I wanted to save the leappad for a Christmas present, but we recently had an 18 hour drive across country, so I gave it to my 3.5 year old early. The thing is amazing! It kept her entertained through a great deal of the trip. Yes, it is $99, but keep in mind the games run about $25 and then there is the battery situation. It takes 4 AA, and boy does it run through them! I will be purchasing the AC adapter and rechargeable batteries soon. I also want to caution any parents that plan on giving this to their child Christmas morning... It takes a while to get it set up. So you may want to open the package early and download the program before giving it. By no means are these complaints... just things I wish I had known in advance. I loved Leapfrog products before, but they have outdone themselves...