afraid after the Harry potter one!

stocking filler?, 27 Jun 2008
Quite a clever little toy! Its fun for a while and will amuse the kids but gets boring within an hour or two. Makes for a good little present for someone who likes silly thing :)

Much more complex than you'd think from the advert, 11 Nov 2008
We got this for our son a couple of weeks ago for his 7th birthday.

The console bleeps at you when a beast is near then you have to swing the console around to find the beast and then reel it in with the little fishing reel on the side.

There are apparently 105 different beasts. They are divided into different levels of difficulty to catch, so you start with the easy ones. Once you have caught something you can either keep it (up to 3 at a time) and train it, or exchange it for a lure or sell it for gold. Some beasts only come out at certain times of day. Other beasts require you to have a certain lure in your arsenal from previous catches or you need a trained beast to help you to fight the beast and tire it out so you can catch it.

To find out more about it I recommend you visit the website (google it, it's a .eu address) where you can see more about how you catch things and what sort of beasts there are. Having said which it sounds terribly complicated when you find out all the different layers of things you can do with it, but you can still get started without loads of that knowledge. My son got going with about 5 minutes of us reading the instructions with him and in the way of kids, then went on to work out loads of the other things as he went along.

What I do like about it is that it requires some perseverance to collect different lures and enough gold to get a better beast radar, and that it can require quite a lot of strategic thinking to plan how to get the more difficult beasts. There is a lot of remembering of statistics and abilities like in something like Pokemon or Top Trumps,my son has started writing down all the stats for the beasts he has caught. The difference with this compared to something like Pokemon is that you only have to buy the console once, and then the beasts come free after that, you don't have to keep shelling out to increase your collection. Although I understand that if a friend has a blue one and you have a red one you can get the maximum number of lures and beasts.

My only irritation with it has been that some of the instructions require the screen to be slid shut while doing them, but there is no backlight and it is quite hard to read without the screen slid up. I have emailed the manufacturer about it and they have said that they have passed it on to the R&D team so that's fair enough.

Overall this is a more complex and better long term buy than I was expecting it to be. It's very new, so i dont know how long I will feel this way about it! but I'm quite pleased so far. Perhaps most importantly (!) my son took it in to show and tell and came out of school with a trail of admirers from his class, so I am definitely in the good books for this purchase!



Simple, but a heck of a lot of fun!, 16 Dec 2007
In this game a pool of thirteen cards is exposed one card at a time (with each card showing a short sequence of letters), then the special die is rolled stating where in a word it can and cannot appear, then the timer on the bomb is started. You must then think of a word that (a) contains the letter sequence on the card with no interruptions by other letters (e.g. if the card had the letters 'SAC' then words like 'ransack' or 'sacking' would be acceptable, but not 'stack' because the T interrupts the 'SAC'), (b) obeys the instructions of the die as to where the letters can appear in your chosen word, and (c) doesn't duplicate any words that have already been said in that round - once you have you can then pass the bomb onto the next player. Gameplay continues like this until the bomb plays an explosion sound; the person holding the bomb when this happens takes the card and keeps it beside him/her. Once all thirteen cards have been played the person with the fewest cards is the winner.

This is one of those games that's so simple to learn and play but is a lot of fun - and you really have no idea when that bomb will explode (sometimes it does so within ten seconds of activation, sometimes it lasts much longer!). Also, because it's not based on any particular fad, it's timeless.

Definitely recommended, although the £15 asking price is a bit steep.

Simple but Great, 21 Dec 2005
A family member bought this along to our Christmas celebrations last year, and it proved such a huge success that I bought my own copy this year. It's brilliance is in its simplicity. A must for all families.

I would point out that it takes 2 standard "AAA" batteries.

Tension, 11 Dec 2005
I have to agree with the reviews written so far, apart from the fact that the batteries I had in the game, when it was given to me, lasted for many hours.

Fun game, which is compact and easy to carry and play anywhere.

Everyone I've ever introduced to it has liked it and asked to play it again.

Pass the BOMB, 11 Feb 2005
A brilliant game for all the family. Any one can win it is a game of potluck, which comes along with histerical laughter, as you make up words as you go and then try to tell people what they mean!!! In my experience and not being at my best with language, ebven the most intelligent person can lose which is alwaYS A BONUS.

Pass the bomb, 12 Jan 2004
Great game, pity that the batteries run out after only an hour or two of play. It runs on watch batteries which makes it a very expensive game as you have to replace the batteries almost every time you play it.

Stops working so easily, 24 Nov 2008
We have a new leapster 2 for my four year old who is really loving it. But we had only been using it a few hours and when we turned it off for lunch ( 15mins!) the screen was completely unresponsive when we tried to switch it back on just like the reviewer below. I remember reading this review before purchase and got the manual out and recalibrated the screen and it is working for now. Not impressed though. It is not something a child can do and it is a toy that you want them to pick up and be free to use without an adult having to "fix" it every time.

designed for kids who are right handed only, 02 Nov 2008
Bought this for my son who is almost 4 and he loves it and I think it is excellent and educational as well.
However, my son is left handed and found using the pen difficult since it is designed for people who use their right hand, which is a bit of a shame. I think toy makers should make their toys more flexible for people who are both left and right handed.

