What is the best hand held video gaming system

[mumom95]

Hi everyone. I am starting to think about Christmas. I think we are going to get my son (who will be 8 by Christmas) a hand held gaming system. But I have no idea which one is the best, Game Boy, Nintendo DS, PSP?

Anyone have any opinions on what they think is best for a kid that age?

Thanks!!

 

[cancer_survivor_06]

All of the kids in my family from age 5 to 13 have the nintendo ds, the older ones have the ds and the younger ones have the ds light. Do any of your ds's friends have any hand held systems if so which one. I know when we are all together the kids can play each other on their ds's and they like that. I like the selection of games for the ds it plays ds and gameboy advance games. IMHO, mostly b/c I have a girl, the selection of games is what sold me on the ds. I didn't want the boyish games for her and that is all I could find and considering she is 6 what I did find was very limited for her age.

 

[Stephres]

We bought according to what all my son's friends have so it was Nintendo DS for us too. He is turning 8 Monday. I think you should look at what his friends have, because that will be important to him.

 

[crisi]

For an eight year old, the DS. The PSP is very cool, but its really a game machine for adults, its very expensive, most of the games are mature. Sony is really going after the hobbist gamer market with both the PSP and the PS3. Nintendo goes after kids and families with the Wii, Gamecube, Gameboy and DS.

The only exception - if your eight year old is prone to losing things or the budget is tight, start with a Gameboy. Everything about a Gameboy is cheaper - the unit, the games. But if he hangs onto stuff (and my daughter has had a DS for over a year, she is not yet eight, and very absent minded, and while we've had more than one "I can't find my DS" scare, we haven't lost it yet), the DS will be a better choice.

 

[K and K's Mommy]

When my son turned 8, he got a Nintendo DS. I know next to nothing about them, but my DH did some research and thought that was the best bet. You can play Gameboy Advance games on the Nintendo DS.

 

[jenrein]

I have to agree with the DS. You have the PSP option but most games are more adult. My son is 8 and he plays alot of games he shouldn't that are rated mature but he still had more interest in the DS with the games in mind than the PSP.

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

Definitely the DS or DS Lite. The Lite is the newer version and it is what you might find more often. It has a better screen, although DD8 is very happy with her DS and hasn't even asked for a Lite yet. You might find a deal on a DS. If they are both the same price, buy the Lite.

I wouldn't get a Gameboy Advance unless you were on a very tight budget. We have a GBA as well, and the DS is much, much better. The DS games generally are better than the Gameboy games, and the DS plays Gameboy games as well.

My nephews (14 and 11) each have a PSP, but as jenrein said, it is intended for an older audience. The games are not nearly as interesting to an 8 year old. DD8 loves Super Mario, and the Mario games only play on the Nintendo systems.

 

[Gillian]

I'm planning to get DS a DS lite for his 7th birthday next month. I don't think his friends really have anything much yet, I'm not sure. We are going to FL by car 2 months after his birthday, before Christmas, and it would be good for that.

 

[design_mom]

My son is almost 7 and he loves the DS. (He doesn't have his own, but DH has one and my son loves to play it.) DH also has a PSP but there aren't very many games for the PSP that our son can play -- too difficult or not content appropriate.

So I'd vote for the DS. One other fun thing is that you can "network" them. We just went on a trip with some friends last weekend. There were three DSs among the kids. The kids could play Mario Kart racing against each other (to network some games, each person must have a copy, but for Mario Kart you need only 1 game and 8 DSs can play.) That is a lot of fun if you know other kids who also have DSs.

For what it's worth, my son loves the DS, but he also really likes his Leapster. I think, if you asked him, he'd probably pick the DS over the Leapster because of the cool-factor, but he really enjoys the (somewhat educational) games on the Leapster, too.

 

[mumom95]

Thanks for all the advice. I think I will be looking into the DS Lite.