I'm only willing to fork over the dough for one of the two. I already am getting the Wii U so is it worth it in anyone's opinion to get a 3DS? My favorite games that I fear will not be on the Wii U are Luigi's Mansion and the Pokemon series so I am not sure.

you wanna game? get a 3DS
you wanna ... browse, work? get a proper pc or laptop

Have a proper PC already and an Iphone (which I am meh about)

It's simple really.

If you want a dedicated gaming system with a vast library of incredible games, buy 3DS
For all the other junk not fit to be on a gaming console, buy a craplet

I would get a 3DS because it has better games, and the 3D makes the world so much more beautiful than what a tablet has to offer. (Not to mention it has buttons.)

so you have an iphone. which is kinda like a small tablet. why even bother then?
what do you wanna do with the tablet? games? seriously?
get a 3DS and enjoy its massive library

Well the Ipad has more games and it has other uses, so I'd go with that. Plus if you're already purchasing a Nintendo console you may want to branch out and get something else, unless you're really adamant about playing Nintendo games at home and on the road.

For me I always have work to do, so I use my tablet everyday for business and I fit in the occasional game. If you have a little more relaxed schedule you may not need to carry around a work-related device all the time, and you can just buy something for games (which in this case the Ipad would also win anyways..).

Everything is dependent on your schedule, line of work, preference in playing at home vs on the road, etc. so it's not like anyone of us can give you a 100% clear accurate answer. If you really enjoy Nintendo games though, and don't have much use for the professional aspects of a tablet, you're probably better suited for a 3DS.

they're definitely not going to be on a tablet anytime soon either, lol :3

Blimey
What's happening to gaming...
Junklets may have more games most of which are clones of clones but the quality is to be found on dedicated gaming handhelds.

*gulp :/

Just get a Nintendo Game and Watch!!!

With Luigi's Mansion 2 right around the corner and the inevitable Pokemon RPG on 3DS(whether it be a Ruby/Sapphire remake, Gray or something else) it seems that the 3DS is the way to go. Plus, now that you have a Wii U, future games such as Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate and Smash Bros. will have crossplay so you can take advantage of that.

Some great input guys thank you.
Just to clear things up, I wouldn't get the tablet primarily for gaming, but for its practical purposes. The gaming would just be an added bonus. I just don't want to miss out on some of my favorite Nintendo stuff because I didn't get a 3DS.

Get a 3DS and a tablet later.

Or the other way around.

OR both at the same time

OR a vita!

Simple. If you would rather have something for pure game use, get the 3DS first.

If you need the practical side more, the tablet seems the better choice.

3DS is meant for gaming. The music player is pretty sad, the camera resolution is low, the browser sucks, the "video player" isn't even really acknowledged and stupidly limited, all those and most other applications will do you much better on a tablet.

However, compare an experience like Kid Icarus: Uprising or Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance to almost any tablet game, and those two are bound to be much more high quality then the typical Angry Birds bullcrap. I only own a smartphone mind you, but I'd much rather stick to my 3DS for games and Galaxy S II for music/videos/internet.

Why hasn't anybody given a link to the Universal Reccomendations thread?

One question, what practical reasons do you need the tablet for?

I guess nothing that my IPhone can't do if I am willing to live with a 4 inch screen.

I am not too familiar with the DS series though. What kind of games would I enjoy more on the 3DS than the Wii U? Aside from my favorites Luigi's Mansion and Pokemon.

A Vita? Heeeellllll no, I would rather buy a product whose developers actually gave a damn about. Sony takes a far backseat to Nintendo and Microsoft in gaming in my opinion. Graphics are the least of my concerns when it comes to a game.

Kid Icarus: Uprising is a mixture of a third-person shooter and rail shooter (and brawler in multiplayer) and if that remains a 3DS exclusive, that's worth the money alone.

And there are several titles that will quite possibly remain 3DS exclusive.
Super Mario 3D Land - More Mario is always nice, even if the Wii U title is bound to be more innovative
Resident Evil: Revelations - I doubt this'll come to Wii U although it's coming to PS3 possibly. Survival Horror for you.
Professor Layton - 1 3DS title and 3 DS titles. All a mixture of point-and-click and puzzles.
Crush3D - A strange but brilliant puzzle-platformer.

Check out the 3DS recommendations thread to get more of a view. Gravitate towards the newer posts because the launch was pretty freakin awful.