I know what you're thinking. That's not a gadget, that's a kids' toy! But hear me out on this. Nintendo isn't just for your crazy gamer boyfriend and adolescent nieces and nephews anymore. Trust me, I'm not even what most folks would consider a gamer, but I love my Nintendo DS Lite.
The DS is leaps and bounds ahead of its previous incarnations. And the games available for it blow earlier Game Boys out of the water. There really is something available for everyone this time around. Like role playing games? Try out Animal Crossing: Wild World. It's a fun little game you actually play in real time. If you've got the time to devote to it, you really have to play this one every day. And if any of your friends also have the game, you can link up via the super-nifty wifi option this gadget has and visit each others' towns! How cool is that?
This wireless feature is definitely a new(ish) fangled option for a hand held. You can directly link with friends if you're in the same place, and remotely hook up through a wireless network to play with folks around the globe, just like with most of the bigger consoles available today.
Do you prefer adventure games? You can go old-school and get New Super Mario Bros., which is basically an update of the original Super Mario game, for the original Nintendo. It's a lot of fun. There's a new Zelda game, of course, that makes extensive use of the touch screen of the DS. It takes some getting used to, but who doesn't fondly remember Zelda?
There are smart games like Brain Age and Flash Focus, virtual pet games like the many versions of Nintendogs, classic board games like Connect 4 and Battleship. Whatever your interest, there's a game out there for you. There’s “girly” games such as Cooking Mama, in which you learn recipes and have to prepare them, so your mom doesn’t have to do it for you. I haven’t played this one, but I’m told (by a guy, no less), that it’s actually a lot of fun—there are a number of different activities you have to complete in order to properly prepare your food.
There are mystery games, building games such as SimCity DS, and of course a number of the ever ubiquitous Sims games. I’ve been meaning to try to get a hold of one of those, but it hasn’t happened yet. There's even a new version of Guitar Hero for the DS Lite. I haven't played it, but from what I understand, you use the touch screen to strum, which sounds... interesting.
The DS Lite comes in myriad colors, satisfying every taste. You can go girly like me and get pink, or you can get red or blue, black or white. There are also periodic limited edition colors, if you can get your hands on one. It's small and light, easy to throw in a bag or purse and take with you to work, to school, on airplanes, trains, boats... wherever! The battery has a solid life, and recharges, which means you don't have to buy new ones all the time. Though it isn’t the newest gadget on the market, it’s a lot of fun, good for entertainment whenever you have some extra free time.
Our Gadget Lust just doesn’t get any hotter than it is for the Nintendo DS Lite!