Reviews (29)

Finally a modest Barbie
I have two daughters,a 6 year old and a 4 year old.It has been a struggle finding dolls they can play with that are beautiful, but still modest in their clothing and looks.My girls love this doll and I'm excited to give them a role model that I agree with.As for the old concern of the Barbies' figure being unrealistic, I grew up playing with Barbies and still gained a realistic understanding that a Barbies' figure is unrealistic.It's a toy.Children understand that if the parents explain it to them.

Lovely!
My three year old daughter loves this barbie doll. She has Erika also and loves it too. She plays with these more than her other barbies probably because they sing and she pretends they are sisters. I help her maintain her barbies though; she can be a little rough. Over all good by for barbie fans.

Beautiful Barbie Doll
I bought this doll as a gift and was very happy when she arrived.

She is even prettier than in the picture and very well made. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Princesses   

Reviews (89)

Fun, Fun, Fun!!!
I just purchased this toy for my daughter and she really likes it alot.She is 4 months old and can easily grab the handles and shake it.We have a lot of the Lamaze toys and her two favorites are this cube and Freddie the Firefly.I highly recommend it!

Favorite toy
My now 7 month old loves this toy. She has played with it since around 5 months and it hasn't gotten old yet. She plays with it in the car and in her crib. It is a great toy and doesn't make alot of noise.

My 8-month old absolutely loves this
She'll play with this toy for 30 minutes straight.It makes lots of little noises (not electronic) and has plenty of things to grab onto with little hands.I definitely recommend it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Baby and Infant    2. Learning    3. Toddler    4. Hand-Eye Coordination    5. Stuffed Toys   

Editorial Review

Tot Wheels is a well-designed and versatile "lowchair" forbabies in the 6- to 18-month range. Three rubber feet around the squarebase help keep the chair motionless, but when they're popped out of theway it's possible to pick up the rear handle and move the unit aroundon two large plastic casters. There's a tray for meals and games,complete with a see-through panel; onto this can be attached theelectronic activity center, which has a mirror, lights, steering wheel,and sound effects. The cloth seat snaps on and off and is washable.Height is adjustable. Adult assembly and two AA batteries required.--Richard Farr ... Read more

Features

• All-plastic construction
• Food/game tray
• Electronic activity module
• Height adjustable
• Moves on casters

Reviews (119)

Better than the bouncers
Having three children I decided to go with the walker. We never used one before because it was never recommend by Dr's. This center is the best. It has stoppers so don't fear your little one can't move. Pull them out and you can push them from room to room with you with the handy holder in the back. The baby loves it and I think it's great. Also, Mom's who have taller babies this one lasts longer than the average bouncer;seems it adjusts higher than the others.

great walker
My son is 6 months old and he loves this walker.He will sit int it and play by himself for at least 30 minutes.

I really like the three tabs that come down to make the walker stationary.They really work and the walker doesn't move even on the linoleum in my kitchen.Also, while the walker doesn't fold like many of the other walkers on the market, it easily comes apart and goes back together.We took it on a trip to my mother's and it was no hassle at all.I also like that the toy panel comes off to reveal a plain base that I can add my own toys to if my son ever gets tired of the toy that comes with the walker.

The only reason I did not give this walker 5 stars is that periodically one of the buttons on the toy panel just quits working.All of the others continue to work, though, so it's really not a big deal.

Watch your feet!
My daughter loves her walker; however, the only area she has to use it in is the kitchen and she is always running over my feet.Beware, it is cute, but it hurts! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Activity    2. Walkers    3. Play Centers    4. Stationary Entertainers   

Editorial Review

Outfitted in orange and purple, this electronic learning system for preschoolers plugs directly into a television, and at first take looks a lot like a video-game console. Insert any of Vtech's "Smartridges" into the unit for lessons on language, math, phonics, problem-solving, music, and more. Children can choose between two difficulty levels. Included are a large joystick, adjustable to right- and left-handed kids, and an Alphabet Park Adventure cartridge; other cartridges are sold separately. There's also a storage compartment on top that holds up to six cartridges. The system can run on either three C batteries or an AC adaptor; strangely, neither are included. --Andy Boynton ... Read more

Reviews (260)

Don't Buy This
This started out to be a wonderful toy for my 4 year old son.But after a month (and after I'd spent quite a bit of money on the cartridges) the problems started.The power goes on & off at will.When I called the V-tech 1-800 number they walk me through the re-set process which takes 2 minutes & is a pain the he heiney.And within a few days it happens again.What a pain...

vsmile a bit disappointing
I bought the vsmile thinking it looked cute and would be a great way for my child to learn.From the beginning, the controller had a loose part rattling around in it.After about two weeks the "enter" button kept getting stuck.I had to pay shipping to send it back, but it was replaced with a new one.I will be calling tommorrow to have the unit replaced.Often the power button would stay on and now after replacing batteries, the power won't even come on.A bit disappointed at this point because my child rarely got to play with it.

stopped working
I thought that this was a cool toy until it stopped working afer about 2 weeks. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Games    3. Electronic Learning Aids (ELA)    4. Electronic    5. Math    6. Alphabet    7. Preschool   

Editorial Review

This takes the plastic playhouse to a new technological level. Impressed by the hipped4-foot-8-inch roof, red-shuttered windows, and doorbell with 20 different sound effects? Wait for the kids toget inside. First there's a complex, multi-buttoned wall phone. Then there's the motion detector. That'sright--as kids move around, the house senses where they are and responds with different sounds. Otherfeatures include a table that flips over to turn into a stove, and a back wall with a crawl-in hole. Theplayhouse requires two C batteries, not included. --Richard Farr ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Great Toy!!!
My husband and I bought this house for our sixteen month old for christmas.He loves it!!We have a little couch in it for him and he'll go in there and sit on the couch and talk on the phone or to his stuff animals.It's great for the imagination and it's big enough for my husband and I to go in it and play with him.The only downside is that it gives him a place to hide when bedtime comes around!

