So, I want to buy a Nintendo 3DS XL. Recommend me some games, oh Game Room. (Nothing related to Mario Bros or Pokémon, because with those I really don’t know where to start.)
I’m not all that interested in straight-up action games. I do like puzzles.
If you like puzzles you should definetly get something in the Professor Layton series. You can also take a look at Super Scribblenauts. If you’ve never played Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, now would be a great time since they’ve remastered the original for the 3DS.
Mario related
I really wish you would let me recommend some Mario games as they can be really fun, especially Bowser’s Inside Story.
The Professor Layton games are great, and the earlier games in the series are now quite cheap. The first 3DS entry in the series comes out in a few weeks.
If you’re interested in adventure / interactive-novel games, there are a few good ones. I really liked 999 (but be warned there is a bunch of reading), and it has a 3DS sequel coming out in a few weeks as well. Hotel Dusk was decent too.
As always, I will recommend Elite Beat Agents, as it is super awesome.
The first DS game I always recommend is The World Ends With You. It’s an RPG, but it may be more action-y than you’re looking for, since the fights run in real-time. It has a great story, though, and very unusual gameplay. There’s not much on the puzzle front, though; a few side quests are a bit puzzle-like, but most of the mental engagement is in following the story.
For pure puzzling, I second the Professor Layton games. Loads of classic puzzles, lightly topped with quirky stories. Also, one of the games arguably has the silliest chase scene in the history of chase scenes.
If you like puzzles, then the Layton games really are great. A bit of a warning, though, the stories are fun, but they have pretty wildly far fetched explanations at the end. Go into them expecting fun stories and characters but not satisfying mysteries. I’d recommend playing them in order, just because minor interface improvements will make going back to earlier ones difficult after playing the later ones.
The DS is one of my favorite systems, and puzzle games and adventure games are its strongest genre.
Professor Layton and the Curious Village
Professor Layton and the Unwound Future
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Ghost Trick
Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors
Hotel Dusk
Layton is the best for pure puzzles. Ace Attorney is IMO the best adventure game (make sure to start with the first one). Ghost Trick is a great mix of the two.
The World Ends With You is the best RPG. Etrian Odyssey II and Shiren the Wanderer are RPGs only for the extremely masochistic, but in that case they are very good.
I’ll also second the recommendation of Elite Beat Agents.
Oh yeah, Ghost Trick is a great game too. Also, Pushmo in the 3DS eShop is supposed to be very good, but I haven’t played it myself.
It’s not that I’m opposed to Mario, it’s more that there’s so many Mario-games that I am confused. I’ll definitely look into your suggestion. 
Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. This should keep me busy enough.
Phantom Detective: Ghost Trick is the best game on the DS that I have played, so I suggest you get it ASAP.
The Professor Layton games are awesome as well. 
Pokemon games are just RPGs, except you’re not building up your main character, you’re building up your Pokemon.
Since you mentioned you’re getting a 3DS XL - I’m going to neglect all DS titles, because what’s really going to look GOOD on that screen is 3DS games.
All of these titles are available in the eShop (or will be, very soon) so don’t feel the need to buy actual cartridges to swap out and carry around if you don’t want to. Just buy 3DS Cash cards, or load up your eShop account by adding money with your credit card. That way the games will be saved right onto your SD card. Though you might want a larger SD card than the 4Gig one they include on the XL if you buy ALL your games digitally. You should have room for 5 or 6 of them, no problem, on the 4gig.
[ul]
[li]New Super Mario Bros. 2 (platformer - 2D)[/li][li]Super Mario 3D Land (platformer - 3D)[/li][li]Professor Layton: Miracle Mask (puzzles/mystery)[/li][li]Art Academy: Lessons for Everyone (art program)[/li][li]Crossword Plus (pencil puzzles)[/li][li]Mario Kart 7 (racing)[/li][li]Animal Crossing (2013 - life sim)[/li][li]Pushmo (eShop only) puzzle, 3D[/li][li]Mutant Mudds (eShop only) platformer, 3D[/li][/ul]
Yes, I recommended THREE Mario games - sue me. They really ARE the best games on the console.
Art Academy: Lessons for Everyone is not to be missed on the XL, if you are at ALL interested in art or learning to draw or paint. The big screen makes learning how to paint a joy. (and it’s very realistic, brush strokes, mixing paint colors, pastels, along with some art history lessons and practical instruction.) It’s a brand new game (an update of an older title) but skip the old one and get THIS one instead. It is simply amazing.
If you like crossword puzzles and other pencil puzzles, do not skip Crossword Plus - it will keep you busy with crosswords, anagrams, and word search puzzles until the end of time. It automatically downloads several new puzzles every Monday morning, just on the off chance that you actually manage to finish all 1000+ puzzles in the game. You’ll keep getting more, more, more.
New Super Mario Bros. 2 is an update of the old NES game, with crazy level designs and secret exits and all kinds of unusual power ups. This game has a particular emphasis on collecting coins, which is fun and different from other Mario games. This one is relatively new (released in August this year) and they are in the process of adding to the game with DLC (downloaded content) you can buy in the eShop.
Super Mario 3D Land is, simply put, THE best platformer on the console. No other game even comes close.
Mario Kart 7 is (as the title might indicate) a racing go-kart game. You can play online, against friends or strangers (or other Dopers, there’s quite a few of us with the game) as well as solo. One player with this game can broadcast a temporary download version of the game to a whole roomful of people with 3DSes.
Let us know what you end up with, and post your Friend Code so we can add you.