LeapFrog® Leapster® Learning Game System - Green Reviews

• IF YOUR HAVING A HARD TIME CHOOSING PIXTER OR LEAPSTER....

  
  By AQOHKNU2FRCB3 on 2003-11-22
  Okay I thought I was doing SO great. I found the color pixter in a store and bought it for my 6 and 5 year old. I bought all the color cartridges also. I thought I was done xmas shopping. Then yesterday at the store. What do I see but the Leapster. I almost felt ill. I didn't know what to do. So I went home and opened the pixter and put my batteries in and started to play. But let me tell you that toy is in that box so not even houdini himself could get it out unless he has a screwdriver. Yeap you need a screwdriver. ugh. First off the directions aren't that great. I was playing and trying to figure out the tool bar. Kinda hard. Then when I was trying to put clothes on Barbie they would land on her head and I would try to bring them down and the kept adding the same dress over and over onto the screen. I'm a smart women and I had a real hard time with this stuff. Then I was trying to do other things and theres NO education value at all to this. Expect if you like to doodle and draw. So off I went to buy leapster. I was thrilled I opened the box. NO SCREWS. It came right out. it turned on and its having me count, do my abc's learning money (spongebob cartridge) I thought I was going to have a hard time choosing. No way leapster is my gift to the kids. They will love it. There are more cartridges in color, like Dora and a baseball one and how to write. Leap frog explains everything you need to do. It has an AC adaptor if you want to buy one. You can put headphones in. The screen has adjustment. Pixter does not and its too light. Hard to see the object. Okay so if you hawing and hemming let my goof be your blessing! Its great. The only thing is that it says up to age 8. I really hope they make cartridges pass this age. Because I'm tired of buying leap baby, leap preschool, leap pad, leap pad plus writing. We need something to go with our child for a while. Please let it be this its so much more educational then a game boy! Thank you leapfrog you never disappoint. Back tommorow I go to return pixter and to find more leapster cartridges!!!!! Signed the leapster addict! j/k :) Merry shopping to ya all!
  
  

• New, Old or LMax Leapster

  
  By A20X8NJEPJY2S0 on 2005-12-18
  So a few people have asked which one to purchase and we were wondering the same. I actually purchased both and called Leapfrog to get as much information as possible to make a good decision. In short you probably couldnt go wrong no matter which way you went.
  
  LMax: I didnt buy the LMax, but the rep at Leapfrog said the only difference with the LMax is that it can plug into a TV for dual screen gaming (with LMax titles). I did not care about this functionality since I have 2 kids and didnt want them fighting over who got to use the TV. Plus I cant imagine the graphics looking very good on a TV. You can use Leapster titles on the LMax and LMax titles on the Leapster (so the number of titles are the same).
  
  Old Leapster: This one is the larger version that more of a "triangular" shape. The Leapfrog rep said the internal components are the same, as the new one. The differences here are; Larger size, Heavier, Larger Screen and more built in games. The Larger Screen and more built in games are nice. The additional internal games are matching letters/numbers, some shape games, and some reward system for points earned in those other games. The pen is also slightly larger. The battery compartment is vastly different on both so beware of rechargable battery pack that you purcahse. Here are the stats:
  Weight: 14.5 oz
  Width: 7 5/8" (largest part) 4 1/2" approx (shortest part)
  Height: 5 1/8" (largest part)
  Thickness: 1 3/4" (largest part)
  (this is hard to measure since its more tiangular shaped)
  Screen Width: 2 3/4"
  Screen Height: 2 3/4"
  
  New Leapster: This is the more "square" leapster. It is much smaller but so is the screen. There are less internal games (see the additional ones that are excluded above). There is also a new internal activity but its more of a commercial with other games and characters in those games (so mostly useless). The thumbpad looks like it might be easier for small children since its more of a " + " shaped pad with more unique up, down, side action. The old one has more of a circular thumbpad so I might see smaller children hitting up direction as well. Because the shape is smaller theres more room when you put this one in the Leapster case (you probably could use the case with a game cartridge still in the Leapster which a previous reviewer said you cannot do with the older large leapster. Here are the dimensions:
  Weight: 10.9 oz
  Width: 6 3/8" (largest part)
  Height: 4 3/8" (largest part)
  Thickness: 1 3/4" (largest part)
  Screen Width: 2 1/4" (approx)
  Screen Height: 2 1/4" (approx)
  
  
  Ok thats probably more information than anyone wants to know but you're on your own on the choice. We are planning on giving this to our children on Christmas but right now I think we are leaning toward the smaller one (as it will probably be easier for our daughter and her small hands) - but this opinion could change before Christmas.
  
  Good Luck - and Merry Christmas (or other celebrated holiday).
  
  
  

• Even better than expected!

