Just for the sake of argument, let's say AAA 3rd party support never returns to Nintendo. If this were to happen, would u rather have a low cost/modest power console or high cost/powerful console?

Depends....

If they pull the crap they did with Starfox, where because they need to render it twice (gamepad & tv) and have both running 60 fps.... and it ends up looking almost like a old gamecube game. Then Id def. want them to have all the horse power they can.

If they make a weak console, they should know their limits and not do things the way they did with starfox.
Sadly Nintendo dont.. I think overall things will be better if you give them more power to play with, that way they can waste more trying weird things like that double rendering.

More power would allow nintendo more freedom to experiment with stuff like that.

So in the end I think more power is the safer route, and perphaps the more fun route to go, because nintendo will do more experimental stuff.

honestly if they can't gain 3rd party support back may as well go all out and release a $1000 machine for the hardcore Nintendo fans lol.

The problem with that is it be untapped as Nintendo would never spend more money to make a game look amazing.

I don't really care, Nintendo is more about artstyle than realism when it comes to their games.

I'm still mad about the "new" dolphin emulator looking Star fox lol.

Its simple really, the more power, the bigger the canvas and palette for creativity.  

To be safe I want they go with the power route. At least they can secure their hardcore fan.

The price is my main concern then.. if the pricing is good I'm fine with a weaker console, but of course, it better be powerful enough..

I honestly think the new starfox where they render it double for the gamepad aspect is a mistake.
Their console isnt powerfull enough to do that, and still have the game look the way its ment to.

Id be fine with them useing weak hardware again next gen, as long as they dont make bad design choices for games, or controllers.

No more metroid prime thats a multiplayer soccer game, no more double rendering simply for the sake of actually useing the gamepad for something, in fact no more gamepad controllers (their too expensive).

Id like to see them use a normal controller next console, that goes with the console they sell, and then drop all backwards compatablity for the wii u, and drop the controller BC. as well.

I want to see nintendo just put every penny they can, into makeing the strongest little console possible.
Then aim for around 250-300$ price point.

*edit: I also want to see them have a Mario game ready for launch of it.... and it needs to be a real 3D one (a new mario 64,Sunshine, luigis mansion, galaxy).

Low cost. I'd rather see Nintendo make money and I don't care for graphics that much. And a low cost console can sell and compete much better against the PS4 and X1, which will probably be between $200-$300 by the time the NX releases.

A beefed up PS4 would make sense. More than enough for the kind of games Nintendo makes.