Good, but has some glitches, 26 Oct 2008
I bought this for my son's 6th birthday. He loves it and it is educational but also so much fun. However, I find that ever other time he turns it on the touch screen stops working, requiring me to recalibrate it. OK, so this only takes a minute, but is frustrating for him and me. More annoyingly, the online connection facility that it boasts does not seem to be working for me. I've followed all Leapfrogs instructions to the letter, but my son's rewards and saved pictures are not appearing on his profile's home page. I am currently in contact with their support team about this, so I'll hopefully get it sorted soon?!

Having said all this, he does love it and would be on it all the time if I didn't stop him!

Good concept, poor execution, 01 Nov 2008
We bought this camera for our son's third birthday and decided to test it before he knew about it and I'm glad we did as we have sent the camera back for a refund.

The camera is physically ideal - big chunky buttons that are easy to press, screw down covers for the batteries so he can't pull it apart and it's generally quite rugged and kid-proof.

The problem is the use of this camera as, well, a camera. It takes shots that are 640x480 and they all come out looking slightly blurred, if indeed they come out at all. It only really works outdoors during the day; try to use it indoors and the viewscreen is so dark you can barely see anything and the flash is pretty much worthless.

It reminds me of the first digital camera I ever bought quite some years ago in the days when digital cameras were in their infancy - expensive and not very effective. In fact it seems to me that Vtech have bought a job lot of these old, nasty cameras and put them in new cases. For the money, you're better off buying a cheap, half decent camera which honestly is a real shame as this is a very good idea in concept.

One final thing - this camera comes with a carry case in the box which is not mentioned in the listing here, so don't make the mistake we did and order a seperate case as you don't need it.

Revo - latest new electronic game from the makers of Rubik's Cube which is taking the world by storm! 6 light flashing, button bashing colour chasing games. You need fast fingers, rapid reactions and serious cool to take on THE REVO. It's easy to learn, q

Rubbish!, 09 Oct 2008
I was interested in buying this and saw one out for demonstration, so i thought i'd test it out before i bought it. Lucky i did! I thought of a racoon and began the game. It began promising, asking sensible questions, then went totally off the point. It never got it in 20 questions and only got it on the 25 question, which i felt was a bit of a cheat. I tried again with something simple, but this time, it never got it. I was glad when the words "you win" came up on the screen and it turned itself off, probably because it was embarrassed! At that point, i had to leave, which i felt glad to do, and was very glad i tried it before i bought it. Some of my friends, who were unable to try it, felt disapointed they couldn't and have since got rid of them. It's a good idea, pity about the actual product. It's cheaper (and a lot more fun) to play this game using real people than a computer which can't even guess the item you're thinking of is a pen.

Family fun for a short time, 28 Aug 2008
I got this for Christmas for the whole family to play with and it is fun and amazingly works most of the time unless you pick something really obscure. The only real problem with this is that it can grow old very quickly and within about ten minutes the 20Q will be collecting dust in the corner. Not so good if you have a short attention span.

Get outta my mind!, 28 Jul 2008
...says a bloke on the current 20Q TV advert. And yes, it appears for most of the time this little round gadget is reading my mind, as long as I'm thinking simple thoughts...

Okay, this little beastie tries to guess what someone is thinking about by asking a series of questions that can be answered by a simple yes/no/maybe. After 20 questions it tries to guess what you thought of with varying degrees of success. For example, think of cola and it might guess a can or a bottle; which to be honest isn't too far from the truth.

Personally, I think it's one of those "coffee table" objects; something that would sit on a table and maybe once in a while you'll try it out. Mind you, the expressions on people's faces when it guesses correctly is priceless!

Mind reader?? Er...nope!, 09 Jul 2008
I bought the Harry Potter version of this for my son and we really enjoyed it for a while, then it kind of lost its appeal and we could outwit it most of the time. So I thought I'd get this and see how we got on. The first ten items I thought of it didn't guess!! And they were pretty obvious things... picture frame, domino, sweetcorn, golf club etc I was trying to answer them very obviously but some of the questions it asked were pointless and we were really disapointed. I don't think the aim of this is to try to thin of things it WILL get rather than what it WON'T! Big disapointment I'm afraid after the Harry potter one!

stocking filler?, 27 Jun 2008
Quite a clever little toy! Its fun for a while and will amuse the kids but gets boring within an hour or two. Makes for a good little present for someone who likes silly thing :)

Much more complex than you'd think from the advert, 11 Nov 2008
We got this for our son a couple of weeks ago for his 7th birthday.

The console bleeps at you when a beast is near then you have to swing the console around to find the beast and then reel it in with the little fishing reel on the side.

