Best Christmas DS for 2010

Nintendo DSi XL with Mario Kart

For just $10 more than the regular Nintendo DSi XL, you can get into the action right out of the box with the classic racing favorite that thrusts you into the world’s wackiest courses, Mario Kart DS. Whether sharing photos across the miles or maneuvering around banana peels and explosives, you’ll be seeing red in the best of ways with this bold new DSi XL System.

Top 10 Nintendo DSi Games

We’ll break this into two sections. First, we’ll do ten that are good for any age, and then ten that might be better for older kids.

Top ten 2010 Nintendo DS games for any age

#1: Super Scribblenauts

Don’t tell the kids they are learning anything, and they’ll have a blast with this game that is both great fun and very educational. Maxwell is back with a few choice words. In this Scribblenauts follow-up, Maxwell has a whole new set of goals to achieve and problems to solve. Once again, he’ll have to use his smarts to combine objects and adjectives to create outrageous and nonsensical creatures. With Super Scribblenauts’s updated dictionary that contains hundreds of new objects, this should be a piece of flying cake. Use one, two or more adjectives out of a database of more than 10,000 to modify hundreds of objects to do your bidding for you in Super Scribblenauts. With more than 120 all-new levels, you might want to break out the dictionary and thesaurus to help Maxwell get creative and beat each level. This time around, you can track your progress through the universal feedback system, purchase more explicit hints and create both puzzle and action levels with the new level editor. All you need is a prolific vocabulary and a wild imagination to help Maxwell succeed.

#2: Mario vs Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem

Classic characters, classic 2D scrolling game, innovative interactivity. Anyone of any age can enjoy this game where you can use the stylus to help a mini-brigade of Marios save the day. Mario just opened his third theme park, and everyone’s celebrating the fun occasion everyone, that is, except for Donkey Kong. Denied the Mini Pauline-toy entry prize, this big ape is angry and on a frantic rampage, carrying the real Pauline across the park and into harm’s way. To stop this big ape gone awry, it’s going to take some heroes that aren’t so big, an enthusiastic army of Mini Marios. With a big theme-park world in front of them and obstacles galore, these tiny toys will need your help to save the day.

#3: New Super Mario Bros

Seriously, can this really be number 3? I may have to rethink this. This is a new title for the game that changed gaming. Once upon a time, the gaming world was turned on its head by a little gray cartridge for the Nintendo Entertainment System: Super Mario Bros. Now, more than twenty years later, witness the evolution of the platformer that started it all with New Super Mario Bros., the latest installment of the beloved franchise on the Nintendo DS.

#4: Sonic Colors

Once upon a time, Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog was a mortal enemy of Nintendo’s Super Mario. Now you can get both for the same system, the best of both worlds. They may be small and they may be wispy but don’t you dare call them wimpy. The nefarious Dr. Eggman has uncovered the secret of a strange and powerful alien race called Wisps, and now he’s out to harness their Color energy for his own evil plan for world domination. Only one hero can foil the doctor’s nefarious schemes, and that hero sports a color of his own blue. Jet into the fantastical world of the Wisps as everyone’s favorite blue speed demon and prepare for a truly colorful adventure that will accelerate you to all-new levels. Sonic Colors invites you into a mysterious astro-themed amusement park, where you’ll race, ride and throttle full-speed into danger for the greater cause.

#5: Pokemon HeartGold Version

The action of Pokemon HeartGold Version returns you to the wondrous Johto region first introduced in the much-loved Pokemon Gold nearly a decade ago. This richly detailed adventure is enhanced with updated graphics and sound, as well as new features and many exciting surprises. Pokemon HeartGold Version brings dozens of Pokemon characters back into the limelight for a new generation and for longtime fans as well. Catch, train and battle for success as you delve into this rich and stimulating gaming world.

And now the top ten 2010 Nintendo DS games for bigger kids and adults.

#1: The Sims 3

Imaginary life wouldn’t be so addictive if it weren’t so funny. It’s hard for me not to play this game as a sort of computerized ‘Candid Camera.’ But if you don’t like your character to wander into someone the homes of strangers and help themselves to food, showers and bedding, you can also play it straight. Throw open the door to new realms of Sims-style fun with The Sims 3 for the Nintendo DS. In this exciting and feature-packed new edition of The Sims, your Sims are no longer confined to their home environments. An entire neighborhood awaits just outside the door, teeming with neighbors, friends and all-new opportunities for fun, adventure and mischief.

#2: Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light

The Final Fantasy series separates itself by having the best stories, often hilarious, of any role playing games. Return to the magical world of Final Fantasy, where dungeons disclose eerie secrets and dark dangers, where mystical creatures pose threats or offer help and where glory is passed through the power of the Crown.

#3: Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies

Kind of like Wizard 101, you have been chosen to embark on an epic quest, a life-changing journey that could end with the golden reward of treasure or the dark face of death. Make your way through a vast landscape filled with fearsome monsters and mighty opponents. The road is perilous, but the rewards are great. With plenty of side quests to unlock and download, you can fully explore the Dragon Quest world and storyline. Tag Mode is an innovative new feature that allows your avatar to continue exploring and interacting even while you are busy at work, school or home. With plenty to do and see, you’ll find yourself wishing the quest would never end.

#4: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized

Fight for survival and shoot your way to victory over the forces of terrorism as the acclaimed Call of Duty franchise makes its triumphant return. Exploding with the realism and intensity that have become the hallmarks of this gripping series, Modern Warfare: Mobilized challenges you to take the fight to the terrorists as you mobilize an elite squad across the globe and arm yourself with cutting-edge weaponry, vehicles and tactics. Are you prepared to answer the Call of Duty?

#5: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II

Travel to a galaxy far, far away and continue the story of the epic Star Wars saga. Set in the massive unexplored era between episodes III and IV, this storyline has players taking on the role of Darth Vader’s secret apprentice the powerful anti-hero, Starkiller. This time, you possess the weapon of the deceptive Mind Trick, and you have the Force within you to affect the world around you. Do you have the fearlessness, the coldness and the ferociousness to rise to dark power in the vast expanse of the stars?