To be fair, we've only played with one cartridge game and three leaplets so far, but I am thoroughly disappointed in LeapFrog right now. I will come back and update the review if the next few cartridge games end up being incredible.
My biggest beef is with the built in advertising. First off, for every new user you create, the leapster goes through a minute long ad insidiously called the "connect movie" about playing online and downloading leaplets, telling the child "for your included game, ask your parents to connect your Leapster Explorer to your computer, now" and again at the end, "for great games and more on your Leapster Explorer, ask your parents to connect now." Gee, thanks LeapFrog, and since you only get one free game per toy, not per user, this isn't even accurate. Once you're done with that, you reach the main screen where your child can re-watch this "movie" as many times as they want by clicking what looks to be one of the game icons.
A second built in icon on the main screen really jumps out because the little pet you can create always starts out standing in front of it and it looks like a old movie reel. It's the first button my four year old taps each time she turns on the leapster. Guess what? Is it a game? No, of course not, it's just a bunch of trailers for different games and it looks like it's maybe going to be automatically updated with new trailers as new games come out. I'm guessing this because the narrator tells your child "It looks like you've got some new trailers to watch play away!" in a super excited voice. Back to the question of "is it a game", if you set the filter in the top left corner to only show games, the "connect movie" does disappear but the trailers icon stays. LeapFrog, if you're reading this, please correct this! LeapFrog might think this is a good business model but this kind of marketing to kids just makes me want to walk away from any future LeapFrog products.
As for the games themselves, my daughter so far seems to like the Mr. Pencil game. As for the leaplet games, I agree with another poster that you wouldn't pay more than $1.99 for an iPhone app of similar quality vs the $7.50 that each one costs. In my opinion, the leaplet game Wheel Works isn't even worth a penny. What a waste of money.
All of that being said, the screen clarity is amazing, the interface is easily navigated by my four year old, and LeapFrog has the potential for an amazing product here. That's why I'm giving it a 2 instead of a 1. They just need to respect the fact that we've already spent $70 on the toy and $75 on three more cartridges and $22 on three leaplet games and don't want our children to be marketed to directly to buy more on the darn toy that we've already put $150+ into.
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My 3 year old son got this about two months ago, I agree with other reviews that say this toy is amazing, better graphics, the screen sensitivity is higher and the kids are drawn by this new leapster explorer, you can download applications very similarly than on an Iphone and your kids gets to read books that are already out on TAG. However, there is no camera like they had said there would be, there are endless commercials every time your child turns on the leapster explorer and the games are less educational than those leapfrog currently has on the market for leapster 2. Furthermore, the leapster explorer is more expensive than the Leapster 2 and the games are too pricey for the little educational content they provide. Educationally wise Leapster 2 is still the best choice out there, why do I say this? Well if you compare the games of leapster 2 (which I own all of them), to the games available for leapster explorer you will come to the conclusion that leapster 2 games has much better content for children ages 4 -8, even the older games for plain first generation leapster are more educationally inclined than the leapster explorer ones. Vocabulary wise, reading wise, math wise and simply on every scholastic level they seem to have better examples, better skill development, and create a better foundation for skills that every child needs to develop later in their educational life (such as algebra, science, etc). The Leaspter 2 also has the benefit of fewer commercials or need to be buying new games to develop a new skill. My main concern with leapster explorer, it seems that leapfrog has decided to put their marketing and money making ambitions above learning expectations. The games are fun YES, the kids will love this toy YES, but your child will not learn as much as he or she would with the leapster 2. I understand that leapfrog is a business and they need to make money, but this new toy is targeted to make our children learn to ask and ask for the next game.
****Update: This toy breaks easily, my leapsters 2 are still working and running and I bought them over a year ago. But no, not my leapster explorers which were bought this june they are both now not working!!! One has a screen broken because my son dropped it (which happens with kids their age 4 and 3). The other is just not turning on at all. I called leapfrog and talked to several people from customer service and they told me to basically buy another one, the warranty doesn't cover it since its more than 90 days from the day of purchase. For such expensive toys I expected better warranty.
