10 Gift Ideas for Nintendo DS owners

With the holidays rapidly approaching, console gamers everywhere are frantically searching for Playstation 3's and Nintendo Wii's, often to no avail. Handheld gamers, who are largely made up of casual players, are unaffected by the concerns of what is and isn't sold out. All these players want is a good game that they can play at lunchtime at the office or on the road to a family vaction (from the passenger's seat, of course). Shoppers looking to spend on Nintendo DS and DS Lite owners can take heart in knowing that their choices have never been easier. While others knock themselves out searching for the new consoles, handheld selections are plentiful. But for those undecided on what the best title is, here's a list of the ten best titles for the holiday season.

10. Big Brain Academy/Brain Age

Both similar games, either of these titles make a solid number ten choice. If shopping for a child or an adult who simply wants to stimulate their mind, Big Brain Academy and Brain Age are the go-to choices here. The deciding factor on which one to take depends on what the receiver's tastes are. Brain Age specializes in numerical brain-teasers while Big Brain Academy focuses on abstract puzzles, counting exercises, and memory games. Do not let their concepts fool you. These are both fun games and become addicting quickly. The graphics are horribly subpar, but no one is buying these games for their graphics.

People buy these games for the gameplay. Brain Age includes reading exercises, math problems, and Sudoku. Big Brain Academy contains coin-counting games, matching exercises, and various other puzzles. It must be said again that these games, in spite of the description, are not boring. They are fun ways to pass the time and improve your mind at the same time. Shooting for the highest score is a constant challenge and will keep gamers busy for quite a while.

A warning to shoppers, though. Do not get these confused with the vastly inferior Brain Boost series.

9. Tetris DS