There are apparently 105 different beasts. They are divided into different levels of difficulty to catch, so you start with the easy ones. Once you have caught something you can either keep it (up to 3 at a time) and train it, or exchange it for a lure or sell it for gold. Some beasts only come out at certain times of day. Other beasts require you to have a certain lure in your arsenal from previous catches or you need a trained beast to help you to fight the beast and tire it out so you can catch it.

To find out more about it I recommend you visit the website (google it, it's a .eu address) where you can see more about how you catch things and what sort of beasts there are. Having said which it sounds terribly complicated when you find out all the different layers of things you can do with it, but you can still get started without loads of that knowledge. My son got going with about 5 minutes of us reading the instructions with him and in the way of kids, then went on to work out loads of the other things as he went along.

What I do like about it is that it requires some perseverance to collect different lures and enough gold to get a better beast radar, and that it can require quite a lot of strategic thinking to plan how to get the more difficult beasts. There is a lot of remembering of statistics and abilities like in something like Pokemon or Top Trumps,my son has started writing down all the stats for the beasts he has caught. The difference with this compared to something like Pokemon is that you only have to buy the console once, and then the beasts come free after that, you don't have to keep shelling out to increase your collection. Although I understand that if a friend has a blue one and you have a red one you can get the maximum number of lures and beasts.

My only irritation with it has been that some of the instructions require the screen to be slid shut while doing them, but there is no backlight and it is quite hard to read without the screen slid up. I have emailed the manufacturer about it and they have said that they have passed it on to the R&D team so that's fair enough.

Overall this is a more complex and better long term buy than I was expecting it to be. It's very new, so i dont know how long I will feel this way about it! but I'm quite pleased so far. Perhaps most importantly (!) my son took it in to show and tell and came out of school with a trail of admirers from his class, so I am definitely in the good books for this purchase!



Simple, but a heck of a lot of fun!, 16 Dec 2007
In this game a pool of thirteen cards is exposed one card at a time (with each card showing a short sequence of letters), then the special die is rolled stating where in a word it can and cannot appear, then the timer on the bomb is started. You must then think of a word that (a) contains the letter sequence on the card with no interruptions by other letters (e.g. if the card had the letters 'SAC' then words like 'ransack' or 'sacking' would be acceptable, but not 'stack' because the T interrupts the 'SAC'), (b) obeys the instructions of the die as to where the letters can appear in your chosen word, and (c) doesn't duplicate any words that have already been said in that round - once you have you can then pass the bomb onto the next player. Gameplay continues like this until the bomb plays an explosion sound; the person holding the bomb when this happens takes the card and keeps it beside him/her. Once all thirteen cards have been played the person with the fewest cards is the winner.

This is one of those games that's so simple to learn and play but is a lot of fun - and you really have no idea when that bomb will explode (sometimes it does so within ten seconds of activation, sometimes it lasts much longer!). Also, because it's not based on any particular fad, it's timeless.

Definitely recommended, although the £15 asking price is a bit steep.

Simple but Great, 21 Dec 2005
A family member bought this along to our Christmas celebrations last year, and it proved such a huge success that I bought my own copy this year. It's brilliance is in its simplicity. A must for all families.

I would point out that it takes 2 standard "AAA" batteries.

Tension, 11 Dec 2005
I have to agree with the reviews written so far, apart from the fact that the batteries I had in the game, when it was given to me, lasted for many hours.

Fun game, which is compact and easy to carry and play anywhere.

Everyone I've ever introduced to it has liked it and asked to play it again.

Pass the BOMB, 11 Feb 2005
A brilliant game for all the family. Any one can win it is a game of potluck, which comes along with histerical laughter, as you make up words as you go and then try to tell people what they mean!!! In my experience and not being at my best with language, ebven the most intelligent person can lose which is alwaYS A BONUS.

Pass the bomb, 12 Jan 2004
Great game, pity that the batteries run out after only an hour or two of play. It runs on watch batteries which makes it a very expensive game as you have to replace the batteries almost every time you play it.

Stops working so easily, 24 Nov 2008
We have a new leapster 2 for my four year old who is really loving it. But we had only been using it a few hours and when we turned it off for lunch ( 15mins!) the screen was completely unresponsive when we tried to switch it back on just like the reviewer below. I remember reading this review before purchase and got the manual out and recalibrated the screen and it is working for now. Not impressed though. It is not something a child can do and it is a toy that you want them to pick up and be free to use without an adult having to "fix" it every time.

designed for kids who are right handed only, 02 Nov 2008
Bought this for my son who is almost 4 and he loves it and I think it is excellent and educational as well.
However, my son is left handed and found using the pen difficult since it is designed for people who use their right hand, which is a bit of a shame. I think toy makers should make their toys more flexible for people who are both left and right handed.

