Trying to downplay the impact of the NES in the home console market based on if they had not done it, someome else could have is like saying Tampa isn't very relevant to the superbowl this year because another team would be there if they were not. The fact is Nintendo DID play a big part in saving the console market, regardless of if anyone else could have or not.
Having said that, to think that console gaming would not exist at all had the NES not been around is equally outlandish. But the fact remains that they do exist in this reality, and so they get the credit as that is what actually transpired. No amount of hypotheticals can change that.








