Description

With this smart handheld system, children learn valuable school skills through a variety of animated games and activities. Kids use the interactive touch screen and stylus throughout 30 educational games featuring characters they love. The Leapster2 System also offers several options for creative play. Little learners can easily connect online for extra activities and rewards. And best of all, parents can use the Leapster2 to connect to the LeapFrog Learning Path, an online, interactive tool in which parents can get updates and see firsthand what their children are learning.

Leapster2 System comes with built-in starter games; additional software sold separately. Requires 2 "AA" batteries, not included. Measures 13"W x 10.5"H.

Amazon.com Review

Put innovative creativity and fun at your kids' fingertips -- and watch them learn in the process -- with the The LeapFrog Leapster 2 Learning Game System. This battery-operated handheld game system goes where your children go, and brings plenty of learning fun along. It comes with two pre-installed educational games, and many more are available: purchase an optional SD card separately for access to additional online games and to take advantage of other online features; or you can purchase game cartridges to add to your Leapster 2 repository. The included games have skill levels suitable for children ages 4 to 8.

Children will love playing the educational games. View larger.

Leapster 2 games are designed to grow with your child ages 4 through 8, and the console comes pre-loaded with two games

What We Think Fun Factor: Durability: (what this means) The Good: Battery-powered console goes where your child goes, offers versatile, educational fun. The Bad: An SD card, which must be purchased separately, is required to take advantage of many Leapster 2 features. In a Nutshell: Handheld game console offers fun, educational games that accommodate your child's learning curve. At a Glance Ages: 4 to 8 Requires: Four AA batteries

The console has a comfortable, curved shape, although it may be a tad large and heavy for smaller hands. It features a full-color touch screen and sound that's a far cry better than the beeps of old-school handheld consoles. (Parents will appreciate the volume control and a jack for headphones!) Control and manipulate the console with the included stylus and with the videogame-style D pad and other buttons.

We found the initial set-up to be relatively easy: install the four required AA batteries, and navigate through the self-explanatory screens to create user profiles for up to 3 children (which come in handy for accessing online features). After this quick set-up, a menu screen will appear, where you can choose to play the pre-loaded games, go online, or insert a game cartridge.

Fun and Learning
Leapster 2 games are designed to grow with your child ages 4 through 8. The console is pre-loaded with two games: The "Dragons to the Rescue! Learning Game," is a "video game" type activity with four different levels, the first helping kids identify letters and numbers, the most advanced giving them spelling and multiplication practice, all while navigating a dragon past monstrous storm clouds and scrambling to collect magic crystals. The "Creativity Castle Art Studio" is a rather low-tech art program. Players can select a background scene to "color" using the stylus and "decorate" with fun animated stamps. While it does foster creativity, this program is somewhat clumsy -- your Paint program on your PC does a much better job. But "Dragons" was fun enough to keep even an adult tester enjoyably diverted.

Unfortunately, an SD card is required for taking advantage of much of what the Leapster 2 has to offer -- which is a drawback, because it must be purchased separately. Without the SD card, which offers more memory, you cannot save artwork, download new games, or take advantage of the online "Learning Path," which will be available August 2008. (This online program allows you to register and upload your children's Leapster 2 profiles to show you their learning activities and their progress.)

In the meantime, without the SD card, you can still purchase game cartridges. And you still can plug your console -- with the included USB cable -- into your PC for your children to view and print "rewards" for completing different game levels (for Dragons to the Rescue, they're certificates of achievement) or to print pictures to color with actual crayons (to encourage some "old-fashioned" creativity!) You must first install the Leapster 2 software on your computer, which comes on the included CD-ROM.

What's in the Box
Leapster 2 Game System, USB cable, CD-ROM

Customer Reviews

 Buy a leapster! - Mar 20, 2010

My husband and I both have teaching backgrounds, and I was initially against any kind of handheld device for fear of my children hovering over it for hours until their little eyes glazed over and their brains turned to mush. This was not the case. My 5 and 4 year old girls LOVE their leapsters (yes, we bought two). Generally, the games are educational and we don't feel like the girls' brains are going mushy. Also, it has kept their attention for months now. They play an average of 2-4 hours per week and still love it! You can't beat it on long car trips! Some of the games are duds-just check reviews carefully before purchasing. I would give it six stars if I could.

 Excellent learning and lots of fun for 4-year old! - Mar 18, 2010

My 4-year old son absolutely loves playing with his Leapster 2! From the first instant he played it, he was hooked so I actually have to make sure he doesn't play this too much. There is a great variety of games to buy for it and he is learning a lot from the different games as well as working on fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. I highly recommend this toy and I am so glad we bought it for him! It's a bit heavy to carry around but it is great for long road trips or plane rides! You get to download one free game when you buy this and I highly recommend the dragon game. It is one of my son's favorite games still! This is definitely a nice alternative for younger kids that want to be like the older kids that have the Nintendo DS.

