 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Star Wars: Jedi Reading
- Leapster 2, Leapster
- Price: $24.99
- Genre: Educational
Common Sense Media says
Reading lessons that may be too violent for younger kids.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that while the use of Star Wars characters and setting may be an effective way of attracting children to a game that teaches obvious reading lessons, Star Wars: Jedi Reading engages players directly in violent acts, like shooting down enemy soldiers. There is, of course, no blood, but the player is called up to physically stab at the the enemy and then see him fall back to the ground.
What's it about?
STAR WARS: JEDI READING gives players three separate mini-games in which they can learn and practice reading skills. One involves shooting down stormtroopers by tapping the ones with the correct word or letter over his head. Another has players piloting the Millennium Falcon, blasting letter-marked asteroids to spell words (and shooting down enemy fighters that get in the way). The third, Jedi training with Yoda, requires players to tap the correct letters on a series of floating rocks; occasional "time bombs" appear that need to be outpaced. In each game, players win starships, and after amassing enough fighters, they can lauch a final assault on the evil Death Star space station.
Is it any good?
Star Wars: Jedi Reading feels like it gets a little too caught up in its sci-fi trappings. The reading lessons are effective ones, but the act of using spelling games to kill enemy soldiers feels a bit too harsh for what you expect to find on the Leapster system. The Yoda game -- by far the least violent -- is also the most boring, and can feel repetitive rather quickly. There's so much that can be done with the deep and colorful mythology and characters of Star Wars, that resorting to a shooting gallery feels like a letdown. It may even feel that way for young fans.
Online interaction: Leapster 2 users can win rewards, like certificates or coloring pages, which can be downloaded from the LeapFrog.com website when the Leapster 2 unit is connected to a PC via USB cable. With an online account at LeapFrog.com, parents can also track their children's progress through this same connection.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the use of violence in a Leapster game. Were you surprised?
Did you want to play this game because it was about the Star Wars universe? Or would you have been interested if it has a different theme. What is it about Star Wars that draws you to it?
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AGE
My 3 year old (academically advanced) LOVES Star Wars and this game (he's been fascinated by space for a long time). He can easily play it on the 2nd level and even 3rd for some games so I'm not sure how good it would be for the higher age range but those levels are for kids who are reading or very close to it. It does have guns and some violence but no blood, etc. If it gets them working on educational stuff, I'm all for it. My son asks to play Star Wars on the leapster often.
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Kid, 10 years old
January 7, 2012
AGE
love it or hate it...i hate it
it is too violent to be a learning game because it has guns and make a mockery to all the other starwars games.
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| Platforms: | Leapster 2, Leapster |
| Available online? | Available online |
| Genre: | Educational |
| Developer: | LeapFrog |
| Release date: | July 1, 2008 |
| Price: | $24.99 |
| ESRB rating: | NR |
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