3DS was the best system Nintendo has ever made. Such innovative hardware and so many good games.

Aside from being one of my favourite systems ever the 3DS also gave me a new appreciation for the DS.  For reasons unknown I didn't play the sort of DS games that really grabbed me until I owned a 3DS, so both systems blur together with me.  I think there is a bit of luck in the age I was when the 3DS came out, where I no longer felt the need to keep up-to-date with the big titles and was fine sticking to whatever niche I felt like.  I pretty much just played RPGs and visual novels on the 3DS and I was very content doing so.

With this being discontinued I now officially have no current game systems and am an old fart playing nothing but retro games.

Was going to buy one for my Niece for Christmas. Maybe I can get one on clearance at Walmart or something.

Oh man, the 3DS was a great system and I STILL miss Street Pass so much! T-T

That said, discontinuing this system means that Nintendo has no offerings at sub $199 price points. I'm curious, is it no longer tenable to run a business for dedicated video game devices (even older ones) at $150 or $100, or does Nintendo think they can bring down the price on the Switch Lite another $50 to address this segment?

I don't think they will lower the price of the Lite for this holiday. This may just be a way to funnel more people into the Switch market when there is no lower tier option.

Well eventually the Switch Lite will reach that price point.  Right now though, the Switch is breaking sales records every month and 3DS sales have been low for the last 2 years with no new software for over a year.  Anyone interested in a low priced alternative has bought the system by now.  Doesn't mean they don't believe in a sub $199 system anymore, just that the 3DS is no longer a viable product worth the money to produce.

:'( I'm still playing my 3DS and ignoring my ever growing Switch backlog of 84+ games

It was okay.

Does this mean that FINALLY there will be no more system updates?!

Joking aside.  It's tough to compare the DS and 3DS for me.  Granted the 3DS is automatically better because you can play the DS library on it haha.  Both libraries had fantastic games. 

My favorite DS game got a remake:  Radiant Historia.  My favorite DS series was continued as well as got some remakes:  Etrian Odyssey.