VG Pocket Review

[BobA]

Vg Pocket Vg-4003 Review

Handheld game unit with 35 games and 2.5” backlit TFT display

I purchased this unit at Walmart in for $15 Cdn.  This was shown as 50% off the regular price of $29.95.  There are newer versions of this game with larger screens and more games but they were not available at Walmart in Canada.

The vg-4003 is a portable handheld game unit with 2.5 inch lcd tft screen. It has 35 Taito games such as Space Invaders, Bust a Move and Burger Time. It is powered by 3 AAA cells and there is no power jack. The lcd display is very clear and bright.

The unit has a subminiature jack for headphones and an even smaller 1.25 mm jack for audio and video out. There is an on/off slide switch on the top and a volume control on bottom. A dpad for directional control and 2 small control buttons (menu and pause) as well as 4 game buttons make up the rest of the controls. The function of the game buttons varies by game.  I noticed some tendency of the dpad to stick slightly when going from horizontal to vertical.

An adapter cable that is purchased separately allows connection to composite video and mono audio of a TV.  When the adapter cable is attached the lcd does not display. When you buy the adapter cable for $9.99 Cdn you also receive a protective case, key fob and screen cleaning microfibre wipe.

The display on the TV is very good. The only negative that I observed was a bit of clipping on the top when playing space invaders.  This could have probably be fixed using the underscan control of the TV.  Not all games are as good as the first three classics mentioned but they all seem to be fun. The titles of the 35 games are:

Space Invaders, Bust A Move, BurgerTime, Sudoku Quiz, Boxboy, Adventures of Waldog, Deep Storm, Bubble Wobble, Final Escape, Wolfy’s Quest, Legendary Hero, Craig the Caterpillar, Crystal Cavern, Final Round Tennis, Magic Jelly, Blazebusters, Rotating Puzzle, Underwater Pinball, Bobble Blaster, Greedy Grabber, Puzzle Chance, Victory Head, 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 Back Home, Motojet Mainia.

I reviewed this unit because it looks like a very interesting prospect to build a mini cab like those built with the Jaks sticks but with many more games. A bit of mdf, joystick 6 buttons and a 14 inch TV and you have an instant mini cab.

Edit: changed screen size and added pics
 

[Knievel]

Thanks for posting the review.
Saw these at Toys-R-Us at Christmas but I didn't believe the advertising on the box. Just seemed way too cheap for a color screen and all those games.

If Wally-Mart in my area has them I'll grab one for sure. 

[BobA]

Picture of the insides of the VG.