My girls totally love this!
After looking at about 20 playhouses and reading about a million reviews, we bought this for our 3 and 1 year old daughters. It's a good thing, because they LOVE it! It was very easy to assemble, my husband and step-son put it together in about a half hour. It's in our living room! All of our kids (from ages 1 to 11) LOVE to play in it. We put our daughter's play kitchen in it too and now it's even more like "mommy's house" We don't use the phone feature too often, but the kids don't mind. They read stories in there, play "house" and just about anything else you can think of. It can fit my 4 kids in there, but then nobody can move. However, for just two of them, it works out fine. They also play "McDonalds" with the stove/table feature. It's so cute! I absolutely recommend this play house for anyone who's not sure which to get. It's sturdy, easy to assemble and fun for all ages.

Great Playhouse
I purchased this playhouse for my 2 year old daughter and she absolutely loves it. She loves to pretend play with Mommy.She loves the doorbell/play phone and loves to play house and "cook supper" with Mom.It is sturdy like most Little Tikes products.The only complaint I have is that there is no floor to keep it dry inside.It is a little pricey at $199, but my daughter plays with it every day. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Outdoor Play    2. Pretend Play   

Editorial Review

Did you know that painted ladies (the butterflies, that is) taste with their feet and have 10,000 eyes? You and your kids will be fascinated by all you learn about these beautiful creatures with the Butterfly Garden from Insect Lore. The kit comes with a relatively easy-to-assemble observation chamber; supplies for feeding the butterflies (you provide only sugar and water); an informative booklet of clear instructions and butterfly facts; and a certificate for three to five free painted lady caterpillars. The metamorphosis from larva to butterfly takes about three weeks from when you receive the caterpillar larvae (which arrive in a small container with all the nutrients they need). Your children can watch the larvae increase dramatically in size, form chrysalides, and finally emerge into full-fledged painted ladies (it's suggested that they release the butterflies after a few days of observation). This would make a wonderfulactivity for families with kids of any age, but younger children will need help assembling the observationchamber and reading the instruction booklet. (Note: The manufacturer recommends that butterflies should not be set free in temperatures lower than 55 degrees Fahrenheit.) --Rachel Radway ... Read more

Reviews (65)

DEAD BUGS
I purchased this for my 7 year old daughter for christmas. I was guarenteed 3 live larve.They are all dead and I can not get ahold of the company. I would rate this a big Zero

Butterfly Garden
My sister gave this to my 8 year old daughter for her birthday.I also have a 4 year old daughter.This is one of the best gifts my children have ever received!From the start, both of my children were enthralled with the metamorposis from caterpillar to butterfly.The bonus is that there is very little that is required of parents except to make sure the instructions are followed.The caterpillars come in a plastic container that has all the food they require to grow and change.Even though one of the chrysalides fell off the paper disc under the lid, it still was able to continue metamorphosis at the bottom of the butterfly observatory.We just released our three beautiful painted lady butterflies yesterday after three weeks of wonder and excitement.Luckily my daughter's birthday is in July so we could release our butterflies when the weather is warm and the flowers are in full bloom.I recommend that you keep your butterflies safe in their observation chamber for at least two days.Two butterflies emerged before the third one did and I was afraid they weren't eating the food I provided (sugar water).Not wanting the first two to starve, I had my daughters release all of them less than a day after the third butterfly emerged.That third butterfly didn't seem ready to fly off yet and stayed in the garden on a post unmoving for a long while. I watched it to make sure it was unharmed and breathed a sigh of relief when it finally flew off.I couldn't have asked for a more fun and educational gift!

Excellent
I purchased this for my daughter's 4th birthday. The caterpillars arrived on her birthday, which she loved even more. They are now in chrysalide form and she is so excited because she can see them grow and grow every day. This is an awesome toy and have reccomended it to everyone with and with out kids. I also bought a book called "From Caterpillar to Butterfly" and it describes the metaphorsis excellently to her. 2 thumbs up. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Activity    2. Learning    3. Science    4. Bugs    5. Butterflies   

Editorial Review

Toys that grow with your child from infancy to toddlerhood are well worth their cost. The Classical Chorus Gym is one such toy, allowing your child to explore music at every stage of his development. As an infant, your child can lay on his back and bat at the hanging toys while the keyboard plays 10 different classical or nursery melodies, some with a children’s chorus. You can set the music to play continuously for up to 10 minutes, or only when your child successfully hits a toy, teaching him cause and effect. When your child learns to sit, the keyboard adjusts with him to the proper height, and then adjusts one more times to accommodate a standing or walking child. At these stages, you can set the music to play part of a song when your child presses a key or let your child experiment with scales and individual notes. The keyboard’s "singing" stars light up as music plays to further delight budding musicians. The Classical Chorus Gym requires three "C" batteries for operation. --Cristina Vaamonde ... Read more

Features

• Infant toy combines music with sit- or stand-and-play activity
• 3 ways for Baby to play
• Parents can set to provide up to 10 minutes of music
• Plastic legs fold down for sit-and-play mode

Reviews (189)

Great for all ages!
I love this toy!Someone bought it for us when our baby was born.She's been using it since she was about 2 months old and had enough control of her arms and legs to bat at the toys that hang down.She is now 6 months and sitting up so I converted it so the sitting stage and she still plays with it all the time.When she was learning to sit up it was great too because she would keep her balance by hanging onto the keys and "playing" music.My nephew is 18 months and he still plays with his everyday.This is the only toy that has consistently captured her attention and she will play with this toy for at least 20 minutes at a time.

could be better designed
My main problem with this toy is it confuses my four month old.He hits a key, and a star above the key lights up.So he hits the star, and nothing happens.It's a small thing, but this toy would be so much better if either the keys lit up, or if he could hit the star and have it make a noise too.
I love how easy it is to set this up.The legs come off and on very quickly.My son can't sit up on his own yet, so I take the legs off the keyboard, prop him up against me, and have him play.And I really like the large variety of music.I think this is a pretty good toy, and definitely worth $30.

