One of the biggest, most consistently successful companies in the games industry is Nintendo, a hardware and software developer whose humble beginnings as a producer of Japanese playing cards mushroomed into a gaming empire.

Still, while the Big N has seen a slew of successful games, consoles, promotions, and partnerships over the years and decades, they've also had their fair share of blunders, miscalculations, and untimely tragedies. It's been something of a roller coaster ride for both the company and its fans, but its commitment to quality and innovation tends to shine through more often than not.

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With this list, we'll take a look at the last decade of eventful Nintendo history and pinpoint 5 of the best things to happen to them during this time, as well as 5 of the most unfavorable.

10 Worst: Rumored 3DS Eye Damage

You might have noticed that Nintendo has subtly begun to pivot away from the 3D capabilities of their latest handheld-only console, in addition to the 3DS itself. A likely contributor to this isn't just the Switch phasing it out, but the rather worrying notion that staring at the 3D visuals on screen may produce eye strain or even damage if used for too long.

While this is on a case-by-case basis and can seemingly be avoided if breaks are taken, it did cause some to be wary about investing in this machine. This is especially the case considering Nintendo themselves warned about the possible eye strain of prolonged usage. There's little doubt this tainted perception of an otherwise solid console tempered sales somewhat, as this thing never could get near sales of the original DS.

9 Best: Nintendo Direct

One of Nintendo's more subtly clever moves was the decision to broadcast presentations and announcements via streaming, with a show called Nintendo Direct. Beginning on October 2011, Nintendo could now broadcast company and game happenings directly into the homes and mobile devices of millions around the world, bypassing the "middleman" options of tradeshows.

Though they still participate in major events like E3, the establishment of Nintendo Direct has allowed the Big N a more flexible and convenient way to reach the eyes and ears of potential consumers. They can also generate excitement more frequently and keep their fans informed more effectively.

8 Worst: Joy-con Drift Issues

nintendo switch new joycon color

Much like the 3DS, the Switch has had its own share of blemishes and potential deterrents. Though these tend to be more minor in the scheme of things, talks of scratched screens, weak battery life, and perhaps most notably, frequent cases of the left Joy-Con thumbstick drifting tend to damper an otherwise successful console.

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Nintendo has partially remedied this slight consumer backlash by offering to fix those that are sent in for free, but it still remains an issue many Switch users report having. It certainly produces a bit of an image problem that's tough to shake.

7 Best: New Super Mario Bros.

It had been quite a long time since Nintendo had released a classic 2D Mario platformer until this explosive release of NSMB on the DS in 2006. The fans had clearly been waiting for a return of the mustached plumber in classic form, as sales absolutely ignited, propelling the DS into the stratosphere. Nintendo continued this momentum with the more fleshed-out and refined NSMB Wii, which allowed for 4 players to take part in fun, chaotic platforming.

Already riding high from the phenomenon that was Wii Fit, this 2D platformer helped carry the Wii to its biggest month in sales ever, setting the stage for a massively successful 2009 holiday season for the Big N, and solidifying the Wii as the market leader.

6 Worst: The Wii U

While this follow-up to Nintendo's hit Wii console shared the branding and image of its 2006 predecessor, the Wii U only managed to sell a small fraction of the 100 million that system drove in. A number of reasons can be considered for this decline - including a loss of fan interest, a more convoluted interface and controller, in addition to a weaker, smaller library.

Yet, the marketing was also questionable and many were confused as to whether or not this was a new console or merely a peripheral. This even prompted a tweet in which the company made it clear that yes, in fact this was a true successor to Wii.

5 Best: The Rise Of Indie Gaming

best-indie-games-2019

One of the biggest appeals of Nintendo's latest console is the ability to play a variety of quality indie games both from the couch on TV and on-the-go. Not only is the Switch's selection of indies particularly strong, it's rapidly growing in support, while the quality control is being maintained, as Nintendo has been known to do.

Related: 10 Best Indie Games Of The Last Decade

This influx of great indie games has helped fill the void left by a variety of major 3rd party developers who had tended to favor Sony and Microsoft's consoles. This has made the already appealing Switch library even more robust, pretty much eliminating the notorious "game droughts" some of Nintendo's past consoles have had.

4 Worst: The Departure Of The Regginator

reggie fils-aime defends games

It's hard to think of a bigger name for Nintendo on the Western front than Reggie Fils Aime, the Executive VP of Sales and Marketing for the company for much of the 2000s.

This charismatic man and savvy marketer has taken on legendary, meme-like status among Nintendo fans and the gaming community at large. This has been the case since Reggie's grand entrance at Nintendo's E3 2004 showing, with a proclamation of "kicking ass and taking names," essentially helping to ring in a new, slightly edgier Big N.

His unexpected departure from the company earlier this year was a tough pill to swallow for fans, and no-doubt for the company themselves, considering he was an integral part of the marketing and overall success of the DS, Wii, and Switch in the US.

3 Best: Pokémon Go And The Mobile Effect

Pokemon GO event boxes

With the aid of Japanese mobile giant DeNA, Nintendo has slowly but surely rolled out a number of games for mobile devices, beginning with 2016's Miitomo. This is after years of resisting the idea of their games being available on other platforms.

However, the game that truly took off, becoming a phenomenon unto itself was Pokémon Go, which came out later that year. This innovative AR game truly made it feel like you were living Pokémon game, coaxing millions to venture out with their phones and nab virtual monsters in the wild.

This game, along with a slew of others, have opened up a new revenue stream for the Big N directly, though they've also served as useful marketing tools to increase their brand awareness.

2 Worst: A Tragic Passing Of A Legend

The late, great Satoru Iwata was largely the very soul of the Japanese branch of Nintendo from his tenure at the helm from 2002 to 2015. It was under the direction of this wise and business-savvy company president that helped birth the hugely successful DS and Wii systems. He had led them during some of their most successful, profitable years in its history.

His tragic and untimely passing in July of 2015 is one that sent shockwaves throughout Nintendo and the games industry at large. The company now looks to the quite capable hands of Shuntaro Furukawa, though the passing of the great Iwata-San leaves a void can never truly be replaced. His time as company president will leave a legacy whose positive effects will no doubt live on within Nintendo.

1 Best: The Nintendo Switch

nintendo switch console box

After the mediocre showing of the Wii U that petered out only a few short years after its launch, Nintendo needed another Wii-like sales giant to bounce back and reestablish themselves as major players in the industry.

Luckily for them, they managed to pull this off by merging their handheld and home console efforts into a single, sleek hybrid machine rife with great games. A few minor issues aside, this console proved to be a true return to form, offering a solid and convenient means to access countless games. Thanks to hits like Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and more recent releases like Pokémon Sword and Shield and the cheaper Switch Lite, this little-console-that-could is taking off with no signs of stopping.

Next: 10 Nintendo Switch Sequels That Need To Happen