Top 10 Valentine Gift Ideas for Nintendo DS Owners

Nintendo DS owners are an interesting bunch: they own a little handheld device that is capable of amazing feats, yet even though it is handheld the goal is to get it to perform on par with the big TV hookup systems. Fortunately, if you have one of them in your heart and on your mind this Valentine's Day, there are plenty of gadgets you can give that will make this goal just a bit closer to becoming a reality.

Check out the rumble pak which may be attached to the DS system. It is a controller that provides vibration in response to certain moves and thus provides for a much more realistic gaming experience. Major retailers like Best Buy and also Circuit City are sure to carry them for under $20.

The drawback is the fact that the games do not clearly indicate which ones are compatible with this technology and which are not, so it might be a great idea to also purchase a few games that are known to be compatible. Fortunately a list of games is available, such as The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning which retails for $24.82 at Wal-Mart.

If you have about $200 in your pocket and really want to wow that person on your gift list, the NDS Bundle of the Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass can be yours! Shop the Amazon marketplace to find the best deals. Released in November of 2007, the game that is bound to make the Zelda fan cry with joy coupled with the special Zelda logo bearing hardware is truly a wonderful gift.

For sale at Target for only $15 is the Nintendo DS Lite headset. Call before you go to the store to pick it up; many Targets do not stock this little gadget and you are better off ordering it online.

If you are already at Target, why not also go ahead and get a recharger dock which is available for about $17 online and in the store.

One thing that a DS owner can never have enough of is the pen stylus with wrist strap. Face it, these little gadgets consistently get crushed, lost, or broken and it is no small wonder that many a player gets frustrated at the rate that they break down - usually in the middle of the game.

Since many a player now makes use of the Nintendo Wi-Fi USB connector - currently dubbed by the company to be one of its best selling accessories to date - go visit Circuit City and purchase it for $40. The gamer who has captured your heart will be grateful!

Even though it is considered to be a starter kit, the fact that it is packaged in a lunch box featuring Mario and contains game cases, car adapter and screen protectors make this an all around nice replacement package of parts and pieces that have gone missing or might no longer work. Since the tin is a great place to store these wares, it also makes for a perfectly wrappable gift. Look for the Nintendo DS Lite Super Mario tin starter kit online at the Amazon marketplace where it sells for about $40, or check at Best Buy which might also stock them.

If you are just in search of a quick thoughtful gift, then the Hori DS Lite protective filterwhich may be found online at Amazon or in stores that sell Nintendo DS gear is a surefire deal. Retailing at about $7 to $10 it protects from glare and reflection and is a must have for any serious gamer.

New and unusual, the slide controller that is currently in use in Japan is all the rage. It turns the device into an infrared mouse and is available as a freestanding accessory only there; it comes bundled with the game Slide Adventure: Mag Kid which thus far - and possibly for the foreseeable future - will only be available in Japan. Of course if the past is any indication, Japanese merchandise does have a way of finding its way to the American shores either in authentic packages or via the homebrew methodology. As soon as such technology becomes available here it is almost guaranteed to be a hot ticket!

Of course, if you give that Nintendo aficionado the gear he or she so longingly covets, prepare yourself to not get a lot of attention on that special day of heartfelt love and devotion and instead sit back with a bag of Doritos to watch that gamer at play!