Best Deals for LeapFrog Leapster Explorer Learning Game System
UPDATE AUG 2012
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If you're looking for a LeapFrog game system,
you should really be looking at Leapfrog's latest consoles.
The LeapFrog LeapPad2 Explorer, Green. and the LeapFrog LeapsterGS Explorer.
I'd go for the LeapPad 2.
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UPDATE 30 AUG 2011:
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It has been almost a year since my last update on this review.
I'll try to keep it short. If/when I have some more time available I will update it a bit furhter.
For now the update is that the Explorer has provided many play/learn time for our son, but to be frank, his interest and focus has shifted more to the nintendo DS. He's also discovered games on the internet, PC, Wii, cellphones, smartphones, etc. etc.. But thankfully he's still interested in educational games (no matter what platform).
Anyway, we still think the Explorer is a great educational system, especially for kids 5 and younger. As they get older they'll discover other platforms, ... we can't hide it from them forever, but that's also probably a good thing, since they'll be growing up in a much more 'connected'-world.
Also if you are reading this, it's good to know that LeapFrog has recently (I believe it was this month, august 2011) made available a new system LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer Learning Tablet (green). I haven't research it yet. Probably won't be buying it (since our son is focused on other platforms right now), but I might research it when I have some time availbale. I've only read one review, which was pretty positive on it. If you are looking into LeapFrog systems you should probably check it out.
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UPDATE 3 OCT 2010:
It has been 3 months now and, so far so good. The Explorer is still going strong. Our son still enjoys playing with both systems (Leapster2 and Explorer). And we've now added LeapFrog Leapster Explorer Learning Game: eGlobe (Globe Earth Adventures) to the game collection.
Be aware that connecting the Explorer online the very 1st time will take about one hour! Connecting online is an add-on feature for if you want to go to LeapWorld or check the "learning path". If you have a cartridge game, you do not need to connect online to use it. You can just plug it in and use it. I've added a tip on connecting online at the end of the review (in order to keep this update brief).
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REVIEW 3 JUL 2010:
If you're currently looking for an educational handheld system for kids 4-9, then you should consider the Explorer. Let me start by saying I'm a fan of the Leapfrog concept (educational handheld system for young kids). So perhaps I'm a bit biased. But we are also honest, so if we don't like it, we'll say it. Our son got a Leapster L-Max Leapster L-Max Learning Game System when he was 4. He loved it and the games he has for it. Unfortunately the L-Max was not durable (you can check my review on it). We then got him a Leapster2 LeapFrog Leapster 2 Learning Game System Green just last january. The Leapster2 turned out to be much better and durable (you can check my review on it also).
And now Leapfrog has come out with the Leapster Explorer. I'm a bit disappointed and bothered by the fact that LeapFrog just brings out this completely new system, while we just got the Leapster2 six months ago. Still I've become such a fan of the concept I decided to get it anyway. Perhaps you can best check the Explorer, it's functionality and specs out at the LeapFrog site. You will find all specs and functionality there.
There are several games available for the Explorer, including: Toy Story 3, The penguins of Madagascar, Disney Princess, Ni Hao, Mr. Pencil, Sponge Bob, and Dora. Most are available on Amazon, otherwise check the Leapfrog site.
But be aware that the games for the Explorer, as the games for the Leapster2, are pricy. Twenty-five box each. (The Leapster2 games you can get at better prices now.) You need at least one game cartridge. And kids will want to switch games from time to time. You won't need a ton of games but a collection of 3 or 4 games will be nice. For example we have a collection of 6 games for the Leapster2 (collected over a period of 1,5 year). Two he got as a present (thankfully), three we bought, and one we downloaded (free) from Leapfrog. He likes them all, and offers him plenty of variety.
In any case, if you're getting a handheld educational system, remember that you'll need to get a few game cartridges. Consider the cost of the Explorer plus one initial game cartridge. And then be prepared to spend the cost of another game or two in the near future. Be prepared to spend/invest this amount, otherwise your kid(s), and you as a parent, will be greatly disappointed.