Must have!!!!
I love love love this toy!!! My daughter had used it from the day she was born. Now she uses it to pull up and stand. She has never once tipped over when trying. This is one of the few toys that she can stand and play with since that is big in the house now. This toy has gotten more use than any other. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Baby and Infant    2. Learning    3. Electronic Learning Aids (ELA)    4. Electronic   

Editorial Review

If you grew up with a Radio Flyer wagon but lost it along the way, here's your chance to own abrand new one. The body and sides are made of finished wood. Painted bright red, the stake sides simplylift out, leaving you with a natural-finish flatbed. Steel wheels with big, inflatable pneumatic tires rolleasily on pavement or rough terrain. At 33.5 inches, the extra-long handle makes turning easy. The wagonbed is 36 inches long, 15 inches wide, 9 inches high, and 21 inches from the ground to the top of thewagon. The durable-tread rubber tires are 10.5 inches in diameter and 3 inches wide. If you're lucky, yourchild might let you borrow this wonderful wagon. --Louise Carter ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Paint Chipped
I only had the wagon a month and all the stain and paint started to chip off. It is a durable wagon, but was not happy with chipping.

Best buy for 2 kids close in age!!
My mom bought this as a present for my then four year old daughter, but I began using it for her younger brothers aged NB and 18 months and bought her a smaller version to haul her dolls. It fit an infant car seat and toddler perfect, is versitable enough to last and on long outings allowed the older room to move unlike a tandum stroller. That was ten years ago. Now I've started a "second family" with a large 21month old son and another son due in 5 weeks. This item was a natural choice, due to my childs size (32pounds). Most tandum strollers allow only 40pounds per seat, so he would quickly out-grow it. With the wagon he can be in it longer and when both boys outgrow it they can use it to haul all their treasures. It also lasts almost forever (we lost our last one in a fire a year and a half ago after having it for 8 years). It was a little weathered but still sturdy (we did have to replace two brackets on one side due to stunt riding!). I can enthusiasticly say this was the best child purchase I've ever made!!!

Great Design, Very Poor Materials and Paint
Hard to believe we are all reviewing the same wagon. While the design is very good, the materials and finish are awful. The wood used in its contruction is too thin - a piece on the bottom was cracked out of the box. The side panels feel as if they are made from balsa wood - I am concerned they will not hold up over time. Two of the panels are also very loose in their mounting brackets. The paint shows drip marks, missing spots, and globs on both the red panels and black metal. The red paint rubs off on our child's hands and clothes. I could have done a better job with a can of spray paint. I am seriously thinking of using the metal hardware as a base for a wagon that I build out of more substantial materials. We also have the Radio Flyer Walker Wagon and the materials and finish on that one are much better. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ride-Ons    2. Wagons    3. Wood    4. Preschool    5. Push and Pull Toys    6. Outdoor Play    7. Baby and Infant    8. Toddler    9. Activity    10. Ride Ons   

Reviews (8)

Built Much Differently Than Other Jumpers...
I originally wrote a review about this giving it 5 stars, but since my son has learned to jump using his Graco Bumper Jumper at my house, he can't figure out how to jump on this one at his dad's house and ends up getting very frustrated.The toy bar is great.He loves it and likes looking at his reflection.
It's built backwards, if you will.Most jumpers have springs that coil together as the child jumps up, and stretch as the child comes back to the ground, allowing him to be pulled back into the air- allowing him to jump and giving him the assistance needed to jump off the ground.This jumper is built backwards.I'm not sure if it's my jumper or Evenflo built this one funny.As the child is placed into the jumper, the coils come together.The top of the sheath (this holds the straps) over the coils is on top of the coils, which allows the jumper to be built the way it is.So picture this... the child is trying to jump, when usually, he can be pulled into the air.For the child to get started jumping on the Evenflo, in theory, he has to pull himself *down* to get the spring action to jump up.For a baby, this just doesn't work.
I'm giving it two stars because the toy bar is great and my son eventually figured it out.He still LOVES the Graco Bumper Jumper much better, and it even has the pads to prevent him from hurting his fingers.Please consider the Graco instead.Your child will thank you!

Not for very young babies, but perfect for "sitters!"
We bought this for use at Grandma & Grandpas house when my 7.5 mon old and I planned an extended trip to see them. We have the FP Jumperoo at the house, and while my daughter liked it, there was NO comparing her reaction to this jumper! She LOVED it. Especially since it gave her the ability to move in a gentle swaying motion, turn in circles and of course, bounce.
For those who gave this a less-than-stellar review, I'd recommend:
A) using this on an older baby, not a 4-5 mon old. (Keep in mind that the instructions recommed that the baby should be able to sit unassisted!) and
B) use in a DOUBLE witdth doorway! There is NO WAY this could be safe in a single doorway. Baby's fingers and head would be dangerously exposed to the door frame.

