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The Nintendo DS is a hot piece of hardware, and you may find yourself either asking someone to get you one... or trying to get one for a child, relative, or other loved one. If you're confused about buying a DS, or know someone who's likely to be confused, then this shopping guide is for you. Bookmark it, e-mail it, spread it around... it'll help when all-important holiday shopping rolls round.

Where to Buy

You can buy a Nintendo DS at any major retail chain store with an electronics section. You can also pick them up at electronics specialty stores like Best Buy and Circuit City. There are numerous outlets you can purchase a DS from online, like Amazon.com. Finally, there's a chain of video game specialist stores called GameStop that you can visit.

This might surprise you, but prices for a new DS are going to be pretty much the same no matter what kind of store you visit. If you shop on Black Friday or other major shopping days, you may be able to take advantage of sales to drive prices down at retail chains. Likewise, online retailers sometimes offer special deals that can let you get a DS on the cheap.

GameStop offers the option of buying used DS units at a lower price than you might pay for a new one. Most gamers aren't going to be too impressed with a second-hand gift, though, and online deals or sales may let you snag a new DS just as cheaply. Generally, this guide recommends buying new. As for where you buy from, just stick to whatever online or brick 'n mortar stores you're already interested in shopping at. You don't really get much benefit out of shopping around for Nintendo electronics, which just about everyone sells for the MSRP.

Unlike the Wii, the DS is produced in plentiful quantity and should be absolutely no trouble to find on store shelves. You may have trouble finding particular colors or bundles, which we'll discuss below in more detail. If you know exactly what you want, then don't settle. Shop around, online and off, and you should eventually be able to find exactly the DS you want in time for the holidays. For special colors or limited bundles, it helps to buy them as soon as possible. Average prices for each model are listed as appropriate.

The Two DSes

Something important to remember when shopping for a DS as a gift is that there are two different versions of the DS. You need to be able to tell the difference between them, especially if you decide to try and buy a used DS from GameStop or an online dealer like e-bay. Here's an explanation of the two DSes for those who might be confused.

DS Original

Price (Used): $79.99

If you see this grey warhorse sitting in a GameStop's "used" case, then you've run across the original version of the Nintendo DS. There are some alternate color iterations of it, but they're relatively rare. This version of the DS is sometimes called the "DS Fat", as it's much bulkier than the currently-produced DS Lite. Generally speaking, this isn't what anyone asking for a Nintendo DS this Christmas is going to be satisfied with.

You can purchase them more cheaply than any other DS iterations, but that's because the hardware is out of date and weaker than the currently-produced DS Lite. It has shorter battery life, dimmer screens, and a much smaller stylus. Most gamers perceive it as uglier, although some people swear by the DS Fat's slightly bigger directional pad and bigger external casing as more comfortable to use.

Still, unless you absolutely know your gamer wants this old version of the DS, you're best off not buying it. This is a pretty easy mistake to avoid, since new DS Fats are no longer produced. Just make sure that if you're eyeballing used DS prices that sound too good to be true, you may be seeing prices for old DS Fats and not the newer, more stylish version we'll discuss below.

DS Lite

Price (New): 129.99

Price (Used): 119.99

If you want to buy a shiny new Nintendo DS, this is the version you'll find waiting for you in boxes at your local game, electronics, or department store. It's also the most popular version of the DS, with longer battery life, bright screens, and a longer stylus. There are a few things to keep in mind when buying a DS Lite, though.

One, it comes in multiple colors. If someone isn't too finicky about what color they get, then the "default" is the Polar White version, which you should have no trouble finding. The other major colors are Coral Pink, Onyx, and Red & Black. If possible, try to find out what color your gamer would prefer before buying. Coral Pink is not going to go over well with most boys, and the Onyx requires regular cleaning to keep it from accumulating lots of fingerprints and grease scuffs. Red & Black doesn't show fingerprints as badly but may strike some gamers as garish.

Two, the default version does not come with what the industry calls a "pack-in title". In plain English: when you buy the system, there's no game included. So if you're buying someone a DS Lite, you need to either pick out a game to go with it or give your gamer some money or gift cards they can use to buy one. We'll cover which DS games make the best gifts in another post, but for now just make sure you factor the price of a separate game in to your gift-buying budget. DS games range from $20 to $40 dollars depending on whether you buy new or used.

DS Lite Bundles

If you know there's a particular game you want to buy with your DS Lite, then you may want to consider buying a bundle. There are different types of bundles, some specific to particular retailers, some available at multiple outlets. Some bundles come with custom DSes, while others offer specific games with your choice of DS. A good way to check out which bundles are available from retailers is to visit their websites, or check out the Black Friday ad circulars.

If a bundle includes a game that you know your gamer wants, then it's worth picking up. What you shouldn't do is buy a bundle with a game you don't want to get a DS that is usually sold separtely. Some retailers use this tactic to gouge money out of desperate holiday shoppers, but fortunately, DSes are plentiful enough that you shouldn't end up in this kind of situation.