Good, but has some glitches, 26 Oct 2008
I bought this for my son's 6th birthday. He loves it and it is educational but also so much fun. However, I find that ever other time he turns it on the touch screen stops working, requiring me to recalibrate it. OK, so this only takes a minute, but is frustrating for him and me. More annoyingly, the online connection facility that it boasts does not seem to be working for me. I've followed all Leapfrogs instructions to the letter, but my son's rewards and saved pictures are not appearing on his profile's home page. I am currently in contact with their support team about this, so I'll hopefully get it sorted soon?!

Having said all this, he does love it and would be on it all the time if I didn't stop him!

Good concept, poor execution, 01 Nov 2008
We bought this camera for our son's third birthday and decided to test it before he knew about it and I'm glad we did as we have sent the camera back for a refund.

The camera is physically ideal - big chunky buttons that are easy to press, screw down covers for the batteries so he can't pull it apart and it's generally quite rugged and kid-proof.

The problem is the use of this camera as, well, a camera. It takes shots that are 640x480 and they all come out looking slightly blurred, if indeed they come out at all. It only really works outdoors during the day; try to use it indoors and the viewscreen is so dark you can barely see anything and the flash is pretty much worthless.

It reminds me of the first digital camera I ever bought quite some years ago in the days when digital cameras were in their infancy - expensive and not very effective. In fact it seems to me that Vtech have bought a job lot of these old, nasty cameras and put them in new cases. For the money, you're better off buying a cheap, half decent camera which honestly is a real shame as this is a very good idea in concept.

One final thing - this camera comes with a carry case in the box which is not mentioned in the listing here, so don't make the mistake we did and order a seperate case as you don't need it.

Fun, Colourful and well made, 17 Nov 2008
Brilliant game, although this was purchased for my boyfriend, the whole family enjoyed playing with this funky cube. There are 6 games to choose from, one being multiplayer. You'll soon find out your favourite games and compete to beat your or other peoples scores!

Would reccommend to anyone, defo!

Fun and Durable, 01 Oct 2008
I recently bought this for my six-year old son, who greatly enjoys playing 'Bop It'Bop It Extreme 2, another toy which runs along a similar vein. If you're old enough to remember SIMON, an electronic toy from the early 80s, then you'll be pretty familiar with the types of games that this little toy offers. There are six choices of game, which range from an incremental memory challenge (good), a time-based reaction test (also good), a code-breaking game (not so good - the challenge is to find the correct sequence of the six colours in as few attempts as possible), and a multi-player option for up to six players which involves passing the cube when prompted (not so good - it's a bit too simplistic). It also has no record of highest scores at all - a fairly major omission for me.

There's no similarity to the Rubik's Cube apart from the appearance, but it's a good game in it's own right - nice and rugged too. It also comes with batteries already inserted; I wish more toy companies did this.

One word of warning - I have an unusual form of epilepsy, and did find the flashing lights a bit uncomfortable after a while.

Have a look at Bop It, which works on the same sort of principles but without the lights if this is of any concern to you.

Amazing..., 14 Feb 2008
I bought this for my sister who was a huge fan of the original rubik's cube back in the 80s, but once she'd opened it and I got my hands on it I'm afraid she didn't get a look in! It is addictive and I'm still trying to justify buying one for myself... I think it might just take over my life!!! Anyone you buy this for will love it!

Revo - Ideal for Quick Reflexs , 30 Dec 2007
Purchased this for my 9 year old son who wanted the original, but was sold out. He was very disappointed as it did not turn, but soon played 3 of the games. He enjoys playing the light game and it is a challenge. You need to be quick and alert to move to the next level so don't play if you're tired. There is also a memory game which is good for children and adults alike. It's a good self/family game as you can play on your own or as a group - quite good fun, but does get boring after a while for the adults.

Hours of fun!, 06 Nov 2007
I haven't been this addicted to a game since my days of Championship Manager. This should come with a health warning!

New Styling Studio lets you do digital makeovers with the power of your own computer for totally amazing results! Love changing your looks? Now you can style pictures of your or your friends with this Digi 2! Simply Take a photos and use the touch pad to choose different hair styles and more! This cool touchpad console comes with makeup lights! The digital camera connects to a monitor; you can take your picture and print your results or email them to your friends! Use the touchpad and stylus to change hairstyles, makeup and even accessories! Plus, Styling Studio has a photo booth mode so you can show off your latest creations! Styling Studio - Digi 2 is a great digital tool for girls! A wonderful way to develop creative skills!

Learn how to draw, write and create with more than 100 interactive lessons and all the creative tools you need masterpiece!

Rubbish!, 09 Oct 2008
I was interested in buying this and saw one out for demonstration, so i thought i'd test it out before i bought it. Lucky i did! I thought of a racoon and began the game. It began promising, asking sensible questions, then went totally off the point. It never got it in 20 questions and only got it on the 25 question, which i felt was a bit of a cheat. I tried again with something simple, but this time, it never got it. I was glad when the words "you win" came up on the screen and it turned itself off, probably because it was embarrassed! At that point, i had to leave, which i felt glad to do, and was very glad i tried it before i bought it. Some of my friends, who were unable to try it, felt disapointed they couldn't and have since got rid of them. It's a good idea, pity about the actual product. It's cheaper (and a lot more fun) to play this game using real people than a computer which can't even guess the item you're thinking of is a pen.