Dangerous!
This product was not worth the money!!I put my 4 month in it and he tilted to one side and he couldn't even jump or move in it. Ours came put together wrong, but there isn't anything we can do to rectify their manufacturing mishap.My son is a large 4 month old so I know it isn't because he isn't big enough to bounce in it.I would not buy it.It is going back to the store and we are going to buy the old fashion johnny jump up. :) ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Activity    2. Bouncer Seats    3. Doorway Jumpers   

Reviews (2)

What a play yard
We got this play yard as a gift and it was easy to assemble.My husband put it together without instructions.The wheels make it easy to move from one room to the next.We spend a lot of time outdoors and can't wait to use it!

Love It!
I love this playpen.The wheels and carrying case are great (TIP - empty out the accessories from the carrying bag pouch and use it for bedding,toys,etc for overnight trips).We take it to the beach and use the canopy.My daughter loves it. When she was younger she liked the music and as she got bigger she liked to play with the different buttons.The only down side is that it is a little heavier than others but with the wheels & carry bag it doesn't really matter. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Gear    2. Playards    3. Furniture   

Editorial Review

This award-winning globe could help children become A+ geographystudents. The Explorer Globe II is jam-packed with hundreds of facts, trivia,and useful scholastic information about every aspect of the geographical world.It electronically verbalizes everything from area population, capitolcity/country, state/province, large bodies of water, currencies, high points,distance, and more. Other remarkable features make the Explorer an even moreuseful reference tool. It has a world clock that, once set from your home area,will tell the time in every other part of the world. And any country can beselected to hear a sample its national music (yes, Tahiti does have a nationalanthem). The globe sits on a sturdy base, which features a dashboard full ofinteractive functions and an attached soft-tipped stylus. This stylus is the keyinstrument: use it to touch virtually any point on the surface of the globe toretrieve information. --Diane Beall ... Read more

Reviews (68)

Problem Stylus?!!
Got it as a birthday gift for our daughter - great product to teach kids about "the world around" and she adores it.

The product lacks precision and accuracy. At the beginning the problems started with identification of smaller state/country and later ended up in total chaos. Manufacturer suggested replacing the stylus (FYI - Leap Frog identifies this as a generic complaint and will replace 2 styluses free of cost), but the problem continues to exist. Leap Frog once again suggesting the stylus replacement!?

Just wondering if I could get a total replacement and the product remain worry free for a while!

great
this is a great globe bout it for my daughter for her communion she loves it thanks

Not builtto last
My kids who are 11 and 8 got this globe for Christmas.They had it for about two weeks when it suddenly died.I thought maybe it was the batteries so I changed them and it still did not work.They never really got any use out of this.In the brief time that I did work it always acted as if it were "shorting out" or something.This toy is NOT worth the money. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Electronic Learning Aids (ELA)    3. Geography    4. Activity   

Reviews (10)

Gotta Have It!
We should have bought this stroller many months ago.My 5 month old loves this stroller.It is so lightweight and portable.It is great for traveling, becasue it takes up little space.It is worth the money to have this Combi at hand.It is easy to maneuver and seems to be comfy for the baby as well.The only drawback is there the storage basket inderneath.You cannot fit much into it, but this a minor concern.You just gotta have this stroller!!!

What a relief!
Okay folks. Be prepared to be scared! I just purchased this stroller because the travel system that I've been using for my 4 month old has just been recalled for the very unsafe car seat. (yes, the most important part of the travel system.Imagine that!)The shoulder straps keep coming loose from the back of the unit, leaving babies with too much slack, or no harness at all!I found out the hard way!After parking, I almost died after seeing my angel had slipped down so her head was where her booty should be!The Lord was watching out for her, cause she didn't get injured in this potentially fatal situation!Since I had to give back the entire travel system, this gave me an opportunity to get this wonderful combi!I love it so far.It is so compact, easy to open and close, and maneuvers nicely in tight spots. Yippee! Yippee!By the way, the recalled system is the Eddie Bauer Glacier!Tell your friends who my have this system.Very scary!

Great compact Stroller
I bought this stroller after testing many out by actually putting my son in and taking a strole around the store.I LOVED this one and it handled great in the store.:)The basket is small but I wanted this mainly for walking anyway.It folds great and fits in the trunk or back seat of my shadow and I can still fit groceries and other goodies!Very easy to throw in someone elses car also.My son looks very cozy in it!

There is nothing to absorb the shock when walking over sidewalks so it is better for mall walking. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Gear    2. Strollers    3. Lightweight Strollers   

Features

• 2-in-1 sand and water activity table
• Includes 8-pc. accessory kit
• Subtle faux wood-crafted finish
• Secure lid with elastic tie-downs
• Detachable legs for use at ground level

Reviews (43)

Sagging Center
I haven't read all 42 reviews so this may be a repeat.We have found it necessary to shore up the middle of this wonderfully entertaining toy.We've had it on our patio since early spring of 2004 and it has had a lot of use but the center started to sag.We found a large flower pot that measured the exact height and just pushed it under the center.Works like a charm and we should get many more years of fun.