  
  By A1ERW26I8QSJZV on 2003-11-11
  My children ages three and four already own just about every Leap Frog toy out there. I decided to purchase the Leapster for Christmas, because they have started to get into video and computer gaming and also enjoy their Leap Pad very much. I test ran the Leapster yesterday and I was really impressed. The color monitor turned out bigger than expected and the graphics are great. Everything is easily accessible thanks to the touch screen. The whole concept behind the product is definitely very similar to all the other Leap Frog items. The same voices and characters as in the Leap Pad books are used. Overall, the system is more than worth the money. I already ordered additional cartridges (Dora, Kindergarten) and can't wait until more will be available. Happy Holidays!
  
  

• Be Careful

  
  By A2RE484EEQJN9G on 2005-11-22
  I just found out this is the newer version of the leapster system and will not work with the old (and only) recharger that amazon is selling. The new recharger, available on other sites, works with this newer rectangular model and the L-max. Don't be fooled - the newer version has a smaller screen but the older version will be harder to find as leapfrog starts pushing this newer model.
  Check out the silver version on amazon, the only one that they sell which is the older version. The pink one is newer version as well and you will find a similar comment from someone that bought it. Amazon / Imaginarium should make it clear that the recharger on their site will only work with the silver system.
  Buyer beware - especially if you are hoping for free shipping and end up returning products that aren't compatible.
  
  

• WOW!

  
  By AT8EJ8DS1A4KV on 2003-11-14
  First Impressions
  ***** Good Build Quality--looks and feels rugid w/great screen protector
  ***** MUCH better screen than I imagined possible
  ***** Loud, clear speaker
  ***** Responsive Interface
  *** Mediocre Ergonomics?--directional button-pad position not the best for little hands to quickly find, but should be fine for slower, more thoughtful work
  ????? Software

  Just gave one to my nephew for his birthday(obviously didn't buy it here thanks to the NY premiere--grumble), and he loves it.

  Leepfrog must be losing money on these! I'd expect the screen alone to cost more than I paid. Compared to PocketPCs and gameboys, the screen is massive--Looks like 4"x4". It's well lit w/decent color and resolution. Only viewed indoors (it was getting dark out) so will report back on daylight use.

  My 5 year old nephew found the power button and volume immediately, and was thrilled that the thing just took him by the hand and 'told' him what to do next. Very cool...

  Only annoyance so far is the battery compartment--Requires a screw driver to open. Guess they want to move those recharge base stations, which for 20-30 bucks will be worth every penny(i'm sure this bad-boy is gonna eat batteries like tic tacs).

  If LeapFrog put as much love(ok, effort) into the software and they did the hardware, this thing is gonna totally rock the rug rats. My nephew's in K4 and his sister's in 1st grade--I'll update soon with their takes on it(software).
  
  

• Leapster now contains marketing and has removed learning activities
  By A161LB7P1RF78Z on 2006-08-07
  Our first son is just entering kindergarten this year. His Leapster, purchased 2 years ago in 2004, was absolutely WONDERFUL. But as our second son has come along and requested the same item I am very disgusted with the product. The original Leapsters did NOT include an area for advertisements. There were the following activities, which both boys thoroughly enjoyed; "Rabbit River" Alphabet recognition, Number recognition, Spelling, Basic Math (Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication and Division); "The Chicken Coop" Alphabet recognition, Number recognition, Memorization, Color recognition, Shape recognition; "The Color Coral" for artistic creativity; "The Shape Shop" Shape building (placing shapes in an area to create pictures provided with or without shape borders), Plus a "Birdy Bonanza" where the kids get a special treat once they have collected "25 seeds." NOW, the only items included are "Rabbit River", "The Color Coral", and one little thing that I'm absolutely ANNOYED with. Ingeniusly they have added marketing to the Leapster to look like an option for playing and learning. It is actually an option that was not previously on the Leapster and is completely infuriating. This is where they give a little advertisement of each of the currently available Leapster cartridges. To me this is just plain low. To take a young child's toy and subject them to this advertisement is uncouth. I for one am completely outraged but cannot do more than write this and write the company, especially now that my son is completely attached to his NEW Leapster and it's differeing color from his brother's.
  
  I do not appreciate Leap Frog making sure that our young children are taught not just their ABCs but how the adult world around them opperates with advertisements.
  
  
• NO more junk video games....THANK YOU LEAP FROG!
  By AT0J195K9J8EG on 2003-11-14
  As a parent of 5 year old and 7 year old kids who are tempted to not read but play video games all day long, this toy is awesome!!

  The only problem with it is taht it wasn't around a couple of years ago, when parents like me had to mentor their kids away from the Xbox and the likes.

  We love it, and we deinifelty are going to look for the new products coming out of that company.
  
