I first learned of VTech’s V.Flash console in late 2006. Shortly thereafter, I purchased a game to be played on the system so that I could study the optical format and understand the data formats therein (it’s a weird hobby of mine).
Eventually, I found a new in box V.Flash console for relatively cheap and snatched it up. It arrived but I never got around to opening it at the time. I have accumulated several more games for the system in the meantime. I got it down from a shelf today:
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I thought it had only been 6 or 7 years since I bought the system. Turns out that it was almost 9 years ago that I picked it up:
I checked my Amazon order records for more details– turns out that I only paid about US$26 for it. I guess I snagged it during what is called “the trough of no/low value” because when I look it up now, asking prices for an NIB unit are substantially higher.
Surprisingly, there are no YouTube unboxing videos for this thing. So I guess it falls to me. Unboxing videos aren’t really my thing. Instead, please accept this series of photos documenting various aspects of the unit and its packaging. There is a lot to cover.
The front of the box:
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The bottom of the box:
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The right side of the box:
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The left side of the box:
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The top of the box:
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The back of the box:
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The box even has an inside flap, just like a lot of modern computer game boxes. This is the left side of the inside flap:
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The right side of the inside flap:
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These are the contents inside the box:
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The unwrapped hardware components:
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This includes the following:
- The V.Flash console
- 1 controller: it’s weird that the D-pad is on the right and the buttons are on the left, but the packaging assures me that these are reversible; good– I wouldn’t want to relearn that at this point in my game-playing life
- Composite A/V cables
- AC adapter
- Pack-in game: Wacky Race on Jumpin’ Bean Island
- CD tray: this enables playback of audio CDs
The copious literature that comes with the console:
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This includes the following:
- Warning page included with the AC adapter
- Users manual
- Product registration
- Addendum sheet
- Advertisement for Club VTech (website now defunct)
- Users manual for the pack-in game
- Vtech catalog
Here are the 5 V.Flash games I have managed to accumulate so far (there are only 4 left to collect):
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- The Amazing Spider-Man: Countdown to Doom
- Disney Princess: The Crystal Ball Adventure
- Scooby-Doo! Ancient Adventure
- Wacky Race on Jumpin’ Bean Island
- Bratz Fashion Pixies: The Secret Necklace
The front of the console:
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There are ports for 2 controllers and also a custom memory card. It’s interesting that there are buttons for both off and on rather than a single power button or switch.
The back of the console:
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Only 2 holes: one for power and one for A/V breakout.
This is how the console looks when it has a game inside:
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This is how the console looks in the “eject” state:
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For comparison, this is the V.Flash console placed next to a Sega Dreamcast console:
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That’s the end of this photo journey. I will cover the software experience in a separate post. Then I will finally start playing the games for MobyGames documentation.