What also helped us in justifying the investment in LeapFrog system, is that we rather have our son playing with an educational system, than with mindless addictive game systems, which there are so many around. At least with LeapFrog he's learning.
Another advice I can provide is to get the rechargeable system LeapFrog Leapster Explorer Recharger , or get rechargeable batteries!!! Really,.... this will save you a LOT of money on batteries. LeapFrog does not recommend using rechargeable batteries, but advertise to use their rechargeable system. I don't understand why. They claim normal rechargeable batteries will not work well with the system. But we use Duracell Value Charger With 4AA Pre Charged Rechargeable Nimh Batteries, CEF14DX4N (they are less expensive than the LeapFrog recharge system), and they work just fine for us. But no matter which option you choose, either one will SAVE you money!
Another tip might be, if you're planning a long trip/travel with the kids in the near future, then maybe you want to wait till just before your trip to get the system. It might be an idea to include it in your budget for your trip/vacation. We got our first LeapFrog system (the L-Max) just prior to a vacation with a long flight. We were so happy we did. It provided a lot of entertainment for our son during the long flight. But also at airports, during long car rides, in malls, and at the hotel. Besides providing him with educational-entertainment, it also provided us with a lot of piece of mind, so we could enjoy the relaxing time during those long flights, car rides, and strolling through malls, till we got to where he could also enjoy the sights and/or vacation activities.
One other thing you need to know is that the games for the Leapster2 and the Explorer are NOT compatible. So the games for the Leaspter2 will not work with the Explorer. You will need to get new games for the Explorer. Apparently the games for the Didj LeapFrog® Didj Custom Learning Gaming System are compatible but you may loose some of the functionality of the games (at least that's what I'm reading). You would need to get new games for the Explorer. This must be a big disappointment for customers who already own one of the other Leapfrog systems (Leapster, L-Max, Leapster2 or Didj). I certainly was. But I decided to try it out anyway.
Beside the fact that the Leapster2 games are NOT compatible, we still do like the Leapster Explorer. It has ton of functionality and better specs than the Leapster2. Bigger and better screen, more memory and faster processor. You can also expand the Explore with a camera. You will have to buy the camera expansion separately though. So that's additional cost. Our son doesn't have a camera yet. So that maybe an option for the future, but for now we'll wait. Maybe over a couple of months or so.
I can't say yet which one our son likes most, the Explorer or the Leapster2. He is very happy with the Explorer. We bought the Toy Story 3 game with the system. It's perfect timing from LeapFrog. We just saw the Toy Story 3 at the movies. At our 5 year old enjoyed it and now he can play with the characters on the Explorer. These days he's playing the Explorer of course, but he's hasn't forgotten his Leapster2. After all he has six games with the Leapster2 and only one with the Explorer. I don't think he's aware of the better screen. He notices it's bigger, but he gets caught up in the games, so I don't think he really cares.
From a kid (4, 5 or 6 year) points of view, I don't think they really care for the better specs or more functionality. They probably just want to play the games. But parents will probably appreciate the better specs and the additional functionality.
We're happy he likes the Toy Story game, and doesn't bother much with the games on the system itself (yet). Nor does he bother with the 'trailer movie'. The pet game apparently requires you to connect to "buy", virtual food, and/or shampoo, but it's with virtual money, NOT real money. In any case,... I have little time to connect and go online for my son with the Explorer. Maybe when he's older. But for now, we just showed him how to get to where he can start a cartridge game. Just click to close the introduction,... and then you get to where you can choose cartridge game. It's pretty easy and straight forward, so our 5 year old has no trouble with this. This way you also skip the `trailer movie',... so he's not bothered with the ads, and reminders to connect and go online.
There's a whole virtual world online for the Explorer. I'm a bit uncertain yet of the virtual earning and spending of virtual money for kids in this virtual world. I'm thinking it can help with educating about earning, spending and saving. But you know,.. we can do that in the real world too. We always to this anyway already, when he sees advertisement on TV, or in stores (not only toy stores). Explaining what things costs, what costs more, what costs less, when something is needed, when it's nice to have etc. He usually understands. At times it's even an incentive for him to save in his treasure chest (piggy bank) to later buy something he really likes. Who knows, maybe it will help further in educating on earning, spending, saving ect. But as I said, for now, we won't be connecting a lot, so this is not an issue for us.