 Perfect for little computer fans... - Mar 15, 2010

I like the outfit, the handling and that it's easy-to-use etc... perfect for little computer fans. Our 3years old daughter loves it!

 My kids LOVE IT!!!! - Mar 09, 2010

My son is 3.5 years old and he LOVES IT!!!! I highly recommend it to anyone!! It's educational and lets me see how well he is doing with different games. My 14 month old tries to "play" too!!! Definately worth buying!!

 Pathetic! - Mar 07, 2010

I never write reviews of products, this is my very first good or bad, and I have nothing good to say about this toy.

This toy is absolutely pathetic. I will NEVER buy anything from this company again. I have spent almost my entire Sunday trying to get the toy connected over their website, and it just plain doesn't work. Why? Because they are just to darn cheap to spend money to host their site on a decent server so that the online tools ACTUALLY WORK!! They lure you in with this great marketing ploy of an online community to do all these fantastic things, and yet, their software is just HORRIBLE!

On top of that, they include absolutely NO INSTRUCTIONS in the package. They force you to their website, which, if I haven't mentioned DOESN'T WORK!!

PATHETIC - PATHETIC - PATHETIC!

The only reason I gave it one star is because the cartridges they make you buy to get the toy to work did occupy my 4 year old for an hour or so.

I can't say enough about how disappointed I am with this company. My daughter was SO EXCITED to get this, and after wasting my entire day I had to break her heart and tell her it just doesn't work. Just visit their website, it takes FOREVER to load. Don't break your kids heart with this piece of junk. BUY SOMETHING ELSE!

 One of the ALL-TIME BEST toys! - Mar 03, 2010

I love books! And usually my favorite toys are the simple, old fashion toys and toys that require imagination or pretend play (blocks, cups that nest into eachother, dolls, play kitchen) That being said I love the leapster 2! This is one of the best toys EVER! We bought a Leapster 2 for our oldest daughter when she was 4yrs old. Her then 2yr old sister played it as much or more, so a year later we have bought this one to have two in the house. My now 3yr old plays it alot!!! We have to limit her time on it. But I love to have something that is educational that holds her interest for so long. She will play it all through the grocery store, we take it on car trips, or anytime I know there will be a wait! I highly recommend the recharging station to go with it.
I must admitt, I've never connected either to the computer, which I know I should and hope to, but can't comment on that part!

 We LOVE our Leapster 2 - Feb 21, 2010

Got this Leapster 2 for my 3 year old son for Christmas. He loves it! He is already a video game junkie, so it is really nice to have something that is educational, too.

 Very pleased! - Feb 21, 2010

First, an informative message. If your Leapster suddenly appears to be broken... seems unresponsive to the pencil,... don't panic. Chances are it just needs to be recalibrated. This happened to us a few days ago. Our sons Leapster suddenly appeared defect, ... or at least it was completely unresponsive to the pencil. At first I didn't think of it, and was immediately concerned it just broke. Then I remembered it could just be that it needs to be re-calibrated. I have no idea why the item suddenly needs recalibration,... it just happens.

Thing is, when this happens, and your kid comes to you for help, telling you "It's not working !???",... the first thing that comes to mind is "Oh no! It's broken already!???". There is no signal, no message, telling you that it might need recalibration. This time, after turning the item off and on a few times to no avail, I remembered reading somewhere that it probably (and hopefully) only had to be recalibrated. And indeed, thankfully it was just that. See at the end of this review on how to recalibrate.

Now for the review.
We love the Leapster concept. A handheld system with educational games for young kids. By now, LeapFrog has a pretty extensive library of educational games. I've researched Nintendo DS to check as an alternative, but they have very few educational games. Even contacted their customer support and they were very responsive and very nice, but they have very few educational games. Apparently it's not a market Nintendo is interested in. In any case I find the DS way too expensive for a 5 year old anyway. The Leapster is better priced.

We find the games very educational. Currently we have 5 games: Thomas the Engine, Cars, Mr. Pencil, Backyardigans and Chicken Cook. The last one we downloaded from LeapFrog. (You get to download one game free from LeapFrog with the Leapster2). Our son loves them all. His favorite currently is probably Thomas, but he plays (and learns) a lot with them all. We're thinking of expanding the collection with the Dora one, and/or SpongeBob.

With the Leapster 2, you can connect online to the LearningPath of LeapFrog. This is a great functionality, if you have the time to explore it. We hope to connect every two weeks or so. You can also explore new games here, and you can see trailers of the games which is a great way to get a feeling of the game before buying a new one. By the way, the first time you connect online, will be a bit strange. The Leapster will need to synchronize, and this will take a quite a while. In our case it took almost one hour. But you see no message, informing you of this. So you really don't know what's going on. I actually restarted the process several time, after 10 minutes or so, since I was first unaware of this. While I was trying this, I was also checking the LeapFrog site, and there's where I learned that the first time can take up to an hour. So then I just left it alone, till it was done. Thankfully this is only the first time. The next times you connect it will be a breeze.

