Nintendo DS

From handheld consoles to cell phones, even PDAs, portable gaming is everywhere. Waiting in the doctor's office will never be the same again. The big question is whether you want to play games on a device you already have or to start carrying another gadget solely dedicated to games.

Most devices in this category will include some manner of support for multiplayer gaming, whether connecting directly with each other in a Wi-Fi environment or connecting with others around the world using your cell phone service provider's network.

Each of these devices is entirely self-contained, with its own screen. This distinguishes them from the game controllers that include classic games like Asteroids or Pac Man built-in to the controller itself. Those require connecting to a TV in order to play, so while they might be transportable, they're not portable.