When Nintendo presented its big showcase last year before the Electronic Entertainment Expo took place, it shocked the world with the announcement of the Wii U, a new game console that would take advantage of an innovative new touch screen controller.  However, when it came to hitting the floor and seeing the Wii U in action, most people think it came up a bit short, despite the interesting presentations.  This time around, Nintendo has a chance to really show attendees what their next-gen system is made of.  So how can they capitalize?  We’ve got a few ideas…

Mario Tennis has almost become an institution for Nintendo, in a way.  First introduced years ago on the Nintendo 64, it has since become an infatuation with Nintendo players, an accessible tennis game with multiplayer appeal and plenty of mini-games to keep players intrigued.  Now that tradition continues in the 3D realm, as Nintendo is bringing the series to the 3DS this May.

Driven by fast-selling software Nintendo 3DS sells more in its first nine months than Wii did, capping a very good 2011 for the game maker. Whether they were on the go or at home, whether they played in 2D on the TV or in glasses-free 3D in their hands, gamers of all ages celebrated the holidays with Mario and Zelda. Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 for Nintendo 3DS not only became the fastest-selling titles in the history of their respective franchises when they launched, but they are now also the first Nintendo 3DS titles to sell 1 million units each in the United States. On the console side, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, which also broke launch records, became the 45 Wii title to sell more than 1 million units in the U.S.

Mention the words "Shigeru Miyamoto" to any given gamer out there, and they'll likely rattle off their favorite moment from a Mario or Legend of Zelda game, in great detail.  There's no question that the legendary designer has left his mark on more than one occasion, serving millions of happy gamers at a time.  However, it looks like he might he slowing down as he approaches his late 50's, as rumors indicate he'll be "retiring".  But to what extent?

To celebrate the launch of the Super Mario 3D Land game for the Nintendo 3DS hand-held system, Nintendo gave fans in New York City a chance play the game early and live the life of Mario in real life. Gamers were able to play inside Mario’s 3D world with life size warp pipes, trampoline coin jumps and a flag pole finale. Rocker John Bon Jovi brought his kids out to see Mario in person in Times Square.

Okay, Battlefield 3 fanboys, you got me. It is a little unfair. Battlefield 3 has no split-screen gaming. Does it mean that it won't be a great title? Absolutely not. I get pumped up every time I hear Jay-Z's "99 Problems" mixed in with the awesome "in-game" footage in the commercial. It's unavoidable while watching any football game on Sunday. And positive reviews are pouring in. Like most of you, I already have my copy pre-ordered. And I'm excited--but, a little less excited than I am about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.

Nintendo is making sure the holidays are hot this year with a new Flame Red version of its portable Nintendo 3DS system. The new color launches September 9 alongside the new Star Fox 64 3D game, and comes on the heels of a new $170 price point, which goes into effect August 12 in the United States. Flame Red joins launch colors Cosmo Black and Aqua Blue.

After a fast start at retail, Nintendo 3DS has experienced sluggish sales. A lack of killer apps was originally blamed, but with Legend of Zelda now on the market Nintendo decided to cut the price by $80. Starting on August 12, the Nintendo 3DS will retail for $170, down from $250. Nintendo has a strong line-up of fall titles to lure gamers, and this price cut will certainly help.

Nintendo needed a hit for its Nintendo 3DS and it got one. After just 11 Days on store shelves, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time has sold over 283,000 copies in the U.S. alone. The game finished June as the No. 2 best-selling video game on an individual platform, according to the independent NPD Group, which tracks video game sales in the United States.

The Nintendo 3DS was a big hit at E3 2011. They had many 3Ds’s set up making a quick moving line and booth babes that knew everything about the product. I was one of the first in line to try out games set to be released later this year, but when I turned around I saw hundreds of people swarming into the booth behind me. I consider one of the lucky ones to have got my hands on one of these sought on devices.

REDMOND, Wash.-- Nintendo is dropping the suggested retail price of its Wii system to $149.99 and including a Mario game with the Wii hardware. Starting May 15, the newly priced Wii system will come in either black or white with the Mario Kart Wii game and a matching colored Wii Wheel accessory, replacing the previously included Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort games.