A visual history of Nintendo's video game consoles

Nintendo's future is almost here. It's called the Switch, and, true to its name, it blurs the line between home console and portable gaming machine.

We can't say how good it'll be just yet, but on concept alone, it looks neat.

This is far from the first time we've said that about a Nintendo console. The Japanese giant has earned legendary status among gaming fans for making machines - and a whole lot of games - that aren't quite like their peers.

Some of those have brought massive success; others have led to total failure. Wherever the Switch lands on that spectrum, it appears to continue the company's penchant for doing its own thing.

To show what we mean, here's a quick look back at the hardware Nintendo has released over the years.