Handheld video game system for kids

[Tiger Wench]

I want to get Katie and Spencer a little handheld game system for Christmas.  Any suggestions?  The Sony looks good but I dont want/need Internet and blue ray and wireless etc.....  Too complicated for them AND me.  Just something to play games on - does that exist?  Should I just get each of them an iTouch?

I'll hang up and listen.

[Tiger Wench]

What about the Nintendo DSi?  And this is gonna make me seem extra lame, but do you have to download all the games off the Internet like you do for iTunes songs?  I can see that being expensive with two kids unless you can use the same game on more than one unit.

[CCTAU]

If I had it to do over again, I would just buy mine extra books.

But it's hard to say. The DSi did well and the Games can be had at the pawn shop cheap.

In reality, their generation will be more of the iTouch generation. I probably would go that route since you can download movies also. You can download to computer and load in both iTouches. Lot of free games too.

If you want to get a DSi, find a friend with older kids that will sell it cheap...with the games.

Whichever it is, limit the time. A focussed, smart, obsessive kid will become way too attached.

[Vandy Vol]

If your kids have been gaming for a little while, then they likely have specific game series that they play.  You might want to keep this in mind when purchasing a system, if you're going to go for a handheld gaming console that's made by one of the "traditional" console companies, such as Sony or Nintendo.  Game titles that are on the Sony handheld may not be on the Nintendo handheld, and vice versa.

The iTouch?  I don't know much about it, but how old are your kids?  I have a sneaking suspicion that the type of games that would be on an iTouch are fairly simple, and may be viewed as being geared towards younger kids.  Granted, us adults seem to be pretty entertained by shit as simple as Angry Birds, but if it's relatively complex games that your children would want, then I don't think the iTouch will satisfy them.

Now, they'll be able to do a wider variety of things on an iTouch, including various educational apps, so if you want something that's more than just a gaming console, then the iTouch would be better.

I would keep this in mind though:  An iTouch is essentially a small computer.  Unlike the DSi, PSP, or NGP, an iTouch will likely require a little bit of technical savvy (though probably not much), but most importantly, it may require a wireless connection for many of the programs/apps/games it runs.  The more traditional gaming consoles are much more simpler to operate.  Stick in a game and play it.

Additionally, because the traditional consoles are much simpler, they don't have a lot of the problems that you might encounter with an iTouch.  Inappropriate online content, the possibility of screwing up important and sometimes complex settings on the device, the ability to remove important apps (or to install apps you wouldn't want them to have access to), etc.

Essentially, it boils down to this:  Are your kids big gamers, and do they have certain titles/series that they enjoy playing?  If so, then you're going to want to get whatever system has the most titles that they enjoy.  Sony's not going to have Mario, and Nintendo's not going to have God of War (I have no clue if these are titles available on portable consoles; they're just examples).

Alternatively, if your kids aren't big gamers, don't follow particular titles/series, or you simply want to get them something that's going to be more multi-functional and not just a gaming console, then you'll probably want to go with an iTouch.  Just be aware that the more functions a device has, the more that they can do, including things you may not want them doing, or things that will render the device temporarily FUBAR.

[chinook]

funny, the skirt and i were having a similar discussion this morning.  instead of the itouch we were considering the iPad.     

[AUJarhead]

Sophia's got a DSi, and she seems to like it.  Games are pretty decent, although a lot of them require reading, something that Sophia can't do well yet.  Most of the games, you would buy at Target, Walmart, etc.  Games themselves are no bigger than your thumbnail, and just plug right in.  You can buy games from the internet, though, although we didn't set that option up for Sophia.  It does offer chat rooms, which we also disables (simply don't allow the DSi to get on the home network)

Avoid the Sony PSP.  The new one is coming out at Christmas, so if you bought it now, in 4 months, it would be outdated.

The iTouch, however, would also allow you to load movies and music on it, which might help on road trips.

[Saniflush]

  Games are pretty decent, although a lot of them require reading, something that Sophia can't do well yet. 

She is her father's daughter.

[AUJarhead]

She is her father's daughter.

I like the ones we color together.

[AWK]

Go with the Nintendo DS.

[Kaos]

Looked at a new phone for my daughter today. 

It has PlayStation in with the phone, text, camera...



http://www.sonyericsson.com/cws/products/mobilephones/overview/xperia-play?cc=gb&lc=en

AT&T and Verizon. 

Damn. 

[Tiger Wench]

I just priced it all out. I can get K an iTouch (low GB) for not much more than a DSiXL, and DAMN those DS games are expensive!!!  We can share iTunes games, so the cost after purchase is a lot less. She can have all her music and play games too. I just won't enable the Internet. 

They don't play video games at all other than the few on my iPhone and iPad, and some educational ones online through K's school.  We are apparently a lot more restrictive than our friends.  So no preferences.

So poor S just gets some new games for his Mobi-go, and Daddy's old iTouch and K's old iPod. Second child symdrome - but he is 4 and I cannot justify paying that much money for him an iTouch to drop and break. if he doesn't break Daddy's old one, maybe for his next birthday...  Gonna get K a hard core Otterbox protective case too. 

Speaking of, the Mobi-go is AWESOME for little kids. K is 7 and she still plays with hers some.  S LOVES it. He can do all the games, can change the cartridges himself, and is actually learning stuff from the games too - colors, numbers, etc.  It looks like a handheld video system, so they think they are just like the big kids.  I give it serious thumbs up for the 3-6 crowd.

[AUJarhead]

Speaking of, the Mobi-go is AWESOME for little kids. K is 7 and she still plays with hers some.  S LOVES it. He can do all the games, can change the cartridges himself, and is actually learning stuff from the games too - colors, numbers, etc.  It looks like a handheld video system, so they think they are just like the big kids.  I give it serious thumbs up for the 3-6 crowd.

I second this.