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Engadget's holiday gift guide 2011: gaming
Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! We're well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties surrounding the seasonal shopping experience, so we're here to help you sort out this year's tech treasures. Below is today's bevy of curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the holiday season. Ah, the holiday season. That special time of year when we give our loved ones the new hotness of the video game world, and then promptly exploit their over-excited reactions to propel them into unwanted YouTube fame. Even if your familial relations don't have the stuff to become this generation's "N64 kid," you can still kick a few rad toys their way just for the love of it. And if you're having trouble finding the perfect gift for the gamer in your life, we're here to help. Head past the break to take a peek at Engadget's 2011 Holiday Gift Guide for video games. Not finding what you're looking for? Skip on back to our 2011 Back to School Guide for bonus gift ideas.
Nintendo sells over 50 million DS units, 3DS sales fall flat in comparison
Nintendo's twin-screen wonder has seen almost as many reinventions as Lady Gaga, so it may not come as a huge shock to hear that the DS (in all its guises) has now sold over 50 million units in the US. The home entertainment maestros are still chasing similar success for its three-dimensional sibling, the 3DS, however. Nintendo has managed to sell almost half a million three dee units units after its weighty price cut, but there's now some very potent competitors seeking their own slice of the (portable) gaming pie. Good luck, Nintendo, you're probably going to need it.
Keepin' it real fake: a Nintendo DS Lite that gets it (mostly) DS right
The death of Nintendo's DS Lite getting you down? Good news: it may have long ago been eclipsed by the DSi and 3DS, but the svelte portable system is still being made -- by someone, somewhere. And you can get a pretty good price on the thing, if you don't mind a few flaws -- like the above bootleg picked up a 1UP editor who though he was getting the real deal from eBay. As soon as the thing arrived in a corrugated cardboard box with pixelated text, it was clear that he had been KIRFed -- hardcore. On top of the aforementioned packaging red flags, the portable has some minor cosmetic flaws, like discoloration, a pockmarked surface, and uneven rubber pads. What's really amazing about this DS, however, is what its manufacturers got right -- it plays DS and GBA games, including, fittingly, pirated titles. The police have reportedly called Wario in for questioning.
DS Lite discontinued at GameStop
We caught wind of an internal GameStop memo this morning announcing the discontinuation of Nintendo's DS Lite. The memo (pictured above) asks employees to remove displays of Crimson, Black, and Metallic Rose models, once they've burned through their stock -- we've since confirmed the fact with an employee of the gaming chain. Not a huge shocker, of course, given the fact that the five-year-old system has since been eclipsed by 2009's DSi and, more recently, the company's glasses-free 3D portable, the 3DS. We have reached out to Nintendo for comment on the matter and will update this post with official word once received. Update: We heard back from Nintendo, receiving the usual "Nintendo doesn't comment on rumor and speculation."
Bayer Didget blood glucose monitoring system does double-duty as a DS game
Until we reach the time when tattoos make checking blood glucose levels cool, we're going to need another way to keep kids with diabetes healthy. And hey, kids love videogames, right? Bayer's Didget is based on the company's Contour glucose meter, but instead of connecting by USB it's shaped like a Game Boy cartridge, enabling it to slot into a Nintendo DS or DS Lite. When kids upload their scores to a custom game (the less than thrilling sounding Knock 'Em Downs: World Fair) they'll unlock new characters and items, but there's one fatal flaw in this plan: the system necessarily isn't compatible with the DSi (or its XL brother) and we're guessing the big cartridge slot isn't due for a comeback in the 3DS. In other words, this meter is on a fast-track to obsolescence.
Nintendo DSi XL review
Since Nintendo first asserted sole domination over the handheld gaming market with the release of the paperback-sized Game Boy in 1989, the company has striven time and again to make its pocket systems smaller, meeting fantastic financial success along the way. Nintendo did it with the Game Boy Pocket, the Advance SP, the Micro, the DS Lite and again ever so slightly with the DSi -- the last even at the expense of backwards compatibility and battery life. Now, for the first time in the company's history, it's made an existing platform bigger, with questionable reasons as to why. Does the Nintendo DSi XL squash its predecessors flat? Or is Nintendo compensating for something? Find out inside. %Gallery-89058%
Engadget's recession antidote: win a Transformers Nintendo DS Lite Armor case and stylus!
