​Mario Kart 8 and the promise of Smash Bros. and Zelda Wii U lift Nintendo's slumping stock

Nintendo looks like it is breaking out of its slump as gamers begin to warm up to the Wii U.

The Japanese game publisher is experiencing a minor resurgence. Nintendo’s shares are trading at $128.44 (13,040 yen) on the Tokyo Stock Exchange today. That’s the highest value for the company since Feb. 26. The big reason for the thrust is likely due to brisk sales of Wii U exclusive racer Mario Kart 8 and the general sentiment of gamers coming out of the Electronic Entertainment Expo tradeshow in June thanks to big-names like Smash Bros. and Zelda. Market-research firm IHS Technology found that consumers’ opinion of the Wii U changed big time based on Nintendo’s presence at E3, and that has the market feeling better about the company’s chances of returning to profitability.