My oldest will turn 3 in January and we’re thinking about getting her some sort of learning system for either Christmas or birthday. Any thoughts as to the various benefits/drawbacks of the VTech gaming system versus one of the LeapFrog system?
I bought my son a leapfrog last year (he’ll be five this year) and he loves it. I play with him sometimes, and other times he sits near me and plays on his own with the ‘drawing’ thing or the jumping rabbit… or (his favourite) Cars.
There was a thread on it last year with lots of info right here
Thanks for the info and the old thread! Hopefully Miller will stop by with updated information. I’m now particularly interested in the differences between the Leapset L-Max and the Click Start systems.
Hey, Zakalwe. I’ve never used a V-tech system, so I don’t know how it compares to a Leapster, although I am contractually obligated to tell you that V-tech kills a kitten for every unit they ship, so please take that into account in your decision on which system to purchase.
Now, as to ClickStart versus an L-Max: I’d reccommend the L-Max. They’re both good systems, but the L-Max has a larger variety of available titles. The L-Max is part of the Leapster series of handheld units, and is compatable with all Leapster games. The L-Max is also portable, while the ClickStart has to be attached to a television. The ClickStart is designed as sort of a “starter computer,” though, and is a good way to give your kid a leg up on computer literacy.
If you’re leaning towards an L-Max, you might want to consider the Leapster 2. The L2 can’t be hooked up to your TV, but I’ve never been particularly impressed by that functionality - Leapster graphics just don’t scale all that well when blown up to TV size. Instead, you get a pretty impressive suite of on-line features, including downloadable rewards for doing well in the game, and an online enviroment that tracks your kid’s progress in the games he’s played, and which can help identify areas in which he needs additional help. Like the L-Max, the Leapster 2 is completely backwards compatible, so any Leapster game will work on your new handheld.
Miller, Thanks for the quick response! We were indeed thinking that the TV connectivity was a big plus, thanks for the insider info! So the Click Start can’t play Leapster games? Interesting.
How does the L2 connect to the 'Net? Wirelessly or via connection through a PC?
One of the reasons I was leaning away from the Click Start is the keyboard. At this age, I’d rather my daughter had to learn to write the letters/numbers rather than finding them on a keyboard.
You need to install an application on your PC or Mac, then connect the Leapster to the PC via a USB cable.
Leapster’s definitly the way to go, then. There’re a lot of games that use the touch screen to teach writing letters and numbers. Pet Pals and Mr. Pencil are two of the more popular titles that have that sort of content.
Just to jump in with a plug, my kids love their Leapsters. My 7-year old wants to move to a Game Boy Advance or DS, but we want them to have learning games, so we’re sticking with the Leapster. My 4-year old loves it. Math, reading, puzzle solving, they love it all.
Favorite games: Batman Strength in Numbers, Go Diego Go, Math Missions, Get Puzzled
I’m thinking of getting the older one Star Wars Jedi Math this year to distract him from his DS quest.