  

• How to solve problems - Quick list of favorite games.
  By A20Z6ZF7SJJHYA on 2004-11-05
  I bought my leapster last Christmas and my kids have loved it almost too much. It is constantly being played with. After so much use I wasn't surprised when it started to have a few gliches after 6-7 months of such heavy use, but I decided to call Leapfrog and see if there was anything I could do. He told me to take the cartridges and to dip a Qtip in achohol (I used a table knife covered with a rag dipped in rubbing achohol) and clean the inside of the cartridges, then put it in and out of the leapster. I cleaned my cartides and it has worked perfectly since. The collection of dust inside just needs to be cleaned out and then it worked like new again.
  I have all the cartridges and my kids favorites are: First Grade and Kindergarten (These are just plain fun to all my kids from PreK to 5th grade - they like the arcade style and the race car driving that is rewards to learning.) My girl who loves drawing plays Mr. Pencil Drawing program a ton, and my Preschoolers favorite is the Disney princess because she is obsessed with Princesses, and of course the Letter Factory. She is starting to read in Preschool and I give total credit to the Letter Factory and Word factory games. We just got The Incredibles and Junie B cartidges and of those 2 of course The Incredibles is winning and is being played a ton (but what do you expect with the movie as cool as it is :) Mrs. Stretch does a Spelling game Dash does place value like if you have 2354, where does the 3 go, and the other 2 do 2 digit math and teach times tables. Then you are given key cards as you do the game. The family works cooperatively getting through the maze as you get more key cards. I really like the leapster, and my favorite thing is that I can say to my kids its your night with the leapster the sooner you get in bed the sooner you get to play, and they will climb in bed at 7:00 and play till 8:30-9 until I say lights out and make them turn it off. And they all keep track of whose night it is to play. I also love that my little girl is really getting good control of the pencil (hand eye cordination) and that she is just barely 4 and is already putting words together. I love it.
  
  
• When it works, its fantastic ....
  By A2RMENRIKTEHRK on 2004-10-07
  We purchased this Leapster as a gift for my 3 year old daughter, not sure if she would really be able to use it yet or not. She immediately became hooked, and we felt it was a great learning tool. The game actually kept her mind busy with challenges at different levels. She especially loved the "Shape Shop" and other matching games. Things were going great. And then the problems started .... the screen would not respond to the pen in one place after another. Leapfrog customer service would walk us through the recalibration process, just to have it "uncalibrate" a day or two later. My daughter became very frustrated each time we would try to play the game, and we finally ended up getting approved for a replacement Leapster. We received the replacement from Leapfrog after paying to ship them back the original toy, not what I would expect after paying $80 + $50 in extra software. When the 2nd Leapster arrived, my daughter was overjoyed to have her favorite toy back! And then, the next day the same problems started again. The replacement Leapster took less than 24 hours to completely lose response to the stylus. To put it mildly, we are less than overjoyed. A LOT less than happy. My daughter was in tears after the 2nd Leapster stopped working, and she is not a child that is prone to crying. Better yet - it broke at the *beginning* of a 4 hour car trip, making for a lovely drive. We are now waiting for our 3rd Leapster, hopefully the 3rd try will be a charm. Especially since we just bought six software titles, a carrying case, and the recharging station so that we would have it for our trip. And it's no picnic for my daughter having excitement turn into tears over and over again. In the end, it's a great product if they could just work out the bugs! Huge thumbs down for quality.
  
  
• Tech is great but be careful about frustration!
  By A2S5DDE22PHU5M on 2004-08-18
  I agree with most but with one caveat.
  My 4 year old loves this toy. And my 7 and 8 year olds often steal it from her! It is a lot of fun and the interaction with the pen/stylus is a plus. It was purchased instead of Pixter because we felt that game, while great, was limited to more games then education. There are plenty of games on the Leapster and it has some educational value as well.
  
  Here is my one gripe. After 8 weeks my daughter had some frustration with the stylus. She would tap the screen to do an activity and some parts of the screen didn't register. Talk about an angry kid - one time she was crying alone in her room because she was taping what she thought was the right answer and it wasn't responding. I re-calibrated the stylus using the routine in the user manual and I couldnt' even finish that process. I called Tech support and they said I probably had dead pixels on various parts of the screen. Well - there is only a 90 day warrantee on this thing so use it a lot at first to make sure. And tech support said I could ship it back "AT MY EXPENSE" - that upset me. The tech support rep even suggested I return it to the store "that would be better" he said. When I complained about the cost of returning or the short warrantee he said "its fully disclosed on our website." [...]
  