Where can you buy??
Can someone please tell me WHERE they bought theirs??I am in in Chicagoland area and have checked TRUand meijer's with no luck.
Thanks

We Love this !!!
I bought this for my 3 1/2 year old son and he loves it . Actually we all love it ! My 10 , 8 and 5 and 3 year olds had more fun with this than I think anything we have ever bought . This is much better than a typical sandbox which they love but can't all play in at the same time. All four of my kids pulled up a chair around the table and had a blast and plenty of room !They played for at least 2 hours and didn't even want to come in then . It was a bit messy but what can you expect . Anything can be put in here to spark imagination .You don't have to just use sand and water .The possibilities are endless ! This is going to be a life saver this summer . This was money well spent . I would recommend this to anyone .
It was easy to put together and I feel the legs were very sturdy . I didn't even put the screws in it because I like the idea of being able to take them out to store it over the winter unless we bring it in for the winter.I just made sure I pushed them all the way in. Ialready cleaned it out and tipped it over to rinse it and had no trouble with the legs coming loose or out or anything . I am saving the screws just in case I need them later !
This is an awseome , awesome table !! We love it !!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Outdoor Play    2. Toddler    3. Activity   

Reviews (9)

Worth every penny!
My daughter got this when she was three yrs old. She's 5 and half now and still has a ball playing in it with her girlfriends. They play house and sit at the table and eat lunch or play with Play Doh and just generally have a great time with it. We've had it over 2 yrs and it's holding up beautifully. We love the fact that we can see in and watch what the kids are doing and that it has a floor. I'd buy one again if I ever had a need for another playhouse.

Still waiting for my son to like this.....
We bought the cottage for my son for Christmas, he was 20 months at the time. I thought he would just love it, but we are still waiting for him to catch on. The only thing he will do with it even now is go inside a play "peek" through the windows. My son tends to be a bit of a climber, and this is definitely not a climbing toy! I guess we will know better next year! One great point about this cottage is the floor! Most cottage/house toys don't have a floor and this one does, which makes it real nice to have on any type of surface without worrying about your little one's feet.

My toddler can play all day in the cottage
We purchased the cottage for my daughter's first birthday and she loved it!While her uncle was assembling it she sat on the chair and played with the phone.She's now 17 months and plays in it until she has to come in the house.Its very durable, safe and just the right size for her.She and my 5 year old nice play for hours inside together.I would recommend this item. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Outdoor Play    2. Pretend Play    3. Furniture   

Editorial Review

What's the No. 1 group dance for the pre-school set? Hint: it's not the "Electric Slide" or "Cotton-Eyed Joe." You guessed it, and so did Elmo: the "Hokey Pokey." Though Elmo doing the "Slide" would be a sight to see, he masters the Pokey quite convincingly, to the probable delight of his toddling fans. After loading his foot with four "AA" batteries, press his hand and he performs the popular jig. He sticks out both his right hand and foot, shakes his body all about, then smoothly spins in place, thanks to a rotating platform under one foot. Elmo even spices up the beat, and sporadically speeds up the action; both innovations crank up the fun factor. The only downside: he was de-plushed, presumably because of all the mechanisms needed to help him dance and maintain balance. The result, still, is an impressive performance. He's just not very cuddly. --Diane Beall ... Read more

Reviews (98)

oh my gosh!!!
Can we say neverstop!! - she ran this thing into the ground!! played with it alllll the time and still does - highly recommend

My todler loves it!
I bought this for my son about two months ago. And I believe I must have gotten the most durable one. My 20 month old son was only dancing with him the first two weeks, until he discover that it's more fun to squeeze him, while he shakes, then throw him against the floor or wall. So far it has been over a month, and the Elmo is still singing, dancing, and saying oops or thank you. I would recomend this toy to any one.

Good times for kids
My 2 year old has this and loves it. He's already a huge fan of Elmo, so I'm sure that helps. The toy itself is rather neat since it pretty much does the hokey pokey. Elmo puts in his hand in, his leg in and he shakes all about, then he turns around in a circle. Doesn't work so good on carpet, better on smooth surfaces. The sound it good and lucky for us parents, the song doesn't last too long. If you tip him upside down he says "whoopsie!", and something about needing to be turned back upright. Cute toy. My son thinks Elmo is dancing with him. ... Read more

Subjects:  

Reviews (16)

Good, but not great!
I bought this stroller because of the buggy feature, color (there were few black strollers at the time), and high quality brand.I was generally happy with it, but I had a few issues:
1.It is not as easy to close as the American models
2.The fabric boot cannot be removed to be washed
3.The wheels are not as large as some similar models for better shock
4.There is no tray for cups, keys, etc. (there is a cup holder, but it is not as handy)

I did love the fact that you could move the handle either way so you could look at your baby or they could look out.

The best stroller-worth the money
This is by far the best stroller made. The ride is smooth. The fabric is classy--love the Italian fabric.I haven't had problems with the wheels--people who have, might need to change the wheel settings. The basket is a little hard to get to when using the infant car seat; however other strollers have similar problems when using the infant car seat. I also love that the handle moves, which allows me to see my precious cargo.This stroller is the Mercedes of all strollers.

My favorite stroller!!!!
I own 2 strollers.I've been searching for the perfect stroller since my daughter was born and I've finally found it!I started with the P3 (also a Peg Perego) because it is lighter than the Venezia and folds smaller.I figured that with the carseat I could create the same effect as the reversible handle.Boy was I wrong!My baby hates her carseat.And she did not like the P3 either because she couldn't see me.So I bought the Venezia.It is fantastic.My baby is happy because she can see me.And I'm happy because it is a plush, gorgeous stroller.

The wheels are not huge, but it handles fine on city sidewalks.This is not a stroller for grass and gravel, but few strollers are.That's where joggers come in handy.The wheels are bigger than they used to be - starting in 2004 Peg Perego increased the wheel size - they are now the same size as the wheels on my P3.I'm sure that has helped the handling.When you read reviews, pay attention to the age of the stroller because Peg Perego has improved it.

The boot is fantastic.It is so cozy.And you can unzip it, creating a bassinet effect which will also prevent toys (or your baby!) from falling out.The fabric is plush - it's so cozy and soft!

