I'm not really a Handheld gamer either, but the 3DS is like the PS2 in gaming.
It has Nintendo ARM11 CPU (4-core 1 Ghz a core, that can't be underclock any lower then 350 MHz a core, but is underclock no lower then 400 MHz a on pre-install firmware 1.0.0-0 for battery life and to prevent overheating) and has PICA200 GPU (1-core 400 MHz GPU that does 40 Million Polygons @ 100 MHz & 160 Million Polygons @ 400 MHz, and is clock at 400 MHz anyways).
Anyways games on it have been pushing more then 100 million polygons.
Kid Icarus: Uprising is a more better game experience that Home Consoles will NEVER be able to do. So the 3DS has already shown itself being able to do a more better gaming experience then Home Consoles could ever do with Kid Icarus: Uprising.
StreetPass will help you get more into the Handhelds need to exist acceptance. (need to be within 98.5 feet of other 3DS systems for 1 to 5 seconds with firmware 5.1.0-11)
Fire Emblem: Awakening is a more better strategy game then any that has ever been on a Home Consoles, and has a lot of free DLC that gets downloaded automatically without you having the game in your system, but you do need to own the game which your 3DS will remember every activity you have ever done.
You can do 3D Augmented Reality games which are pretty awesome in AR games & Bravely Default.......and Face Raiders is good but not awesome with all of its Boss Battles at the end of its 3D Augmented Reality level.
You collect Play Coins by walking & running with it your 3DS which you can spend on in game & in app content.
Long story short the 3DS is better then the PS3/Wii/360 despite the less better specs then the PS3/360.
And 3rd Party Developers have all said that it has a better architecture in its CPU & RAM & so fort then the Wii, and that the 3DS has way more better textures & shader abilities then the Wii, as such sources as former High Voltage developers have said.
The 3DS will easily give you more better games then Home Consoles of the the 7th & 8th Gen.
You can download full retail games like Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D (2 GB, and has 8 extra levels & new modes)
You can download lots of free 3D ready demos.
The 3D effect makes the screen look much more bigger, especially in the newer 3DS games which keeps making the screen look bigger & bigger with each new 3DS game.
The 3D effect makes the graphics look much more crisper looking then HD graphics.
With 3D you don't need to figure out what draw distance is trying to tell you about distance. So draw distance is made obsolete.
Plus you can take 3D photos & record 3D videos and download full 3D Movies later this year or next year.
And steam full 3D movies on Hulu Plus.
And stream free 3D videos in the eShop.
And there's such free Apps as Swapnote (which is better then sending any other kind of message to your friends) & Nintendo Video (which gives you free 3D music videos & movie trailers and so much more.
And you can always go to system settings to change your region to United States to get goodies, and then turn it back to your actual region for being true in its identity LOL.
Theres an App call Colors! 3D that you can do sketches & 2D canvas & 3D canvas, and it has free easy to learn lessons, but I only got it to use the free online gallery to download copies of other peoples 3D Canvas, LOL but true.
You can surf 3D websites like the 3 I have in my signature, and the gbatemp site requires you to extract the 3D screenshots from the rar or zip file on your computer to then put them in your DCIM folder in your 3DS for more 3D screenshots of GameCube & Wii & GBA & DS games.
It really is a multimedia device when you take into account it's extras for its glasses-free 3D ability, but is a gaming Console first.
I guess I should mention some games that should suit a gamer like you well:
Kid Icaurs: Uprising
Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon
Kingdom Hearts 3D (2nd best KH game after KH2, but best gameplay mechanics that blow even Birth by Sleep away)
Resident Evil: Revelations (much more better on the 3DS)
Star Fox 64 3D
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
Lego City Undercover: The Chase Begins (it's the prequel to the Wii U game)
Mario Kart 7
Batman Arkham Origins part 2
Dillon's Rolling Western 1 & 2
Fire Emblem: Awakening
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (make sure to do a Firmware update before you play this game)
Harmo Knight
Rhythm Thief & the Emperor's Treasure
Pokémon X or Y
Cave Story 3D
Shinobi 3DS
Speed X 3D hyper something
Nano Assault EX
Spy Hunter
Paper Mario: Sticker Star
Crimson Shroud
Gunman Clive
Kersploosh!
Pushmo
Crashmo
Here's a list of 3DS games for anything else you might want: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Nintendo_3DS_games
