So imagine that for whatever reason Nintendo could only produce one ninth gen system; either a handheld system or a home console.  Which one do you think would be best for them to produce?  Which one would you rather see them produce, based on your personal preferences?  For your post, please answer both questions.  For the poll, answer the latter.  And no, Nintendo Fusion is not an option.

Handhelds. Mostly because them only having a home console would be a financial gamble that would have the potential to cripple Nintendo (or at the very least turn them away from making home consoles forever). That would be depressing.

Console! Their handhelds are much better in terms of software but the only thing I truly care to play on it is pokemon. If they had no hh pokemon would come to consoles!!

Mainly though I consider Smash, 3D Mario, MKart and Zelda the main 4 reasons to own a nintendo system when talking exclusives. Each is best experienced on a console.

Consoles of course. Though it doesn't really matter if the console only produces handheld visuals.

Consoles.
There is no future for dedicated handhelds.

Consoles as long as they're more successful than GC/WiiU. They couldn't survive for long on WiiU after WiiU alone

Handheld that can be plugged into a TV with a micro HDMI to HDMI adapter and that offers bluetooth so you can connect controllers to the handheld and so you have 4 player mode etc.

Handheld.

That's basically what Fusion will be ... mainly a handheld/portable platform, there will just be a way to play the same games on your TV, but it will be a portable-centric platform first (not the other way around). There won't be a ninth generation Nintendo console in the traditional sense, it will just be an optional thing for playing handheld games on your TV if you want. 

Nintendo can't sell consoles worth a damn anymore unless they have some kind of miracle gimmick tied to it and they haven't been able to for a while really.

Handheld chips are advancing every year by leaps and bounds, by 2016 when Fusion portable is ready to go, it will be able to generate Wii U like graphics which is all Nintendo needs to make nice looking versions of all their IP. Maybe even better in some respects (fancier lighting/shading DX11 like techniques).

I think, if forced to choose, Nintendo should invest its resources in a portable system for the ninth generation. As we've seen from 3DS, some series once alien to Nintendo handhelds are now viable, e.g. Smash Bros. Plus many of Nintendo's biggest sellers, including Pokemon and Animal Crossing, translate better to handheld systems. Lastly, Nintendo has a 25-year history of dominance in the dedicated handheld market; it remains a strong brand, despite challenges from Sony and from smart devices.

My personal preference? Nintendo designs a ninth-gen console. Why? Over the last three decades, Nintendo's software output on consoles has been markedly better than its output on handheld devices. Plus, local multiplayer is easier and less costly with a home console.