Metroid Prime 3 and Xenoblade were some of the best "platformers" I played last gen!

For the Rest of 2014 and into 2015?

On the Wii U front: Bundle the heck out of MK8 and SSB4, let people know that there are more than 2 more Wii U games coming out this year, cut the price by another $50 and/or do a new model with more storage or whatever, tell people that Zelda U is coming in 2015 regardless of where you are in development, get Genius Sonority to work with Game Freak to port Pokemon Z to the Wii U for release on the same day as the 3DS version, and release Animal Crossing 5 this Holiday. If everything goes right, that's five killer apps in about a year's time. Make sure Hyrule Warriors and Bayonetta 2 get shown off, as they might be able to push hardware even if they don't sell as much. Also, change the marketing focus. Show the real cost of the PS4 and One compared to the Wii U. Highlight the fact that most 8th gen games at this point are 7th gen ports. Prove that the future is the Wii U, not Call of Duty in 900p for an extra $300 or whatever.

On the 3DS Front: The 3DS's main problem so far in 2014 is the lack of anything special. That is ending soon with Kirrby, Mario Golf, Tomodachi Life, and Super Smash Bros 4, but the system needs even more games for the second half of the year. Super Mario 3D Land 2, Majora's Mask 3D, Metroid Dread, Rhythm Heaven for Japan, and even Japanese ports would do wonders in various parts of the world. Also consider making a new 3DS model with extra RAM for Miiverse and web browsing or something, so you can have the 2DS for $100, the original at $150, the XL at $170, and the new one at $200.

Other:

• E3, whether it be a conference or livestream, should be extra long this year. Nobody's doubting Nintendo has good games coming. They're doubting it has numerous games coming. Highlight as many individual titles as possible in addition to showing off Smash Bros for 15 minutes.
• Combine Virtual Consoles in some way. Crossplay, crossbuying, cross-saving, etc. All would help.
• Sonic Lost World may have flopped, but the Nintendo DLC was a good idea. Let other devs use Nintendo series in their otherwise 3rd party games. For example, imagine Mario being a secret unlockable character in Sonic Boom, Bowser being an exclusive character for Skylanders 4, etc. It would keep some series in Nintendo camps.
• Re-release 7th gen games on the Wii U and 3DS. Xenoblade in particular would benefit and make loads of cash, especially if sold for $30 or less and in HD.

Long (Into Next Gen) Term

• Nintendo should not completely combine home and handheld hardware, but they should be more closely related. At very least, I expect the Wii 3 to be able to play 4DS games via SD Card slot.
• This would require the two next Nintendo platforms to be released around the same time, say late 2017. This would grant both the 3DS and Wii U full, but not overly long, lifespans.
• Make it so that there are 1,001 ways to release games for Nintendo systems. Digital Download via and between platforms, via game cards, Blue-Ray discs or the future equivalent thereof, scanning game codes, using NFC to download minigames via happy meal toys, it doesn't matter. Nintendo needs as many developers on board as possible, and that means expanding their methods of getting games onto their hardware.
• Meanwhile though, don't be like the Xbox and PlayStation. Keep the GamePad; it failed this gen, but would work well combined with cross-handheld gaming. Keep specs reasonably low; no more than 32 GB of RAM, even though the PS5 will likely have at least 64 GB and likely 128 GB.

So, assuming a Holiday 2017 release date, what games should Nintendo have from launch day (sometime in November) through the end of 2018?

• Mario Kart 9 (Cross Platform, with extra features on the console). EAD 1 can spend the next three and a half years making this magnus opus of a racer.
• Animal Crossing 6 (Cross-Platform, with improved social features on console). After Animal Crossing U is done, EAD 2 would have years to make this and possibly the ocassional minigame collection in the meantime.
• New Super Mario Bros 3 (Cross Platform, taking elements of both handheld and console series). This would give EAD 4 enough time to both make this game and do some project in the meantime (Pikmin 4?)
• Super Mario 3D (Console Exclusive) - Much as I'd appreciate another 3D platformer for the Wii U, making an amazing game to showcase the next console is a higher priority. Especially if it means having to make a new engine/gameplay style.
• Metroid Reboot from Retro (Console Exclusive) - Reinventing the space horror genre by going back to its origins.
• Pokemon Generation 7 (Cross-Platform) - Even if it mostly recycles the X/Y engine, a lot can be done with it, especially in HD.
• Luigi's Mansion 3 (Cross-Platform) - Gives Next Level the time they need

You may notice the console-based bias. Well, consoles make more money per hardware sale and sell more software, so that's why. You may also notice that this vaguely resembles the early DS lineup from 2004 to mid-2006. That was a coincidence, but one that I think helps my case.

Nintendo in 2025 would Be

• Developing for multiple platforms they own, but those platforms would be closely united by OS and game libraries
• 3rd party support won't be particularly strong in any area, but the sheer number of options makes Nintendo a relevant force
• Nintendo has steadily acquired more studios, meaning that with their combined platform development, they can release enough games per year to satisfy most customers
• The 2010's will be remembered as an embarassing hiccup on Nintendo's road of greatness