Yeah to be honest I could see an Apple console dominating the living room space. Nintendo exclusives, all third party support (third parties love Apple and can't ignore them), untouchable brand appeal and marketing power, syncronicity with the iPad and iPhone, etc. 

I'd choose this option, so long as Nintendo was allowed to make the games they wanted to make. 

You could have an official game controller from Apple too that would play "real" games on the iPad for example so that would work. Gaming on the iMac or Macbook (with the same controller) could be fun too. 

If Apple bought Nintendo, its with evil intent towards M$ony. That combo has unfailr, cheat code type potential lol.

Apple Neo (Nintendo shortened) would rule living rooms globally.

If Apple buys them I would go full-throttle socialist to bring their power way down and punish them for their crimes against humanity.

id rather see nintendo die

Apple acquiring Nintendo would be a disaster.
Nintendo going 3rd party would also be a disaster but not as big, and they would be able to make games for the superior gaming platform (the PC).

Definitely the third party option.
At the moment it feels like "we have to make hardware otherwise how will you play our games?"
um... on other hardware?
"No! but you have to make our games exclusive or why would you buy our hardware?"
Why don't you just leave hardware and focus on the games? That's where the fun is after all.
"No but we have to make hardware otherwise how will you play our games?"
and so on and so on and so on.

It all just feels so... antiquated.

It's still not ideal, it would mean Nintendo would have to downsize, nolonger having jobs for their hardware arm, which is probably the main reason they resist the third party option to this day. That's understandable. But if it does end up happening, downsizing will be their only issue. They can still make games like always, and certainly no fewer people will buy them than have ever, and they'll probably pick up a few new customers.

For example, I am a PC gamer, and I want games like Smash Bros. and Pokemon X/Y. How much do I want them? Enough to buy them, Definitely. Enough to buy a whole new machine for them? Not a chance. You take your product to the customer, you don't force the customer to crawl all the way over to you.

And sure, a lot of long time Nintendo fans will cry that playing a Nintendo game on any console other than Nintendo's just won't be the same. But that's elitist bullshit. I like Nintendo games. I care not for hardware. I never care for any hardware, hardware is only as important to me as whatever cool game currently occupies it.

I'm just sick of title exclusivity. I think it's an anti consumer thing of yesteryear and I don't exempt Nintendo in that thinking.

Anything being bought by apple is always worse

going third hands down, anything but nintendo going under apple.

Third party. Id rather play Nintendo games on PS5 and Xbox whatever over a fucking phone...

Well I assume there would almost assuredly be an Apple console/set top box in this scenario.

I could honestly even see it beating Sony/MS' consoles in marketshare. Apple brand power and marketing, their clout with third parties, and a big stream of first party content, along with integration with Apple's family of products would be very difficult for Sony or MS to match up against.

In either scenario Nintendo likely has to make some smartphone content.