They can navigate the menus and play most games with the buttons, or by touching the screen with a finger or the built-in pen attached to the L-MAX with a sturdy string, so it can't get lost - good thinking. The pen itself has been greatly improved. There's no foam padding, unlike the Leapster which had a foam sleeve that disintegrated within a few weeks. The tip of the L-MAX pen is spring-loaded so that it won't mark the screen if a youngster gets a bit carried away and presses too hard.
And there's now a click-button to activate the pen after it is pressed against the screen when playing games on a big screen more on that in a moment. This little innovation makes the pen much easier to use for those still mastering hand-eye co-ordination, since they can set the pen on the screen where then want it and then click instead of waving a "live" pen tip around.
Like its predecessor, the L-MAX hardware is beefy enough to take pretty much anything a child in the four-to-eight-year-old age range can throw at it which includes, of course, throwing it. After being at the tender mercies of two youngsters for several weeks, as well as going on a couple of long road trips where it bounced around the footwell while not in use, the L-MAX continued to work fine - impressive, to say the least.
As I said in the original Leapster review, hardware companies should build notebook computers like this. The original Leapster is quite large and a little on the heavy side, which posed problems for younger children who have tiny hands. The new L-MAX is about one-quarter smaller and it's lighter. It fits very nicely in a child's hands, and the button layout is well thought out.
The controls are all where a child's hands naturally fall when holding the device. There are nice ease-of-use touches, too. For example, the game's "voice" will prompt the child with instructions about what to do next if it doesn't sense any activity. In other words, kids can just pick up the L-MAX and play - you don't have to resort to the manual to get things going.
The one down-side to the redesign is the screen, which is nearly an inch smaller in both length and height than the original. It's still usable, but for young children in particular who are interacting with a touchscreen, it's better to keep the screen as large as possible. Leapfrog's designers sacrificed some ease-of-use here in favour of portability.
The overall controls are still dead easy, though, and the child can adjust things like the screen contrast settings without adult help. Unfortunately, Leapfrog didn't address the biggest display issue: Brightness. The detail levels are good, but the Leapster had quite a dim screen probably due in large part to the touch-sensitive overlay , and the L-MAX hasn't made a noticeable improvement in this area. It works fine on the brightest screen setting in regular room light, but forget using it in sunlight.
To play on a road trip in the daytime, for example, one of my sons ended up putting a towel over his head and the game to shade the screen so that he could see it.
While the screen changes don't win Leapfrog any glowing accolades, the new TV-out port does. Disney Princess 1 Items 1. Dora the Explorer 3 Items 3. Madagascar 7 Items 7. Scooby-Doo 1 Items 1. Spider-Man 3 Items 3. SpongeBob SquarePants 8 Items 8. Not Specified 34 Items Shop For.
Kids 50 Items Age Level. Not Specified 31 Items LeapFrog 57 Items Not Specified 1 Items 1. New 5 Items 5. Used 53 Items Please provide a valid price range. I would recommend the recharger available separately, this thing eats batteries. I like the size of this product but compared to the leap pad and leap pad jr. The window is small and dark at side angles when not looking directly at it.
My daughter got one of these this past summer and she never plays the separate game.. She mostly plays the paint game that comes with the leapster. It would be better if there was a place to store the games. Also, the flap that protects the window comes off easy and is in the way. Ours is lost. Its supposed to snap in place in the back but then you cant hold the leapster without it unsnapping. Very annoying. One more thing I dont like about it is that it has a lot of commercials in it for other games.
It would be cool if there was a mini activity for each commercial but there isnt. What I do like about it though is that its small and easy to travel. My daughter plays it all the time and loves the paint game. I like the fact that it has a volume on it as well. Either way, I like her old leap pad jr. Much more fun for the onlookers too.
We currently have 2 of these as well as tons of cartirdges to go with them. The leapster is useable for preschoolers through upper elementary.
The games can be expensive but they are worth it. I'd rather add to a toy my children already have and love than spend money on things I don't know how long my kids will care about them. Big time important thing we found with this toy is that it uses tons of batteries so be sure to get the charging system with it right from the start. View more learning toys. Other Learning Toys: Average: 4.
Write a Review. ETomihiro Winston Salem, NC We debated getting this for our child who was turning three years old at the time, he is four now. Thresha Ocklawaha, FL The Leapster was a gift to our child from my sister-in-law who has 2 children - one older and one younger than ours. LeapFrog 2.
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