I know, when the DS launched, Nintendo said it would be the "third pillar" along side the Gameboy and their home console (at the time, it was the Gamecube). I kinda believed that but at the same time, I thought, "Do I need another portable console?"
It's like the Gameboy and DS would be competing with each other. After a short time, I realized that the Gameboy had become the DS. Same great Nintendo goodness but a different name. If they somehow brought back the Gameboy brand, I don't see it performing much better or worse than if it just remained the DS. It's still a Nintendo console with Nintendo games and probably the only name in town when it comes to dedicated portable gaming.
Their issue wouldn't be the name. The problem would be finding an audience. It's like if Sony brought back the Walkman. Great nostalgia and popularity but could it compete with portable music devices and cell phones of today? It would have to bring something incredibly compelling to the table and that "something compelling" would be the key to its success.
