I’ve been talking about various Nintendo DS games but I never explained why the DS is a great console. It is honestly one of the best accessories I have in my purse and arguably the greatest investment I made senior year of high school (note that I said one of the best, I really love my camera). Most girls I know think that it’s just a stupid handheld and a waste of time. Well when you’ve got time to waste, it’s actually quite handy.

The Nintendo DS is one of the most popular handheld consoles at the moment. It features a dual screen (DS) one of which is a touch screen but unlike the Iphone they give you a stylus. It flips open like a compact mirror and is fairly light for its size.

It was just released in an assortment of new colors (mine’s black) but you can have it customized on various non-Nintendo owned companies. You can play both Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance SP (predecessor to the DS) games.

It has a rechargeable battery which is quite handy and the first of its kind in the Game boy series. Also new is the Wifi capabilities which allows you to play, share and chat with other DS players. But that’s not all! Accessories allow you to do more such as listen to MP3s and watch movies.

It’s $130 but it’s considered by Wired magazines one of the cheapest and greatest handheld consoles of 2007. While you may think that it’s overpriced, I would have to argue that shelling out a couple hundred on one pair shoes that you’ll probably never wear is overpriced; even if they’re named brand and super cute.

I’ve had mine for over a year now and the only thing I don’t like about it is the graphics for the games which isn’t bad but against the PSP it’s no match. Then again compared to the PSP, nothing looks quite as good, not even my TV. But unlike the PSP it has 10x more games. I convinced my boyfriend to buy one and we play together all the time. He even admits it’s better than the PSP.

Many girls that I know of that do have the console, love it. To name one, Singapore’s top blogger Xiaxue. She has hers in pink (decorated in rhinestones) and carries it in her purse wherever she goes.

It’s one of the few gadget recommendations I make to all girls. It’s useful and the games are a lot of fun. While it may seem childish, there’s nothing wrong with being young!