I find the handling to be great.Just remember to lock the wheels closest to the handle whichever way the handle is facing.What's great about this reversible stroller is that it has four sets of swivel wheels, so it handles great no matter which way the handle is facing.

The fold does take some getting used to.But it folds up (rather than towards the pavement) and stands when folded.I always keep one set of wheels locked (the ones closest to the handle in reverse mode).You can also fold it with things in the basket (like your raincover) which you can't do with the P3.It isn't terribly heavy.The 2004 and later models have handles to help you lift the stroller up steps while it is open or out of the trunk when closed.It takes up more space in my trunk than the P3, but I can fit both the Venezia and the P3 in the trunk at the same time.

The basket is HUGE!My P3 basket was ok, not really great.I found it hard to get things in and out.This basket is sooo roomy.Since 2004 the basket can be pushed down for easy access.

That said, there is 1 thing I don't like.The cupholder is a total joke!Nothing fits in it except a can of soda or the tiniest of water bottles.You can't even try to cram anything in there because it'll flip upside down.I clip a diaper bag (Kecci Mommybag) to the loops on the handlebar or hang my Skip Hop and stick my water bottle in the outside bottle pocket.

Also, I am keeping my P3 as a travel stroller.The Venezia doesn't strike me as great for airports since the fold is more complicated.But it is so wonderful that if I could do it all over again, I'd buy the Venezia now and maybe something like the Maclaren Triumph or Chicco Tuscany for toddlerhood. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Gear    2. Strollers    3. Full-Size Strollers   

Features

• 16 Futuristic, anti-gravity racing tracks
• 5 Different speed classes
• Single Race, Tournament, Time Trial, Free Play, and Zone Mode (single-player only)
• Fresh downloadable content that can be saved to a Memory Stick Duo, such as new tracks, ships, skins and music

Reviews (22)

Great game!
Awesome laucnh title - love it!!The look and feel of the Wipeout series has been perfectly captured on the new platform. Difficulty ramps up nicely after you mosey around the tracks on the starter levels and unlock the faster levels.Free-practice lets you learn a track inside and out until you're ready to take on a real race.
And once you're sick of playing against the AI it's dead-simple to challenge your mates head-on or merge their best lap-times with yours to beat on the tube.

There is however a gripe: you have to go through about 6 screens before you get to the main menu.. so switching from listening to music to playing Wipeout Pure takes quite a while.There should be a 'quick-launch' option - straight into the main menu with your save game auto-loaded.

A truly impressive game.....at first
WipEout Pure has proven to be one of the most visually stunning games I have ever seen on a portable handheld. The gameplay is mad-fun, sound and special effects are unparalled, and the music is pretty neat too.

However, this game does have its serious flaws that cripple the fun-factor only a short time after playing this game for the first time; when playing against the AI in tournament mode, its a real fun challege- a game wouldnt really be fun at all if there was no challenge involved, but if the difficulty level is ludicrously high, winning and passing a race would become nearly impossible. This is highly evident as you ascend through the tournament, and namely, one or two race-maps in "Ascension" mode, while playing it in "Flash" difficulty. This is especially true for people who are new to the WipEout Pure series, like myself. I honestly hate this game only 5 days afterbuying it, and now regret spending those lousy 40 bucks on a game that could have been so great. That's what makes me have a serious grudge against some game developers- they can never learn from their previous mistakes, and will always recreate games with very few innovative features, which suffer from some sort of fatal gameplay-imbalancement. Why is this still happening to a game whose series has been around for nearly a decade now?

In addition, there are some minor framerate issues- but I'm not surprised about that due to the amazing graphics quality in this game. Music length and selection is quite poor, but what they already have (electronic-dance) is great, and fits very nicely with the gameplay.

I highly recommend this game for everyone - whether or not you're a beginner - but if you want to go ahead and buy it, don't be surprised if you get extremely frustrated with some racing events.

Hope this review helps.

Free psp !!!! No Joke!!!!
Wipeout pure is just as good as the rest, but in many ways better, smoother faster, and just funner! (...)! ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Best thing if there is more than one player
My self, my wife, and the the two boyz we have are all playing with the PS2. Each has his/her own game and savings. This is a must if you have more than one player using the game. Each has his memory card (stick) and has his/her own game levels saved on it. Never had any trouble with any of them, nor did it ever hang on me. I am truely satisfied with the product.

Great cards
There really isn't any flaws with these memory cards and buying two instead of one is alot better than buying 2 seperately and it'll save you some bucks. The only thing is that if you have 3 or more games that use 2000+K memory space you might wand to consider the 32MB memory card that codejunkies makes.

Must Have For A Playstation2 Owner
I am a frequent playstation2 player and this is a neccessity. I have been getting games since the PS2 came out, and I have over 50 videogames so I have a total of 5 memory cards and they are all full. If you play videogames you are going to need at least one, but it is much cheaper to buy this pack and they come in cool red and blue colors. Some videogames take up ALOT of space on the memory card such as the Jak series and Madden NFL Football series. I reccomend this product to ANY PS2 owner and I suggest buying two of these because in the long run you are going to need them. If you are going to buy someone a PS2 you need to buy them this and an extra controller because if you don't they will very dissapointed. You can't go wrong with this product and I do not reccomend buying ANY non-Sony produuct including memory cards. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Sony Playstation (Play station)    3. PSX (PS1 PSOne PS (1 one I)    4. Controller    5. Rumble Packs (Paks)    6. Cables (Cable)    7. Adapters (Adapter)    8. PS2 (PSX2)    9. Sony Playstation (Play station) 2    10. Playstation2 (Play station2)    11. Memory cards    12. Great Deals (Outlet store)    13. Cases    14. Storage   

Editorial Review

The wait is over. After five years of development, Lead Programmer John Carmack and the id Software team have put together a revolutionary visual experience. If your PC has the juice to set this game loose and you have a thirst for first-person shooter action, you're in for a treat. Although Doom 3 is not perfect, the 3D graphics engine upon which it is built sets a new, jaw-dropping standard that makes this game a must-have.

