Uh...you ignored that Vita has access to most of the PSP library. Your phrasing makes it sound like there's only a small number of PS1 games available for Vita, when there's quite a few (162) including most of the big titles
NA PSN has 799 games right now between PS1, PSP, and PSV, and the Vita is adding games at a much faster rate than the 3DS. I checked about a week ago and it was at 299 games released in NA, which at 29 months since release is 10 games per month. I haven't checked the release rate of the 3DS recently, but at 2 years in the 3DS only had 150 games versus 200 for the Vita at its second anniversary. Additionally a lot more of the 2DS/3DS games are aimed at children, so there's a ton of Petz games and the like that blow the numbers up on the 2DS/3DS side.
The number of games just doesn't mean a lot. He should look at the games themselves to decide. 3DS does have a number of good exclusives, true, but so does the Vita.
Great points, Thermo and thank you for fixing my biased post.
I own both and find myself going to the 3DS more often than the Vita, I already have a PSP so I never bothered with re-buying the games on PSN to play via Vita, so I have a slew of PS1 games that I play on PS3, PSP, and Vita. So thats a small list of PS1 and PSP games I missed getting hard-copies of. sure their library are huge when you add in the backwards comparability, but EVERYTHING require re-buying, doesnt matter if you own the original game disc/UMD, whereas the 3DS is able to play off DS cartridges.
Did more googling since my experience is with an older games roster on both handhelds so my points might be aged.
http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/997614-nintendo-3ds/69056812
just checked this out, the Vita does seem to be getting the better games of 2014. (IMO)
I really looked at the "3DS or Vita" question with my biased experience, but thats due to the fact I just liked a TON of game on the DS and 3DS due the fact I was already a Sony fanboy and have owned PS1,PS2,PS3 and PSP before I got the Vita, so re-buying was internally frowned upon and pretty unnecessary. whereas I dont have any DS exp under my belt so I just have a bigger collection of DS/3DS games versus Vita (non-BC).
I'll admit the 2014 lineup looks really great compared to what the 3DS is getting.
@ChalupaBatman: get whichever holds more games you have an interest in. Mine was 3DS at the time. got the PSV to check out the other half of handheld gaming.
Similar rant.

phone-gaming. I'm sorry but I use it for two things, txting and calling, I gat ma 3DS and PSV for the On-The-Go gaming. I really hope smartphone-gaming isnt the death of handhelds....