  
• Happy Victim of Marketing
  By A3859DQ8CVPBUG on 2003-12-08
  When I first heard about this toy, I thought it would be another 'educational' toy designed for yuppie parents to think they're doing the best by their kids. I admit it. I was wrong. I saw a commercial for it, and liked what I saw. I read reviews here on Amazon, still skeptical, but I bought it anyway. I couldn't even wait for Christmas. I gave it to my five-year-old son the day I bought it. Wow. He loved it. It was exactly what I've been looking for - an educational handheld that involves learning instead of violent video games (I'm a no-commercial TV, limited movies and media mom). Best of all, he was able to figure out how to use it himself without needing my help at all. This may seem a small thing, but any parent who has had a kid ask how to do something when driving or cooking dinner understands the beauty of this concept. Great screen, graphics, etc. Volume control and headphone inputs (yahoo!). Even a great pause button. After trying to find great educational games for the Game Boy Advance, it's nice to see a product that fits our household's needs and values.
  
  
• It's great when it's working...
  By A2M2HNP6377CS0 on 2004-11-04
  My daughter got her Leapster for Xmas last year when she was four. She absolutely loved it. It was her favorite toy. It was great on long trips or at the mall. We bought her more cartridges...like Dora, Spongebob & the 1st Grade Leap. She loves Spongebob, but that was probably her least favorite cartridge. The Leapster was played excessively by my daughter & her cousin for 4 months. Then we started having problems with the stylus pen not working. I tried to calibrate the screen, which worked for a little while. Then I went on the Leap Frog website & asked for help. They didn't tell me anymore than I already knew. The game just basically died. We decided since she loved it so much we would buy her a new Leapster. Within a couple of months we started experiencing problems with the new game. My sister-in-law also bought a Leapster fer her daughter & she's had the same problems.
  
  If Leap Frog can work out the bugs this is a very fun & educational toy, but be sure to keep your receipt & box handy just in case you experiece problems.
  
  
• This is 'the one'! :)
  By A19V3YS80LRU5W on 2003-11-19
  Having spent a mini-fortune on the B&W-Pixter (incl. numerous-cartridges) last year, I was somewhat skeptical of the Leapster but decided to check it out anyway, given the other great products from Leapfrog. What a pleasant surprise - love at first sight :) - I bought one immediately! The screen is nice and big (reminds me of my $500 Pocket PC), the colors and resolution are great, the audio is loud and clear, controls are easy and straight-forward, and best of all, the programming/games/software are fun AND educational and very nicely designed. While our Pixter spent most of the last year sitting in a drawer, my kids (4.5 and 2) love the Leapster (yes even the 2 year old gets to use it)(with supervision of course). Compared to the Pixter, the Leapster activities are definitely much more education-oriented (One cartridge is included in the box - more are available separately). Being technical minded, I was curious about the software/hardware inside the leapster - the only information I could find is that the Leapster uses Macromedia Flash as its platform (For those unfamiliar with Flash, most web-based interactive games for kids - such as on nickjr.com - are created with the same Flash technology - so this should give you some idea of how high-quality the animations etc are). I also went on the Fisher-Price web site to check out the online materials for the Color Pixter - based solely on my observation of the online materials, I left concluding that the Leapster looks more colorful and less chunky (in other words, more color support and a higher pixel resolution)(But don't take my word for it - check it out for yourself if interested). As for GameBoy vs. Leapster, I think from a parents perspective, its a no-brainer :) - which one do you expect your child to learn anything on (and still have fun)? BTW I hear there is another handheld slated to come out called the iSprout which will software based on the popular 'Jumpstart' series. However the Leapster is here *now* (and probably going fast!) so better get one before they're all gone :). (BTW, know anyone who wants a used B&W Pixter? :))
  
  
• A Must Have!
  By on 2004-01-30
  We purchased a Leapster for my 5 year old son for Christmas - he desparately wanted a game boy, but we felt this had a better educational value! What a great toy! Although priced high - has definately been worth it. My 5 and 4 four year olds both love playing with it. It was the true hit of Christmas. Both of my boys are able to play all the games and have begun spelling, reading, counting, figuring out money and many other activities. We purchased the following games to go with it - Dora, SpongeBob, Kindergarten and the 1st grade cartridge. Each cartridge offers different activities and exciting ways to learn while playing games. True to the Leap Frog system - the company is already offering two new cartridges and now a carrying case - we will be buying all of these as soon as available. This is a great alternative to a game boy - learn and play at the same time. The graphics are excellent, the screen has a plastic cover that snaps over it to keep it clean. The directions are given in each activity very clearly and at any time the child can ask for a hint to help them along if they get stuck. My kids have been playing with this non-stop for over a month and I haven't needed to replace the batteries yet. There is a jack for an A/C adapter if necesssary and a headphone outlet. We now use this toy in doctor's offices, restaurants and anywhere else I need my kids to sit quietly. They love it! And I must confess I find myself playing the games sometimes too. I think it is great that my 4 year old is now spelling simple words and my five year old came to me to explain how to count money! Thanks Leapster! I highly recommend!
  
