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Comment on LeapFrog Leapster 2 Learning Game System – Green by JB

JB — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 20:01:47 +0000

37 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

Definite improvements over original Leapster, September 11, 2008

JB (Virginia, USA) -

= Durability: = Fun: = Educational:

This review is from: LeapFrog Leapster 2 Learning Game System - Green (Toy)

We just got this new version of the Leapster to replace the old Leapster which had started malfunctioning due to grime. The durability of the old Leapster was mediocre, since grime caused it to significantly malfunction after 8 months of daily use. Be sure to get a protective case for when the Leapster is not in use -- that's the lesson we learned the hard way. However, I suggest buying a cheaper case than the one sold for the Leapster (for example: I bought one for half the price that I found in the camera and computer accessories section at Walmart, that was marketed for small portable hard drives, and had the same dimensions as the Leapster).

Leapster 2 is a good new edition. One can download additional free games from the Internet for it for example (a couple of games are now finally available for download, so the initial deployment issue has been resolved). You need to buy an SD card for this to work. Even though the manufacturer recommends 256 MB SD card or less, we bought one with 1 GB and it works well (256 MB cards are harder to get nowadays).

We like that the built-in games stay available in Leapster 2, even when a game cartridge is inserted (an improvement over the original Leapster). The design of the hardware is sleeker looking, as well.

Overall, a very good product, and one of our son's favorite toys by far (he plays it daily in the car, and during wait-times, such as when waiting for the food to arrive at a restaurant). Our son is 2 years and 8 months by the way, and he had the original Leapster since he was 2 years old. He is a smart boy, but I assume not a genius, so the manufacturer's minimum recommended age is quite a bit off.

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Comment on LeapFrog Leapster 2 Learning Game System – Green by Nicole Leishman "N Leishman"

Nicole Leishman "N Leishman" — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 19:47:41 +0000

222 of 241 people found the following review helpful:

Better than ever!, July 7, 2008

Nicole Leishman "N Leishman" (IL USA) -

= Durability: = Fun: = Educational:

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: LeapFrog Leapster 2 Learning Game System - Green (Toy)

We owned a Leapter L-Max that quit working due to an "accident." Because our 3 year old has loved and used that machine several times a day we had to replace it. He had learned so much from the previous Leapster and the reviews of the V-Smile were poor, so we decided to go with another Leapster. While we did go back and forth about whether we wanted another L-Max for the TV play capability or whether we wanted the online funcitonality of this new Leapster 2. We had to put some thought into which feature, the TV or online, we would use most. We decided that we would really like the ability to track learning progress on line and that for $10 less, we would rather have that function. We also decided to look for a Leapster TV system, which we found on clearance, to replace the TV play capability of the old L-Max, so he could still use all the games on the TV and yet have 2 seperate toys and develop the motor skills of the 2 systems instead of one. This new Leapster is SO cute. The colors are great, the shape is better than the old ones, in my opinion. The stylus pen is secured by a thin fabric like cord rather than a heavy electronics cord, so it is easier to maneuver and it doesn't seem like it will break as easily. The sound is better and the screen is just as nice, if not better. We are very happy with this purchase, and our son likes it too. We have not tried the other games yet, but his old ones work just fine, as they are supposed to. I would defintitely recommend this model. I will also update the review when I have used the online functions.

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Comment on LeapFrog Leapster 2 Learning Game System – Green by Michael D. Adams

Michael D. Adams — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:54:38 +0000

795 of 819 people found the following review helpful:

Nice product, poor deployment!, August 22, 2008

Michael D. Adams (Jeffersonville, IN USA) -

= Durability: = Fun: = Educational:

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: LeapFrog Leapster 2 Learning Game System - Green (Toy)

** Note: When reading this review, please understand that we were an "early adopter" of the Leapster2 Game System, and certain issues impacted our opinion. By now (06/10) Leapster has likely dealt with some of the intitial issues and difficulties we experienced, and those may no-longer be a concern for new buyers. The price has dropped considerably, which does increase the attractiveness of the system.

Without a doubt, the Leapster2 is a nice, stylish game system that is age-appropriate for young children. It is easy to handle and, for the most part, easy to use. The games available include many popular titles (Cars, Backyardigans, Disney Princesses, Dora, Thomas, etc.).

