Nintendo's DS Lite has stolen my heart :)

I have always loved video games and used to spend long hours (though they certainly didn't FEEL long! :) first in video arcades and then in front of my TV hooked up to a Sega Genesis setup. I realized I had played one too many video games, though, when my thumb joint froze up on me and I had to give up games for many years because of the repetitive stress injury (RSI) I'd suffered.

Finally, Nintendo came up with two gaming systems I could use and love - the Nintendo Wii (reviewed elsewhere) and the DS Lite. The DS Lite is versatile, compact, well designed, fun, and has tons of games available, for most any taste in gaming. Most importantly, for me, most of the games are played using a stylus (or your fingernail) to tap or slide across the game screen and that means I don't have to use my thumbs! I have found, also, that most of the games created for the DS are very intuitive and that it's easy to get used to the way one plays games using the DS hardware.

Favorite games include (in no particular order): WordJong, My French Coach, NY Times Crosswords, Brain Age, Left Brain/Right Brain, Luxor (by Mumbo Jumbo), Flash Focus, and Jam Sessions. Favorite places to play include my doctor's office or in line at DMV, long car trips, just before going to bed (doing a crossword puzzle or a lesson in French just before sleeping is a nice way to wind down from the stresses of the day), or anytime anywhere I want to take a quick break from the world around me and have some fun.

The DS Lite is portable and sturdy - I can throw it in the bottom of my purse or backpack without worrying it'll suffer any damage and, once it's charged, it's totally self-sufficient and lasts for up to 19 hours. It doesn't take long to charge and there are both wall and car chargers available. It's good looking and yet doesn't broadcast what it is to people who aren't gamers. I got the red and black model but there are numerous other options, including skins you can add to the basic chassis.

I highly recommend this to kids and grownups alike. It's not very expensive and the games are a reasonable price, too. You can usually get used consoles and games from places like GameStop and GameCrazy and you can play your old GameBoy Advance games on the DS Lite as well as games made for DS systems.

Last, but not least, is the DS Lite's wireless connectivity! You can share your favorite games with friends in person or play against people around the corner or around the world. You can also download game demos and previews for free from download stations in paricipating game stores so that you can try before you buy. That's a great feature. The built in microphone and headphone jack are quite nice. You don't ever need more than what comes in the box with the DS Lite but you can also find tons of aftermarket accessories to enhance your experience - some made by Nintendo, some by other manufacturers.