Product Description

The Leapster Handheld Learning System teaches your child by playing with them! Play and learn essential pre-K through 2nd grade skills, with one interactive system. Children will educate themselves through action-packed learning games for reading, math, critical and creative thinking, story comprehension, vocabulary, and much more! Backlit screen for easy viewing Headphone jack for quiet play. The Leapster software library features games for pre-K through 4th grade. What it Teaches: -

* Letters

* Phonics

* Rhyming

* Spelling

* Numbers

* Counting

* Addition

* Subtraction

* Art

* Music

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11997 in Toys & Games
• Color: Pink
• Brand: LeapFrog
• Released on: 2006-06-12
• Dimensions: 11.10" h x 10.40" w x 2.80" l, 1.70 pounds

Features

• Handheld computerized learning system
• Interactive touch screen and pen
• Multiple Skill Levels: Adjustable skill levels let kids learn at just the right pace for them.
• Tailored Tutorials: Integrated tutorials help children learn new concepts, step-by-step.
• Grows With Your Child: The Leapster software library features games for pre-K through 4th grade.

Amazon.com Product Description
Here is one handheld gaming system that both parents and kids will be able to agree upon. The Leapster Learning Game System takes the brain-building principles that Leapfrog laid out in its early electronic learning devices (which have an interactive book format) and applies them to a video-game format. Leapster draws kids in with familiar video game templates—all of which have a secret weapon: a built-in learning component. LeapFrog hopes that kids will become so engaged in the gaming aspects and familiar television and movie characters offered by this toy that they won’t even notice they’re learning and reinforcing valuable reading, math, and language skills.

With the Leapster Learning System children can play games, read books, create art, and watch videos.

Aimed at kids ages 4 to 8 years, the 6-by-4-inch Leapster is sized for little hands and comfortably shaped with safe, rounded edges. The 2.25-inch touch screen is ample for most of the gaming activities; although a little cluttered when used for the art and drawing modules. Buttons are suitably placed on either side of the unit for thumb-operated control. The right side features "A" and "B" buttons for selecting settings and answers, while the left has a multi-directional gamepad for game play. A stylus is also attached for drawing, selecting tools and settings, and dragging and placing objects. The 3-inch backlit display makes games visible in the dark (although parents will prefer that the Leapster is shut off at bedtime) and the animated graphics, while not completely state-of-the-art, are well done and suitable for this age range.

As with the manufacturer’s LeapPad products, the Leapster does require the purchase of additional cartridges to expand its capabilities. Kids can choose from a star-studded list of their favorite characters to play educational games with, such as SpongeBob SquarePants, Thomas the Tank Engine, Dora the Explorer, Nemo, Cinderella, Batman, and more. Leapfrog’s own cartoon star, Tad, narrates a few as well. While stocking up on the extra software titles can get expensive, it gives parents some control and input on which characters they’d like their kids to learn from. Plus, characters for these titles are appropriately matched to the maturity of the targeted grade level (pre-K through 4th grade).

This handheld system is a perfect fit for small hands and easily portable.

Starting up or hitting the Home button takes players to the main menu. There is one pre-loaded game that children will likely come back to again and again. Rabbit River is based on the Frogger game format but with an additional learning element. In letters mode, kids guide their bunny to hop floating logs to the other side of the river while jumping on specific letters to identify them or spell out a requested 3- or 4-letter word. In numbers mode, the bunny must land on specific numbers on the logs to skip count by twos or form a correct equation. Another pre-loaded activity is Color Corral, an interactive coloring book designed to boost creative problem-solving skills. This module is like a kid’s version of Photoshop and offers a variety of scenic templates, colors, tools, and moving icons that kids can combine for an infinite number of possibilities. The included manual gives suggestions on how to reinforce these math, reading, and art concepts in the real world.

Each game offers multiple skill levels so kids can ease into new territory at the beginner level, then challenge themselves with more advanced learning problems as they understand the concept. If kids are stumped at any point during a game, they can hit the Hint button and receive a friendly push in the right direction from an animated tutor, Edison the firefly. Edison also appears automatically if kids answer a question incorrectly several times in a row and coaches the child to reach the correct answer. The Pause button lets kids stop the game for a snack break and pick back up again where they left off.

Designed for portability, the Leapster fits easily in a backpack or tote bag and is ideal for more purposeful edutainment on the go, whether a quick game on the bus to school or hours of playtime during vacation travel. This learning system runs on four AA batteries or on a rechargeable battery pack when combined with the Leapster L-Max Recharging System (sold separately).

