It seems Nintendo has had an incredible boost since the release of nintendo wii a year ago. Nintendo may some good decisions early on by setting a good price for the wii console. Sony and microsoft have been decreasing their prices

to compete with wii. Due to the continued demand for a nintendo wii console they have not had to decrease their price but you can see the wii console prices increasing in places like ebay. But for those who desperately want a wii , they will pay the price.

In my research, I have noticed online searched for nintendo wii have decreased. I am sure this is a result of all the reports of the nintendo wii not being in stock. It has been very frustrating for the consumer. There always seems to be one or two items that you just can't seem to get your hands on for Christmas. I am sure everyone remembers the cabbage patch and tickle me Elmo frenzies. So what are you to do if you can't find a nintendo wii? I still suggest you shop online, I have consistenly found retailers having it in stock (below). If you prefer to shop

locally instead and it appears nintendo may not be able to reach production needed to meed the demand, what next?

Maybe you should consider a nintendo ds or ds lite. It really is a great alternative, although not on the same technology. One advantage to the nintendo ds is that it is portable. You can take it anywhere. If you live in Japan you can actually watch tv on your ds or ds lite. 4 million orders were placed for the software that allows users to watch tv on their ds. Sorry , no plans for ds tv outside of Japan. This is because the standard for broadcasts in only used in japan. I fear if that was released here, we would once again be facing shortages as with the wii

consoles.

So what features make the ds so attractive? LCD screens with incredible resolution, can display 260,000 colors, built in wifi capability to play over the internet, backwards compatible with the gameboy advance library,embedded chat software for up to 16 users per room, simulated surround sound and full stereo, built in microphone with voice recognition and rechargable lithium battery. Wow, packs a powerful punch for such a small device. Boy has technology really changed since the orignal gameboy. Another benefit is that when it is closed it is small enough to fit in your pockets without weighing them down. Let's see you try to fit a wii console in your pocket.

Another consideration in your handhelds is the battery life. You can get around 8 to 9 hours of continuous play before recharging. The great thing about lithium batteries is that they don't build memory. Nintendo ds also has full 3-D capabilities which will look even better than the nintendo 64. It has incredible simulated surround sound and the sound is very clear and loud. The quality is much better than on the gameboy advance.

How does ds lite compare? It has a sleeker smaller design and bigger stylus. The screen is also brighter and makes it stand out as the best handheld around. Rearrangement of the buttons has proven to make gameplay more comfortable.

It is also reported that it has longer battery life. Based on many reviews, they all state it is worth the price. Most are stating they prefer the new ds lite to the original ds device. It just takes it to a higher level.

So I hope this is enough information that can help you make a better decision if you are tired of searching for your nintendo wii console and don't want to buy the wii online. You can see that portable devices like nintendo ds and ds lite are becoming more popular for hardcore gamers and kids alike. It is the perfect entertainment for those long car trips. Whether you purchase a wii or ds, you will be very happy and who knows you might just decide on both.