Unbeatable

Everything at once maddening yet undeniable about Nintendo's dual-existence as a corporate entity and Colonial Governor of a generation's memories; summarized in a single image:

Giving the keynote at GDC, President Satoru Iwata focused heavily on the upcoming 3DS handheld and dropped the customary not-in-any-way-shocking announcement that a new Mario title was in-production for the system. No screenshots or even title were given, save for the detail that it's being developed by the "Galaxy" team. Oh, and the "Super Mario" logo's shadow... has a familiar-looking TAIL.

And... there you have it. Waaaay more than half of any fans "on the fence" about the 3DS just made up their mind. That's another several-million systems presold, regardless of price or availability. Not because of a feature, or because of a full-lineup, or even because of a tangible game... but because they've vaguely intimated that we might at some point see Tanooki (re: Raccoon) Mario again after a 22 year absence.

THIS is why everyone else whose ever tried to sell a handheld console went bald early.