I purchased this for my 7 year old son and he plays with it a lot. For the price ($199) I thought it might be gold-plated but actually it doesn't even have a screen that shows colors. He likes it and that's all that counts... I guess. The price just suprises me and then you have to purchase more cartridges after they memorize all the answers on the original game.

We've had this product for over 3 years now and still use it almost daily. It grows with your child encouraging them to strive for their best. Children want to be the best at everything they do. This toy motivates the child to beat their own high scores and achieve academic excellence in both math, spelling, science and social studies. With the expandability of additional Turbo Extreme Cartridges for Grades 1-4, this product continues to add additional learning opportunities that our children hunger for.

The Turbo Extreme is very portable and has accompanied our family on many trips. Car rides are no longer "Are we there yet". Now our son says he's "almost done" can we wait just a minute? We've taken this product on many plane trips, doctors visits and car rides. The Volume Control as mentioned by another reviewer makes this product appealing to all. Many parents have watched our son engaged with this product ask "where can I get one of those"?

The product description is missing from Amazon's Selling Page. The information below is from the Instruction Manual and is provided to help you make a more informed buying decsion. This purchase is one our family is glad we made. Many toys are used once or twice only to be at the bottom of the toy chest. This toy will not be one of those.

(From the Turbo Extreme Instruction Manual)

Fast-paced games pack fun and learning together. Players use the directional pad, the twist dial and the "slam" button to jump, duck, scroll or select answers. Five fun game modes feature music, animation, sound effects and scoring. Plus, expandable, multi-subject, grade-based cartridges add new content, new games, and a multi-player option!

Learning Levels - Turbo Extreme handheld uses an auto-leveling system that adjusts to each player's individual skill level. To use auto-leveling, just start playing and the unit will adjust automatically. If you wish to set the level, you can do that with the Options Menu within each game mode (Hazard Spelling; Missing Letter; Hazard Math; Math Factory; Fact Blaster)

Hazard Spelling - The object of the game is to correctly spell as many words as you can before time runs out! Listen to the word anounced and then move Turbo Monkey to grab the letters to spell the word correctly. If you spell the word incorrectly, listen for a hint! Hazard Spelling teaches children over 75 spelling rules and skills to help them spell thousands of grade-appropriate words. Words are linked to hints that reinforce key rules and skills. Kids start with short vowels and simple words such as "bed" and progress through complex words such as "pause" and "guest".

Why is this important? Reading and writing are closely tied. Learning spelling patterns helps children spell more words correctly, write more confidently, and decode words more easily. Spelling patterns learned while playing ith the Turbo Extreme handheld will aid reading and writing progress.

Missing Letter - Object of the game is to fill in the missing letters to spell the word. Listen to the word anounced and use the Twist Dial to scan until you see the oorrect letter. What's being taught? In each word, the missing letters represent common spelling errors. Playing Missing Letter helps children learn how to avoid these common errors and corectly spell thousands of words.

Hazard Math - The object of the game is to solve as many equations as possible before time runs out! Listen to the equation and then move Turbo Monkey to grab the correct numbers to solve the equation, while avoiding obstacles in the path. Six types of equations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions or decimals) are announced, based on each player's skill level. What's being taught? This activity teaches children over 150 critical math skills for grades 1 to 4, from the basics (such as addition of single-digit numbers) to more advanced math (such as dividing four-digit numbers by two-digit numbers). As players progress through each level, they will master equations involving addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions and decimals.

Why is this important? Mathematics is vitally important to your child's success in school and beyond. Every child needs a solid foundation in basic computational skills in order to succeed in higher-level mathematics and problem solving. Mathematics play a key role in subjects such as science and social studies, and it has practical applications outside the classroom, including work, hobbies, sports, travel, saving and spending money, and more.

Math Factory - This game is a fun way for children to master their math tables in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. There are two modes of play. In the Get Choices mode, several answer choices will be displayed on the screen. Players hit the Slam Button when they see the correct answer. In Enter Your Own mode, players must fill in the correct answer by twisting the dial until they see the right number. What's being taught? A fun, musical beat helps children memorize and recall math tables including: Addition of numbers 0-9; Subtraction of Numbers 0-9; Multiplication of numbers 0-12; and Division of numbers 1-12.

Fact Blaster - Blast through some facts! Score as many points as you can by correctly answering questions about science and social studies. What's being taught? Fact Blaster teaches children important and interesting social studies and science facts that are tied to curriculum standards, and that include people, geography, science and nature.

Why is this important? Learning about geography, cultures, and history helps children establish a sense of plce and make connections between past events and their own lives. Studying science helps children understand how the natural world works, how their body functions and how natural processes are like other processes. Studying social studies and science encourages children to become active and curious learners.

The Hall of Doors - After accumulating a certain number of points, the player will receive a key. This key will unlock a door in the Hall of Doors. There are seven doors with exciting rewards inside. (Old West; Dynamite Diver; Amazing Artiste; Pirate's Treasure; Funky Monkey; Turbo Tut's Tomb and Banana Split.

What child doesn't like a reward to a job well done?

Our family highly recommends this product and hope that your family gets as much enjoyment and education from it as ours did and still does.

My son just turned 8 and he has learned a lot from this toy. It has history, science, spelling and math all in a fun way to learn. You can play up to 4 players. We have family time playing because my husband and I like to play it with our son. My sons favorite is hot banana.

I bought this toy for my 5 years old son. He is so into reading and math so I thought he'd like it and I was right.
If your kids is not into reading and math I recommend an age of 6 and higher for this. It has so many levels as is without buying the extra cartriges. It is so much fun too as the player collects point and keys along the way. This alone makes him want to play over and over again, and boy you'd like him do that.
We bought the 1st grade cartridge and it was as fun as the games on the turbo extreme. It features the same monkey character that hops to hit the right letter or number.
I also like that it has a volume button, a wide screeen and a great design. The screen does not have a light though. So you can't play it in a dark place. Don't be fooled with the $99 price too. It goes now in the 30's and sometimes less, and it is worth every dime.

I bought this as a birthday present for my 7 year old son. After he opened it him and his 9 year old cousin played with this toy for hours. It is not only a great learning toy but if you can find a gift that a 7 year old and a 9 year old both love you are doing wonderful.