But that's where the fun stops. The difference between the Leapster2 and the original Leapster is that the Leapster2 was designed to work with the "LeapFrog Learning Path" program, which allows you to see the progress your child has made in learning various subjects and concepts. That was promised in early August, then delayed and announced it would be ready by August 21st. On August 22nd, LeapFrog announced that Learning Path has now been delayed and will launch in "mid-September".

Until the Learning Path becomes active, the online "downloadable" games that are touted will not function and are not available. The ability to see the progress your child makes is not available. There are issues with the Leapster2 "freezing up" which was supposed to be fixed with a software update. If you plug in an SD card so your child can save pictures he/she has colored, they can not save them because that feature "will become active when the downloadable games are available".

We purchased TWO Leapster2 game systems (one pink, one green) from Amazon at $70/each. We also purchased TWO game cases at $15/each, and 3-4 game titles. While the kids are still able to enjoy them to some extent, I can't help but to feel I was sold something that was high on promise but VERY VERY short on delivery. I am very disappointed in LeapFrog in how they have handled this product launch, as I have come to expect better from them.

Update 01/12/09:
After 6 months of use, our Leapster2 is FINALLY functioning the way we had hoped and expected. While the pink Leapster2 functioned well, we had issues with the "Leapster Connect" software recognizing the two Leapster2's that we had purchased. After working with a Leapster support rep (Bill), who was VERY helpful and patient, it was determined that the issue was related to the SD card in our green Leapster2, even though the card functioned for all other uses. Leapster sent us a pre-formatted 128Mb card with the two downloadable games (those were not available until sometime in September/October). Upon installing the new card, everything functioned better.

As for the "LeapFrog Learning Path" website... now that it is finally online and functional, it's really helpful for seeing how much time your child is spending playing the games. It also gives you a decent idea of how they are doing with certain skills, though it would be nice if it identify your child's weaknesses and recommend things to work on. One caveat is that the time-spent is cumulative, based upon when you last uploaded the data. So although it does accumulate play data for a while, you should plug it in weekly if you want to know how much time s/he is playing on a weekly basis (otherwise, you'll get something like 12 hours for one week).

After 6 months and several updates and headaches, I would change my review to 4 stars if I could. However, I am still disappointed that Leapster released a product that was so clearly not ready for market. It appears they have corrected some issues, but still have other issues outstanding. The game systems HAS proven durable, though I would recommend screen protectors to keep the screen from getting scratched, and highly recommend the LeapFrog® Leapster®2 Learning Game Case if your child plans to travel with his/her Leapster2, and the LeapFrog® Leapster®2 Recharging Station if your child uses it often (batteries are expensive!!).

Update 10/28/09 (final update):
After a litte over a year of use, the Leapster 2's that we purchased are holding up. Though we still get some quirky freeze-ups every now and then, we've not had any additional major issues. My son has actually kicked his around quite a bit, and for the most part it has (physically) held up well. I continue to think that we should have purchased some screen protectors, because it slides around on the floorboard of the van as often as it spends in its case. All things considered, even after the introduction of the online "Learning Path", we have not been diligent about uploading the data. Yes, it gives you SOME... Read more

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Comment on LEGO Friends City Park Café 3061 by Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:02:37 +0000

Great legos for girls, January 29, 2012

1Boyand4 Girls (Oklahoma) -

= Durability: = Fun: = Educational:

This review is from: LEGO Friends City Park Café 3061 (Toy)

Our oldest child (boy) has loved legos forever and hated having to share them with 4 younger sisters. Now are daughters are starting their own collections and are very happy with the new lego friends sets. The colors are very bright and vibrant and the directions easy to follow. They love playing with them and the little accessory pieces even make it more fun for them. Great toy---about time Lego!!

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Comment on LEGO Friends City Park Café 3061 by Beki

Beki — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:42:30 +0000

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

Lego is getting it right, January 2, 2012

Beki -

= Durability: = Fun: = Educational:

This review is from: LEGO Friends City Park Café 3061 (Toy)

This is a very good set and has very many details.I would not expect someone who is not very experienced with lego building to be able to build this by themselves because the stickers/decals can be difficult to put on and the roof can be difficult to snap onto the rest of the structure. over all this is a nice set and it is nice to see sets that are more appealing to girls and don't worry regurlar minifigures fit fine in the cafe.

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