The game cartridges will work on any of LeapFrog's system. That is the original Leapster, the L-Max, or the most recent Leapster-2. The L-Max you can connect to a TV and play the games on the much larger TV screen. But we didn't really use this with our first L-Max. We tried it only once, just to try it out. It worked, but it just isn't practical. And our son didn't miss it either. He just wants to play with the unit where ever he can, and not be attached to the TV. The Leapster-2 cannot be hooked to the TV but it has the much better functionality to connect online, and go to the LearningPath and download games etc. It's the only one of the three that has this functionality. And new games are being developed to make use of this feature to connect online. I really love this possibility to connect online. So I definitely recommend the Leapser-2 instead of any of the other two. I don't understand why they keep selling the original Leapster and L-Max anyway. Seems to me they should just faze them out, and concentrate on further developing the Leapster-2 or games for it. Ah well.

As for durability, ... it's yet to soon to tell. We rated 4 stars for now on durability, but it's really too soon to tell. Previously we had a L-Max, and it broke after 3 month's. (Which is why I researched Nintendo as an alternative.) We did get a replacement from LeapFrog but it took a while, so in the meantime we got this Leapster2. Currently in use for just one month. We really hope this Leapster2 will be much durable then the previous L-Max. I have good hopes it will, but only time will tell. You can read my review on the L-Max.Leapster L-Max Learning Game System

Batteries.
We use Duracell rechargeable batteries with this item. Although LeapFrog does not recommend using 3rd party rechargeable batteries. But I really don't understand why. They do have their own recharging stationm LeapFrog® Leapster®2 Recharging Station with rechargeable batteries for about $30, which I'm sure will also save you tons of money. But at first we weren't aware LeapFrog does not recommend 3rd party rechargeable batteries. Neither, that they sell their own rechargeable system. So we just got a Duracell rechargeable with corresponding batteries, for about $14 Duracell Value Charger With 4AA Pre Charged Rechargeable Nimh Batteries, CEF14DX4N. Have been using them for a while, also with the previous L-Max, and they work very well. Saved us tons of money on batteries! Very happy with it. Then one time I read by chance on the LeapFrog side that they don't recommend using 3rd party rechargeables. I was surprised, so I checked with them why. They replied something about 3rd party rechargeable batteries not being standard format, and some batteries being charged more then others ect ect.... Which to me made no sense. Duracell or Energizer, or any other main battery brand, not being standard??? I don't buy that. Just to be on the save side, I then checked with them if using 3rd party rechargeable batteries would harm or damage the unit in any way. They replied using 3rd party rechargeable will NOT harm or damage the unit in any way. So,.... I don't get it. Been using Duracell rechargeable batteries for quite a while now, and the unit works excellent with it. It seems they even last longer than normal batteries. By the way LeapFrog sells normal Duracell batteries on their side. Which makes me wonder even more about there point of 3rd party batteries not being standard.

Actually, now I think of it, if LeapFrog recommends not to use 3rd party rechargeable batteries, they should just sell their systems TOGETHER with their rechargeable system. Why have customers waste their money on normal batteries!?? This way they will help their customers save money on batteries from day one! Money that customers could use to buy additional games from them! Believe me, the 1st 2 or 3 weeks, you will be wasting money on normal batteries, till you realize you better get rechargeable batteries quick, before you go broke!!!

In any case, whether you use 3rd party, or LeapFrog's rechargeable system, you will save lots of money on batteries. And you probably will be very happy, no matter which one you get. So do yourself a favor and do get yourself either one of them.

The bottom line: First thing. Our son loves it. Plays and learns a lot with it.
Second, we do love the Leapster concept. We love the system, easy to use, good screen. We love the games, being both fun to play and educational. I guess the pricing of system and games is `ok'. It would be nice if they could go lower, but chances are that quality will then start to suffer. I do like the fact that they have a decent customer support. They respond rather fast. And finally I love the possibility to connect online. We just hope it will be durable and last for a good long time.

How to recalibrate:
The process to recalibrate is simple. You should find it on the LeapFrog website, but here is what I did:
1. turn off the item.
2. press and hold the `Hint' button, while the item is off.
3. press the on/off button to turn the item back on, while holding the `hint' button, (don't release the `hint' button)
4. the item will now turn on, and you will see a menu screen, with a couple of options.
5. touch with the pencil on the option "recalibrate"
(yes, the pencil should just work at this point)
6. you will get an empty screen, and a little small red circle with cross-hair will appear at one of the corners. Touch with the pencil at the center of the circle. The circle will disappear and another circle will appear at the next corner. Continue to touch each circle at the center. The last circle will appear in the middle of the screen. Touch it also at the center.
7. That's it. Turn off the system, and back on.
It should be back to normal.

