Nintendo is back..

..and this time it's personal.

Engadget has released their Nintendo branded fan blog "Revolution Fanboy" for the entire world to check out.

Isn't it amazing that after losing 2 successive console generations and misstep after misstep, delay after delay, Nintendo has been polled to have garnered the most interest in their next-gen offering? Hell, even I'm more interested in this than the other two major players.

Let's break that down.
The 16 bit era was owned by Nintendo. Pwned by Nintendo. The Super NES was arguably the greatest console of our time, and has quite a few titles that are still fun to go back to today. How could they possibly mess this up? Let's stick with the outdated cartridge format.

Everything else was in place for them to ride on name recognition alone..the more powerful processor than the new kid in town, Sega's fall to obscurity, and a first rate first party slate. Then Final Fantasy 7 came out and showed us what can be done with CDs and a new target audience. While we were left with the wonderful (and last great launch title) Super Mario 64 and of course Goldeneye, the N64 ultimately proved to be a failure.

Flash forward to the 2000 generation. Nintendo's old rival Sega has disappeared completely from the console market, and the big N is dumbfounded when the new guy comes in and lays the smack down. Instead of joining them and working toward regaining market share, Nintendo slips up again. They decide on a proprietary format for their new console, and don't really try to shake the kiddy image until it is too late. The Gamecube would end up a distant third to Sony's second Playstation and Microsoft's freshman foray into console videogames. Nintendo really drops the ball with a Mario-less launch, and when the old stalwart finally shows, his game sucks. Again some true classics..well one that I can think of, the Wind Waker, but Nintendo would likely have gone under if it weren't for their perennially high selling game boy and subsequent DS.

Here we are today, and Nintendo is doing their trademark secret thing. All we have is the ultra innovative controller (which could be a handicap for ports and traditional gaming), and the massive promise of access to Nintendo's massive back catalog of games. Somehow, that is enough. I am ready to put money down the day pre-orders go up, and I don't think I am alone. Perhaps Nintendo is about to take back it's damn house.