Still, he's got quite a few favorite games on the LeapPad, including a Scooby Doo game that teaches spelling at a speed and level that he enjoys and matches the words that he's learning in school. I still have to occasionally put on my referee hat when the two boys both want to play with the LeapPad (and this is typically only when one of them picks up the tablet in front of the other), but the squabbles really slowed down once my 5-year-old gained proficiency with the more advanced Nabi tablet. I've lost one of the back panels that covers two of the four batteries, but despite numerous drops, spills, and bumps (against sides of tables, cars, and heads), that little tablet has held up nicely. I'm happy to report that now, a year later, that LeapPad is still going strong and in the hands of my 2-year-old. LeapFrog also sells other accessories, like the LeapFrog LeapPad2 Recharger Pack ($39.99 list).Last year I wrote about my (then) 4-year-old son's experiences with LeapFrog's take on the tablet – the LeapPad. That is a good thing, because each gaming cartridge costs on average about $24.99 (list). Matthew, my four-year-old tester, was able to use the NFLRush Zone and Ben 10 gaming cartridges that we had bought with the LeapFrog Leapster Explorer.
#Leapster leappad 2 games upgrade#
Parents considering an upgrade from the original LeapPad or even the LeapFrog Explorer will be happy to know that the LeapPad2 uses the same cartridges. The processor has been beefed up, running at 550MHz, compared with the 393MHz CPU of the LeapPad. At 4GB, the LeapPad2 has double the built-in storage of the LeapPad and the InnoTab2, though the InnoTab2 has an SD slot that can take up to a 32GB SD card for additional storage. There are even more changes on the inside. The stylus can be still be stowed magnetically in a slot in the top right side of the LeapPad, but trust me when I say, use the string. There are now two thin bars on the side of the device (one near the top, one near the bottom) to tie the string attached to the stylus, depending on whether the user is left- or right-handed. In comparison, the VTech InnoTab 2 (stay tuned for the review) has a single photo/video camera at the top of the device, when held in portrait mode, which pivots from back to front. The first big change is the addition of a front-facing photo/video camera to augment the existing rear-facing camera. Centered underneath the screen is a toggle button.īut all is not identical. There is a small home button at the bottom right of the screen, which gets you back to the main menu, and volume controls located to the right of the screen. There's also a standard 3.5mm headphone jack at the top of the device, to the left of the game cartridge slot, and a mini USB port next to the cartridge slot (a USB cable is bundled with the system). The tiny power button lies on the left side of the screen. Even the locations of the controls around the screen remain the same. The LeapPad2 still features the same 480-by-720-pixel, 5-inch TFT display. Like its predecessor, it comes in both green and pink, though the latest iteration changes up the color schemes with a metallic finish that unfortunately showed a bit more wear (read: scuffing). The LeapPad2 measures approximately 5.2 by 7 by 1 inches (HWD), which is slightly wider and thicker than the LeapPad, and weighs about 1.7 pounds. Add to that a front-facing camera and a vast catalogue of downloadable games, videos, and apps, and you've got yourself another Editors' Choice winner for toy tablets.Īt first glance, there's not a lot to distinguish the LeapPad 2 from the original LeapPad. The newest iteration of the LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer jazzes up the color scheme, adds a faster processor, and doubles the memory of the original, all while staying at the same price point. This toy tablet comes with its own app platform, as well as a rugged design that can take a beating from the kiddie crowd. That's where the LeapFrog LeapPad2 Explorer comes in. So, in an effort to compromise without having to dip into his college fund, I thought of getting him a toy tablet. But I'm not happy crushing the dreams of my youngest. It ain't gonna happen, at least for the foreseeable future.
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