Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Leap Frog Leapster 2 Game System Review

Leapster 2

***** 

Description: I was excited about the Leapster 2 in the hopes that it would help to make long car rides and Doctor office wait times a little more educational and a little less frustrating for all involved. I am glad to report that it has accomplished exactly that!

Assembly Time: It took me about 15 minutes to hook it up to the computer and download the first game. It will ask you to enter the child’s name so that they will have a profile. You do not have to enter a guest profile as that is automatically loaded. You can name additional profiles for multiple children.

Value for Money: I was unsure if I would like this product, but as it turns out I really do.  I do still have a bit of ambivalence about the price.

The games are right on target for educational purposes and I think the three games that I have looked at are well developed. I am sure my ambivalence comes in at the price, because I am at heart a bargain shopper, and although you may find them on sale occasionally, it will not be a huge discount.  They can be bought much cheaper second hand on Amazon.

The handheld gamer costs around $50 and comes with 1 free downloaded game. Additional game cartridges for the machine run around $20. I also feel that the graphic quality could be a little bit better, however that is the geek in me coming out and can admit that the graphics are adequate.  There are some things things on the Tinker Bell game that I find really difficult to see, even with my glasses on.

That being said, my 3 year old took to it like a fish to water. Price wise, I wonder if it would have been better to buy her an iTouch and download cheap apps for her. I have downloaded several free apps to our iPhone that I feel have great educational value and I am amazed at how this little tiny child finds it so easy to manipulate the iPhone. I guess that is a review for another day! The big downfall with my iIouch idea is the breakability factor. Trusting that my 3 year old will not drop and crush an iTouch is a big leap of faith.

The Leapster 2 one the other hand is very sturdy and is much less likely to be damaged.

I would also like to get my hands on the newer  Leapster Explorer to see what additional features it has. The Leapster 2 and Explorer cartridges are not compatible. The original Leapster and Leapster 2 cartridges are compatible.

Oh yes, and there is a charger too.  It will cost you another $30 otherwise a couple of sets of rechargeable batteries may be the more cost effective way to go.

Age Appropriateness: The Box says ages 4-7, although as I mentioned my 3 year old was able to do it. There is a hint button so if the child gets stuck they can get some guidance.

Durability: It is a plastic construction and seems pretty durable. I do suggest you either buy the case for it or make up some sort of bag to put it in, as we have already scratched the screen from dropping it uncovered into whatever bag we happened to be carrying out. We now keep ours in a little cloth purse with the game cartridges in an outside pocket to prevent more scratching. The Leapster Carrying Case costs around $12 to $15 as well.

Educational Value: The games are very well developed and clearly meet educational guidelines for Pre-k through 1st grade. I mentioned earlier that there are lots of built in ways to get hints if the child runs into anything that may be a little above her/his abilities, allowing room for growth and learning.

7 comments:

  1. I have to admit I have been eyeing this for awhile, but I'm just not ready to get her on video games. It is hard enough to ween off educational videos and television which is bright and colorful We have just started doing the "computer" video games, and although she has been proficient at my iPhone apps/games for ever I'm not ready to delve into the video games yet. My husband being a HUGE gamer, and I am a novice I'm just not ready to open the door. On a positive note my friend Vera's son has the Leapster Scribble & Write, and she loves that.
    I have recently converted my old iPhone 3g for her to play educational games, but I know this is going to be my next purchase for her. Thanks for the review!

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  2. PS. I found online this great bundle packs that give a great value. One offer that I found is for a Princess/Fairy bundle--http://shop.leapfrog.com/leapfrog/jump/Leapster%AE-Disney-Fairy-Tale-Learning-Gift-Pack/productDetail/Leapster-Gift-Packs/LEAPSTER60612/cat90010
    Only $199 and includes Includes Leapster® Learning System - Pink, Disney Tangled, Disney The Princess & the Frog and Disney Fairies learning games.

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  3. Thanks Jenn, I will try to get my hands on the scribble and write for a review!

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  4. I absolutely love my sons leapster. He has the explorer, and about 5 games for it, and the camera. He got it at the age of 2 for potty training. He took to it really fast. Then for birthdays and such, he gets a new game. (Grandma and Grandpa also use it to spoil him) I couldn't think of a better way to make a child feel special for getting a present, like he is playing games just like my kid brother does, and he knows he is learning and it makes him EXCITED to learn. I will admit, my son tested above average in "IQ", so it might be different based on the child, but these games teach numbers, letters, shapes, colors, and logic. At first I was very skeptical about buying this device, as it is expensive, but its no different than $20 for a movie, and its very sturdy. I say Leapfrog did a great job. You will be amazed at how much he can learn playing only an hour a day. He still loves to read, knows sign language, and learns from all the other sources he can. I say buy it if you can afford it!

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  5. It is really great when grandparents ask what they can get for her, and I say can say "a Leapster Game". Thanks for the input!

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  6. I just looked at the Explorer a little and the one thing that really stood out to me was the improvement in the graphics. I think if you can afford the additional $20 it would be a good choice.

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  7. I just got my daughter the Leap Pad, it is incredibly better than the Explorer. I will post a full review on it soon!

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