Family fun for a short time, 28 Aug 2008
I got this for Christmas for the whole family to play with and it is fun and amazingly works most of the time unless you pick something really obscure. The only real problem with this is that it can grow old very quickly and within about ten minutes the 20Q will be collecting dust in the corner. Not so good if you have a short attention span.

Get outta my mind!, 28 Jul 2008
...says a bloke on the current 20Q TV advert. And yes, it appears for most of the time this little round gadget is reading my mind, as long as I'm thinking simple thoughts...

Okay, this little beastie tries to guess what someone is thinking about by asking a series of questions that can be answered by a simple yes/no/maybe. After 20 questions it tries to guess what you thought of with varying degrees of success. For example, think of cola and it might guess a can or a bottle; which to be honest isn't too far from the truth.

Personally, I think it's one of those "coffee table" objects; something that would sit on a table and maybe once in a while you'll try it out. Mind you, the expressions on people's faces when it guesses correctly is priceless!

Mind reader?? Er...nope!, 09 Jul 2008
I bought the Harry Potter version of this for my son and we really enjoyed it for a while, then it kind of lost its appeal and we could outwit it most of the time. So I thought I'd get this and see how we got on. The first ten items I thought of it didn't guess!! And they were pretty obvious things... picture frame, domino, sweetcorn, golf club etc I was trying to answer them very obviously but some of the questions it asked were pointless and we were really disapointed. I don't think the aim of this is to try to thin of things it WILL get rather than what it WON'T! Big disapointment I'm afraid after the Harry potter one!

stocking filler?, 27 Jun 2008
Quite a clever little toy! Its fun for a while and will amuse the kids but gets boring within an hour or two. Makes for a good little present for someone who likes silly thing :)

Much more complex than you'd think from the advert, 11 Nov 2008
We got this for our son a couple of weeks ago for his 7th birthday.

The console bleeps at you when a beast is near then you have to swing the console around to find the beast and then reel it in with the little fishing reel on the side.

There are apparently 105 different beasts. They are divided into different levels of difficulty to catch, so you start with the easy ones. Once you have caught something you can either keep it (up to 3 at a time) and train it, or exchange it for a lure or sell it for gold. Some beasts only come out at certain times of day. Other beasts require you to have a certain lure in your arsenal from previous catches or you need a trained beast to help you to fight the beast and tire it out so you can catch it.

To find out more about it I recommend you visit the website (google it, it's a .eu address) where you can see more about how you catch things and what sort of beasts there are. Having said which it sounds terribly complicated when you find out all the different layers of things you can do with it, but you can still get started without loads of that knowledge. My son got going with about 5 minutes of us reading the instructions with him and in the way of kids, then went on to work out loads of the other things as he went along.

What I do like about it is that it requires some perseverance to collect different lures and enough gold to get a better beast radar, and that it can require quite a lot of strategic thinking to plan how to get the more difficult beasts. There is a lot of remembering of statistics and abilities like in something like Pokemon or Top Trumps,my son has started writing down all the stats for the beasts he has caught. The difference with this compared to something like Pokemon is that you only have to buy the console once, and then the beasts come free after that, you don't have to keep shelling out to increase your collection. Although I understand that if a friend has a blue one and you have a red one you can get the maximum number of lures and beasts.

My only irritation with it has been that some of the instructions require the screen to be slid shut while doing them, but there is no backlight and it is quite hard to read without the screen slid up. I have emailed the manufacturer about it and they have said that they have passed it on to the R&D team so that's fair enough.

Overall this is a more complex and better long term buy than I was expecting it to be. It's very new, so i dont know how long I will feel this way about it! but I'm quite pleased so far. Perhaps most importantly (!) my son took it in to show and tell and came out of school with a trail of admirers from his class, so I am definitely in the good books for this purchase!



Simple, but a heck of a lot of fun!, 16 Dec 2007
In this game a pool of thirteen cards is exposed one card at a time (with each card showing a short sequence of letters), then the special die is rolled stating where in a word it can and cannot appear, then the timer on the bomb is started. You must then think of a word that (a) contains the letter sequence on the card with no interruptions by other letters (e.g. if the card had the letters 'SAC' then words like 'ransack' or 'sacking' would be acceptable, but not 'stack' because the T interrupts the 'SAC'), (b) obeys the instructions of the die as to where the letters can appear in your chosen word, and (c) doesn't duplicate any words that have already been said in that round - once you have you can then pass the bomb onto the next player. Gameplay continues like this until the bomb plays an explosion sound; the person holding the bomb when this happens takes the card and keeps it beside him/her. Once all thirteen cards have been played the person with the fewest cards is the winner.

This is one of those games that's so simple to learn and play but is a lot of fun - and you really have no idea when that bomb will explode (sometimes it does so within ten seconds of activation, sometimes it lasts much longer!). Also, because it's not based on any particular fad, it's timeless.

