A lot of people forget how absolutely dire the Wii U's first year was. If you align the launches, by this point in the Wii U's life the only releases after launch that could be considered notable were Monster Hunter 3U and Lego City. Again launch aligned, where we are now at Mario Odyssey's launch, the Wii U would be waiting another four months to get its first actual tentpole release in Mario 3D World, with Pikmin 3, Rayman Legends, and Wind Waker HD being the only notable releases between now and then. The difference between these first years is beyond night and day. Switch deserves every ounce of this success.
It really is quite simple. Not even Nintendo super fans wanted a Wii U and the people who begrudgingly bought it for (insert stolen game here) would still be negative towards recommending it to others. It was ill conceived and badly realized, with consumer confusion, apathy towards the software line up and terrible hardware optimization (remember those 2 minute reboots?).
Iwata always believed that one game can change everything, and it has always been one where technology and ingenuity converge in order to create something that wasn't possible before. Super Mario Bros, Pokemon, FFVII, MGS2 and Wii Sports captures the public's imagination, and that effect is exponential and doesn't require direct exposure after some momentum has been established.
The "it" game doesn't necessarily have to be a launch title, but needs to be able to establish a premise or narrative for a console. Where outside elements and the state of the competition play a determining role. Breath of the Wild has shouldered a great deal. It's perfect to play in long sessions and in burst handheld sessions. It invokes players to be active agents in a game world, being fascinating for older and younger gamers like. And it dares developers to think big and rewards them with an engaged player base.
Medium term sustainability is a given due to the positive mind share gathered. The crux now is how will Nintendo entice other publishers to support the system on a timely fashion. Skyrim, Doom and Wolfenstein are proactively positioning themselves in the console's library, and Nintendo needs to turn those reactive publishers to move not on the sales of the former, but on the opportunity that the strong software calendar presents.
