I got a 3DS XL in 2013 because I loved that form factor. The larger screens were what I wanted. It became my favorite handheld.
I took my blue 3DS XL everywhere with me to take advantage of Street and Spot Passes. I also experimented with the camera that took 3D images. These were novelties compared to the actual games though.
Most of the games I played were continuations of series I had already gotten into with the DS. One exception was Fire Emblem. I knew about this series before, but I had never really played them. On 3DS I played Fire Emblem Awakening and Echoes and became a more certain fan of the series. I especially liked Echoes.
It was a little while ago that I traded my lovely blue 3DS XL. I missed it so much, I impulse bought a New 3DS at a convention. I don’t like the smaller size though and, one day, I’ll have my XL back again.
Like you, I also bought a 3DS XL in 2013 (but I got the black one). Man, I love this thing! The 3DS has a fantastic library. Last year I took a few months to buy a bunch of 3DS games because they're mostly cheap right now (unlike DS games). So I have a lot of good games I need to play this year.
Oh good that they are cheap right now. I need to rebuild my 3DS library.
The main reason why I didn't like the 3DS as much as the DS is because I'm blind in my left eye and couldn't see the 3D effects. But otherwise I loved the handheld. Kirby Triple Deluxe, Planet Robotbot, A Link Between Worlds, Super Mario 3D Land, and so many others.
I think the best unique thing about the 3DS was the StreetPass feature. I loved taking the 3DS with me everywhere and StreetPassing people. It made going to conventions like E3 and PAX extra fun because you got to StreetPass a lot of people. I loved the games they made for it, too. Only problem was it was made for densely populated areas in mind (like Japan), so my friend and I would arrange StreetPass meetings at local GameStops back then, which was a lot of fun, too.
I loved Street Pass and the related games too. I took it to a convention once, but other than that it was hard to get many street passes in my area. Even working in a public library didn't get me that many. I used to go to McDonalds or Barnes and Noble to get them or the Spot Pass stuff.
Aww, no TV time?
What's with the dog and games like Nintendogs. Did 3DS have a pet simulator game?
3DS was a bit of a letdown for me. Tons of games, but variety was lacking with almost entirely JRPGs and 2D platformers. And don't get me wrong, I love those two genres, but I want more variety is all. I was fine with it at the end of the day, but I definitely prefer the DS.
I can see that. I still have way more games for DS than 3DS right now.