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Leapster

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 3, age appropriate for kids over 4; suggested age 4.

  • Is it any good?

    5.0
  • Common Sense says

    Leapster is a revolutionary children's product.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 4 and Up

The good stuff

  • Educational value:

    Not an issue.
  • Messages:

    Not an issue.

What to watch out for

  • Violence & scariness:

    Not an issue.
  • Sexy stuff:

    Not an issue.
  • Language:

    Not an issue.
  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.

What Parents Need to Know

This review of Leapster was written by Jinny Gudmundsen

Parents need to know that Leapster is a revolutionary children's product. It's a system many parents have been waiting for, because it combines the fun gaming experience typically found on Game Boy Advance with solid educational purpose.

Families Can Talk About

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  • Families can talk about whether games that combine entertainment and education are as fun as games without an educational component. Why or why not?
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OK for Your Kids to Play?

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More on Leapster

What’s the Story?

LEAPSTER, a new portable learning system from Leapfrog, has entered the children's gaming arena to compete with Nintendo's Game Boy Advance SP (GBA-SP). Like GBA-SP, Leapster is a handheld system used to play video games. But unlike the GBA-SP games, Leapster games talk to the child, making it ideal for young children who can't yet read. In addition to the traditional multi-directional control pad, Leapster comes with a touch-sensitive screen and a special stylus attached to the unit that kids can use to create art, write, and drag objects across the screen. The system comes bundled with the video game Learning with Leap. Kids play six multi-level games, including a Frogger-type game that uses letters, numbers, shapes, and math equations.

Is It Any Good?

While both GBA-SP and Leapster feature a full-color backlit gaming screen and similar gaming controls, the new Leapster system has many features that distinguish it from GBA-SP and make it a much more appealing system for young children. More than just a handheld gaming system, it's also an electronic book reader, a digital art studio, and an interactive video player.

But what's really impressive is that the educational content and difficulty of the gameplay adjust on the fly. If a child is struggling with the arcade aspect of the game, it becomes easier. If the child is struggling with an educational concept, the content gets easier and a tutorial appears to teach the concept. For young kids, Leapster is leaving GBA-SP in the dust.

Publisher’s Details

Developer: LeapFrog
Released on: 11/25/2003, Price: $80
ESRB Rating: E

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Our Members Say

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Adult Reviewer
    I rate this title on for age 0 and give it 5.0

    Wonderful 'toy'!

    Instead of a gameboy, we chose to go the Leapster route for our 5 yr old son when he was then 4. He didn't touch it for about a year. When he turned 5 and was in Kindergarten learning his ABC's, that's when he really took to it. I wish they had a wider selection of games to choose from, so from that standpoint this item is somewhat still limited. If you're in Canada like me, you'll be frustrated with even less choice that we have unless you order it online. A great learning tool, something I don't mind my son picking up anytime he likes!

  2. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Michigan
    I rate this title on for age 0 and give it 4.0

  3. Parent Reviewer
    Lives in Texas
    I rate this title on for age 0 and give it 4.0

  4. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in California
    I rate this title on for age 0 and give it 5.0

    The Only Game My Kids Play With

    My two girls, ages 4 and 5, play their Leapsters non-stop. In fact, we had a buy a second one for my youngest because she kept taking her sister's under the kitchen table to play it. Wish there were more games, but so far, the kids have loved every game they have tried.

  5. Parent Reviewer
    Anonymous
    I rate this title on for age 0 and give it 5.0

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