  
• My Daughter LOVES This!!!!!
  By on 2004-03-25
  I bought this for my daughters 5th birthday. She LOVES it!!!! I was really worried she wouldn't play with it, boy was I wrong. I have to admit the first leapster I bought ended up having to go back because it wouldn't recalibrate, but I called the Leapfrog customer service and they advised me to take it back and get a new one...apparently there was a bad batch of them. That was the first week of January and we haven't had trouble since. Our leapster has had a couple drops (on a tile floor I might add, and it really hit pretty hard) and the leapster still has no problems at all. I am so grateful we have this, it has kept her occupied during car trips and waiting rooms, as well as keeping her from always wanting to watch cartoons. I do wish there were more cartridges already and that they weren't $25 a piece. But still I think its worth every penny, she has learned so much already. She has learned to spell many basic 3 letter words since her Kindergarten cartridge and knows all the colors in spanish as well as able to count in spanish thanks to the Dora cartridge. If you are hesitant about spending so much money on a toy....don't be. I am a very cautious buyer and I did a lot of research, along with reading every review for this before I decided to buy it. I am so glad I did......I am sure you will be too.
  
  
• This has been a hit!
  By on 2003-11-29
  Thanksgiving day was also my son's 5th birthday. Since I knew we'd be cooking most of the day, we went ahead and gave him this as his birthday gift along with the SpongeBob cartridge. I hoped it would keep him entertained while we were busy. And it worked!

  He got My First LeapPad two Christmas' ago & it was seldom played with it. The pages seemed to slip around too much to hold his interest. Because of that, we never moved up to the regular LeapPad. But this one is great. The graphics are top notch and every program (even SpongeBob) is completely educational. There are three skill levels for each activity so he's not blown through them like he usually does on computer games. According to the material with it, it has the technology which allows it to modify according to the child's ability.

  Some of the games use the attached pen, others use the directional buttons. The game clearly explains what to do and how to do it. There's even a "hint" button if the child gets stuck. The games are fun enough with enough "button" action to hold his attention and not just feel like..."Here's another educational game Mom wants me to play." To him, it's more like a GameBoy (which we've been holding off on) and less like a test.

  It was the first thing he picked up this morning--even before turning on the TV for Power Rangers! I've already ordered several of the other cartridges available and I understand that soon there will be read-along stories and even special movies for it. I'm sure the jack for headphones will be much appreciated then!

  Oh, as a note... Since our guy never really got into the original LeapPad, he's not been as impressed with the program that comes with it. That uses the standard characters from LeapPad & he's just not that taken with them. For him, he'll be much more likely to play with SB & then Dora when he gets that one.
  
  

• My 5 year old FINALLY wants to learn sounds!
  By A1ABQRVVPMUQTB on 2004-02-19
  I bought this for my son's 5th birthday and it is by far his favorite toy. He carries it everywhere with him. I had to go car shopping for an entire day and I heard NO WHINING at all because he just took this with him.

  He also had no interest in learning the sounds that letters make until he started playing this. Now he is constantly asking how to spell words and trying to sound stuff out.

  My daughter will be 4 in May and she is just as excited about it. She sits and plays well with it also. She is getting one for her b'day!

  Also, both of my kids have beenn just fine with the starter cartridge. There are many things to do on each cartridge so they don't get bored with it quickly. I even try to sneak and play it at times as well.

  I'm very much against video games for young children but this is totally cool. Even my pediatrician was excited about this product!
  
  

• I love this thing!
  By AM1T2EK0K74FP on 2003-11-16
  I had originally bought my daughter the Pixter for her birthday (she is turning 4) but after seeing that this was coming out I decided to return the pixter and get her the Leapster. It may not currently have all the drawing things that the color pixter has, but the "stamps" are much more fun with the Leapster (the ladybugs crawl off the page and then back on, you can make it snow, rain, etc...) but with the art cartridge that will be coming out, I really can't see that they will be too different.

  This really is such a fun toy and the graphics are great. We have had it for a few weeks and she takes it in the car with her. Recently on a trip it kept her occupied for 3 1/2 hours!! We take it to restaurants to keep her occupied and lo and behold, it even keeps adults occupied too with it's games - especially the "frogger" type game!

  I have never seen a "toy" that has kept my daughter occupied for such a long amount of time, normally a toy can only hold her attention for a half hour - tops!

  I really am excited about this toy, I just wish they had brought out all the accessories at the same time like the charger and case. She has dropped it once on our tile floor but it still works like new. Great product. I don't think you will regret purchasing this.
  