Or go to the LeapFrog website, go to the support section and look for "Why doesn't my Leapster2 respond to the stylus pen?" in the FAQ.
You will find the instructions with pictures.

LeapFrog has a great website, with a support section, where you can find a pretty extensive list of all kinds of frequently asked questions with corresponding answers. If you don't find what you're looking for, you can send submit a question to them. You don't need to first go through all the listed questions, you can just write your question and submit it to them. They will respond by the next (work)day.

 Great educational toy. - Feb 19, 2010

We had one of these given to us a few years ago. It was an older version. We enjoyed it, as it was fun and educational, and helped my son keep busy when I had paperwork to get done. The old one broke, so this is number two. We are enjoying it now.

 LeapFrog Leapster 2 - Feb 14, 2010

Fun? depends on what kind of game your kid likes. it's very convenience. I like to Grab and go on a trip.

 reasonable investment - Feb 10, 2010

This system is more versatile for your child if you're willing to invest in multiple games for it. If there are only 1 or 2 games, then it can become boring more quickly -- but hey, don't we all wish our kids got bored FASTER with video games anyway? The educational value is moderately good -- pattern recognition, some critical thinking, etc. It's a good idea. Consider buying a battery charger and rechargeable batteries for it if you don't want to spend a fortune on batteries over the years!

 Excellent gift for 3 yr old - Feb 06, 2010

Bought this item for my three year old grandson. All the five star ratings are how he feels about the item.

 Kids love playing games on the Leapster2 - Feb 03, 2010

The Leapfrog Leapster2 is a great tool to help kids to play games for learning math, reading and problem solving. My 3 grandchildren spend hours of entertainment and fun learning new things.

 great for learning - Feb 02, 2010

I bought this for my granddaughter who is 3 for Christmas and she loves it. She has already played most of the games I bought that go with this (pre-k level). I think this is one of the best out there for teaching young children and away fom the tv.

 Fun for the whole gang! - Feb 01, 2010

My kids are ages 8 down to age 2. Even the youngest one enjoys the graphics from the leapster! With the various games, it's a toy that all can enjoy for years to come!

 Good Customer Service - Jan 31, 2010

I had some problems downloading a game so I e-mailed customer service. I had read some negative items about their customer service so expectations weren't too high. Apparently the staff there has improved because after a few e-mails (back and forth), they took care of the problem.

 Entertaining and educational - Jan 30, 2010

I bought this for my 4 year old, who was always stealing her sister DS or her other sisters DIJI. We haven't had a problem with the other devises going missing since. I bought the recharger for it, so she doesn't have to worry about the batteries going dead. She only has 4 games for it, but she enjoys it. Her older siblings have even taken over and played it. A great item for the younger kids and educational too.

 leapster 2 - Jan 30, 2010

I bought the Leapster 2 for my 4 year old granddaughter for Christmas. She loves her leapster and stays well focused for a hour doing the 3 games we got her. It is a wonderful educational tool for her and she is eager to learn.

 leaster 2 - Jan 30, 2010

this product is so much fun for my 6 year old. Its is very educational. Its made very sturdy and you can follow your games online and also upload 2 games! Great toy!

 Leapster 2 - Jan 30, 2010

I bought this as a Christmas gift for my 4 year old granddaughter. She loves it. She plays with it everyday. I also got her 4 games for variety. She loves playing it in the car. Her Mom takes it to the restaurants to keep her busy if it is too long a wait. Easy to use and good directions. Plugs into computer so you can see how she is doing and what she is learning. Great toy.

 Very good introductory toy for 4 yr olds - Jan 30, 2010

Very good introductory toy for 4 yr olds..You have to buy cartridges separately. You can buy your kid's favorite character cartridge. Even though spiderman cartridge is no more available by Leapster, I bought one from ebay for my son. He is into spiderman these days.

 wonderful toy - Jan 29, 2010

This was a christmas present for our son. He loves it; and he plays with it all the time.

 great for learning and fun - Jan 28, 2010

my 5 yr old grandaughter had a regular leapster which after a few years of hard use, broke down. the leapster2 is fantastic as far as durability and ease of operation and fun to use.

 Leapster 2 - Jan 27, 2010

Now all 3 of my children have Leapsters. They are great for traveling, and educational. My 2 youngest children are ages 4 and 3, both boys. Believe me, the Leapster is durable!

 LeapFrog 2 Game System - Jan 24, 2010

I purchased the item thru Amazon.com for a Christmas present because it could not be found in the stores. I was amazed at how quickly it was delivered. My granddaughter enjoys it immensely and we have to make her stop playing with it. Not only is it a good learning tool, but also fun and not repetitive.