Bestsellers Toys : LeapFrog Leapster Explorer Learning Game System (Green)
LeapFrog Leapster Explorer Learning Game System (Green)
- Leapster Explorer offers endless ways to play and learn
- A library of more than 40 games and activities includes cartridge games
- Children can learn school skills like reading, math, science and geography
- Expand the fun and learning in LeapWorld–a safe, online world of learning games and activities
- For use only with LeapFrog Explorer software. Not compatible with any other LeapFrog platform software.
The Leapster Explorer Learning Game System from LeapFrog is an exciting, handheld gaming device that includes preset games and videos, and boasts plenty of downloadable features and cartridges. This durable handheld device for kids aged 4 to 9 years plays Leapster Explorer e-books, games, videos, and more. With the Leapster Explorer, kids practice a range of skills–from reading and writing to math and sciences–through play and entertainment
LeapFrog Leapster Explorer Learning Game System (Green)Reviews
Great Product
This is our first electronics product for our 5 year old daughter, and we had not planned to buy one until she was much older, if ever. However, we are going to take a *very* long road trip over Christmas, and the idea of a handheld gaming device became very seductive. I researched the Nintendo DS and DSi very thoroughly as well as some of the competitors to the Explorer. I was almost scared away due to some of the reviews about the difficulty of set-up the first time and the annoying initial pop-up screen prompting the user to connect to the website. However, now that I have had a chance to play with it, I’m very impressed. I’ll make a few comments on the products I researched as well as address some of the negative comments I’d read about the Explorer here and other places on the internet.
Explorer:
- Start-up before first time of play: You can insert a game cartridge, power on, type in the date, language, child’s name, and grade level, and start playing right out of the box. It took me well under 5 minutes from opening the package to inserting the batteries to happily playing the Disney Princess game. The console does not require you to connect to the computer unless you want to take advantage of the additional features that brings. Those features do look pretty nifty and will add more life to the games especially for older children, but from my point of view, what they don’t know about, they won’t miss. The Disney Princess game looks like it will keep my 5 year old occupied for quite some time esp. when mixed in with the other two game cartridges I bought. That said, I will probably get around to connecting to the Leapfrog website at some point. However, if I had a 3 or 4 year old, I wouldn’t bother to even consider it – after all – the point of this product is to keep her happily occupied in the car or other places – not to create extra work for me.
- The introductory splash screen prompting you to connect to the website: It is easy to click the “close” button, and I can’t foresee any issues with showing a young child how to do this. That also takes care of the problems other parents have with the pet feature – needing to go to the website to feed it, play with it, etc. Again, what they don’t know about, they won’t miss.
- The video advertisements for new games: I haven’t run into this yet. After you close the introductory splash screen, the unit displays little icons for each game. It is easy enough to show your child the correct icon to click for the game in the cartridge, and while the idea of the video ads is annoying, it’s not the end of the world and no different from any DVD you would buy that would require you to suffer through the previews – except in this case, you don’t even have to encounter the ads if you just click on the game icon.
- Lack of backward compatibility with Leapster 2 and complaints that if Nintendo DS can do it, why not Leapfrog: I’m on Leapfrog’s side here. For one thing, this product is approx half price of the DS, and for another, even Nintendo broke compatibility from the old Gameboy cartridges with their new DSI. This product looks to be a new platform under the skin with a much better processor and more capability for future expansion. I can see why Leapfrog needed to make the technology leap, and my hope is that they’ll add new titles to this to appeal to older kids so that they can be competitive to Nintendo in the 8+ age range so that when my daughter is older, I can buy the next generation of this Explorer and have something she’ll use into her teenage years. Or conversely, maybe with a little more competition, Nintendo might come out with a broader selection of educational titles. One other comment is that Leapfrog is still coming out with new games for the Leapster 2, so there is not a forced upgrade.
- Limited number of titles: I would love to see all of my daughter’s favorite characters, but even the limited selection available now will keep kids busy for a long time and target both boys and girls with some of the “must have” characters, such as Tinkerbell and Disney princesses.
- Some things I really like about the Explorer (so far): The games are a good mix of fun and learning. I saw some complaints that they are “too fun” and light on the learning, but I don’t need for every single segment of the game to be a learning experience. This game platform isn’t a substitution for a quality preschool or kindergarten. The instructions are easy to hear and understand and simple. The pace of play is nice and slow and easy to stop at a good breaking point to resume later. Also, at least for the Disney Princess game, you can choose the point in the game where you want to start vs. starting at the beginning every time. I also like the variety of activities from within the game itself. And the graphics are very nice with clear, crisp, and colorful pictures.
Nintendo DS: I almost bought this because it is at a good price-point now, especially if you get a used one off of ebay, and is backward compatible with Gameboy games. There are tons of Gameboy and DS titles for all of my daughter’s favorite Barbie, princess, and My Little Pony characters. I was very tempted to buy one. However, I didn’t because of two reasons (1) I read that most of the games require at least a first grade reading ability – or a parent helping – at least until the child gets very familiar with the game and (2) There is no apparent educational value to the games that I could find (of course I haven’t played them). I fundamentally believe that time spent on electronic games, TV, and movies takes away valuable time that the child could be using to do something more beneficial developmentally, so if she’s going to have her nose buried in a game, I’d like for it to at least have some educational value. Otherwise, I just see it as candy for the brain – full of empty calories – and I’d rather just tote activity workbooks, paper, and crayons with me on trips/long car rides, which is what I do now. In the car, she’ll happily spend 30 minutes working on those $2 – 4 K-1 workbooks you can buy in any Walgreens. The only downside is that she has to keep handing the workbook to me to read the instructions for each new page.
Nintendo DSi: New generation of above; not backward compatible with Gameboy games.
Gameboy: Two versions – original, which does not have a backlit screen, and a newer one, which does. Both can be gotten off of e-bay very cheaply, esp. the original with no backlit screen. But again- little educational value I can see. However, for about $15, you can get a used original Gameboy off of e-bay, add a light for another $10 and have access to tons of used games under $5 each.
New Fisher Price iXL: Toys R Us website rated it for 3 – 5 year olds vs. the manufacturer’s recommended 3 – 7, and that combined with the difference in recommendation for the Explorer (Toys R Us 4 – 6 I think and manufacturer 4 – 9) made me worried that my daughter might outgrow it sooner than she would outgrow the Explorer. But it looks like a neat product also and would be a good choice. If I had a 3 year old, I would have considered it more seriously and possibly chosen that over the Explorer.
Everything else: Didn’t assess too closely, but just from looking in the store, nothing else seemed to compare to the Explorer in terms of quality and technology. The Explorer looks to me to be the only product that has a chance of competing nose-to-nose with Nintendo for the younger set. Regarding the one with the keyboard – I think this is gimmicky and kids this young don’t need to be learning how to type. Developmentally, they should be working on learning to form their letters. I I think a product with a keyboard would be nice for ages 8+ but not 3 – 6. The previous Leapfrog platform would be a good choice for a lower price. The screen is a little bit smaller, but it’s a good price and lots of game titles.
Leapster Explorer
I bought this for my daughter.
I love the screen it’s a nice color and big.
The leapster 2 has a smaller screen and this will make you go blind.
You can buy this in two colors which I think they should always do.
I like how my daughter can go online and download games I do think if you pay $70 for this handheld game the games that are online should be for free and cheaper in the store. One game cost $24 if you are lucky they are on sale for $18 at the moment.
I do think this is for children oldern then 4 yrs.
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