Review: LeapFrog Didj Gaming Handheld

Written on Dec 22, 2008 by Steve and filed under LeapFrog, Reviews

The LeapFrog Didj handheld gaming device is targeted at children from ages six to ten.  It’s more younger-child-friendly, and has more educational potential than a Nintendo DS.  Not only is the device itself engaging for children, parents can get involved too.  By using the LeapFrog Connect software, the parents can customize the skills that the games present to kids and they can track their child’s progress.

The Didj System

The handheld hardware is designed well for children.  It’s a little chunky and has easy to use controls.  The device measures about 6.5 inches wide, by 4.125 inches tall, by 1.25 inches deep.  It’s powered by 4 AA batteries in two compartments that double as handgrips.  As optional accessories, you can also get carrying cases, interchangeable faceplates, an AC adapter, and a charging dock for the system.

The Didj has a 3.2″ LCD that can display 16.7 million colors with a resolution of 320×240 pixels.  This screen is a step above the Leapster, but less than what you’d find in a PSP or Nintendo DS.  For the games created for the Didj, the screen is just right.

Internally, an ARM 933 MHz processor handles all of the processing needed to play games with simple 3D graphics and full audio.  There is 32MB of RAM and 256MB of flash memory, the latter of which is used to store data, like downloads and profile information.  The games (except for the built-in Jetpack Heroes game) come on 64MB cartridges that plug into the top of the device.

The front of the Didj has a 4 direction D-pad, pause button, home button, A and B buttons and a help button.  On the left side of the device is a button to adjust the display brightness.  On the right side is the power slider and volume slider.  On the top edge are “L” and “R” buttons, along with the USB connection jack and game cartridge slot.  The bottom edge has a headphone jack and jack to plug in the optional AC adapter.

Battery life was very good.  According to the online tracking, there were just about 7 hours of games played on the device before we had to change the batteries.  You can probably add another 30-45 minutes on to that, with that the device was on, but not actively playing a game.

The Didj has excellent build quality.  It feels very solid and can handle the rigors brought upon it by early elementary age kids.  The controls are laid out well for children (and adults, actually).  One minor issue that I ran into a couple times was that the “A” button would get caught in the depressed position under the faceplate.  It was simple enough to fix, by just pushing the button to the side a bit, but it was surprising the first time that it happened.  Regardless, overall construction is good.  A carrying case is probably a good investment as it will protect the screen, which is certainly the most vulnerable (and probably most important) part of the device.

Jetpack Heroes – Your First Didj Game

Fortunately, the Didj comes with a game already, so you don’t have to make any game investments right off the bat.  To get things set up to play Jetpack Heroes, you have to install the LeapFrog Connect application on your computer first.  Once you install that, and connect the Didj to your computer, the game is downloaded and copied to the Didj.  This process, which gets a game installed, also serves to get the Didj setup with player profiles (name, age, grade).  The profile can then be linked to a child in your secure online account so that usage and progress can be tracked by parents.

Jetpack Heroes is a pretty simple side-scrolling type console game.  Your character (the Didji of your choice) walks and flies (with its jetpack) around each level picking up items.  The goal of the game is to free Energy Buddies who have been rounded up and imprisoned by the evil villian, Gooracha.  The Energy Buddies are trapped in energy bubbles.  To disable the bubbles, you must answer math questions.  The game is aimed at exercising math skills for first through fourth graders: one and two-digit addition/subtraction and basic division and multiplication.

As you progress through the game, the math questions automatically adjust for your learning level.  You also gain Bitz and Badges that can be “spent” on Micromods.  Micromods are ways to customize your game.  In Jetpack Heroes, you can acquire new “Moods”, which are essentially themes for how the game looks, and Keys, which give you access to new, hidden areas within the game.  These Micromods are purchased via the LeapFrog Connect software and transferred to the Didj.  This software (described in more detail below), also lets you tweak the types of educational content as well as tracking your child’s progress through the game.

Overall, the game is a great place to start, however it may not engage every child for too long.  While each level gets successively more difficult, it’s pretty much the same level all the way through.  Fly around, avoid the obstacles, avoid (or shoot) the enemies, collect items and let the Energy Buddies out.  Another thing that may be frustrating for some is that there is no “save game” feature.  You have to start at Level 1 each time.

LeapFrog Connect and the Didj

A significant part of the complete functionality of the Didj system is the LeapFrog Connect software.  Once installed to your computer, you use it for customizing games, creating Didjis, guiding your child’s in-game learning, and tracking their progress.

During gameplay, your child will earn Bitz and Badges from in-game accomplishments.  The accumulated Bitz can be spent on Micromods, which vary by game.  In Jetpack Heroes, you can change themes and buy keys.  In the Hannah Montana game, you can spend Bitz on game animations, game art, and additional game audio.

Leapfrog Connect is also where you (or your child) can create a Didji of their choice – by using the Didjerator.  A Didji is the avatar that lives on your Didj. There are 10 slots on the device to store Didjis.  You can customize colors, hair styles, accessories, eyes, and the sounds that they make.

Finally, and this is for parents, you can use the Skill Selector to tweak the exact skills tested.  For example, if your child has problems with multiplication of 6′s, then you can select that skill to be used in-game.  If you want to put in your child’s weekly spelling words (on a spelling-capable game), then you can do that as well.  It’s as easy as selecting the checkboxes of the desired skills and transferring your selections to the Didj.

The LeapFrog Connect application also takes care of uploading progress data to your LeapFrog account where you can check in on the details of your child’s progress.  You can see statistics like amount of time played, number of questions answered correctly, and where your child is on their Learning Path.

Overall, having a connected game is a great feature as the parent can play an active role in their child’s learning process.  The LeapFrog Connect software is very effective in being interesting to kids (the Didjerator) and giving parents tools they can use.  Now, that doesn’t say I don’t have my annoyances with the software.  LeapFrog Connect loads a lot of data from the Internet, so the application itself can be sluggish if it’s busy downloading content or syncing data to your device.  The upside of having such a connected program, however, is that the information in the application is up to date.

Bottom Line

The combination of the LeapFrog Didj handheld and the LeapFrog Connect software provide an excellent “edutainment” product for kids aged 6-10 years old.  There is no denying that kids love video games – my 6-year-old could spend hours playing the included JetPack Heroes game.  The Didj handheld is built well for use by kids and has great battery life, good-enough graphics, and easy controls.  The connected software gives kids a chance to customize their games and gives parents an excellent way to customize learning and track your child’s progress.

4.5 out of 5 stars – Editors Choice

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