DS Lite Green Bundle

The bundle retails for $149.99. It’s not supposed to go on sale until May 3, but I saw it on display at my local Toys R Us. You can also preorder from Amazon.

Basic Fun keychain

Best. Nintendo DS stocking stuffer. Ever. This super-cute mini Nintendo DS Lite keychain is made by Basic Fun and comes in Polar White, Crimson and Pink. It’s big enough to hold four DS game cartridges and even comes with a tiny stylus! It’s officially licensed by Nintendo and is a great replica of the console we know and love.

Mini Nintendo DS Lite

If you really love the Nintendo DS Lite, you might want to check out this mini “handy strap” made to look like a DS Lite. It comes in pink! It doesn’t play video games, but it does have a built-in mirror and flashlight. (Or, as it’s called on the site where it’s sold in the UK, a “torch.”) The cost is 6 U.S. dollars. It’s sold by a company named Brando here: mini Nintendo DS Lite. They also sell screen protectors, styluses and other Nintendo DS accessories and games.

From Bags to Riches with DS Lite

You’ve heard of renting video games, renting storage units, renting an apartment—but how about renting a purse? Yep, some women do, and now if they rent certain designer handbags through From Bags to Riches, they get the use of a Nintendo DS Lite plus a game or two for the duration of the 30-day rental period.

The “Fun and Fashion at Your Fingertips” promotion has been going on for a few weeks now, and the games and consoles are paired up like this: Metallic Silver Nintendo DS with New Super Mario Bros., Metallic Rose Nintendo DS with Mystery Case Files MillionHeir, Crimson/Black Nintendo DS with Brain Age or Crosswords DS, Colbalt/Black with Nintendogs, or Onyx with MarioKart.

Simply (when I say simply, I mean for $35 to $300 or so per month, depending on the purse) rent a select Coach, Gucci, Juicy Couture, Louis Vuitton, Prada or Tory Burch purse and you’ll have the DS Lite and game in hand. No word on how women’s taste in purses matches up with their taste in Nintendo DS games. And does Mario wear Prada?

Deer DS Lite case on Etsy

I saw this way cute handmade Nintendo DS Lite case on Etsy today and immediately it reminded me of the Sanrio character, Deery Lou. The case’s creator, Etsy user mlleclorofil, lined the deer fabric with soft, white fleece to protect a DS Lite. The zipper closure keeps it safe inside. I love how crafters are coming up with such creative designs specifically for the DS Lite. In fact, most of the people selling DS cases on Etsy are happy to custom-make versions for the original DS.

A word to the wise about value packs, or any buy 1-get 1 deals and things like that: Don’t buy into the bundle or deal thinking you can game the system by returning what you don’t want later. In almost all cases, they’ll just readjust the price and you’ll lose your savings.

There’s the Imagine series, where girls can play the role of a movie star, ballet star, interior designer and other jobs. the Petz games also also a hit with girls, and now there’s Catz Clan, Petz Monkeyz House and Dogz Pack as well as Petz Rescue titles. Also new to Nintendo DS is the Ener-G series: Dance Squad, Gym Rockets and Horse Riders. And it’s not all puppies and rainbows; there’s also My SAT Coach with The Princeton Review.

My point is, girls and women are an important part of the handheld gaming audience, and smart retailers won’t overlook this. It’s obvious from the “I Play for Me” Nintendo DS Lite campaign (featuring Liv Tyler, America Ferrera and Carrie Underwood) that women who would not normally consider themselves gamers are a great fit for the DS and its growing selection of titles.

There has been some interesting research into how games are marketed to women, including unfortunate stereotypes and the assumption that girls don’t like or aren’t good at the mainstream games. Gamer Alice Taylor has some keen insights on the topic.

Pink DS Game Case

If you, like me, were introduced to handheld gaming during the era of the original GameBoy, circa late ’80s/early ’90s, one of the first things that will strike you about the game cartridges for the Nintendo DS is how small they are. (33.0 mm × 35.0 mm × 3.8 mm, to be exact.) There are many cases available to store your “carts” in, and this pink DS cartridge case from Hori is especially affordable for $4.99. (The link goes to a clear one; you have to select pink manually.) Whatever case you get, get one early on or your games may be doomed to a life buried in a couch cushion.