"Make Pikachu more muscular," Nintendo president Satoru Iwata recalled skeptics saying before Pokemon launched in America. "Will America accept cute monsters? No, they said."

With lackluster Wii U sales, it's not difficult to find endless write-ups on how Nintendo is doomed. Nintendo must go multiplatform! However, Iwata reminded attendees at the B Dash Camp conference in Osaka that Nintendo has always had its doubters.

"If we followed their advice Pokemon would never have been the success that it was. Brain Training software (Brain Age) became a hit in Japan, and I proposed that we sell it globally. And even as I said that as the president, no one listened," Iwata said (translated via The Bridge).

It's also difficult to ignore the massive success of the original Wii and DS systems--both which also drew a number of skeptics. Given calls for Iwata's resignation, these comments are a reminder that Nintendo may weather their fortunes today.