Meowbit Card-Sized Retro Computer Video Game Console Codable Console for Microsoft Makecode Arcade and Python Compatible with Micro:bit Expansion Board for Build Robot-Orange

I teach programming to kids and teens. One of my students, a 5th-grader, brought this to my attention, and we had such a good time playing with the online simulator, we both got the boards. I'm so happy we did! The menus are in Chinese. You just need to get the bootloader at the Kittenbot website: cdn.kittenbot.cn This comes with a little battery and plastic box. Most other listings for this product on Amazon omit the battery, but cost about the same. You can stick the battery into a little rubber compartment on the back of the meowbit. It's all very polished for $40. You program them using the arcade.makecode.com website. That allows you to choose between block-based JavaScript, regular JavaScript, or Python. The interface is similar to Scratch (both are based on Blockly, a block-based coding framework). The blocks are well-organized and allow for a huge amount of flexibility. There are also extension blocks which add deeper functionality. There's a system for creating pixel art, or you can choose from an excellent gallery. This seems designed for students who've worked previously with Micro:Bit, which is another excellent microcontroller framework for learners that uses the same platform and board profile. That means you can use Microbit breakout boards with the Meowbit, which adds a lot of flexibility, making it a potential (cheap) replacement for Arduino in projects that also require a visual display and button controls. The tutorial projects seem great, and there are many. I made some basic game forms on it (Chase-It, Catcher, Flappy Bird) and found that I was able to build them in conventional ways that would translate well to other languages. I also found that the unit runs responsively. The screen comes with a plastic covering. It has a little piece of tape in the corner, so it's intended to be removed. That's fine, but I would probably recommend putting a plastic screen cover to prevent scratching or breaking the screen when I gave it to a child. The rubber casing seems durable enough to protect the board itself. I consider the Micro:Bit to be the best platform for introducing kids to physical computing and robotics. These projects, however, tends to rely on simple programming structures (take input from sensor; scale and send that to the output). This provides an excellent way to explore deeper programming concepts, with a more console-like, game-based approach.

I was very sad. My son was signed up for a code ninja online camp and they suggested we get this device. I ordered it in June, got it in July and the camp was in August. It sat on my counter until the camp, we tried to use it and it wouldn’t work!!! The return window has closed. Being proactive didn’t work for me here. Disappointing!

They enjoyed taking their efforts off their Chromebook and onto this little microcontroller product. Good build, works as expected.