Last year, Microsoft, SONY and Nintendo released their much anticipated next generation of gaming consoles: The Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Wii U, respectively. The consoles average at a staggering $400 price tag and many gamers are still wondering whether or not even one of these systems is worth the expense.

Some would argue that a 1080 pixel screen resolution or the speedy frame rate of 60 frames per second make up for these consoles’ lack of good exclusive games, but I beg to differ. In fact, I’d argue that Nintendo’s handheld 3DS system is worth the investment more than any other new console on the market through a combination of great exclusives, visionary multiplayer capabilities and a whole library of retro games available for purchase on the virtual market.

SONY’s latest console, the PlayStation 4, has a beautiful and smooth user interface and an inbuilt and easy-to-use streaming system, allowing even the most novice user to stream their gameplay to the world. While the console lacks the plethora of exclusive games of the last generation of systems, “Killzone: Shadowfall” is interesting for fans of the series and “inFamous Second Son” is far from disappointing.

Light, aesthetically pleasing and quick on loading times, the PlayStation 4 is a quality console, but lacks the roster of exclusive games to justify its price tag. To make up for this, however, SONY’s PlaystationPlus online subscription service gives players a handful of indie titles at no cost every month.

Microsoft held a strong lead in the last console generation with the Xbox 360 – a console that dominated the market thanks to the success of the Halo franchise and the multiplayer capabilities of Xbox LIVE. The Xbox One, however, suffered a series of setbacks, starting with the fact that players must be connected to the Internet to use the console.

Another misstep was the implementation of the Kinect in the original $500 console, something that was once called a necessity and has now been removed not even a year after release. The exclusive line up is also dismal, with many of the Xbox One’s best games such as “Dead Rising 3” coming to PC within the coming month. All in all the Xbox One has yet to justify itself, except as a would-be competitor to the PS4, but perhaps this year’s release of “Sunset Overdrive” and “Halo 5: Guardians” will change that.

The Wii U has also been a bit of a disappointment. Between clunky multiplayer implementation and few exclusives despite the console’s release nearly two years ago, it is far from worth the $300 cost. However, the Wii U’s gamepad is surprisingly comfortable and Nintendo’s eShop offers a great deal of old titles like the original “F-Zero” or “Life Force” for as little as $1 during their many sales.

Finally, the underdog of the consoles, the Nintendo 3DS, was released in 2011 with all the benefits of the Nintendo eShop at a reasonable price of $200. Since then the handheld console has seen the release of such addictive multiplayer games as “Monster Hunter Tri Ultimate,” “Animal Crossing: New Leaf” and, of course, “Pokémon.” These games benefit from the system’s intuitive local play system, which replaces the need for a Wi-Fi connection with the ability to connect with people in your proximity, which yields obvious benefits on a campus that does not have the most reliable Wi-Fi for gaming.

The console also has a great deal of interesting single player games, namely role-playing games, such as “Fire Emblem: Awakening” and “Bravely Default,” all with phenomenal soundtracks, sharp graphics and great stories. Most interestingly, the latest iteration of “Super Smash Bros.” will be releasing on the 3DS later this week. From what I can tell from the demo, the game is not to be missed.

If you’re looking for an affordable system with great exclusives and multiplayer that you and all your friends will be enjoying in the lounges for hours, look no further than the 3DS. While its 3D function is rarely used or interesting, the console is portable, comfortable and endlessly entertaining, and I would highly recommend it before any of the new over-inflated consoles on the market.

Alessandro Arena-DeRosa can be reached at [email protected].