Help with Leapster products!

[goofy4wdw2]

We're looking to get a Leapster product for our 5 year old daughter (she's in kindergarten) for Christmas...and possibly a younger version for our 3 year old son. He likes to do everything our daughter does, but would need something not quite as sophistocated (i.e. She has the Tag books, he has the Tag Jr. books). I see so many different versions of the handheld gaming systems...Leapster, Leapster 2 (which I thought was newer but is less expensive than Leapster??), Leapster Explorer? Can anyone decode all of this for me? Thank you!

 

[tiggger1]

we have the Leapster and the Leapster 2. we have had nothing put problems with the L2 ( it was brand new, we returned it and got a new one and had the same issues). It would not play games or would start and then shut off mid game. ( brand new batteries) It also lost all its games we downloaded. I spent hours with leapfrog only for them to tell me to try again. I found online that alot of people had that issue. I never had any issues with the Leapster and my sister kids love the Leapster explorer, so I am guessing it was a L2 issue

 

[Suz725]

The Leapster explorer is the newest one...

 

[kimkoz]

We bought the L2 when my son was 2. Now 4 he still loves it and plays all the time, no problems besides running through batteries. However if I was going to buy new now I would go with the Explorer, it has more to offer.

 

[mickeymaker2003]

Since you are just getting started, I would get a Leapster Explorer for both kids. It has a touch screen so they don't need to use the stylus to operate it if they don't want to (there is a stylus as well if they prefer). The graphics on the Leapster 2 are very grainy and low resolution and the graphics on the Leapster Explorer are MUCH better. You can also download mini games and movies for the Leapster Explorer. The games are not interchangable between Leapster 2 and Leapster Explorer.

The Leapster Explorer will also play the Didj games which are elementary school aged games. The Didj is no longer produced, so the games can be found on Amazon and Ebay for a good price. The fact that it can also play Didj games will make it so your older child won't outgrow it as fast.

The only thing I like about the Leapster 2 over the Explorer is that it is cheaper and there are more games right now.

I would really recommend the Explorer over the Leapster 2. My daughter is getting a Leapster Explorer for her birthday and I've been "testing" it. I've been very impressed with it so far.

 

[Mrs D]

My DS5 has had a Leapster 2 for about a year and a half. Both he and DD3 love it (we've had no technical issues with it). DD3 just got a Leapster Explore this summer. I initially thought she might be a little too young for it, but am pleasantly surprised by how it's more adaptable to age ranges than the L2. Both kids use the Explorer more frequently than than the L2 (though they will take turns with them both). If I was investing the money today I'd purchase the Explorer. I foresee Leapfrog focusing content on it versus the L2. I think it's a better machine (larger screen, better graphics, WAY better audio) and think it does a lot more (leaplet downloads of games, books and videos).

HTH!

 

[marmalade]

My DS4 just got the Explorer for his birthday and October and loves it. My DD5 also loves it so she is getting one for christmas. Just a FYI target has it for $59.99 and there is a $10 off coupon on their website.

 

[MSSANDRA]

We got DGS the leapster ll for his 4th birthday. He wanted a DS. He was used to playing the teen boys DS and our wii and handled both quite well. I wanted the educational value of the DS. It has been a flop. He just does not play with it very much and still wants a DS. Wish I had went ahead and got one. You might want to consider the long term use for the 5 year old.

 

[IsisPrincess]

My son is 5 I just order the leapster 2 last night for him. I hope I made the right decision. I didn't know anything about the explorer.

 

[mickeymaker2003]

My DS4 just got the Explorer for his birthday and October and loves it. My DD5 also loves it so she is getting one for christmas. Just a FYI target has it for $59.99 and there is a $10 off coupon on their website.

There are also coupons for $10 off Leapster Explorer on boxes of Cheerios (I got one in Chocolate Cheerios). Since one is a manufacturer coupon and the Target one is a store coupon, you can use both. So you can get Leapster Explorer for $40.

The Cheerios box also has a code you can use to download a free game. It is a word search game that you can either use a 3x3 grid or 4x4 grid.

 

[foltzy]

DD 5 has a DS. We got her a Vtech hand held thing when she was 3 and she didn't really play with it. She loves her DS and plays with it all the time.

DS 3 has a Leapster 2. He loves it. He got it last Christmas (When dd got her DS) and he plays that thing all the time. We just got 2 new games for him for Christmas that he's been asking for.

 

[mamaLori05]

dd5 and ds3 both have a Leapster 2. I believe we bough it for dd when she was 3 (can't remember when exactly we got hers), and ds got his for his 2nd b-day (he was able to work it and play the easier games just fine even at 2). They LOVE their Leapsters and have never had any problems with them. They take the abuse, which is AWESOME! I can't tell you how many times they have been dropped and still work perfectly fine. They are a life saver when it comes to long car rides, or when we have to take the kids with us to meetings, etc... where they have to occupy themselves for a few minutes!

 

[Minniemouse07]

DD (now 9yo) and Ds (now 5yo) have both had Leapsters from the time they were 2yo. Ds had the Leapster 2 and dd only the second iteration of the first one.

Both loved them to death and ds is still playing his regularly.

If I was going to buy one today, I would consider the Explorer...especially since I get the impression that the Explorer will be supported more from here on out over the Leapster.

FWIW my dd was fine playing her Leapster until she was SEVEN years old. She didn't have an older sibling playing a Nintendo DS to distract him. My 5yo ds just started asking for a DS...we will probably get him one next year.

 

[livsmom04]

We have both the Leapster and Leapster 2. My daughter plays that over anything else and she is 6. That thing has got to go everywhere with us and I was lucky enough back in the summer to find a rechargable battery & Charging port for $8.50 at Walmart on Clearance. Now that she has that she doesn't stop one bit with it. She is for Christmas getting a total of 4 games to play with the gaming system. She'd rather play with that than a nintendo DS.