Some DS bundles are "limited edition" bundles that pair a particular game up with a custom-designed DS. These bundles are released by Nintendo, sometimes through specific retailers. If a gamer is enthusiastic about a particular game or DS design, then one of these bundles can be an extra-special gift. Just make sure you don't end up buying a bundle for someone who isn't going to end up liking the game or design. Not only does it waste money, but it ensures a severe Christmas morning faux pas.

Here are the main "limited edition" bundles for the DS this holiday season... that we know about. More may come to light as the holiday season wears on, and if so, we'll be sure to let you know about them.

BRAIN AGE 2 BUNDLE

Price: 149.99

This bundle should be available just about anywhere that sells the Nintendo DS, though we've only spotted it at Circuit City online so far. It couples the Black & Red variant of the DS Lite with a copy of the Brain Age 2 software and a complimentary carrying case. Brain Age 2 is generally a game that parents and grandparents are going to enjoy moreso than kids or teens, so this bundle is best if you're buying for an older gamer. If you have someone who specifically wants the Black & Red DS, note that this bundle is much cheaper than buying the DS, game, and carrying case individually would be.

NINTENDOGS BUNDLE

Price: 149.99

A Sears ad circular for Black Friday tipped us off to this bundle. It may be exclusive to Sears... and then again, may not. What we do know is that it pairs a pearl pink DS with a stylized pink puppy print etched on the case with a copy of the new Nintendogs edition, Best Friends. If you're buying a DS for a young girl, a lady gamer, or any guy who's okay with pink, this bundle is an excellent pick.

One thing to remember about Nintendogs, though: it's most attractive to gamers, especially children, who don't actually have dogs or puppies. For a gamer who does (or is getting one), you may want to think about skipping this bundle. Try giving a Coral Pink DS along with an entry from Ubisoft's Petz line, a series of games similar to Nintendogs that let gamers simulate owning a wider variety of animals like horses and cats.

ZELDA BUNDLE

Price: 149.99

This is the other DS bundle revealed by the Sears ad circular. Hardcore gamers and Zelda fans should go nuts over the it, since it pairs up a copy of The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass with a metallic gold DS etched with the game's Triforce logo. Other outlets like GameStop are offering deals that bundle Phantom Hourglass with a DS, but you can only get the Triforce DS if you buy the Limited Edition bundle. Don't let yourself get mislead if you're buying for a gamer who specifically wants the Triforce DS.

Accessories

Once you've picked out a DS or bundle for your gamer, you may think about buying some accessories. Now, for the DS, there are no real must-have accessories. Everything you need to fully enjoy the system is included in the box (except a game). The DS Lite's hard clamshell exterior means that it doesn't need a carrying case, and the battery life is plenty long enough for most road or plane trips. If you do decide to buy some DS accessories anyway, here are our recommendations for what's most useful.

Nintendo Wi-Fi Adapter

Price: $39.99

This accessory is a must if you're buying a DS for a gamer who has home internet access, but doesn't have a wireless router. The inverse: if your home has a wireless router, you absolutely don't need this accessory. The Adapter plugs into any computer connected to the internet and uses it to broadcast a wireless signal that a DS (or Wii) can use to get online. With so many excellent DS games with network functions now, every DS gamer should be able to get on the network at home.

DS Lite Car Adapter

Price: $14.99

One of these little gadgets lets you use a car's lighter socket to charge up your DS Lite. With its fourteen-hour battery you shouldn't need this unless you take a lot of cross-country trips, but you'd be surprised how often you can end up playing your DS for hours without remembering to charge it back up. It helps to be prepared.

DS Game Cases

Price: $9.99

While you really don't need a carrying case for the Nintendo DS, a case for carrying DS games can be very useful. DS games are tiny little flash carts, about the size of a grown man's thumbnail. They're very easily lost (especially by younger gamers) unless you keep them in their original retail cases whenever you're not playing them. These cases are fine for home storage but not for taking on trips, since they're much bulkier than the actual DS games and cause you to waste luggage space. A good game case takes care of this by offering you a way to carry multiple games in a very small casing. This recommended case holds six, but you can find cases for varying prices that hold anything from two to twenty games.

Spare Stylus Packs

Price: $6.99

The DS Lite's stylus slides into a little niche on the back of the machine. This is adequate for most carrying purposes, but sometimes a stylus can get loose and fall out. Even playing at home, DS styluses are small enough to disappear all too frequently.

A pack of spare styluses can be a thoughtful gift for any DS gamer, though bear in mind that most spare stylus packs may not color-coordinate with your DS... especilly ones manufactured by third parties like Madcatz and Nyko. If you want to get spare styluses that color-coordinate with your gamer's new DS, your best bet is to order them directly from Nintendo online and buy them in packs of two (a single stylus is $3.99). You can get colors to match the Polar White, Coral Pink, and Onyx DS Lites. Gamers with limited edition DSes should be very, very careful to keep track of their styluses.

Note that you can also use any PDA stylus with a DS, too. Sometimes older gamers prefer to play with fully pen-sized styluses rather than the smaller ones Nintendo makes for use with the DS.

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