Hi,
I'm replying to you outside of the thread since it was getting a bit off topic, but as far as I know New Leaf can only be played on the 2DS or 3DS.
I got my start with Animal Crossing for the GameCube but then took a really long hiatus. I actually didn't know it had turned into a series until I found out about New Leaf so I got back into it just a few years ago.