LeapFrog Didj Custom Learning Gaming System
With games that reinforce skills like math and spelling, the LeapFrog DIDJ is a custom gaming system that parents won’t mind seeing their children spending their afternoons with. Using your computer and the LEAPFROG Connect application, games can be customized to provide all kinds of learning opportunities for all kids between the ages of six to ten.
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What We Think
Fun Factor: 
Durability:
(what this means)
The Good: Entertaining, interactive system with educational games.
The Bad: The computer interface takes a little getting used to.
In a Nutshell: Customizable digital characters and worlds make learning fun. |
At a Glance
Ages: 6 to 10
Requires: Four AA batteries and a computer with an Internet connection for set up. |
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Making the DIDJ Your Own
Before kids start creating, an adult will want to install four AA batteries (not included) in the DIDJ and set up the system. A convenient product guide pamphlet walks you through the necessary set-up tasks. This process involves installing the LEAPFROG Connect application onto your computer and transferring the included game, JetPack Heroes, onto the handheld DIDJ with a USB cable (included).
Before you close the software down, kids will want to create their own custom avatars using the Didjerator. With a huge color palette to utilize, and the ability to make your avatar a robot with vampire fangs or dress it in a tuxedo with sneakers, it may take awhile to get each character perfect. Once this is done, the avatars can be downloaded to the handset and are available to play in any game that uses Didji characters.
Fun, Customizable Way to Learn
The included game, JetPack Heroes, stars your favorite character in a fight against the villain Gooracha. Players use math skills to free the energy buddies they have captured and provide light and life for the entire planet. Quick fingers control the hero’s jet pack and gun that is used to navigate the erratic landscape and stop enemy goons in between answering addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems.
Additional games that develop skills like vocabulary and spelling are available. One enticing feature of the interactive software is that points that are earned while playing, called Bitz, can be uploaded to your computer and then traded in for micromods, game updates such as new spaceships, backgrounds, or music.
Interactive Education
Overall, we had a great time creating our own characters and immersing ourselves in DIDJ worlds. The computer interface was clearly designed with young computer users in mind, which makes it easy to navigate. Several point and click menus put a wide variety of tools at your fingertips.
One cool interactive feature is the learning path. After game information is uploaded from the handset, parents can follow a link in the connect software to see their children’s progress, making it easy to track success.
Kids are sure to enjoy studying for tests when they can set the DIDJ to use their own math facts and spelling words, making this unique system a great investment.
What’s in the Box
Didj, USB cable, and CD with LEAPFROG connect computer application, which includes one game.
PC Requirements:
Windows XP or Windows Vista operating system
Pentium III 500 MHz processor
Monitor resolution of at least 1024 X 768
Available USB port
256 MB of RAM (512 MB recommended)
300 MB free disk space
Internet connection
Microsoft Internet Explorer version 6 or higher
CD reader
Mac Requirements:
Mac OS X 10.4+
PPC G4 or any Intel-based Apple computer
Monitor resolution of at least 1024 X 768
Available USB port
256 MB of RAM (512 MB recommended)
300 MB free disk space
Internet connection
Safari application
CD reader
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars FINALLY, A LEARNING GAME THAT IS AS MUCH FUN AS NINTENDO DS LITE
Finally, a learning game hand held system that is as much fun, if not more fun, than the Nintendo DS Lite. Santa brought my daughter a Nintendo DS lite with many games this past Christmas. I had just sold her Leapster hand held since she out grew it. However, I was not impressed w/ the DS as I could not find any good learning games. I came across an excellent deal on the Diji. I had her test it out of a few weeks, and as luck would have it, she choose the Diji over the DS. I am now selling the DS Lite and buying her more learning games for the DIJI.
So, that was the pro’s…there are a couple of cons on this system
* Not a touch screen like the leapser. This was a huge drawback since the Leapster had touch screen and the DS Lite had a touch screen
* Does not have battery that is rechargable like the leapster. Have to keep buying batteries or purchase the rechargable ‘AA’s
* The buttons are loud when pressed (the clicking sound the button makes when pressed)
* Kind of clumsy to hold
That’s about it. Hope this helps in making your decision
1 Star Barely educational, rife with technical problems.
We got this as a gift for our six-year-old son after he outgrew his Leapster (which is a great product, but that’s a different review). As I type this review, the device is downloading yet another update after giving me its almost daily “your Didj needs a tune-up” message. As other reviewers have remarked, once the Didj decides it needs a tune-up, it can’t be used until it gets connected to a computer. Heaven forfend that we should actually bring this thing on a weekend trip – I’m sure that an hour or two into the journey, the device would become little more than a paperweight until we could get back home.
