Nintendo Giving Free Mall Massages

In an attempt to get holiday shoppers to relax their shoulders and their purse strings, Nintendo is doling out free massages and DS play at malls this week.

For just a few more days, Nintendo is offering free massages for shoppers frequenting Nintendo DS spa areas set up in six malls located around the U.S. The DS gaming spas can be found in malls in New Jersey, California, Texas, Massachusetts and Georgia, and they provide "an oasis of relaxation amid the chaos of holiday shopping," according to Nintendo.

Passersby can stop in to one of these islands for a nice (fully clothed) rub-down for about 15 minutes or so, while they play a sampling of DS titles. The menu selection includes New Super Mario Bros., Mario Kart DS, Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir, Nintendogs, Crosswords DS, and Brain Age 2. While a complimentary gaming massage is a pleasant gesture and not a bad idea overall, something tells me Nintendo's kindness stems more from a desire to make a sale down the road rather than keep shoppers from trampling and nearly maiming one another. Check out the full list of participating malls here to see if you might be able to partake in the free massage during an upcoming shopping venture. Nintendo packs up its massage tents on Dec. 8.