Topic: Most underrated Nintendo console (excluding Wii U)?

After the SNES, Nintendo consoles became very love it or hate it. Some receiving more criticism than others. But which system do you feel is the most underrated? I'll be honest and say the Wii. Taking off the nostalgia goggles, the N64 was one of Nintendo's more lackluster systems even if it had some of the best of all time games, and reception of the GameCube has certainly improved after these years to where its now one of the best Nintendo systems.

For the Wii, a lot of the problems people had with it either made no sense, or was very flawed.

"Motion controls are a gimmick"- When done wrong yes, but you have to play a game that knows how to do motion controls. Sadly, so many early Wii games suffered from gimmicky waggle controls tacked on just because its there. Plus, most Wii games support the classic controller or the GameCube controller, so you can't say you were forced to use it.

"No HD and bad graphics" - While these were valid complaints from a multiplatform perspective. A good art style, polish, and well done aesthetic can make a game on any system look good. Notice how good Soul Calibur on the Dreamcast still looks.

"All Nintendo released was just a bunch of casual games" - Nintendo released more core games for the Wii than casual.

"90% of Wii games were crap or shovelware"- This is Nintendo's fault how? While the Wii suffered from a load of shovelware, that was only the case because of its success. I guess the PS2 was crap as well because it had just as much, if not more shovelware than the Wii. Besides, there are a lot of great niche, underrated and hidden gems for the Wii. I think more people are starting to see that.

The Wii had its flaws, and I understand not everyone has to like it, so I don't expect to change anyone's mind here. But its far from Nintendo's worst console, nor is it one of the worst consoles. And a lot of the criticism it got was undeserved at best, and stupid at worst.

GameCube. Great hardware, and one of the last Nintendo systems, if not the last, to have solid 3rd party support.

I only feel the Wii to be slightly underrated personally. A lot of the complaints levied against it were fair IMO, but it did have a lot of cool hidden gems that got lost under all of the junk games.

I don't really know. I think it was pretty even in reactions for all consoles. A lot of people hated them and a lot of people liked them.

I'd say Wii... but OP said that, with the exact same reasoning too.
I can't really think of an underrate Nintendo console besides that (and Wii U).
Though the GCN is now where near underrated, most anti-Nintendo people say they loved the GCN.

Wii in 2014 is the overhyped joke of gaming, which is infuriating and unfair. It had its issues but the better motion-controlled games and having the most interesting new IPs since Dreamcast and being the last time niche console games were allowed to have a retail release alone puts it on the level as any of Nintendo's other major consoles. The fact that I got Breath of Fire 2, Kirby's Adventure, Majora's Mask and the original Castlevanias for combined less than the price of one new game certainly helps too.

the Wii that casual machine with a reasonable number of awesome games that was forgotten and left aside by nearly everyone that's not a Nintendo gamer, because the GameCube is really well rated despite the bad sales.
maybe, just maybe, the 2DS(lol, no)

for once i am including ratings over popularity for overrated, underrated definitions (but i will continue to use overrated/underrated for popularity because)

otherwise GCN would be the way more obvious example for popularity obviously. Half of the best games that gen were on everything and Nintendo almost always has some of the best stuff so it was awesome. I could play SSX and then Mario Kart and it was cool, btw remember when non-boring sports games mattered.

By whose's definition are we going by? GameCube was pretty underrated but seems to have a lot of love now. The Wii was a beast and a lot of people appreciated it during the first half of its lifespan, then it became a joke. The NES and SNES were pretty good. I don't think Nintendo has had a single Portable system line be considered underrated. I bet someone out there thinks the Virutal Boy is fantastic. N64 was a little overrated in my opinion. If you mean right this second which do I think was the most underrated Nintendo console, then I will go with Wii. It delivered so many hits that I have given up on buying them all but people treat it as a joke. (Wii U is in a similar boat but I haven't given up on buying all the hits yet)

I would say GCN is the most underrated. People say it was awesome now, but they were calling it a lunch box when it was current.

I would say N64 is second. It sold better than GCN(which speaks volumes, as well) and I think it had less games, too. So in a way, N64 was overrated compared to GCN, but they were both underrated. This is based only on sales, though.

It's totally the Virtual Boy. Duh.

nope.
Nintendo's most critically acclaimed and beloved console of all times can't be underrated. it's a beautiful masterpiece.

The GBA is still the most underrated Nintendo hardware ever. I wan a rerelease of the original with a bigger and lit display and it's entire library downloadable.

The GameCube, which is the best system (with actual third party games gasp, too) and the absolute best controller. It's what Nintendo should do again but with better marketing plans.

The Virtual Boy is so amazing, my eyes were clearly not ready for its glory! That's the reason for the eye strain and headaches it causes.

Gamecube by far. Some of the best games of that generation were released for the cube, the controller was great for most games (especially Melee), the hardware was more powerful than the best selling console of that gen, and the library still holds up today. It even got a few solid Dreamcast ports like Sonic Adventure 2: Battle and Skies of Arcadia: Legends that were superior to the originals. Just too much fun to be had with that so-called purple lunchbox.

Micro

The GBA doesn't get enough praise from the places I go.
Sure, I see Gamecube and Wii supporters here and there, but I barely see any praise for the GBA, despite the leap in hardware, it's game line-up consisting of good SNES ports, and some great original titles.
Everyone loves Metroid Prime, and Super Metroid. Yet I barely hear anything for Zero Mission and Metroid Fusion
Then, there was the cult classics like Golden Sun, Advance Wars and Jill Dozer that all started on the GBA
All 3 models had their own pros, and were all well designed if you ask me.
I think the only large issue I have with it is that most the Mario spinoffs aren't good. Mario Party, Mario Kart (has aged), Mario Pinball, Mario VS. Donkey Kong (Never really liked the idea of a puzzle platformer that times you as well). Mario Tennis and Golf are good though. But that's a matter of opinion.
Oh shoot! I forgot about Superstar Saga. Forget I said that con. The GBA is near-flawless but no one has treated like such.

I think because GBA, for better or worse, was a port/remake machine half the time.

Seriously, it had
-the Mario Advance remakes
-DKC1-3
-R-type 3
-River City Ransom
-Sonic 1
-the last 3 games were terrible ports btw
-Tales of Phantasia
-Breath of Fire 1 and 2
-Final Fantasy 1, 2, 4, 5, 6
-Rayman Advance
-the Tony Hawk games
-a couple of Dreamcast games somehow?!
-Super Dodge Ball
-A Link to the Past
-Super Monkey Ball
-that one Pacman game that was on Wii U VC recently
-Megaman and Bass
-Firered and Leafgreen
-several Disney games
-Aero the Acrobat
-Lost Vikings
-Rock n Roll Racing
-Super Street Fighter 2
-Super Ghouls and Ghosts
-Sword of Mana
-Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland
-Metroid Zero Mission
-DOOM

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Classic_NES_Series_games

for me it's the Wii, especially since it was bashed badly from the press and gamers during the second half of its lifespan. I was complaining too, but looking back at it I think - what was I complaining about?!
It had some of the best first party games Nintendo has ever produced, and a number of original, off-beat third party games that felt really different from what was being done on other consoles. Some of these games (Galaxy, Xenoblade, Skyward Sword) in a few years will make many "Greatest Games Ever" lists.

People got sick of motion controls very soon, but how cool was that everybody could play games without being gamers?! I thought it was magical that I could play a game with both my 4-year old nephew AND my 60-year old mother at the same time - something I would never have dreamed of when I started gaming in the 80s.

The Wii U. But since I can't say Wii U, I'll go with the N64. It's quite highly rated, but still not as much as it should be.