LeapFrog® Leapster® Learning Game System - Green
From LeapFrog
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
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 earlier 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 that they’re learning and reinforcing valuable reading, math, and language skills.
 |
Aimed at 4- to 10-year-olds, the 6-by-4-inch Leapster is sized for little hands and comfortably shaped with safe, rounded edges. The 2-1/4-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 pen 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.
The Leapster Learning Game System takes the brain-building principles that Leapfrog laid out in its earlier electronic learning devices (which have an interactive book format) and applies them to a video-game format. |
As with the manufacturer’s LeapPad products, the Leapster does require the purchase of additional cartridges to expand its capabilities. Kids can choose titles with their favorite characters to play educational games with. The star-studded list of celebrity narrators includes TV personalities, such as SpongeBob Squarepants, Thomas the Tank Engine, and Dora the Explorer; and movie stars, such as Nemo, Cinderella, Ariel (The Little Mermaid), and Batman. Leapfrog’s own cartoon star, Tad, is narrates a few as well. While stocking up on the extra software titles can get expensive, it also gives parents some control and input on which characters they’d like their kids to learn from. And, characters for these titles are appropriately matched to the maturity of the targeted grade level (pre-K through 4th grade).
Customer Reviews
Great Item!
My son loves his leapster. There are a great deal of games that he is able to play that are fun and educational. And it works great on airplanes.
Ethans review
I have a leapster, and I like it. It's green, and it's got lotsa games inside it, and you can put more in the top of it. I got the doggie game, the one where you wash and pet your dog, and I like it alot, and I got the one where you make creatures, and make rooms for them to live in. I have a case, and you always have to make sure when you go somewhere, you have the game inside 'cause if you get someplace, and you only got the case, and no leapster in it, it's not as much fun. I like my mom's Pretendo (Nintendo), but mine has more games for a little boy. I think it's a good game for kids, My mom is getting me the Spongebob game for the car ride to Disneyland.
(Review dictated to mama by Ethan, who is four)
