Unless gameplay is good, graphics wont help
That is true and I 100% agree with Nintendo philosphy on focusing on the gameplay first
That said, once they get gameplay right, there is no excuse to not make it better by wrapping the experience with deservingly high production values for sound and graphics.
We don't pay for prototypes... we pay for polished final products that are up to industry production standards and we do expect sound/graphics etc to keep improving on the technical aspects even if we expect Nintendo to prioritize on more timeless aspects like gameplay and art direction.