This company started out with the best stuff. the NES, and then the SNES, were among the best. However, since the competition from companies such as Sony and Microsoft, they have not been faring so well.
At the turn of the 2nd generation of videogaming, it was seen that games were converting from cartridges to dics, and that the dataspace available would be remarkably higher in comparison to the previous generation. With this came potential for extremely advanced graphics (compared to the 8bit days of yore) online capabilities, more advanced gameplay, and not to mention longer games. But...
Nintendo came in "last place" in the second generation console war for a few reasons: The concept of more realistic graphics appealed to many and was a new hype, and Nintendo's Gamecube did not have the capacity to play games with this level, nor did its discs. Its controller was also a turn off to the crowds, and the more dynamic controllers of the Xbox and the PS2 won over. Also, the revolutionary online techniques and community of Mircosoft was not to be outdone by anybody, and the Nintendo lost even more ground.
Nintendo also had another problem, aside from hardware issues. It's games. The concepts of the games were immediately aged, and Mario, Zelda, Kirby, and the like were all covered with a layer of dust. Brand new series and game makers were sucked in to the advanced systems and made most of the successful market of games. Games such as the Halo series, Devil May Cry, Metal Gear Solid, Jax & Daxter, and many more were a new sight for everybody. The old games were not able to shine because most people were thinking "been there done that" and Nintendo's newer versions of previous titles were left in the dust. Then they had a second shot in the 3rd generation...
The Nintendo Wii was the cheapest system at launch and had brought back an old trick-motion sensing. Althought thie was originally developed by Sony, Nintendo claimed it was revolutionary. This worked for several reasons: Most of the gaming market is made up of minors, (under 18), and most had not heard of the old controller from Pelican for the PS1. As for those who did know, you could say that nobody bothered with a publicly announced lawsuit (up till December 2006, as that was when this review was written). Now once again, the concept of gaming graphics displayed in 1080p (the best for the 3rd gen on PS3), many people dreamt of that quality of gaming. However, Nintendo was (once again) not concerned with graphics. Their motion sensing controller appealed more to kids who didn't care about HD, and it was artificially "new". there was also another reason it succeeded at the start: it's price. With the cost of the Wii starting at around $250, it was by far the cheapest console, with the twist of a motion sensing controller. However...
The PS3 was the most saught after, seeing as people lined up for up to a week to get it, and all sold out almost immdetiately. The Xbox 360 had come out a year before and had a headstart, but the Wii was hot on it's heals. However, this is mostly because of the controller concepts and low cost. It's not all fun and games for the Wii buyers. Their controller relied mostly upon motion sensing, and had very few buttons. this was great for things such as sword fighting, bowling, and other stationary activities, but it greatly limited the rest of the functions. FPS, RPG and some other genres that involved platforming were restricted and were extremely hard to incorperate with the Wii controller. It also limited those who did not want to have to rely on physical accuracy to beat games or even play them.
Nintendo will have to improve their graphics, get new games, improve their game quantities, get a legit online community, and make a dynamic controller to win the 4th gen...if they can.

A still-successful 100+ year old game company which once specialized in making card games. It started making video games in the 1970s and created a still-popular mascot called Mario. The company has been, and still is the console company to go to of you want quality games that last.

A games company that is supposedly always "doomed", despite the fact that they make hundreds of millions of dollars every year.

Cares about games, and the people who play them. Not about how 1337 the graphics card is, or how many celebrities they can pay to stand around and act like they enjoy they're products.

I've talked to Xbox and PS2 fans, and all they can talk about is how its compatible with all this other shit that no one really needs, and how the grapics are so damn cool. Well do better graphics make the game more fun? Does better graphics make GTA San Andreas or Halo less mindless and demeaning?

Show me any new xbox 360 or PS3 games that can rival Super Smash Brothers, or Super Mario 64, or Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
The short answer is none of them.

Not to mention the cost difference. I'm buying a game console, not a computer/dvd player/ipod.

Im sorry if you disagree, but good graphics and mindless violence do not a good game make.

The only good thing that has come out of intellegent life.

A fantastic video game company overlooked because of the waining intellect of the average American gamer, although it's still very popular in it's native Japan. Without them, the modern day video company would be in a dead end due to the arcade crash of the 1980's.

Console History:

Nintendo reinvigorated the market with the very successful Nintendo Entertainment System released in 1985; it's Japanese counterpart, the Famicom, was also very successful. Nintendo continued this success with the release of the Super Famicom in Japan and the Super NES in America and Europe. Although it faced stiff competition from the rival Sega's Genesis console, it was largely more successful with original games such as the Legend of Zelda: a Link to the Past, Star Fox, Donkey Kong Country, and the ever famous Mario series. The Nintendo 64, originally called project reality or Ultra 64, was released in 1996, A year later than Sony's Playstation. The N64 sported alot of popular and high-grossing games, from original titles licensed by Nintendo like Super Mario 64 and the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, to third party hits such as Banjo-Kazooie and Goldeneye 64. Alot of games on the N64 were considered to be top notch and have gain recognition from critics and fans alike. The most noticeable games on the N64 were Super Mario 64 due to it's revolutionary breakthrough into a fully rendered 3D environment and the use of an innovative camera system, the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time due ...

Cool, awesome, radical, new, innovative, different

Great game company that makes bright fast-paced game featuring: Mario, Luigi, Fox, Link, and Samus. They invented the game boy, and after that other gaem companies copied them (Sega, NeoGeo, other assorted japanse companies) but failed. the game boy is still being made today. Alos made pokemon games, but they made up for it.