Definitely recommended, although the £15 asking price is a bit steep.

Simple but Great, 21 Dec 2005
A family member bought this along to our Christmas celebrations last year, and it proved such a huge success that I bought my own copy this year. It's brilliance is in its simplicity. A must for all families.

I would point out that it takes 2 standard "AAA" batteries.

Tension, 11 Dec 2005
I have to agree with the reviews written so far, apart from the fact that the batteries I had in the game, when it was given to me, lasted for many hours.

Fun game, which is compact and easy to carry and play anywhere.

Everyone I've ever introduced to it has liked it and asked to play it again.

Pass the BOMB, 11 Feb 2005
A brilliant game for all the family. Any one can win it is a game of potluck, which comes along with histerical laughter, as you make up words as you go and then try to tell people what they mean!!! In my experience and not being at my best with language, ebven the most intelligent person can lose which is alwaYS A BONUS.

Pass the bomb, 12 Jan 2004
Great game, pity that the batteries run out after only an hour or two of play. It runs on watch batteries which makes it a very expensive game as you have to replace the batteries almost every time you play it.

Stops working so easily, 24 Nov 2008
We have a new leapster 2 for my four year old who is really loving it. But we had only been using it a few hours and when we turned it off for lunch ( 15mins!) the screen was completely unresponsive when we tried to switch it back on just like the reviewer below. I remember reading this review before purchase and got the manual out and recalibrated the screen and it is working for now. Not impressed though. It is not something a child can do and it is a toy that you want them to pick up and be free to use without an adult having to "fix" it every time.

designed for kids who are right handed only, 02 Nov 2008
Bought this for my son who is almost 4 and he loves it and I think it is excellent and educational as well.
However, my son is left handed and found using the pen difficult since it is designed for people who use their right hand, which is a bit of a shame. I think toy makers should make their toys more flexible for people who are both left and right handed.

Good, but has some glitches, 26 Oct 2008
I bought this for my son's 6th birthday. He loves it and it is educational but also so much fun. However, I find that ever other time he turns it on the touch screen stops working, requiring me to recalibrate it. OK, so this only takes a minute, but is frustrating for him and me. More annoyingly, the online connection facility that it boasts does not seem to be working for me. I've followed all Leapfrogs instructions to the letter, but my son's rewards and saved pictures are not appearing on his profile's home page. I am currently in contact with their support team about this, so I'll hopefully get it sorted soon?!

Having said all this, he does love it and would be on it all the time if I didn't stop him!

Good concept, poor execution, 01 Nov 2008
We bought this camera for our son's third birthday and decided to test it before he knew about it and I'm glad we did as we have sent the camera back for a refund.

The camera is physically ideal - big chunky buttons that are easy to press, screw down covers for the batteries so he can't pull it apart and it's generally quite rugged and kid-proof.

The problem is the use of this camera as, well, a camera. It takes shots that are 640x480 and they all come out looking slightly blurred, if indeed they come out at all. It only really works outdoors during the day; try to use it indoors and the viewscreen is so dark you can barely see anything and the flash is pretty much worthless.

It reminds me of the first digital camera I ever bought quite some years ago in the days when digital cameras were in their infancy - expensive and not very effective. In fact it seems to me that Vtech have bought a job lot of these old, nasty cameras and put them in new cases. For the money, you're better off buying a cheap, half decent camera which honestly is a real shame as this is a very good idea in concept.

One final thing - this camera comes with a carry case in the box which is not mentioned in the listing here, so don't make the mistake we did and order a seperate case as you don't need it.

Fun, Colourful and well made, 17 Nov 2008
Brilliant game, although this was purchased for my boyfriend, the whole family enjoyed playing with this funky cube. There are 6 games to choose from, one being multiplayer. You'll soon find out your favourite games and compete to beat your or other peoples scores!

Would reccommend to anyone, defo!

Fun and Durable, 01 Oct 2008
I recently bought this for my six-year old son, who greatly enjoys playing 'Bop It'Bop It Extreme 2, another toy which runs along a similar vein. If you're old enough to remember SIMON, an electronic toy from the early 80s, then you'll be pretty familiar with the types of games that this little toy offers. There are six choices of game, which range from an incremental memory challenge (good), a time-based reaction test (also good), a code-breaking game (not so good - the challenge is to find the correct sequence of the six colours in as few attempts as possible), and a multi-player option for up to six players which involves passing the cube when prompted (not so good - it's a bit too simplistic). It also has no record of highest scores at all - a fairly major omission for me.

There's no similarity to the Rubik's Cube apart from the appearance, but it's a good game in it's own right - nice and rugged too. It also comes with batteries already inserted; I wish more toy companies did this.

One word of warning - I have an unusual form of epilepsy, and did find the flashing lights a bit uncomfortable after a while.

Have a look at Bop It, which works on the same sort of principles but without the lights if this is of any concern to you.

