I own a 3DS, and have owned one since April 2011. Based on current circumstances, I would give the system a 90 out of 100, but I'll admit that it loses those ten points for a reason. The 3DS sometimes has too modest specs for its own good, the lack of a second analog hurts a couple of games, and the system could use a few more apps, particularly those that take full advantage of the hardware (The YouTube app is an example of how NOT to do it). And the battery life, though not as bad as I thought it would be, could be better.
Still, I base systems like the 3DS primarily on the software lineup and how well they play them, and in both departments, the 3DS eXceLs (har har har). The system has some of my favorite games ever, as retail software and/or via download, has had a lot of games on a regular basis since late 2011, and has the controls to play most games that come to the system quite well, and is well worth the asking price of $170.
Whether it was worth $250... had I known that a $80 price drop was in the cards, I'd have stuck with the DS for another six months. But I'm not going to judge the 3DS as it is today based on a bad business move that became irrelevant years ago.
Love and tolerate.