This whole global economic crisis, and its resulting massive loss of jobs got us thinking. We here at Engadget didn't want to stand helplessly by, announcing every new round of misery without giving anything back -- so we decided to take the opportunity to spread a little positivity. We'll be handing out a new gadget every day (except for weekends) to lucky readers until we run out of stuff or companies stop sending things. Today we've got a Transformers Bumblebee Nintendo DS Starter Kit, which includes a protective Nintendo DS Lite Armor sleeve and universal stylus. We'll also be throwing in a Megatron strylus just for fun! Read the rules below (no skimming -- we're omniscient and can tell when you've skimmed) and get commenting! Hooray for free stuff!The rules: Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, but if you want to share your proposal for "fixing" the world economy, that'd be sweet too. You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.) If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine. Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad. Winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive one (1) Transformers Nintendo DS Lite Starter Kit and one (1) Megatron stylus. If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Entries can be submitted until Friday, July, 3rd, at 11:59PM ET. Good luck! Full rules can be found here.
Nintendo rolls out lime green DS bundle just in time for Mother's Day
Talk about things you never knew you didn't want! If Mom hadn't much use for a Nintendo DS Lite before, do you think that throwing in some cooking software is gonna change her mind? Neither do we. That said, if you're really stuck for a Mother's Day present (or just want one you can play Nintendogs on), this bad boy hits the shops May 3rd. You are now free to go back to reading Garfield Minus Garfield and counting down the minutes 'til Happy Hour.
GBalpha announces Ranger GPS unit for Nintendo DS
There hasn't exactly been a rush to flood the market with Nintendo DS-based GPS mods over the years -- and when we have seen them, they've been largely DIY affairs. Looking to fill a niche that most reasonable folks assume does not exist, GBalpha has announced the upcoming release of Ranger, its new touchscreen solution for those of you wishing to saddle your handheld with navigation duties. If you're curious, this bad boy sports a u-blox GPS module, 32MB extended memory, Google Earth map integration, and optional Mandarin and Cantonese voice prompts. Are you stoked? What if we gave you a price and a way to order it? Well, we can't do that for you. Sadly, large swaths of the product website are mum on those details.[Via Max Console]
Video: Nintendo DSi browser dramatically outpaces the DS Lite
Good news for all you crazy kids waiting in eager anticipation for the Nintendo DSi's Stateside release. According to very scientistic benchmarks conducted by the folks over at N+, the up-and-coming handheld's Opera browser not only loads the New York Times website much faster than the DS Lite does, but it's clever enough to start with the text -- giving you something to read while you wait for pictures of the war torn Gaza Strip to materialize (and bum you out on an otherwise beautiful Monday afternoon). Unlike the DS Lite, Opera for the DSi is free, and it can be saved directly to the device's internal memory. No fuss, no muss -- right? But don't take our word for it, we've been kind enough to provide a video for your after the break.[Via Joystiq]
DS Lite solar panel mod lets you leave the PSU at home
If you've got some 60 x 60 solar panels, a few diodes, some scotch tape, and a little time on your hands, you may never need to plug in your DS ever again. According to "dark sponge," a poster over at Instructables, you can convert the Lite into a solar-powered wonder that will obviate the need for your standard PSU, and make your green leaning friends, er... green with envy. The mod involves slapping panels on both the bottom and top of the device which -- when wired in parallel -- get 6 volts of power at 80 mA, which is apparently perfect for a trickle charge. The only downside is you'll have to leave the device face down for a bit, and it's advised to keep it out of the sun all day. Still, it's an excellent mod that doesn't seem too difficult to execute, and ends up saving hassle and energy... and who can knock that? [Via SlashGear]
XCM Hyper Gear case promises to overclock your DS
Overclocking the Nintendo DS is hardly anything new, but the mod-happy folks at XCM look to be taking a decidedly different approach with their new Hyper Gear case which, as you can see above, is actually a full-on replacement case for the currently non-hyper DS Lite. That approach gives you the added advantage of selectable turbo speeds and, of course, a rapid fire switch, both of which, as Technabob points out, will likely take quite a toll on battery life. No word on a price just yet, but it'll apparently be available from at least a few of the usual modding retailers in the next few weeks.[Via Technabob]
