No disrespect to the GBA, but a lot of the games are looking a bit long in the tooth now - at least in the accessibilty stakes. I'd wager if you got him a 3DS and Mario 3d Land he'd never look back!
Nein. A few weeks ago, my kid got a 3DS for his birthday, and a bunch of games from relatives. All the heavy hitters for the system.
It's been sitting without a charge for a week now, because all he ever plays on is his Touch.
I continue to be amazed the 3DS is selling as well as it is. My daughter's friend got a Touch for her birthday yesterday, and is thrilled (she turned 6). Retiring a DSi in the process.
Since my kids are younger, I have anecdotes out the ass like this, and I do *not* live in a rich neighborhood. We're typical middle class working stiffs, whose kids are over the whole DS thing and all want iOS devices.
People point to the lack of games or the high price for the failure of the Vita, but the issue is that simply there is no market for the device. The 20 something dudes that Sony seems to be going after aren't going to care either. They're out on their own and have smartphones. If they really want traditional games, the 3DS is loaded for bear.