Reset leapster I have tried many times to reset or calibrate Leapster L-Max but cannot get center cross to respond. What next?

I would try resetting it. You could also try calibrating the screen. The GS screen has a static orientation, so this seems like a very odd problem.

Leapster Explorer or LeapsterGS Explorer screen is not responding to the...

SolutionIf your Leapster system does not respond to the stylus pen, it needs to be calibrated. To calibrate your Leapster system:

1. Turn the unit on and wait for the sign-in screen to appear.
2. Hold down the Home, Hint, and B buttons simultaneously.
3. When the screen changes, press the A button.
4. Using the Stylus, touch the center of the targets.

• Follow these steps to calibrate your Leapster Learning Game system -

1. Remove any game and turn the Leapster off.
2. Turn the unit on.
3. When the sign in screen appears immediately press and hold down "home"(house), "hint"(question mark), and "B" buttons together for 4 seconds.
4. Now you will see a few options.
5. Press the "A" button for the touch calibration option.
6. Now just touch the stylus on the cross-hairs and it will be calibrated.
7. Now you want to restart the unit.
8. Redo the steps if this should not work the first time.

Regards, Tony

Leapster L-Max recalibrates differently. I was trying to use the instructions and it kept asking for a blue button. For the Leapster L-Max push B, A, Hint, and Home when you turn it on. Do not have a cartridge in the player or it will think it is a regular Leapster. Once it says calibrate screen it will say to press A, then wait until a target appears in the upper left hand corner, touch it and you should hear a sound, then a new target appears in the lower left hand, repeat actions, then lower right hand screen, and finally the upper right hand screen. If it stops at any time and doesn't get more arrows, try it again or turn it off and see if the pen works. It may take several times to get it working again.

CALIBRATION - summary of hints from here that eventually got our circa 2007 green leapster's screen recalibrated - in no particular order: 1) "home+hint+B" to get started, 2) "A" button next, 3) cleaned dirt from the gap between the plastic and the screen all the way around with a toothpick (seemed to be the KEY ELEMENT to get everything else to work), 4) be patient and keep trying until you see the targets - the first one should appear in the top left corner while the text is still on the screen, 5) if it doesn't work just right the first time try again, 6) unit should beep each time you press a target center.

Answer
I had the same problem and here is the answer I found at leapfrog.com which fixed my daughter’s disney princess leapster 2’s problem. Good luck!
If your Leapster2 does not respond to the stylus pen, it needs to be calibrated. Calibrating the Leapster2 is easy:
1) Ensure that a cartridge is not inserted
2) Hold down the Hint (?) button while turning the unit on. Continue to hold the Hint button down until the LEAPSTER menu appears.
3) When the LEAPSTER menu screen appears, press the A button
4) Touch each of the crosshairs that appear with the stylus
5) Restart unit

Try calibrating the screen:
(1) Insert a cartridge, turn the unit on and wait for the sign-in screen to appear.(2) Hold down the Home, Hint and B buttons simultaneously.(3) When the screen changes, press the A button.(4) Using the Stylus, touch the center of the targets.

for leaster 2 -
turn off unit, take out cartridge.
hold the hint button, turn unit on.
press A button, touch the stylus on all the cross hairs that appear.
power unit off when done.
power back up.
(got these from the leapfrog site and it worked for me!)

My daughter did the same thing to the tip of her Leapster 2 stylus. I called Leap Frog at 1-800-701-5327 and was able to order a replacement stylus directly from them on credit card for $5.00 shipped.

I also took her old stylus and sanded the broken tip down with 100 grit and then 220 grit sandpaper to get rid of the sharp, cracked point and it works just fine. I figure I'll keep the sanded one as a spare in case she does something silly with it again.

Sounds like it needs to calibrated - see http://gobaco.wordpress.com/2006/10/31/how-to-calibrate-the-leapster-handheld/

for info,