Amazing..., 14 Feb 2008
I bought this for my sister who was a huge fan of the original rubik's cube back in the 80s, but once she'd opened it and I got my hands on it I'm afraid she didn't get a look in! It is addictive and I'm still trying to justify buying one for myself... I think it might just take over my life!!! Anyone you buy this for will love it!

Revo - Ideal for Quick Reflexs , 30 Dec 2007
Purchased this for my 9 year old son who wanted the original, but was sold out. He was very disappointed as it did not turn, but soon played 3 of the games. He enjoys playing the light game and it is a challenge. You need to be quick and alert to move to the next level so don't play if you're tired. There is also a memory game which is good for children and adults alike. It's a good self/family game as you can play on your own or as a group - quite good fun, but does get boring after a while for the adults.

Hours of fun!, 06 Nov 2007
I haven't been this addicted to a game since my days of Championship Manager. This should come with a health warning!

So good I had to buy 2, 13 Aug 2008
I originally bought this for one of my twin sons and they fought over it so much that I had to buy another. They both love it and there are no more fights.

This is a must for all Leapster owners!, 19 Feb 2008
My 5 year old son received this game for Christmas and still thoroughly enjoys playing on it. He doesn't realise that he's "learning"! He particularly enjoys tracing the shapes and then making the lines disappear to see how well he has done. There are easy-hard mazes to follow with the pen and pictures to colour. All in all a really great and educational game for both boys and girls who like to draw, colour or write!

great software, 08 Nov 2005
My 5 year old daughter loves the Draw & Learn software for Leapster, especially the colour-in feature. It is really useful for long car journeys (can be seen in the dark & no lost pencils)! There are various activities that promote pencil control (e.g. a maze game) and letter formation is also covered (good for younger users). Very happy with it!

Rubbish!, 09 Oct 2008
I was interested in buying this and saw one out for demonstration, so i thought i'd test it out before i bought it. Lucky i did! I thought of a racoon and began the game. It began promising, asking sensible questions, then went totally off the point. It never got it in 20 questions and only got it on the 25 question, which i felt was a bit of a cheat. I tried again with something simple, but this time, it never got it. I was glad when the words "you win" came up on the screen and it turned itself off, probably because it was embarrassed! At that point, i had to leave, which i felt glad to do, and was very glad i tried it before i bought it. Some of my friends, who were unable to try it, felt disapointed they couldn't and have since got rid of them. It's a good idea, pity about the actual product. It's cheaper (and a lot more fun) to play this game using real people than a computer which can't even guess the item you're thinking of is a pen.

Family fun for a short time, 28 Aug 2008
I got this for Christmas for the whole family to play with and it is fun and amazingly works most of the time unless you pick something really obscure. The only real problem with this is that it can grow old very quickly and within about ten minutes the 20Q will be collecting dust in the corner. Not so good if you have a short attention span.

Get outta my mind!, 28 Jul 2008
...says a bloke on the current 20Q TV advert. And yes, it appears for most of the time this little round gadget is reading my mind, as long as I'm thinking simple thoughts...

Okay, this little beastie tries to guess what someone is thinking about by asking a series of questions that can be answered by a simple yes/no/maybe. After 20 questions it tries to guess what you thought of with varying degrees of success. For example, think of cola and it might guess a can or a bottle; which to be honest isn't too far from the truth.

Personally, I think it's one of those "coffee table" objects; something that would sit on a table and maybe once in a while you'll try it out. Mind you, the expressions on people's faces when it guesses correctly is priceless!

Mind reader?? Er...nope!, 09 Jul 2008
I bought the Harry Potter version of this for my son and we really enjoyed it for a while, then it kind of lost its appeal and we could outwit it most of the time. So I thought I'd get this and see how we got on. The first ten items I thought of it didn't guess!! And they were pretty obvious things... picture frame, domino, sweetcorn, golf club etc I was trying to answer them very obviously but some of the questions it asked were pointless and we were really disapointed. I don't think the aim of this is to try to thin of things it WILL get rather than what it WON'T! Big disapointment I'm afraid after the Harry potter one!

stocking filler?, 27 Jun 2008
Quite a clever little toy! Its fun for a while and will amuse the kids but gets boring within an hour or two. Makes for a good little present for someone who likes silly thing :)

Much more complex than you'd think from the advert, 11 Nov 2008
We got this for our son a couple of weeks ago for his 7th birthday.

The console bleeps at you when a beast is near then you have to swing the console around to find the beast and then reel it in with the little fishing reel on the side.

There are apparently 105 different beasts. They are divided into different levels of difficulty to catch, so you start with the easy ones. Once you have caught something you can either keep it (up to 3 at a time) and train it, or exchange it for a lure or sell it for gold. Some beasts only come out at certain times of day. Other beasts require you to have a certain lure in your arsenal from previous catches or you need a trained beast to help you to fight the beast and tire it out so you can catch it.

