Wonderbook Book Of Spells - Review

Wonderbook Book of Spells, Sony’s latest family offering for their PS3 console gives budding Harry’s, Ron’s and Hermione’s a chance to experience visiting Hogwarts without the need to be locked in the cupboard under the stairs. Social services breathe a sigh of relief, and I get to regurgitate the same joke I've made in a previous post…

The set-up is very simple.  PlayStation Eye Camera that plugs straight into PS3’s USB port on the front of the machine, a ‘Move’ controller that a cross between an Lightsabre and an expensive Myla toy, and a book that looks like a series of big QR codes.   Put the disc in and away you go.  Simple.

What comes out is simply magical, the Camera reads the series of images on the book and the Ps3 creates an image on your TV of a virtual world where the book transforms into a magical artifact while the move Move controller is your wand.  Of course this would be nothing if you didn't also see yourself on screen, you are very much the lead role in this Harry Potter film.

In front of your eyes and around your living room Dragons swoop, bubbles appear on your head to help you breathe under water, while the lore of the Harry Potter universe is explained in a series of short stories where Children can choose which missing word to insert. You’re encouraged to learn spells and cast them with a swish of the wrist or a more complex wave of your wand.  In a nutshell it’s lovely lovely idea, both encouraging children to play but also learn and read without even realising they are.  While it won’t ever replace books and will never be a bedtime story it is a nice fun way for kids to have fun than the more passive and less social TV watching

Number 1 is only four and while she knows of Harry Potter she’s not really aware of the wider universe, but she had great fun squirting virtual water over Daddy in a spell.  Although her hands were a little small to handle the controller she’s of the age, where she can get the hang of it and gets frustrated when she can’t do it, so frustrations were solely with herself rather than the Wonderbook itself. Number 2 was equally entranced although it involved hitting the TV to interact as most things do when you’re not yet two.  The game itself is much more suitable for slightly older Children aged 7-12, although Adults will find it equally as enchanting to play along on Christmas day.

The only real downside we could find is that your living room needs to be lit with a wattage akin to Wembley stadiums floodlights for best performance. Although it worked perfectly well in our more mood lit lounge, the cheap camera seems to not quite display at it’s best level.

The starter pack is £50 and contains everything you need to get started - Camera, Move Controller, WonderBook & Game

All in all it gets a big recommend from us. 

On the Sixth Day of Christmas My True Love Gave to me... Six Consoles Gaming

Given what I do for a living one of the most asked questions of me is what games console should I buy my child for Christmas? My answer is always it depends… you wouldn't buy a sports car if you and your family lived down a country lane would you?  And you wouldn't buy a 4x4 if you lived in the city… oh, perhaps scrub that last bit.

To the uninitiated it might seem like an odd thing to say, but pick the games console might suits you and your child’s needs.  They’re not all the same; some are much more suitable to different ages and types of entertainment.   If you don’t want to spend £300 for a very expensive box under the TV that isn't touched, or on a console that is deemed ‘babyish’ in less than a year’s time, read on.

Best Games Console For Child Under 5

If your child is under 5 my suggestion is don’t bother, they’re far too young to really get the moneys worth out of a games console.  Instead have a look at the Mobi-Go range which offers a more educational learning spin and offers both a touch screen and a Qwerty keyboard for learning the alphabet, spelling and numeracy. 

I was extremely sceptical of thinking that the apps on mobile phones or tablets are just as useful, until we purchased a mobi-go one for Number 1 last Christmas.  It costs around £50 and new games are £10-£15. While it does chew through batteries it’s simple to use, is of a solid build, chunky and portable it’s great for the kids to use on their own without worrying they’re going to scratch or damage it like you would with your tablet or smart phone (There is also no chance of having them in app purchase £500 of smurfberrys either)

Best for Long Journeys

For your younger ones look no further than the 3DS for a portable games console, it comes in a range of colours and has a large range of games.  It’s worth noting that Nintendo themselves recommend that the 3D option isn't used by Children under the age of 7 (a simple slider bar means you can switch it off easily) it’s priced around £130 and the games aren't cheap when you’re used to App store prices, at around £30. 

Sony’s PlayStation Vita is a lovely bit of technology straddling the line of tablet and games console with multiple touch screens, internet access and a massive range of music and films that can be downloaded (although the PSN store is not a patch on ITunes) it’s perfectly suited to older children & teenagers.  However it’s range of games are very expensive and quite limited, and while more are on their way, there might not be a huge amount of games for the future.  For those already owning a PlayStation 3 the Vita offers even more, offering cross play and inter connectivity between the two, really bringing value to the vita.  You can get some excellent deals pre-Christmas with the handheld and games bundle for less than £200

Best For Families

The Wii was a staple in houses up and down the country a few years ago, now seemingly consigned to the gathering dust in a cupboard it still has a huge catalogue of games at very low prices and can be enjoyed by the whole family offering that old fashioned board game fun on Christmas day. However once the games are finished there is very little else to recommend about the now rather dated Wii.

Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Sony’s PlayStation 3 are two of the big boys in the market and offer the widest breadth and range of games available everything from dancing & karaoke games to realistic military shooting games.  However connect them to the internet and they come into their own as a central part of the living room, both offer streaming of BBC’s Iplayer and equivalent Channel 4 and ITV versions. If you have Lovefilm and Netflix accounts you can access them through the consoles.  Both consoles offer direct purchase of Games and films (films can also be rented) as well as demo and video downloads from their own stores.  Both consoles also have parental setting so you can control what your little monsters can view & play.

As far as that family ‘board game’ at Christmas feel, Microsoft has the Kinect an expensive, if somewhat flawed, camera that sits on your TV but allows for some lovely group family experiences around the likes of Ubisoft's Disney Just Dance game & Kinectimals, 

Sony’s offers the JK Rowling Wonderbook: Book of Spells,  perfect for budding Harry Potters who will see their book come to life on screen and cast spells with their wands on screen.

So which one to Pick?  Tough.  Both have their merits and there is very little to choose between them both.  Find out what your circle of friends own so older Children can play online with people they know. Failing that just go for the best deal and there are some excellent ones out there.

Prices for the consoles begin at £130 and increase in price based upon the size of the HDD games retail for £15 - £50 

Best for Dad Pretending he’s Buying it for the Kids

That’ll be the Wii U, Nintendo’s new hope, the console launches today stock is limited and will be till after Christmas.  While Nintendo will be hoping that the console replicates the success of the Wii some commentators are more sceptical.

The console comes with a tablet style controller that allows dad the kids to play while someone else is watching the TV and makes for some interesting game ideas, where the touch screen can be used.

Its expected that both Sony & Micorosft will launch their new consoles next year so you might want to hold off for a little while before taking the plunge

If you can find one, prices are around £259.99