We got this for my son for his birthday as he had been begging for a DS like his older brother has. We already had experience with getting a DS for his older brother when he was too young for it and didn't want to do that again, so we went the Leapster route.
Many reviewers have talked about battery life and I started out by buying 4 Tescos Extra-life rechargeable batteries plus the 2 metre long European Mains adapter (we live in Central Europe). That worked fine, though, in the end (and as a result of a five-year old's desperate need to keep moving) having 8 rechargeable batteries on rotation has worked better than the mains adapter, which is now gathering dust as an emergency back-up should it be needed.
The toy loses a star for the stupidly difficult to set up Explorer Connect systems that is badly thought out in the set-up stages and would not work at all with my old Windows XP SP3 laptop and only worked through my wife's Windows 7 computer. That was a very frustrating birthday evening and it might be wise to open the box and set the whole thing up before hand if you are planning to give this as a present.
| Product Dimensions | 14.99 x 35.56 x 2.54 cm; 6.35 Kilograms |
|---|---|
| Batteries | 4 AA batteries required. |
| Manufacturer recommended age | 4 - 9 years |
| Item model number | 80-39100E |
| Educational Objective(s) | Numeracy, Literacy & Spacial Awareness |
| Language: | English |
| Number of Game Players | 1 |
| Number of pieces | 1 |
| Assembly Required | No |
| Batteries Required? | Yes |
| Batteries included? | No |
| Material Type(s) | Plastic |
| Material Composition | An estimate of 82% Plastic 18% Paper (This is an estimate only and the individual weights are available on request) |
| Remote Control Included? | No |
| Color | Green |
| Release date | 25 July 2010 |
| Mfg Recommended age | 4 - 9 years |
| ASIN | B0038APBDA |