From the Manufacturer
The Leapster Learning Game System teaches in the way your child loves to play. With the Leapster and Leapster L-Max library of software titles, your child can play action-packed educational games featuring characters that they know and love. The interactive touch screen and pen allow your child to write, draw, and paint, while vivid animation lets them learn essential school skills with story-based games. The Leapster Learning Advantage Offers: * Multiple Skill Levels: Adjustable skill levels let kids learn at just the right pace for them. * Tailored Tutorials: Integrated tutorials help children learn new concepts, step-by-step. * Grows With Your Child: The Leapster software library features games for pre-K through 4th grade. What it Teaches: * Rhyming * Spelling * Numbers * Counting * Addition * Subtraction * Art and music

Customer Reviews

Finally an educational gaming system!
Some of the other reviewer didn't like the new smaller screen, but it didn't seem to bother my child & I liked it because I could use screen protectors meant for the PSP (you just have to trim some of the length)to save the screen from smudges and scratches.
If you are trying to decide between this and the L-Max, I'd save your money for extra games and buy the Leapster - all the L-max games work perfectly fine on the regular leapster and the tv functions of the L-max really aren't all that great (it's strength is still as a hand-held system). And it your leapster is the new sleeker model the battery pack in the back takes the l-max charger not the leapster charger.
If you are trying to decide between this and v-smile, get the Leapster - the v-smile seems tempting because the games are cheaper, but their software isn't very original, it's educational, but the different titles just seem to repeat -as if they pasted the different characters into the same game senarios. The leapster games are alot richer (for example in the spongebob game when the user has to count coins if they don't have the correct amount they can hit a button to "make change" from a larger coin, v-smile games don't give you that kind of flexibility in the game play) and they feel more like games (the sidescrolling worlds in Numbers on the Loose has zero jumping and rolling and bouncing that is enough like nintendo type games to let them feel they are playing and not just learning) & the tutorials/helps are very good at explaining what the user needs to do to complete the task.
When we first bought our Leapster we took it out of the box carefully and tested it when our child wasn't around so we could take it back if we didn't like it - but we were pleasantly pleased & if you are looking for educational gaming that will grow with your kids (or can go with your kids, if you are out and about much) you'll love this too. If you buy this be sure to invest in a charger or simply some rechargeable AA batteries and a quick charger (a cheaper option if you aren't going to use the ac adapter that comes in the charging kit). My only other comment,an probably biggest complaint would be to watch out for the built in software that comes on the new sleeker Leapsters - it comes with an advertising commercial to introduce your child to all the wonderful titles available that they may not know about -and it's built in, you can't get rid of it! Very annoying leapster! Very annoying!

Nice design, but too small!
The new pink/purple leapster has a nicer design than the old version. I like the new pen holder on the front. The arrow dial on the left side is better than the older (round)version, too. HOWEVER, we are exchanging it for the older version. The reason: THE SCREEN! The new leapster's screen measures only 5.4 cm - the old version screen measures 7 cm. Also, the pen on the new leapster is smaller. Customer service said everything on the new design is smaller "to accomodate smaller hands"...that's nice, but it also requires better fine motor skills - which smaller hands do not necessarily have. For those of you who purchase this and are considering the recharging kit - I was told that this design needs the L-max recharger.

I own both the Leapster and the L-Max
I have two of these, one Leapster and one L-max that I got for my twins for their 4th Birthday a few days ago.

I let them play with their games for the entire day on their birthday, without restriction...all with a plan in mind...

The PROS:
Once the kids found out how much fun the games are and how easy it is to learn while playing, they won't put them down...you may not feel like this is a 'pro' except that now, I make them earn time on the games. They get 10 minutes for putting their toys away; 10 minutes for making their beds; 10 minutes for helping with laundry, etc...up to 1 hour of play a day...I HAVE NEVER HAD SO MUCH HELP AROUND THE HOUSE! As Dr. Phil says, "Find their currancy". Well, I have found it. They are doing what I ask, when I ask...if they don't, time gets taken away. I wish I had thought of this while they were potty training! This is working much better than the 'marbles' for allowance system...they have no concept of money yet. Great toy with lots of variations and levels of play. Good Job LEAPFROG!

THE CONS:
I went through 4 sets of batteries (for the entire day) before I sped out the door for a rechargable battery system. I'm going back again today for another recharging system. I've called Leapfrog and they said that the battery packs, themselves, cost as much as the entire recharging kit, so they do not offer additional battery packs for purchase. You can play with just the AC Adapter that comes with the recharging system, but that has been a pain so far, since one Leapster has a battery pack and the other has to be played off the AC Adapter, and then plugged back in to the recharging unit at night to recharge the L-max. I have forgotten to plug it back in a few times and had problems explaining that Mommy's memory is fading and that they will have to wait to play again until the batteries are recharged.

Overall, I love the product. I haven't had any problems so far, but the units are only a week old. We will have to see. I just love how orderly my house is now that I have found a way to tempt them into picking up their toys. And the tantrums are down as well. If they start screaming over anything, they lose time...my house has NEVER been so quiet since the day they were born! YEE HA!

UPDATE 7/23/2008
Both the leapster and the Lmax are still going strong, however the units are looking very, very worn, scratched and beaten because they are loved. We have an immense library of cartridges...19 at last count....everyone very unique, educational and entertaining. It's been about 2 1/2 to 3 years now and the rechargable battery packs are finally giving out. They just don't hold the charge like they used to. I have also bought the new Didj (see that review) and am never disappointed by Leapfrog.