By the way, we do regulate our son to the use of the Leapster2, and now the Explorer. Or to any other game system. We do have an old Nintendo system at home, he likes to play that also a lot, but we keep that to a bare minimum. Once a week, an hour or so, or preferably even less, once a month (till he completely forgets about, ... you know,... "Mario".). As for the LeapFrog systems, even being educational system, we don't want him spending all his time on it. So we have a range of one to two hours a day. (Except when we are traveling or special occasions, then he's allowed to play longer if he wants.) We often also have him skipped a day or more. Sometimes even a week or two. There's plenty of other activities to do than just playing on a system.
We can't say anything on durability yet. We had a bad experience with the L-Max, but the Leapster2 was a success and very proofed to be durable. I expect the Explorer to be durable, simply because I think Leapfrog must have learned from experience now. In any case I will update this review should the need arise.
It is also good to know, that Leapfrog has a reasonable customer service. Check it on their website. If anything is wrong with your item, they will help, but you need to contact them and be prepared to be polite, persistent, and to have a lot of patience. For example, we were able to get a replacement for our L-Max. Although it took quite some e-mails to their customer support, they did come through at the end.
Be sure you keep the invoice of the item you buy in a safe place, (and remember where you put it). You will need it if you have to make use of the warranty.
Leapfrog currently has a warranty period of 3 months for all their products, which I think is a bit short. A warranty period of 6 months would give customers much more confidence, and would certainly help the customer in his/her buying decision. But as I mentioned, I expect LeapFrog to have learned from experience, so I hope and expect the Explorer to be at least as durable as the Leapster2. Time will tell.
I'm reading that the Explorer also might need calibration from time to time (just as the other Leapfrog systems). So if your Explorer suddenly appears not to be functioning, don't panic. Chances are you just need to recalibrate it. It's simple. Here are the steps. You can also find them on the Leapfrog support site.
Follow these steps to calibrate the Leapster Explorer screen:
-Turn power on.
-When the SIGN-IN menu appears, press the left D-pad and Hint button at the same time.
-This will give you the PARENT SETTINGS menu.
-Touch the crosshair icon with the stylus. A large crosshair icon will appear in the center of the screen.
-Touch this icon with the stylus and this will bring up the SCREEN CALIBRATION procedure.
-Touch each of the crosshairs (5 in all) with the stylus as they appear.
-Press the B button to exit as the calibration is completed.
I hope this is helpful information. Thanks for reading.
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TIP ADDED 3 OCT 2010 Going online:
The Explorer is pretty much plug-and-play. You don't need to connect it to your PC to play, or setup or synchronize. There's a basic setup the very first time, (name of kid) but that's all. After that it's just insert a cartridge, select and play.
As for connecting to your PC/internet, this is for when you want to go to the LeapFrog World, and also check out the "learning path". You do not need to connect to use the Explorer. As said, it's only when you want to connect to LeapFrog World and/or check the learning path.
Connecting the Explorer to the computer/internet the very 1st time will take about one hour!!! Install the connect software on your computer, follow the instructions, then connect the Explorer to your computer, then start the LeapFrog Connect program you just installed (make sure you are connected to the internet), and then... just let it be! Just wait for about one hour.
The reason it takes so long the 1st time, is because it needs to "synchronize". You may not get a message or sign telling you it's synchronizing,... so just give it an hour time. If you don't succeed, probably best to just contact the customer support.
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UPDATE 14 NOV 2010:
The, 'trailer/ad-movie' was never an issue for us,... if you are wondering,... it never was or became an issue for us,... because in our case, our son was/is more interested in the cartridge games. In the beginning he did asked a few times for this Pet game, ... but since I would have to help him with connecting ect,... and do not always have the time,... to help him out with this,..... and also because I was already not very found of the connect experience with the Leapster2,... (I think I've mentioned this somewhere in the review already)... Anyway, I explained to our son from the beginning that we would not be able to connect, to play this game. And we directed his attention to the cartridge games,... which he thankfully, likes sufficiently, not to bothered with the trailer movie, the pet game, or going online. He just clicks to close the introduction splash, and then selects the cartridge game icon, to play a cartridge game. So this issue never really bothered us, or our son.