  

• great toy, but some of them have kinks
  By A14DJPEMECQEPM on 2004-10-08
  My husband suggested buying the Leapster for my son's 4th birthday this May but I thought it was too expensive, the games too cheesy looking, and my son already had a gameboy sp. I was incredibly wrong. The Leapster is great for entertaining and educating young (and old) ones! We got the Leapster for $69.99 and it had a special sale to select a free game (we chose the Kindergarten one)! So we had the Leapster, the included Learning with Leap cartridge and the Kindergarten cartridge all for $75 after tax. Not bad! The games themselves are great, and not cheesy at all! My son has learned to spell words, recognize patterns and all kinds of stuff. The screen display is very clear and more high res than I thought. There are buttons to adjust screen brightness and volume control. There is rubber flap to protect the screen when not in use and when in use it folds over and locks in the back out of the way of game play. This toy has been well thought out ergonomically. The games start out really easy, almost too easy, but it gets hard enough (level 3) where the kid should still get interest out of it. It's also great cuz you get to watch and participate with your kid with this toy, unlike the gameboy where that's a one on one toy. My son prefers playing the Leapster rather than the gameboy actually.
  
  Two things that sort of detract from this toy: 1. it eats batteries up. Four AA's last from two to three weeks depending on whether they're duracells or rayovac. I haven't tried the rechargeable battery pack yet though and that may be the best option. 2. It seems to be very fragile. My son doesn't tend to abuse his toys, but he is a 4 year old and things do happen to fall every now and then. My son had his Leapster for a month before the screen started failing to recognize when the stylus was touching on certain parts of the screen. Recalibration procedures didn't help. Customer service had me send it back at my expense and sent me another one, which I suspect was a refurbished one because it was sent in cushions without the original box. This "new" one worked for a week and all of a sudden the screen wouldn't recognize the stylus touching the screen at all, not even in the recal mode. Once again I called customer service and this time they sent me a brand new one, sealed in the box and paid for the shipping to send the old one back. It has been working perfectly ever since even with a few small falls every now and then. I read other reviews and it seems like a small batch had been released that were bad. But it appears that all is good now.
  
  All in all, it is a great toy and extremely worth the money.
  
  
• very disapointed
  By A3L49VES20WJIT on 2004-11-08
  We bought this for our son as a birthday gift 6 months ago. He loves it when it works.we are on our 4th one now. we bought the batery pack because it eats bateries. he has several of the games and loves them all . he'll play it for hours. every one that we have had seems to have the same problem. The screen just goes dead in the center. My sister is on her third. the same thing is hapening to hers. I can't say it's from missuse. I am at the point that I don't even want to buy anymore games for it. It gets to be expensive at 20$ ea and the thing is always breaking. I would recomend the extended waranty for this toy if you decide to buy it. It is great fun but duribility is not so great.
  
  
• Great at first, dies after a few months
  By A3KQMCT5WHRKSA on 2005-11-17
  DO NOT PURCHASE A LEAPSTER. I bought this for both a neice and nephew and they loved it, used it all the time. After just a few months of use both Leapsters died. The company will not answer any phone calls or e-mails. I recently found a web group where NUMEROUS consumers experienced the same problem. With how expensive these units are we should be able to get more than a few months out of them and the Multi-million corporation should be able to have a customer service office that will at least acknowledge a customer's problem.
  
  
• great educational toy
  By on 2003-11-12
  Two of my girls(ages 6&9) wanted the color pixter for Christmas,I got one of them the pixter and the other one the leapster. My husband and I tried them both and the leapsters graphics are much better than the pixters and they cost about the same price.The pixter has more art tools but the leapster has a pretty good variety of art tools also and has alot of educational games that come with it too.I think that the leapster is a much better choice for the money especially for younger children, although we are going to keep the pixter for our older daughter because the leapster games are a little young for her.
  
  
• best new toy for young minds
  By A1X5ZYFAO45C4E on 2004-03-19
  I bought a Leapster for my six year old 3 months ago, and it is still the favorite toy of the house. My four year loves it and even my two year old tries to have turns with it. I chose this over the Pixter and I am very pleased. It is much more durable than I expected- it has been dropped quite hard a few times with no damage. It may seem as if the kids are just playing and having fun with the Leapster like a video game, but I was surprised at the concepts they were being taught-My four year old son told me you can't make change for a penny but you can for a nickel after playing SpongeBob. I think $80 is a decent price for the great quality and awesome potential for learning, but the software is $25 a piece and they are so small I worry that they will be lost. There is a carrying case available that is ok, and a charging station should be released soon. Overall, a fantastic toy!!
  
