"Man is a gaming animal. He must always be trying to get the better in something or other."

If you are a regular reader of the blog then you will know how I feel about Nintendo and the effects they have had on my life over the years. It's all about the handheld gaming for me and my 3ds has become a permanent fixture during my week. Handheld gaming fits in with my lifestyle, those quiet moments with Opeie asleep in the car, a relaxing hour in bath and even linking up with the boys 2ds' for a bit of multiplayer fun. Mrs M is always saying how many of the consoles she sees on the train in the morning going to work so it's clear that Nintendo's handheld consoles are as always on the up.

The 3ds offers great games with crisp clear graphics and we have been lucky enough to have been able to review many great titles over the last few months, but what else does the console have to offer?

I've mentioned it before but the great thing about the 3ds system is that even if you didn't buy a game straight away you could keep yourself entertained for months solely on the software that comes installed. My favourite accessory on the console is street pass. A way of connecting with other gamers, street pass gives you a way of making friends on the streets just by walking by with your console in Sleep mode. It's safe and the only information that is received is a Mii character, name and a life achievement that you chose from a list when registering. That probably doesn't sound that interesting at first but it's what you can do with your street pass friends that makes this software so addictive. There are street pass games installed but also the option to buy other games and with every gamer passed in the street you have another player to use on your gaming adventures.

The console also has another similar wireless software (Nintendo Zone) that picks up and sends you Nintendo information and news in certain areas while you are out and about. Kind of like what the mobile networks do bit rather than random rubbish it is all Nintendo based.

When it comes to the 3d side of things then there are some games that need to be played in 3d. Personally though I still tend to play many of my games in 2d. The console has a few games installed though that are quite simple but really show the possibilities of what the 3d screen can do. Face raiders is a game based around your own face, you use the consoles camera (front or back) to photograph your face or someone elses and then you are transformed into moving targets to shoot at, The consoles also come with a pack of cards to be used on the Augmented Reality software which is something a little different and really makes the most of the 3d side of the console.

If you have friends or family that also have a 3ds/2ds console and they are registered then you can use the Nintendo Letter box software to send each other letters to stay in contact using streetpass. this can now include photos too.

 A few months back i wrote a post about creating Mii characters (click here to read more), despite having lots of games to play creating Mii's is one of the boys favourite things to do and can keep them entertained on long car journeys.

If playing with Music or photographs are your thing then you could have so much fun playing with Nintendo 3ds sound or Camera, Nintendo have come a long way since their original GBA Camera and printer (although i did have a lot of fun with mine when i was younger). With plenty of creative options to make your own personalised sounds, pictures and videos you can let your creative side run wild and again this is all software that comes installed on your system.

There is so much more going on with this console and it seems that the more that you play the more fun you find. If gaming is your thing then for me being such a huge fan of Nintendo and the games and software that they have to offer there really is nothing better. With so much going on installed on the console it has been perfect for entertaining the boys on long car journeys or anywhere where there may be some waiting.

In the next couple of months we'll be writing a 'Top toys for Christmas' post but I'm sure its quite clear that the Nintendo 3ds family will be right up there at the top.