Star Wars: Jedi Reading

Game review by Christopher Healy, Common Sense Media
Star Wars: Jedi Reading Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 7+

Reading lessons that may be too violent for younger kids.

Leapster, Leapster 2 2008
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Parents say

age 4+

Based on 1 review

Kids say

age 10+

Based on 2 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this game.

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.

Community Reviews

kelpiegirl
kelpiegirl Adult
June 15, 2010
age 4+
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.

This title has:

Educational value
See all 1 parent review

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.

Talk to Your Kids 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?

Game Details

Our Editors Recommend

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