LeapFrog® Didj Custom Learning Gaming System
- First-ever gaming handheld that connects to the computer so kids can customize both gaming and learning.
- Totally customized gaming: Kids customize their characters, backgrounds, animation, music and more!
- Truly customized learning: sync the games to skills your child is studying in school.
- Library of games featuring favorite characters from SpongeBob SquarePants, Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Included and additional games teach skills in a range of subjects, such as language arts, spelling, math and math facts.
- Appropriate for ages 6 years to 10 years.
Product Description
Introducing Didj, the all-new gaming system featuring totally thrilling gaming and truly customized learning. It's the first-ever gaming handheld that lets you customize both learning and gaming. Just connect it to your computer to play action-packed games and sharpen your skills as you study what you need for school. Earn points as you play; then trade them for cool downloads to make each game your own. Expand your learning experience with a software library full of your favorite characters and themes. Software sold separately. Requires 4 "AA" batteries, not included.
Amazon.com Review
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. 
View larger. |  |  | 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.
|  | | 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
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Click on Product Listings for Details!
LeapFrog® Didj Custom Learning Gaming System
- Toy: 0 pages (2008-07-08)
- Publisher: LeapFrog
- Label: LeapFrog
- Studio: LeapFrog
- Manufacturers Age: 6 years and up
- Average Customer Review:
 based on 16 reviews
- Sales Rank in Toys: #489
Avg. Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Summary: Jury is still out 2008-11-17
Comment: I bought this as a step up for our son, who has had a Leapster and a Leapster LMax. He says he likes it, but I note less enthusiasm than for his previous Leapster and LMax.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Summary: RUN don't walk to get a Didj this holiday season 2008-11-12
Comment: I can't say enough about the Didj. I had been successfully avoiding any kind of gaming system for my kids, figuring it would just be one more thing to regulate. My 8 year old son sold me on the didg just before we were planning an international trip - i figured that even if it wasn't truly 'educational', it would at least keep him busy for some part of the journey. I grossly underestimated the power of the didg....my son was immediately hooked, but not in that glassy-eyed, mouth breathing gamer way. He was truly engaged and learning and interested. Even his 11 year old sister had to admit that it was pretty awesome. I couldn't be happier with it - and at the price point it is a ridiculous steal. A great holiday gift!
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
Summary: Great Concept, Poor Execution 2008-11-04
Comment: This is a great concept but poorly executed by Leapfrog. It appears to have not been fully tested and rushed to market.
First, the gaming unit worked great. The sync process went smoothly and we read all the directions. I thought we were in the clear and then the issues started creeping up. The first issue was the constant shut down of the Sponge-bob game at random times. Still don't know what that was all about. Before we could figure that out the unit would no longer sync to the computer. A huge disappointment to me and my son. So started my quest to fix the problem. I typed in the problem via Leapfrog's support system and started a nearly 5 week journey to find and fix the problem. After nearly daily emails and testing we were told to return the unit for a refund. ARGH. I plan to do so soon and will be getting a DS. I am just too scared to go through this much trouble again.
Other issues:
The recharger was already recalled due to an overheat burn hazard (Sweet, will get my money back but yet another hassle)
The case is very flimsy, doesn't stay closed well and will not fit the unit with the jelly skin. Huge oversight on Leapfrog's part. We bought the case for general protection when not in use and for travel, and the jelly for protection when in use. Oh and you cannot play the game unit while in the hard case.
Finally, the skins or customizable static decals that come with the jelly did not stay on long at all and were useless in a few days.
I wish this had worked out better. I was so please at first that I bought one for my daughter which has been sent back.
Hopefully all these issues will get worked out.
Leapfrog really missed the boat with this and has certainly lost my business.
If you buy the unit. Keep your receipt. There is a 90 day guarantee!
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
Summary: Leap frog Must fix the bugs before putting it on the market!! 2008-10-18
Comment: I have never been so frustrated with a product in my life. The product is a wonderful idea and my kids do love it. However, as a parent, I wanted to use the customization feature so I could help my children with their skills one step at a time. This feature is an impossible tool. Their website is disorganized as well as it just simply does not work. You get error after error with an apology. The apology is no good if they do not fix the problem. I really believe that this was a cheaply designed product. The connect feature is one of the main selling points and it leaves a lot to be desired. My recommendation is to wait a year before buying until they have sorted all of this out. It could potentially be a wonderful product.
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
Summary: Good...in theory 2008-10-13
Comment: This is a good toy in theory. As a homeschooling mom, I was looking forward to an educational game that can track my children's learning. Unfortunately, ever since I purchased it, I have had to deal with bugs from the Leapfrog system. From something as simple as the fact that the program needed, Leapfrog Connect, would not install on my brand new computer. All I kept getting was that my computer did not meet system requirements. Leapfrog was no help. I finally discovered it was because my screen resolution was wrong according to Leapfrog Connect. Really. It runs just fine on my normal resolution but I had to go back and reset it to install. Ridiculous.
Second, the Leapfrog site kept bouncing back my registration and when it finally accepted it, it bounced back my login.
When I finally got on, I linked everything. It was great. Then the next time I logged on, everything was gone. So I created another "footprint". The third time I logged on, it was all back...now I have duplicate footprints and no way to delete them. Today I logged on and the footprints are there, but the links to the games are gone.
Leapfrog answers my queries, normally there's no real solution though. I am just frustrated with all of these bugs for a children's product. I could put together an Ikea bedroom set faster than it has taken to deal with all these issues. Oh, and my son has earned learning points...and Leapfrog has yet to set up the reward system as advertised.
This has a potential to be a great product for keeping tabs on your child's learning while s/he has fun. It's the waiting for them to get the bugs fixed (which should have been done before the system went on the market) that brings this system down from great to ok. I feel like I have the children's version of Windows Vista in my hands.
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