The Didj is a battery hog (luckily the AC adapter we had from the Leapster works). The games themselves are nothing to write home about, either. They have some educational value, but for the most part they’re just standard video games which stop once in a while for a group of math problems.
It’s such a shame, since the Leapster was (and is) such a great device. I truly wish that we had just purchased a Nintendo DS rather than the Didj. Even the clearance aisle at Wal-Mart failed to make this toy a good value.
5 Stars Have You Met the Didj?
Have you met the Didj? I was asked to try out this great invention last Fall and from the moment it came out of the package my kids were hooked! They were amazed at how much it `looked’ like other video game systems and surprised at how good the graphics were for a LeapFrog (AKA kid’s game).
My husband quickly installed the Learning Path program and made an individualized site to track each kid’s progress. It must have been successful because now every time my kids play their games and upload to the site I get a personalized email that shows their strengths and weaknesses in their age brackets. I love this feature!
Something else I particularly love is that in order to progress through the levels in each game, the kids must accomplish whatever learning goal (math, spelling, etc.) is set before them before moving forward. This is a great incentive for them to do well! The system also allows them to use their points on their site to earn new characters and accessories.
So, you understand why I love this game system… but there is more! It is an award winner!
Parenting Magazine – Mom-Tested Toys of the Year Award 2008
Parents Magazine – Best Toys of the Year Award 2008
My top three recommended Didj games:
1. LeapFrog: Didj Custom Gaming System: Indiana Jones for Ages 7-10
Did your kindergartener or first grader come to you last year begging to see Indiana Jones? Both of mine did, but let’s face it, not all movies fall into their maturity level. The Indiana Jones game on the other hand is all adventure without any of the adult content.
This is a math game and they will be learning addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
2. LeapFrog: Didj Custom Gaming System: Star Wars, The Clone Wars for Ages 6-9
Star Wars…where do I begin? I mentioned “Star Wars Crafts” one time on one of my blogs and the traffic from that phrase has been unlike anything else that I have ever spoken about. I am amazed at how popular the series is three decades later. This game is no exception. My boys love it and begged for me to buy it the second it hit the shelves. It has been played so many times that I cannot believe it has lasted this long. Best feature of the Didj when this is played for hours on end? The volume button that shuts off. (You would think that for a woman that spent her early years wanting to be Princess Leia I would be more tolerant.)
Another great math game: Decimals, percentages, place value, shapes, and fractions.
3. LeapFrog: Didj Custom Gaming System: Spongebob, Fists of Foam for Ages 6-9
Okay, I was a skeptic too…but this game was soooo worth it. Like the math list above for the Star Wars game? This game has the same list, but appeals to those SpongeBob enthusiasts. My 5 year old loves this game and is excelling in her math practice well above her grade level. Yes, it is silly. Yes, it is nonsense. But they love it! They love it so much that on Saturdays when they have free video game playing the Didj is always in use. They have no idea how much they are learning on their day off. And I won’t tell.
1 Star caveat emptor – buyer beware
Being a fan of the Leaspter I was keen to get the Didj for my son now that he is older. Big mistake. As others have said, the unit continually shuts off in the middle of the game for no apparent reason. Phone up Leapfrog and they blame the cartridges (this has happened on at least the Sonic game and the Star Wars game but may have happened on others too). Get the information to reset the profile which I do, works for a couple of minutes and then the games freezes in mid-play. Try to start again and just keep getting a message to reinsert the cartridge and restart the Didj. Give up after several attempts with the same message appearing. I bought the Didj as an educational alternative to the Nintendo DS which seems to be limited when it comes to both fun and educational games. The Didj toy is fun and educational on the occasions when it is working properly but extremely frustrating when it constantly malfunctions, be it the fault of the cartridge or the game unit. Leapfrog maintain that is is the cartridges, but then a number of times it has stopped working and I have had to take out the batteries and re-insert them to get it to work again, suggesting an overheating and/or connection problem with the wiring. Took me three phonecalls to get what I wanted, a replacement unit, so if you are having issues with Leapfrog be blunt and tell them that is what you expect otherwise they will try and fob you off time and time again. Not convinced that a replacement will acheive a fix given the number of poor reviews about this product. Leapfrog need to improve their customer service experience and product if they wish to compete with Nintendo. At the moment they are trailing badly. Given the number of identical poor reviews regarding the faults of this product and Leapfrog’s reluctance to do anything about this, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a Class Action case taken against them sometime in the future. By the way, the only reason that I give a rating to this at all is because I have to, otherwise it wouldn’t have got any.
5 Stars great product
great product.
I love the fact that you can have your child progress emailed to you and that you can see how many hours they spent and the problem they may or may not have with specific subject areas.
Had a few problems getting the free game and installing the connect on the computer. You have to install the free game it does not come pre installed.
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