Name: Nintendo DS Lite
What it is: Portable video game player with two screens
How it works: With two screens stacked one over the other, the DS Lite is a different take on gaming. Slip in a $40 video game and rub your finger or the included stylus across the bottom touch screen to move your character on the upper, non-touch-sensitive screen. Speaking or blowing into the microphone can also affect some games ingeniously. Even at 8 years old, the DS family of handhelds are incredibly popular.
The good: With a smile on your face, while away about five hours in the airport, on the plane or in the car with a wide range of games. Become a cheerleader or learn a language or pretend to cook a meal by swirling your finger on the touch screen as if you were stirring a bowlful of ingredients.
The bad: They are so popular that even if you seek out the black, white, red or blue model, you might have to settle for the not-as-popular pink version.
Cost: $130.
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