Hell on Mars
Your character is a low-ranking Marine on a routine rotation to the Mars Research Facility of the United Aerospace Corporation (UAC). That's pretty much all the backstory you need. Doom 3 is a bit skimpy in the storyline department, but rich plotting and character development have never been the focus of the Doom franchise. Action is the name of the game here, and we found plenty. After a few minutes of wandering through the facility, listening to rumors about impending catastrophe from the staff (remember Half-Life?), it was time to start shooting. We fought our way through dark, lavishly detailed environments until finally doing battle with pure evil in the depths of hell. Although the game offers no opportunities to explore the Martian setting apart from the linear corridors of the research facility, good level design and well-crafted sound effects succeeded at scaring the living heck out of us all the way through.

Fearsome monsters. Dimly lit environments. The perfect recipe for horror.

Creature Discomforts
Groaning zombies and the sudden leaping attack of an eleven-eyed Imp are just the beginning of the horror and anxiety in Doom 3. Floating Cacodemons attack from above with a mouthful of teeth... ethereal Revenants fire flesh-seeking missiles with deadly accuracy... a swarm of spider-like Trites skitter down the corridor, hungry for blood. Although the enemy AI in Doom 3 is less crafty than we would have liked, the incredible variety of enemies--each with a unique style of attack--outweighs this shortcoming somewhat.

Guns, Guns, Guns
While there are many powerful weapons in the game, they are designed to force players to anticipate and plan for firefights. For instance, we liked wielding the chaingun to shred enemies at longer ranges, but the weapon devours ammo and using it on close-range targets was a waste of bullets. We quickly learned to switch to the shotgun or the chainsaw to dispatch foes at close range.

One piece of hardware, the flashlight, was a point of both salvation and frustration for us. Doom 3 is a dark game and many enemies know how to take advantage of it. You'll often find yourself switching back and forth between your weapons and your flashlight just to see what's lurking ahead. This problem might easily be solved by duct-taping the flashlight to your equipped weapon, but, alas, we found no duct tape on Mars.

Looking Good
Doom 3 looks incredible. Every room is exquisitely detailed, from the shimmer of the air near a heat source to the texture of a hamburger sitting on the counter of the company mess hall. Id obviously went all out designing every creature in the game and their realism makes them all the more horrifying. The eye candy does come at a price, though, and we were forced to play at fairly low resolution even on a Pentium IV 2.8 GHz and an ATI Radeon 9500. Even so, gameplay was smooth as silk. For higher resolutions (1024 x 768 and above) the latest generation of ATI or Nvidia cards is suggested. --Joshua Gunn

Pros

• Stunning display of graphics technology
• Strong level design with lots of spookiness
• Rich variety of enemies
• Plenty of hours of single-player gameplay

• Thin storyline
• Stiff system requirements
• No headlamps or gun-mounted lighting in the 22nd century
• Fairly basic multiplayer options

Features

• Struggle with shock and fear as you fight your way, in an epic clash against pure evil
• Incredible, advanced 3D graphics and physics, with surround sound and real-time dynamic lighting
• Compete in vicious multiplayer action where you'll use light, shadows, and a totally dynamic world to your advantage
• The most intensely realistic and visually stunning game yet -- with the look and feel of a computer-rendered animated movie

Reviews (44)

Wha? What? Was that a woman crying?!?
Single Player*:

Doom 3 is avant garde in the sound and lighting department. The strange sounds you hear bouncing along the piped walls seem to get more frequent the more time you take. You have no idea if they are in the distance, if they are right in front hiding in some unlit place. Hell, you hear them. A rattling corpes falls , dangling from the ceiling, it was this the rattling noise, nothing more, nothing less. Next noise and you might not be so lucky, cause the service lights of the complex just went out. Should you hold your favorite artillery in the dark or hold your flashlight to see your way through? Balance it out, perhaps, switching mindlessly between light source and twitching trigger finger.

This is Doom 3 and it's a perfect upgrade of what I'd expect the Doom 2 classic to be today. The graphics and mood are built with as much realism I've ever seen in a game. Things pop out from dark corners and lunge through opened doors, making you jump back more than once.

The controls in the game utilize the XBox R-type controller perfectly. The D-pad allows you to assign direction (^V<>) to your favorite lead/plasma/rocket/soul stocked wrist cronies. This allows for quick access. The concept of quick access is driven further with the incessant need to switch flashlight/artillery.

The single player story is told through dead people's PDAs. Pick em up (they're not using 'em anymore) and find access codes and tales of their experiences in their UAC Depts. It's an interesting way of telling a story that's been told before. I enjoyed this medium.

Online Co-Op*:

This is a great addition to the game, one that any XBliver will be very happy to have. Grab a buddy and go through the game together. I haven't solved the game in this mode, but the levels for Online Co-Op seem to be a little fewer and/or peared down from the single player game. It's a fun experience especially with a friend.


In closing, Doom 3 is a great dark masterpiece. It's very reminiscent of the old Doom games you remember from PC, seeing upgrades of your enemies and all that. You'll also remember that the enemies will come right at you, head-on, in a rather dumb sort of fashion, meaning they lack state of the art AI. That's a reason I chainsawed a star away from being a 5 star title. Don't expect flanking or running and hiding on the vermin's part. They come right at you. Many times this makes you jump back.

