With less than two months remaining before 2007’s radically revamped E3, this week Nintendo joined the crowded field of game publishers offering a pre-show glimpse of upcoming software. But those expecting a hands-on look at major franchises like Mario, Zelda and Metroid were in for something of a rude awakening: Nintendo’s event was dedicated to an entirely different side of the company.

A brief opening talk by president Reggie Fils-Aime made clear to everyone the fact that Nintendo is quickly positioning itself as something besides the House That Mario Built. Aside from a passing mention that eagerly-awaited titles like Super Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption and Super Smash Bros. Brawl are all on-track for U.S. release this fall, Fils-Aime’s focus was entirely on software falling decidedly outside the interest of its traditional hardcore audience.

Little surprise, given the numbers; the company is eager to capitalize on the success it’s found by tapping into previously untested markets. The notion that, yes, women and older adults like to play video games is hardly a revelation for niche publishers and purveyors of casual software, but Nintendo is the first major publisher to turn the casual market into a cornerstone of its business. The Wii and DS, largely designed to strip away the complex entry barriers of gaming, offering accessibility at the expense of hardware power, continue to dominate sales charts around the world. This unexpected success has largely been made possible by the fact that Nintendo’s new target audience couldn’t care whether or not the Wii is simply two GameCubes duct-taped together (or other common gaming message board troll refrains).

So while the absence of the latest Zelda and Mario games was a sore point among many of the enthusiast press at the event, it’s a significant sign of Nintendo’s intents. Microsoft and Sony are struggling to make their next-gen ventures profitable as they sell powerful hardware at a loss and help developers and publishers come to terms with the enormous expenses of developing in high-definition, while Nintendo seems content to weather the ridicule of gamers and the enthusiast press as they rake in obscene profits. It’s a discouraging trend for most long-time Nintendo enthusiasts, but it’s hard to imagine that the competition won’t be following suit soon as well. It seems something of a no-brainer that simple, inexpensively-made software selling to an audience potentially consisting of billions would have far more profit potential than a multi-million-dollar epic struggling to be noticed amidst a dozen other similar games catering to a relatively small group of dedicated enthusiasts.

"Unfortunately, not everyone pays attention to E3," Fils-Aime joked -- and this event was intended to showcase games and software for those in the "not everyone" demographic. E3 will undoubtedly showcase the titles that gamers want, titles that will arrive this fall, when gamers are in full-on purchasing mode. This summer, however, Nintendo will be catering to everyone else with mascot- and violence-free games like Brain Age 2 -- lightweight portable software that can be picked up casually and enjoyed in tiny bursts.

No doubt the company would like to see the likes of Planet Puzzle League and Hotel Dusk replace the traditional summer paperback novel. Surely it can’t be a coincidence that so many of those Touch Generations games are held like a book.

The Wii Games

• Mario Strikers: Charged (Nintendo | Wii | July): More than just a port of the GameCube sports game, Strikers adds waggle controls, new characters and other gameplay refinements to its predecessor’s mix. Of course, the essence -- bringing the violence of soccer hooliganism to the Mushroom Kingdom -- remains intact. 

• Pokémon Battle Revolution (Nintendo | Wii | June): Like its console predecessors, Battle Revolution strips the RPG elements from Pokémon to focus entirely on tournament fighting. The ability to import teams from bestsellers Diamond and Pearl should guarantee crazy sales on this one. 

• Mario Party 8 (Nintendo | Wii | May): The multiplayer board-style minigame collection franchise just keeps on rolling; devotees will probably want to check it out to see what the Wii Remote adds to the experience. 

• Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree (Nintendo | Wii | June): The other brain training game gets a console version packed with colorful graphics and the same basic five-category test schematic to determine the density of your grey matter.  

• The Bigs (2K Sports | Wii | June): This arcadey baseball entry doesn’t have the shine of its 360 and PS3 brothers (naturally), but the Wii-specific controls should get some fans of America’s pasttime excited. You’ll hit and pitch with motions similar to those in Wii Sports (yet with more depth), plus you’ll be wigglin’ and waggin’ for other baseball mechanics like baserunning and fielding.

• Boogie (EA | Wii | August): Since we’ve already seen enough of this Wii-exclusive’s dance moves, EA used the Nintendo event to show off Boogie’s karaoke mode. The game comes packed with a microphone (so expect a slightly higher price point than most Wii software), and beltiin’ out tunes actually seems to work better than Boogie’s somewhat confusing dance portions. 

• Carnival Games (Global Star | Wii | July): Another mini-game collection? Yes, but this time it’s all grounded in the comfortable familiarity of the summer fair, with such events as ski-ball and ring-tossing. There are even redemption prizes to be won. 

The DS Games

• Picross DS (Nintendo | DS | July): Think Sudoku meets a crossword puzzle and you’re not far off from the concept behind Picross (short for "picture crossword"). One part math teaser, one part color-by-numbers, Picross is deceptively addictive -- and incredibly challenging in the later modes. 

• Planet Puzzle League (Nintendo | DS | June): Formerly known as "Tetris Attack," Planet Puzzle League marks the first time Nintendo has published this style of game without attaching it to a popular franchise like Pokémon or Dr. Mario. Plus, it offers slick, Lumines-like visuals and a sideways orientation to make full use of the DS screen. 

• Drawn to Life (THQ | DS | September): THQ adds a much-needed dose of creativity to the hoary old platformer genre by allowing players to design their own character... and gear... and enemies. Potentially engrossing for the artsy types, this is one to watch for. 

• Brain Age 2 (Nintendo | DS | August): That condescending doctor is back with a whole new selection of brain-stumping mini-games that put an intriguing new spin on the simple math problems of the previous game. Best of all, it looks like you won’t have to worry about how you enunciate the word "blue" anymore. 

• Jam Sessions (Ubisoft | DS | Q3): Somewhere between an instrument, a mixing studio and Electroplankton, this DS game allows you to define guitar chords and create your own karaoke for songs like "Patience" and "Friends in Low Places." Quirky and niche, but that’s what makes it cool.