That's it for my view on this aspect,...
To be honest, I can hardly imagine I'd be adding any more info on this review.
Ah well,...In any case, .... thanks for reading.
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Honest reviews on LeapFrog Leapster Explorer Learning Game System
UPDATE AUG 2012
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Check out Leapfrog's latest consoles.
The LeapFrog LeapPad2 Explorer, Green and the LeapFrog LeapsterGS Explorer.
I'd go for the LeapPad 2.
UPDATE 20 DEC 2011:
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The review below is from dec 2010. Back then, the price of the pink system, appeared much higher than that of the green one. It seems the price has been adapted later, not sure when. Now, dec 2011, I notice this pink system is actaully a bit lower than the green one (but the difference is much closer then what it was in dec 2010). In any case, apparently prices tend to fluctuate somewhat, so you may want to check the price.
By the way, for those interested in the more recent systems, LeapFrog has a more recent system (as of august 2011 I think). It's the LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer Learning Tablet (Green). I'm not familiar with the LeapPad, but you could check the reviews by other reviewers on it. But the Explorer is also still a very good system.
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REVIEW DEC 2010 ON PINK EXPLORER:
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This is a great eduactional game system but,.... did the price just go up (dec 1st 2010?), on both, the pink and green version??? LeapFrog Leapster Explorer Learning Game System (Green) Seems that way. I supose it has to do with the holidays.
A few points to consider:
1) This is a nice, very handy, and practical system to have if you are planning a long trip (great for long car trip, or airplane). Will keep kids entertained. It is both fun and educational. With a nice, and very bright screen.
2) But get at least one cartridge game to play with it from the start. The cartridge games are better, then going online to download games. Toy Story 3, Mr. Pencil, Dora are nice games to start with.
3) Keep in mind that the cartridge games are pricy ($25). You probably won't need to have a whole lot, but a set of 3 to 4 cartridge games, would be nice for the kids.
4) Check LeapFrog site for details, demo explorer, game titles, deals, etc.
5) Chances are you won't have any technical problems with the unit, but save your invoice anyway. You never know. You will need it if you have a technical problem with the unit. LeapFrog has a 3 month warranty period.
6) Connecting online is somewhat cumbersome and it's better to do this in a later stage when you have lot of time, and kids are already familiar with the unit.
7) Do not expect much from connecting online. I've done it a couple of times and personally I still find it quite cumbersome, and I don't really find it useful (yet). I don't like the online games either, nor do I have the time, to connect and have kids play online.
8) If your unit suddenly seems unresponsive, don't panic. Chance are your unit just need recalibration. Check the LeapFrog site (support tab) or contact there customer support (via the LeapFrog website)
9) Get rechargeable batteries. This will save you a lot of money on batteries.
10) This pink unit costs more then the green version. I have no idea why. Except the color, they are exactly the same. You may want to check the green version, unless you really really want/need the pink one.
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Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for LeapFrog Leapster Explorer Learning Game System
I got the Explorer for my daughter for Christmas. I didnt get it through amazon but I wanted to review the item. I took a few weeks reading reviews and checking stores to see which system I wanted. Either the leapster2 or the explorer. I finally decided on the explorer and Im so glad I did. My sister got the Leapster2 and the graphics are 100 times better on the explorer so I made a great choice. Just a tidbit in case anyone else is trying to decide between the 2. I got my daughter a few cartridge games and she loves all of them. Her favorite is between the Dora and Mr. Pencil. She plays this game all the time and shes learning while shes playing. We go through a ton of batteries though but I just got the recharging system so that will eliminate that problem. I think this game is a great learning toy. I'm so glad I purchased this item and my daughter tells me everytime she plays it that she loves it.
