Thus far, the Nintendo 3DS has:
-A new (and GOOD) Shinobi Game!!! (btw, my first 'S' Rank:
)
-Two new Resident Evil titles (one out (although it is just a mercenaries rehash), one upcoming (actual new entry in the series))
Btw, if you are not aware of Resident Evil: Revelations, and are a RE fan, shame on you! It's aiming to be a mix of the new and old RE styles, and looks very good thus far.
-New entries in the Contra and Castlevania series announced/rumoured
-Heroes of Ruin, an upcoming (Q1 2012) online action RPG/dungeon crawler that looks VERY good
-Monster Hunter 3G or whatever it is called
-Nano Assault.
-Some other crap I am unaware of/do not care about, because really, it's all about this:
....as long as it doesn't get cancelled.
(and Shinobi, which I am loving (and is kicking my ass))
(And yes, I am aware of the existence of the NG:Sigma rehash for the Vita. I'll probably end up getting it, but the 3DS title is supposed to be an entirely new game)
Nintendo has long had a reputation for catering to the 'casual' market, and while this may not be entirely unsubstantiated, they have gone a long way to rectifying that perception with their acquisition of some serious 3rd party firepower for the 3DS (and apparently for the upcoming and stupidly titled Wii-U as well).
If you are more in line with what people mean by a 'hardcore' gamer, as I would be my most people's standards, then you may want to take a second look at the Nintendo 3DS. When thinking of the 'hardcore'/'casual' issue, it's not as clear a divide between the Vita and 3DS as you may think. The 3DS isn't just Brain Age and Nintendogs games.
When you think Nintendo, you may think Nintendogs, Brain age and Wii Sports. Well, maybe it's time to think Ninja Gaiden, Shinobi, Resident Evil, Contra, Castlevania and Monster Hunter :P