2017 represents a major, watershed moment for Nintendo. The video game giant has been around for more than a century, but it's launching a new piece of hardware at a time when Nintendo's future in the console market has been in doubt. Both from publishers and gamers worldwide, all eyes will be on the Nintendo Switch.

The console/portable hybrid is a first for the company, arriving as Nintendo adjusts to new executives and begins dipping its toe into the mobile gaming market. It’s also a company still sore from the limited success of its last console, the Wii U. It proved to be one of Nintendo’s least successful consoles with woeful sales and a lacklustre game portfolio, not to mention incredible competition from the PS4 and Xbox One.

It's taken more than 30 years of hardware for the company to get to its current crossroads. But how did Nintendo's console history, starting with the Nintendo Entertainment System, lead the Japanese corporation to the Nintendo Switch? What was the mix of great games, smart marketing, and dumb luck that took Nintendo to its highest highs and lowest lows?

The Switch may well be the make or break system for Nintendo, so it’s worth reminiscing about the consoles that brought the publisher to this pivotal point. And for that, we need to take a trip in our way back machine...