While similar to its predecessor, Leapster 2 is more comfortable to hold. A more ergonomic design is easy on kids' hands when they're playing their Leapster 2 for hours.
Leapster games are backward and forward compatible. That means old games made for the original Leapster can play on Leapster 2 and the 40-plus new games made for Leapster 2 can play on the original Leapster (albeit with certain features of the newer device inaccessible).
You can plug Leapster 2 into a USB cable and download your child's progress onto your computer. You also can connect Leapster 2 to the Internet and track your children's progress on the LeapFrog Learning Path. The online features of Leapster 2 also include the ability to upload a child's art to an online studio where he or she can edit and enhance it, print it and share it.