Nintendo fights breast cancer with DS Lite Limited Edition Pink Ribbon
In keeping with a time-honored gadget tradition, a new paint job for the Nintendo DS Lite has surfaced: the Limited Edition Pink Ribbon -- not just for girls mind you, breast cancer affects us all. While the polar white console doesn't include any games or nifty carrying case, five dollars of your $129.99 purchase will be donated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, with Nintendo promising a minimum donation of $100,000.[Via DS Fanboy]
Limited Edition Pokemon DS Lite shows up at GameStop
It's a couple of years late, but it looks like this Pokemon-themed DS Lite has finally made the trip over from Japan, as evidenced by this shot apparently snapped at a GameStop store. While there doesn't seem to be a game included with this particular bundle, you will get a matching carrying case, a 22-minute Pokemon Mystery Dungeon DVD, a Grovyle poster, and a Pokemon t-shirt that we're guessing anyone buying this will never want to take off. All for the usual price of $129.99.[Via DS Fanboy]
Cobalt Blue Nintendo DS Lite now available to order
If by some chance you still aren't satisfied with the variety of DS Lite color options currently available, you'll apparently soon have yet another to choose from, with a Cobalt Blue/Black model now up for order on Circuit City's website. Somewhat curiously, the site actually shows two slightly different blue-colored models, although we're guessing that's due to some image processing shenanigans and not evidence of two different blue DSs, though we certainly wouldn't put anything past the big N. No official word on a release date just, but Circuit City will gladly take your $130 now and ship it to you as soon as it's available.[Thanks, Matt E]
GameStop holding Pokemon tournament this Saturday
Reader capnwang wrote in to tell us of a Pokemon tournament going on at select GameStop stores. Taking place this Saturday, July 21st, the tournament demands you bring your DS and team of Pokemon in-store for the chance to win a copy of Pokemon Battle Revolution. In calling our local GameStop, they aren't having a tournament there, but acknowledged that other stores are doing it.Plan on running down there this weekend to rock your Pokemon?
Set sail for new Phantom Hourglass footage
There isn't much to these latest clips from The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, which makes our job of presenting them that much more difficult. Still, what little we do get to see has us intrigued, as Link hauls around some pieces of the triforce and chats with his annoying little fairy cohort. If you're as excited as we are for the game (we're going to assume you're more excited), then you want to see any and all things related to Phantom Hourglass, so head on over and watch the videos.[Via Go Nintendo]
Disney wants you to get social on the DS with their Dgamer service
Joystiq has all of the deets on a new social network launching for the DS from Disney Interactive called Dgamer. The service is to launch with the upcoming Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian and will be included in all Disney titles from there on out. The service, which will allow users to create custom avatars, chat wirelessly and track their friends' progress in Dgamer titles, will also allow users to log in to their account at Disney.com, for further accessibility. The overall package resembles a fairly popular online networking service on another console, wouldn't you say?The rub lies in the fact that before you can add friends to the network, you still have to exchange friend codes. As if we could get around that ...
DS Fanboy presents: Game Night 7/12/07 aftermath
Last night's Game Night session was less of a Game Night and more of a "sit in chat for awhile before playing a handful of matches" night. It was sad to see, as we were all excited and ready to play Planet Puzzle League. We guess you guys just don't enjoy the game, or a majority of you weren't able to secure it yet, full of intentions of doing so. Regardless of the why, we're going to make sure next week is a good night chock full of gaming by only including our top "classic" games into the poll.Cast your vote below! What should be our theme game for 7/19/07? Mario Kart DS Tetris DS Clubhouse Games Animal Crossing: Wild World
E307: DK Jungle Climber screens and trailer
As if E3 hasn't already brought us enough joy, we've got some nice pieces of concept art and screens for DK Jungle Climber. The game looks to be shaping up nicely and the included trailer only adds to the truckloads of awesome content we've all received so far. Check out the fresh screens and concept art in our gallery below, and be sure to head past the break for the trailer.DK Jungle Climber is currently slated for release on September 10th.%Gallery-3481%
