Hasbro sent me their new online gaming system; Net Jet. We also got three games; Bubble Bonanza (which comes with the system), Kool Kart Racers and Peak Performance Snowboarding.

Basically Net Jet is a standard handheld controller like you would have with other standalone gaming systems (like a PS2), but this doesn’t connect to a console. Instead this plugs right in to the USB drive on your computer. The game cartridges plug in to the controller.

At first I thought, why would I buy this instead of one of those console games (like the PS2 or the Xbox)? Or why would not just play online games for free? But after playing with this I’ve found some real advantages with the Net Jet.

• It’s very inexpensive. You can get the Net Jet for under $20 and each of the games are only $9.99. That definitely beats those $300 price tags for those more expensive consoles.
• It’s easy to use. Even my five year old quickly figured out the buttons. They are each numbered with different colors and the games walk you right through what buttons to push to do what.
• With each game you get to try another three games online. So it’s almost like getting four games for the price of one.
• Setting it up is a breeze. There’s not complicated install. You literally just plug it in and the system and your computer do the rest.
• The games are a lot of fun. I love that Bubble Bonanza game. In fact I was late for class the first day I tried the Net Jet because I was quickly addicted to those bubbles.

Teenagers probably wouldn’t be too impressed with the Net Jet. They will still want the expensive console gaming systems with hundreds of games to choose from. But younger kids will enjoy it. My five year old and my eight year olds love the Net Jet. They can set it up themselves. They can play for hours. They can switch out the games on their own. It’s perfect for them.