  
• Excellent educational toy!
  By on 2003-11-12
  Well, I just got this for my 4.5 year old son for Christmas, after a long anticipated wait. I am very impressed! The screen is bigger than I thought it would be. I stayed up all night playing the games! We purchased the Kg., Dora, and Spongebob cartridges and can't wait to purchase the Drawing and Alphabet cartridges when they become available. There is also a Pre-Kg. cartridge becoming available soon. There is a charging dock that will be available soon as well as a carrying case that will hold the Leapster and 6 cartridges. After falling in love with the concept of the LeapPad Books, I have focused most of our son's presents and friend's presents on LeapFrog products. This product is more than worth the money. I was just about to consider another handheld video game for Christmas and then I found out that LeapFrog was releasing the Leapster. I, of course, knew it would be of great quality and am highly impressed with the games and their educational quality.
  
  
• Screen not the best quality
  By A1ZC7XAFEIZRZD on 2004-11-08
  My 3 year old loves her leapster, but like everyone else we are on the 3rd one in a year. Her's is not mistreated but we have have a multitude of problems each time. My number one complaint is that the screen could be a little clearer. Other than that she loves it!! Leapfrog will replace them when they tear up.
  
  
• leapster or pixter?
  By A3R8QFBDGXQUWX on 2004-11-10
  Our daughter received pixter and leapster last year for xmas.She plays with the leapster far more often. I am impressed on how much more the leapster can do vs. pixter. Leapster is far better for 4-5 yr. olds just learning letters/numbers. She has lots of fun just drawing. I also like that she can grow with the leapster. One of her favorite toys.
  
  
• Great toy, but quality control problems
  By on 2004-05-04
  I won't repeat all the raves about this toy--I agree with them all. Our son adores it so much we've had to limit his time with it. He has learned a lot from the games and his fine motor coordination has also improved. 'Nuff said.

  I do want to note that there seems to be some serious quality control problems with this product and with this company, and I strongly urge that people consider these issues before purchasing the product. Anyone who has read through all these reviews will have heard about a number of problems owners have had with their Leapsters. If you decide to buy anyway, keep all receipts, and think twice about investing in more than one or two of the game cartridges.

  We will soon be receiving our FOURTH Leapster, all replaced by LeapFrog. Our son takes pretty good care of his toys, and none of them had been dropped. The first one worked for about two months of daily play, then the sound suddenly went out. It was usable with headphones, but not without. After unsuccessfully trying a few things while on the phone with LeapFrog customer service, they told us we could ship it to them for replacement, which we did.

  The second Leapster worked for about a month, then most of the screen stopped responding to the stylus or to touch. After attempting valiantly but unsuccessfully to calibrate it on the phone w/ LeapFrog, they said we could send that one back, too.

  The third one lasted about a month, then one day my son turned it on and nothing happened. New batteries and cleaning the battery contacts with rubbing alcohol (as LeapFrog suggested) did no good, so this one is going back, too, and LeapFrog is replacing it at their expense, paying shipping for both the replacement product and our return, thank goodness. Let's hope the fourth time is the charm, but I'll admit to being very pessimistic.

  We have had problems with other LeapFrog products, too--we had to get a replacement pen unit in the LeapPad (they replace these for free) and our Little Leap stopped responding to touch in many areas after just a month or two. To LeapFrog's credit, at least their customer service is responsive and you don't have to sit on hold forever.

  Anyone who has problems with this product or any other LeapFrog product(especially if the store from which it was purchased will not take it back) should call Leap Frog's 800 number. They will talk you through possible solutions, and we have had no problem with getting product replacements. Our replacement Leapsters have arrived about a week after LeapFrog received our return.

  Still, our whole family is frustrated that an $80 toy has this many problems, and it's not cheap to send it to California via UPS for replacement. Thankfully, due to all the problems we've had, Leapster is paying for shipping this time. It's also not easy to explain to a 5-year-old that his favorite toy doesn't work and he'll have to wait a couple weeks to get a new one.

  I honestly hope that LeapFrog can resolve their quality control issues on this great product, but until then, buyer beware!
  
  

• THE BEST EDUCATIONAL/FUN ELECTRONIC TOY OUT THERE!
  By A3F5U852ULJ25X on 2003-12-12
  I JUST BOUGHT THIS TOY FOR CHRISTMAS FOR MY 7YR OLD BOY, AND ALMOST 4 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER. I JUST HAD TO TRY IT OUT FIRST AND COULD NOT BELIEVE HOW MUCH FUN IT REALLY WAS, ALL THE REVIEWS HERE WERE RIGHT ON THE MONEY!THE SCREEN ALONE IS MUCH BIGGER THAN THE GAMEBOY AND THE GRAPHICS AND CHARACTER SOUNDS ARE FANTASTIC! I SHOWED IT TO MY 13 YEAR OLD AND HE EVEN LIKED IT AND PLAYED AROUND WITH IT (MOSTLY BECAUSE HE LIKES SPONGEBOB TOO)HE SAID IT WAS PERFECT FOR HIS LITTLE SISTER AND BROTHER AND HE KNOW'S THEY'LL LOVE IT--ME TOO. I WAS GLAD I BOUGHT THIS OVER THE LEAPFROG WRITING PAD BECAUSE I COULDNT DECIDE WHICH ONE TO GET BECAUSE THEY ARE BOTH GREAT PRODUCTS, BUT THIS ONE CAN DO JUST AS MUCH, I BELIEVE IT HAS A GAME YOU CAN BUY THAT YOUR KIDS CAN ALSO WRITE WITH IT JUST LIKE THE LEAPPAD, AND THE COOLEST PART IS THAT ITS JUST LIKE A VIDEO GAME THAT TEACHES THEIR FIRST STEPS TO READING,MATH,WRITING AND BEYOND.IT'S REALLY WORTH THE MONEY.AND ...
  
