That sexy little machine up there is my aqua blue Nintendo 3DS. I received one as a gift when I attended the launch event at Nintendo headquarters in Seattle. <a href="http://everydaytreats.frogandsnail.com/brands-ive-worked-with">(I work with Nintendo as one of their brand ambassadors</a>. How cool is that? Very.)

I kept the 3DS under wraps for a month to surprise the boys and keep them occupied during our long Boston to Phoenix flight and I'm happy to share my little baby with you now that we all have had a chance to play with it .

This is our first portable gaming device (other than our iPhones) -- I'm super impressed with how far technology has come since the Gameboy days. For starters, the 3DS gives you the option to play games (and take photos) in 3D. If you have children under 6 (as I do) or if you get tired of the 3D you can turn it on and off easily with the slider right next to the screen or through parental controls. You can also surf the internet, make a Mii for the Wii based on your photo, and if you're really into the Wii/Mii thing, you can collect friends in your own Mii plaza.

But my favorite thing so far is a simple game that comes bundled with the 3DS -- the AR games. Seriously, my mind was BLOWN when I got to interact with Mario!

Here we are, together at last!

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Basically, the AR Games allow you to interact with your favorite Nintendo characters in 3D -- but it uses your real surroundings as the backdrop. It's as weird and fun as it sounds.

It's a little hard to explain how cool the AR Games are, so here's a video that gives you a little taste of how it works:

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Does it look like fun? It is!

If you're in the market for a handheld video game player, you should take a look at the Nintendo 3DS -- I think you'll like it.