*The reason I structured this way is because I found the Single Player game the best experience of Doom 3. Don't cheat. Single Player meaning no spectators in the room and lights out. Stereo sound if you have it. The game is less atmospheric if you are talking to someone in the room or joking with your XBox live buddy at how fat his ex-girfriend is.

It's Doom, For Better and For Worse
I make it a habit of renting games before buying them. If the game's truly worth it, I'll gladly pay the "extra" fee due to renting it first. I rented Doom3 for the Xbox, and here's my spin on it.

Pros:
- graphics are superb and very atmospheric. It's downright creepy at times.
- Excellent, atmospheric sound, and perhaps some of the best sound in any current console game.
- Good overall translation from the PC to the Xbox. Considering what the original PC specs for the game are/were, this says a *LOT*.
- FPS gameplay translates well to the console controller. Very responsive and intuitive.
- Cooperative play adds a fantastic dimension to the game. It's nice to go Demon hunting with someone else tagging along blasting bad guys as needed.
- Collector's Edition comes with Doom I and Doom II. It's worth the extra $10 for those alone, as getting those games to run on Win XP is almost impossible at times.
- A nod to id for trying to put some sort of story to it this time. A weak story, mind you, but a decent effort nonetheless. I especially like that it's the guy's first few days at the place, meaning he's none too sure of what goes where yet. The PDA feature is nice, as it eliminates the days of yore where you wandered around pulling levers for no reason.
- It's the same ol' Doom, atmosphere, zombies, demons, extremely tough boss battles, and all.

Cons:
- It's the same ol' Doom where monsters pop out of boxes in the wall...behind you...in the dark. Why can't the monsters enter the area in some manner other than a "secret" panel, say morph through the wall somehow and maintain some level of invincibility during said morphing? And the monster-behind-you-in-the-dark paradigm is a bit stale for today's games. I know it's part of the atmosphere, but it seems to be an afterthought in design to me. Maybe I'm just jaded after playing Halo/Halo2, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, SW: Republic Commando, and others.
- Repetitive gameplay: Despite the attempt at a story, it's still go through level, monster pops out behind you, blast monster, find code or whatnot, exit level. The technology exists to do oh so much more, demonstrated by those games mentioned above.
- Equipment Usage: In the future we can travel with regularity to Mars, where we have colonies established. We have harnessed the power of plasma into weaponry, and have put supercomputers into projectile launchers. But, either due to bad supply chain management or ineptitude, we can't find any duct tape to tie a flashlight to a weapon. Nor do we have Night Vision Devices (NVDs). It's a research station where excavation takes place, and yet *no one* has mining helmets? We failed to carry forward any personal system for producing light other than the flashlight that can't be tied to anything. Missed opportunity to address this, or even add a touch of humor here. Other elements are explained in the PDAs, why not this? It seems like another afterthought to me, and more work could have been in other areas to maintain the creepiness. I understand completely the emphasis on "atmosphere" for the game, but that atmosphere could be just as easily imparted by other elements. Having to recharge a pair of NVD's for example, would lend just as much atmosphere to the game. I suppose so much horsepower went into the graphics that there was little room left to do anything else.
- Underutilized story elements: The PDA is great and all, but it's underutilized. It would be interesting if you got a certain amount of info and are then given a choice; manipulate building functions through the PDA to get out faster, albeit without as many weapons or whatnot, or go through the building popping monsters, risking much more harm, but getting better weapons at the end. Why doesn't it have a comprehensive *map* of the place on it?? It can download video and security clearances no problem, but it doesn't have a map???
- Linear gameplay: To be totally fair, this is a problem with a lot of games now, so maybe I shouldn't be too harsh. One of the endearing things about Halo2 was the ability to play as members of both sides of the conflict. I think the Doom series could benefit from some fresh thinking in that regard; letting you play as various characters who eventually meet up at the end, (or not, depending on character played), then you're given a choice as to which character to play to go after the bad guy, for example. Randomization of the levels and the like, a la Diablo and Diablo II, would breathe some modern life into the series as well...and add to that creep factor every time you played.
- (Xbox version) Paltry cheat codes: Yeah I like using them and will freely admit it. I especially like unlimited ammo cheat codes, because, well, they're fun to use *after beating the game*. If I *wanted* a real life shooting experience with limited ammo, I'd *join SOCOMM*. The PC version has an unlimited ammo code, but the Xbox version doesn't. It does however, have invincibility, the single most boring cheat code ever invented. WHY?!?!?!

So color me so-so about Doom 3. Will I buy it? Good question. Doom fanatics already have the PC and Xbox versions, love both equally much, have the board game already, several action figures around the desk, and really don't care what I have to write about it. The Collector's Edition is intriguing; knowing that I could simply insert the disk into the Xbox and play Doom and Doom II all over again without having to write some batch file on my PC to manage virtual memory or whatnot is a value added benefit. I may wait until it goes down in price, say closer to the end of the year or whatnot.

A big disappointment
When i was but a lad, this kind of thing would have been a great game to play. But now as an older wiser gamer i can see through that kind of thing. By that kind of thing, i mean cheap thrills, which this game has plenty of and will use often. After playing this game for about an hour or two, you will begin to see that if you see a dark corner or hear a "SSSSSS" something is there or coming. And odds are you will shoot in the direction of the sound or darkness and almost 99.9% of the time, there is something there that you will have just killed. That's how i went through this game, and in the end i just didn't get enjoyment out of it. After finishing the final level, i really felt like i wasted my time playing it because the challenge just wasn't there. If you must play this game, do it for the graphics and rent it. Save your money. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action    2. Adventure    3. Video Games    4. Xbox (x box)    5. Microsoft