  
• recommend it to any one!
  By A78224TE2LCJS on 2004-12-05
  Last Christmas my son wanted a game boy and when my husband and I heard about the Leapster, we bought it instead. My son loved it and we never heard about the game boy again. My daughter who is younger also loves it and they fight constantly over it. We were afraid it would break, or the pin would break off or they would get bored with the games. We were wrong. The Leapster is indestructable. My daughter throws temper tatrums and the Leapster has survived being thrown across the room, dropped on the concrete or tile. There is no scratches on the screen and the pin is still attached. The cartridges are also tough, we have accidentally washed two of the cartridges and our Dora the Explorer game has been chewed on by the dog and our 8 month old son and they ALL STILL WORK. My son and daughter have played the games over and over again and are not bored with them. When their friends and cousins come over, they play with it. I was afraid that they would eventually out grow it, since my son is 7 and my daughter 5, but they are still fascinated by it. I have strongly recommended this game to several of my friends, my own doctor, and my son's teacher since they all have children of their own. The only downfall is that it goes through batteries like crazy, but if you get the recharger it isn't so bad. I heard a rumor that there will be games going all the way up to 5th grade. I really hope so, because the Leapster is a wonderful, educational, durable toy and it is the best one out there!
  
  
• A GREAT Toy for Long Car Rides, Rainy Days, or Anytime!
  By A2AR2AU7RZD7G3 on 2006-07-13
  I cannot recommend this product enough!
  
  My daughter has had this system for about two years now. She has several cartridges and still plays with it frequently. It is our favorite toy for long car rides, because...
  
  * You can use HEADPHONES with it! (All the Moms say, "Yes!") BTW, this is true for all the LeapFrog products I have found so far!
  
  * It doesn't have a bunch of loose parts (the pen is well-attached, and extra cartidges can be kept in the carrying case, if you get one -- which I recommend).
  
  * They can play with it for hours and not mind that they're learning things!
  
  * Far better than an X-Box or other "violent-video-game" system -- ALL the games are "G-rated" AND educational.
  
  * Both boys and girls can play AND enjoy these games.
  
  All LeapFrog products (Leapster, LeapPad, etc.) are VERY well-rated for age and educational level. Be sure to pay attention to the age recommendations, and don't waste your time or frustrate you child by pushing them too far ahead with this system. I do NOT recommend it for very slow 4-year-olds or younger children, NOR do I recommend it for very young children who do not understand how to treat expensive toys with SOME respect (although ours has withstood quite a bit of abuse from both child AND her klutzy Mom !). Contrary to appearances, the optional carrying case is good for keeping the game from damage, as well as keeping the games together.
  
  The "L-Max" system costs a little more, but has some features you might be interested in. If you opt NOT to get it, rest assured that the "L-Max" games ARE supposed to work with the regular "Leapster" system, minus a couple of abilities that the TV-compatible L-Max System uses, and that your child supposedly won't notice.
  
  If you can afford it, I recommend the optional recharging unit, as rechargable batteries don't tend to last long in the Leapster (they lose their charge if left standing, even when a device is off). If you go with store-bought batteries, the ones for electronic devices are worth the extra cost, as they really DO last longer (Energizer "e" batteries seem to last the longest for us.) If you go with batteries, be sure to keep an extra set on hand for those "Hey!-I-was-in-the-middle-of-a-game!" moments!
  
  
  
  
  

• Energizer E91BP-4 AA Batteries(4-Pack)
• Energizer L91BP-4 AA Lithium Batteries (4-Pack)
• Maxell AA Alkaline Batteries Value Pack (20-Pack)
• LeapFrog Leapster® Educational Game: Kindergarten
• LeapFrog® Leapster® Learning Game: 1st Grade

• LeapFrog® Leapster® Learning Game: Cars
• LeapFrog Leapster® Educational Game: Kindergarten
• LeapFrog Leapster Learning Game System - Pink
• LeapFrog Leapster Carrying Case
• LeapFrog® Leapster® Learning Game Thomas the Tank