Nintendo has always been known to produce games that are appropriate for young gamers with characters like Mario, with very little or no mature content. That’s why many parents choose the Nintendo DS over other portable consoles. Another gaming console is the Leapster Explorer. The main difference between them is their target audience. While the Nintendo DS is suitable for young kids, people of all ages play the console. The Leapster Explorer on the other hand, is meant for kids that are anywhere between 6 to 9 years old; kids much older than that would probably find the device boring.

The main focus of the Nintendo DS has always been entertaining the user of the device. On the other hand, the Leapster Explorer also aims to educate while entertaining. They do this by utilizing very popular cartoon characters like Dora the Explorer and the Penguins of Madagascar. Even if the games are not that fun, kids are more inclined to play and learn because of these characters.

Probably the biggest downside to the Leapster Explorer is the quite minimal number of games. There are only about 40 games for the Leapster Explorer compared to roughly a thousand games for the Nintendo DS; not including the Gameboy games that are compatible with some version of the DS.

In terms of the hardware, the two have a lot of differences between them but there are also similarities. Both devices employ touch screen displays but the DS has another screen that is not touch sensitive. The Leapster Explorer also uses game cartridges like some of the older versions of the DS.

Internet connectivity is quite essential for both devices as that is how they obtain updates and patches. But with the Leapster Explorer, advertisements that are aimed at children are also downloaded. Some parents may not appreciate the constant barrage of new things to buy every time their child plays with it. The Nintendo DS does not display advertisements by itself, although some games may include them .

Summary:

1. The Leapster Explorer is intended for much younger kids than the Nintendo DS
2. The Leapster Explorer aims to educate and entertain while the Nintendo DS focuses on entertainment
3. The Leapster has a pretty limited game choice compared to the Nintendo DS
4. The Leapster has a single screen while the Nintendo DS has two
5. The Leapster constantly shows adverts while the Nintendo DS does not