The only Nintendo console that I truly felt had a major issue hardware wise was the Wii - Nintendo was too afraid for its prospects so lowballed it just a bit too much. It would have been alright if it wasn't an xbox 360 - but just a tad more ram, tad more power, and 720p output would have gone a long way.
I'm fine with Wii U because it's back to their usual balance of ideas and unique hardware versus raw technology and power, and the price is okay as I realize the gamepad isn't free. It's not overpriced for the tech it has. Because that tech involves more than the CPU and GPU.
I just rebuilt my gaming PC, so I like graphics. But I do think we're no longer in the same era of games and technology as many have grown up expecting. When technology was still crude, each new generation was a wholesale revolution and we all became used to having our minds blown by sights we couldn't have imagined before.
That's over though. 3D technology matured starting with the 7th gen - Xbox 360, PS3, and modern PC tech. After that it is largely a matter of refinement and increase in capacity. More shaders, more physics, better textures, more IQ, more AI. And with good artistry a game made on "2006" hardware can look comparable to a game made on modern hardware in most ways, even if its "tech" is inferior.
Despite the fact that a hobby like gaming breeds tech enthusiasts, the irony is that raw tech as far as graphics go is becoming less important with each successive generation, as that tech becomes commoditized and homogenized.
And yes, Nintendo was always conservative with tech, they always went the "balanced" route - something enthusiasts tend to call low-tech because nothing but the best-of the best-of is adequate for an enthusiast of technology. The irony is that in time, all Nintendo has to do is survive - in time the world will come to them. As the tech for making graphics becomes cheaper and cheaper, even more homogenized and generic, Nintendo (and everyone else) will eventually be able to put together balanced, affordable devices with technology not very different from anything else that can be built.
