Nintendo DS Christmas 2009 buyer’s guide

Nintendo's DS console may be coughing and wheezing into its fifth year, but you can bet your bottom dollar that this Christmas plenty of people will be cracking open DS-related gifts, and with stellar titles like The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks now available and the forthcoming launch of the DS XL to look forward to, there's clearly life in the old dog yet.

With that in mind, here are our top picks for DS owners this Yuletide.

Since the launch of the DSi portable, Nintendo lovers have had the opportunity to indulge in all kinds of DLC-related fun.

The selection of games released so far - which includes Mighty Flip Champs, Reflect Missile, and Dragon Quest Wars - has been impressive, but naturally some form of digital currency is required in order to actually purchase them.

This is where DSi Points come in. Chances are you were given some when you first purchased your DSi, but additional cards can be obtained from high street retailers, as well as online.

Although it might seem a little ungrateful asking relatives to buy you what are in essence store vouchers, the fact that your downloads will keep you quiet during the Queen's speech should make up for that.

Still on the subject of DSiWare games, downloading and enjoying these slices of interactive entertainment is reliant on you having enough space.

The DSi accepts SD cards of varying sizes, and all that lovely storage can be used for other media, such as music, recordings, and photos.

The best thing is that SD cards are pretty cheap these days, so grabbing a bit more memory isn't going to cost you an arm and a leg. In short, these things are perfect stocking-fillers.

Portable consoles are practically crying out for some kind of protection to prevent unwanted bumps and marks, so its no surprise that there's a legion of options available when it comes to cases and covers.

We're quite partial to Thrustmaster's stylish metal 'skins' but experience has taught us that you simply cannot go wrong with the official route.

With many cases offering space to cart around games and other peripherals, this really is a must-have item.

Of course, not everyone owns a DSi, so you may well be reading this guide and wondering what's in it for you.
With the DS XL arriving early next year, you might think that taking the plunge and upgrading from your trusty DS Lite (or DS Phat, if you're even more old-skool) would be a foolish course of action.

However, fear not. The XL doesn't actually do anything that the DSi isn't already capable of: it's basically just a larger machine with bigger screens.

If the thought of having a more significant bulge in your pocket turns you on then you're probably best off waiting until next year, but for everyone else the DSi remains a perfectly acceptable purchase, regardless of impending launch of new hardware.

Of course, the most obvious DS gift to ask for is software, and with 2009 yielding major hits such as Zelda: Spirit Tracks, Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days, Scribblenauts, Retro Game Challenge, Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars - The Director's Cut and Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, there's clearly no shortage of classic titles to bung in your console's cartridge slot.