Nintendo DSi

Can't get enough Plants vs. Zombies on your home computer, iPad, iPhone, or Xbox console? Then I have some good news for you zombie killers out there: Plants vs. Zombies is finally here for the Nintendo DS!

Available now, Plants vs. Zombies DS ($20) will bring you all the planting and zombie knockouts you love, plus new achievements and four new minigames — including Air Raid, Home Run Derby, Heat Wave, and BOMB All Together — to keep you occupied. Plus, there'll even be a DSiWare version for you to download, which will include the adventure mode, and a collection of new minigames to conquer. Are you excited, or have you totally moved on to obsessing over Angry Birds?

If you don't have your own Nintendo DSi or DSi XL yet, now's the time to consider a purchase — Nintendo will be dropping the price of both consoles next month by $20. Beginning on Sept. 12, the portable DSi will be priced at $150, while the newer and bigger-screened DSi XL will set you back $170. The Nintendo DS Lite, however, will keep its price point of $130.

Although Nintendo released the DSi XL just a few months ago, it seems to be pricing its stock of DS's to move, possibly to make way for the new 3DS (whose release date will be announced on Sept. 29).

I'm not sure what's going on over at Nintendo, but if they want to release an updated portable console and then a mere four weeks later bundle their old portable console with a fun game, who am I to argue!?

Starting on April 25, Nintendo will begin bundling the DSi with a free copy of Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story (that's a $35 savings for you penny-pinchers), which is a good deal if you don't already have a DSi. Plus, the game is totally worth it. But it really does make me wonder — why not bundle the game with the new DSi XL and move some units before the 3DS makes its debut at this year's E3 conference?

Get excited — the Nintendo DSi XL ($190) officially drops today! Just shy of a year after the first DSi hit the shelves, Nintendo has revamped the layout, adding 93 percent more screen real estate — two crisp and clear screens at 4.2 inches each — which will easily let you play for hours without eye strain, and has improved the audio quality on the external speakers in a major way. Your MP3s have never sounded so good on a DS! Hey — the XL even has a bigger stylus for those of you with larger (or more arthritis-prone) hands. But buyer beware — Nintendo just announced that they'll be showing off the (tentatively-titled) Nintendo 3DS at this year's E3 gaming conference in June, so if you're hopping on the 3D train, you may want to hold out for what's next.

If you're ready to buy now, find out what's included with the DSi XL when you read more

Your favorite portable gaming device of 2009 is the Nintendo DSi! We pitted the pocket-sized portable against the iPod Touch, PSP Go and laptops and it won with 45 percent of the vote. It's not exactly shocking news considering the DSi features two built-in cameras, can connect to the Internet and makes your beloved handheld games rock.

Do you have a Nintendo DSi? And if so, what do you like or dislike about it?

If you were in line for a Wii on Black Friday, or took advantage of my shopping tips by tossing a DS in your cart on Cyber Monday, you definitely weren't alone when you forked over the dough. Nintendo dominated video game sales over the Thanksgiving holiday week by unloading one and a half million units — a cool million of them being a DS or DSi. You already know that the DS is my favorite portable gaming console, but it seems that the rest of you can't get enough either.

But that's not to say the Wii isn't holding its own — 550,000 Wiis were sold last week at its new price of $200. I have a feeling I know what will be waiting for you under the tree this year!