To find out more about it I recommend you visit the website (google it, it's a .eu address) where you can see more about how you catch things and what sort of beasts there are. Having said which it sounds terribly complicated when you find out all the different layers of things you can do with it, but you can still get started without loads of that knowledge. My son got going with about 5 minutes of us reading the instructions with him and in the way of kids, then went on to work out loads of the other things as he went along.

What I do like about it is that it requires some perseverance to collect different lures and enough gold to get a better beast radar, and that it can require quite a lot of strategic thinking to plan how to get the more difficult beasts. There is a lot of remembering of statistics and abilities like in something like Pokemon or Top Trumps,my son has started writing down all the stats for the beasts he has caught. The difference with this compared to something like Pokemon is that you only have to buy the console once, and then the beasts come free after that, you don't have to keep shelling out to increase your collection. Although I understand that if a friend has a blue one and you have a red one you can get the maximum number of lures and beasts.

My only irritation with it has been that some of the instructions require the screen to be slid shut while doing them, but there is no backlight and it is quite hard to read without the screen slid up. I have emailed the manufacturer about it and they have said that they have passed it on to the R&D team so that's fair enough.

Overall this is a more complex and better long term buy than I was expecting it to be. It's very new, so i dont know how long I will feel this way about it! but I'm quite pleased so far. Perhaps most importantly (!) my son took it in to show and tell and came out of school with a trail of admirers from his class, so I am definitely in the good books for this purchase!



Simple, but a heck of a lot of fun!, 16 Dec 2007
In this game a pool of thirteen cards is exposed one card at a time (with each card showing a short sequence of letters), then the special die is rolled stating where in a word it can and cannot appear, then the timer on the bomb is started. You must then think of a word that (a) contains the letter sequence on the card with no interruptions by other letters (e.g. if the card had the letters 'SAC' then words like 'ransack' or 'sacking' would be acceptable, but not 'stack' because the T interrupts the 'SAC'), (b) obeys the instructions of the die as to where the letters can appear in your chosen word, and (c) doesn't duplicate any words that have already been said in that round - once you have you can then pass the bomb onto the next player. Gameplay continues like this until the bomb plays an explosion sound; the person holding the bomb when this happens takes the card and keeps it beside him/her. Once all thirteen cards have been played the person with the fewest cards is the winner.

This is one of those games that's so simple to learn and play but is a lot of fun - and you really have no idea when that bomb will explode (sometimes it does so within ten seconds of activation, sometimes it lasts much longer!). Also, because it's not based on any particular fad, it's timeless.

Definitely recommended, although the £15 asking price is a bit steep.

Simple but Great, 21 Dec 2005
A family member bought this along to our Christmas celebrations last year, and it proved such a huge success that I bought my own copy this year. It's brilliance is in its simplicity. A must for all families.

I would point out that it takes 2 standard "AAA" batteries.

Tension, 11 Dec 2005
I have to agree with the reviews written so far, apart from the fact that the batteries I had in the game, when it was given to me, lasted for many hours.

Fun game, which is compact and easy to carry and play anywhere.

Everyone I've ever introduced to it has liked it and asked to play it again.

Pass the BOMB, 11 Feb 2005
A brilliant game for all the family. Any one can win it is a game of potluck, which comes along with histerical laughter, as you make up words as you go and then try to tell people what they mean!!! In my experience and not being at my best with language, ebven the most intelligent person can lose which is alwaYS A BONUS.

Pass the bomb, 12 Jan 2004
Great game, pity that the batteries run out after only an hour or two of play. It runs on watch batteries which makes it a very expensive game as you have to replace the batteries almost every time you play it.

Stops working so easily, 24 Nov 2008
We have a new leapster 2 for my four year old who is really loving it. But we had only been using it a few hours and when we turned it off for lunch ( 15mins!) the screen was completely unresponsive when we tried to switch it back on just like the reviewer below. I remember reading this review before purchase and got the manual out and recalibrated the screen and it is working for now. Not impressed though. It is not something a child can do and it is a toy that you want them to pick up and be free to use without an adult having to "fix" it every time.

designed for kids who are right handed only, 02 Nov 2008
Bought this for my son who is almost 4 and he loves it and I think it is excellent and educational as well.
However, my son is left handed and found using the pen difficult since it is designed for people who use their right hand, which is a bit of a shame. I think toy makers should make their toys more flexible for people who are both left and right handed.

Good, but has some glitches, 26 Oct 2008
I bought this for my son's 6th birthday. He loves it and it is educational but also so much fun. However, I find that ever other time he turns it on the touch screen stops working, requiring me to recalibrate it. OK, so this only takes a minute, but is frustrating for him and me. More annoyingly, the online connection facility that it boasts does not seem to be working for me. I've followed all Leapfrogs instructions to the letter, but my son's rewards and saved pictures are not appearing on his profile's home page. I am currently in contact with their support team about this, so I'll hopefully get it sorted soon?!

Having said all this, he does love it and would be on it all the time if I didn't stop him!

Good concept, poor execution, 01 Nov 2008
We bought this camera for our son's third birthday and decided to test it b