The best selling video game system in U.S. history has hit a landmark - 50 million units sold. 50 million, that's not just a drop in the bucket, that's the whole bucket at this point.

The Nintendo DS reached the milestone this past September, according to NPD Group. To say that people enjoy Nintendo's portable gaming device would be an understatement - and even to say they love it might not quite get hit the mark either.

Nintendo's latest handheld, the Nintendo 3DS has also seen an increase in sales after the company opted to drop the price a full $80 - and offer 20 free games to those who initially bought the product at full price. The rather smart business move nabbed over 260,000 3DS owners in September - and 460,000 units were sold since the price drop. Probably great proof that while people love Nintendo handhelds, their love has a price - and it's $169.99.

The idea of portable gaming resonates with people so well because in an active life, being able to take a break for a few minutes and escape, any time you want, is certainly appealing. Nintendo has put a lot of emphasis on supporting their portable hardware with big name titles like the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D remake for 3DS as well as releasing new Pokemon games for the system.

Of course, one facet of the platform that consumers might not enjoy is the sheer number of games to pick from - since not all of them are particularly high quality. There are games that still offer plenty of enjoyment - such as Puzzle Quest 2, which earned a lot of praise in our review. Also, who can forget the wonders of the Brain Age series of games that not only made us smarter - but also reminded us that, from time to time, our answers were pretty stupid?

Have you still been enjoying the use of your DS or 3DS? Are you playing older games or still investigating new releases on a consistent basis?

-

Follow me on Twitter @TrungleFever