disappointing while also satisfying

It honestly all depends on how you feel about it, is it worth saving to you?

it's not really worth anything if I were to sell it, nor would repairing it raise its value enough to sell it. I might just keep it as it is and see what I could do to it in the long run (like mods)

It happens to the best of them.

editing comments suck because they lose formatting

this 3DS has been through Nintendo repairs 3 times. the third one probably gave me a replacement unit due to a software(?) brick and quite a bit of physical damage, such as the circle pad rubber falling off and (when it was bricked) drilling off the back due to stripped screws.

I probably suck at handling consoles because my brother's had his since some time after the ambassador period and it's still going strong, albeit with some scratches and things. I don't think I could cause something like a cracked hinge though... especially on a brand new replacement console that I didn't have for more than a few months.

not like I was going to use the black 3DS anyway; I have the blue one because my brother got my New 3DS XL (once I got a standard). really just kept around for homebrew purposes and other things.

Yikes ;~;
Rest in peace. Even if it went unused.

You could sell it for parts. I'm sure the motherboard/buttons/touchscreen and even the bottom panel are still functional. Maybe even the battery.

Sadly unlike the regular DS the 3DS doesn't have any useful "GameBoy" mods - as it lacks a GBA port and 99% 3DS/DS games use both screens for gameplay, so removing one doesn't help much. I don't even know if it's possible to run the unit without the top half - in the DS' case it was relatively easy because it was just a screen, but there's so much stuff on the top half of the 3DS I wouldn't be surprised if the system refused to boot without those parts.

All the mods for the 3DS I've seen are either NAND mods or mods to connect a GameCube controller to the console for Smash.

I'm sorry for your loss, bro.

Why not install the Katsukity capture mod?

@EMP Knightmare i'll probably never use it because it's hard to play a 3DS with a loose screen. (on a side note, Katsukity doesn't seem to want to support USA New 3DS...)

@ric. never thought about selling the parts. I know of someone else who's doing that so I'll wait a week before the system transfer cooldown goes away (I did a transfer for a video), then figure out what parts I could sell from it.

it's also not that much of a loss, since I have a working blue 3DS, the black one was literally collecting dust for a while. only used it for very specific tests that I wouldn't use my main system for.

here's all the Nintendo [3]DS systems we have, minus my brother's New 3DS XL:

I feel sorry for your loss...

Wow, the size progression over the years......
I say since you still have Aqua, take what is salvagable and sell or keep. Trust me, even those of us who try to be careful with their stuff end up messing up.

I plan on eventually opening up and selling the parts of the black 3DS. since a refurbished 2DS is $60 on Nintendo's online store I might get that as a third option (also I've never seen a 2DS in person).

Seen and held store model 2ds and observed a few kids holding them walking around. About as tall as a Wii case and slightly wider. The 2ds had a slider on the side which puts it into sleep mode aka closing system (for games like LoZ Phantom Hourglass).
Grip on side is rubber and makes well for slippery palms. Like cone, thicker on top and thins downward in case shape. Design is interesting, like a first generation GBAdvance evolved. Same issue though of covering screen and transportation due to size. Everything else, excluding 3d, is similar to a launch 3DS, including speed. I also noticed speaker quality similar to 3DS XL (speakers stronger? on original launch and weaker since. Not sure on New models however).

How is you perception of the New normal sized 3DS model with the plates? The only concerns I have with the New models as of now are the placement of the card slot (buildup of hand oils?), the battery life (extensions made but still high price), and the fact of the wait for separate release of the particular console (non bundled or at least bunded with physical release) especially of separate colors (darker or blue. At least the plates can be ordered and there is variety).

I had the New XL for a few months, and still went straight for the standard model when it was released in NA (got release day shipping as well). I didn't particularly mind that it only came with AC:HHD, I just wanted a smaller console. though it seems to have some speaker issues, it's too late to do an RMA, and I don't think Nintendo accepts repairs for this console yet, so I'll just live with it. other than that, no regrets.

Do you think the speaker issue is just cause a fault in your model or just the models in general?
Also I would contact Nintendo. Even if they do not cover yet, they should honor warranty and do keep record of every call. At least they can tell you and if not now you can press with "warranty blah blah" and they may do at the point possible. It has not been 6 months since the release, so it should be good enough. If you are concerned.

just mine. I don't think Nintendo would have released this if they realized it was the model in general.

we'll see about a repair. I just wanted to avoid doing that honestly, because I did it 3 times on my old black 3DS. one day I might just go back to the XL.

*getting the New XL was specifically to not send it in a 4th time.

Well it is not your fault your system luck is just eh.
I understand your point though. "what again, mac is calling for a repair. Oh brother." -Nintendo rep.
Anyway, I've been in similar situations but with a particular game title.
Warranty is promise though. In writing. Anyway good luck with whatever decision you decide on.

well at least I'm willing to pay for the repairs. >,>

I'm tempted to try and stack all my [3]DS(I) consoles on, but... Uh there's a lot imma scared to even try. Also most of them are still in moving boxes because you know I only moved 6 months ago.