While Sony's PlayStation 2 is the undisputed sales leader in this round of the console wars, the battle for number two still rages.

Microsoft is gaining the upper hand these days. The price cut of four months ago has stimulated sales and revived interest in the Xbox, after its initial stumble at retail. Nintendo's not out of the game by any means, though.

The GameCube's counting on this holiday season to break out of the pack. And with titles like "Super Mario Sunshine," "Star Fox Adventures" and "Metroid Prime" backing it up, it has a chance (sales have risen considerably since "Super Mario Sunshine" hit shelves). But Nintendo needs to do more if it's going to reclaim its place in the gaming world. Here are a few suggestions:

Make no mistake: The GameCube has to go online and it can't wait too long to do it. But spending an extra six or 12 months while the competition goes through its initial growing pains could allow Nintendo to build an online network that gives users what they want, yet still put some gold coins in Mario's pockets.

Sega's Phantasy Star Online will be the GameCube's first online game.

By taking its wait-and-see stance, Nintendo should also be better able to judge the demand for online gaming among console fans. Even on the PC, online gaming is a niche market; it has some diehard fans, but percentagewise, it's a fairly insignificant number.

Microsoft will have 17 online-enabled games for its console by the end of the year. Nintendo will have only one - "Phantasy Star Online" – and that's being developed by third-party publisher Sega. It's a risk-free strategy for Nintendo.

Not only will the slower online roll-out allow the company to learn from its competitors mistakes, it gives Nintendo's developers the chance to put together a must-have lineup of games. Microsoft (MSFT: down $1.08 to $47.13, Research, Estimates) won't have an online version of its smash "Halo" ready for another year. Ditto for Sony (SNE: down $0.20 to $41.15, Research, Estimates) and "EverQuest." If Nintendo announces it's getting serious in the online world right around that time - and it's bringing Zelda, Super Smash Brothers and Mario along - you'll see gamers migrate over in droves.

If the GameCube isn't the hit Nintendo expected, the GameBoy Advance has succeeded beyond the company's wildest dreams. The two systems are built to talk to each other, but so far there hasn't been a lot of chatter.

Sega, again, has taken the lead, letting players of "Sonic Adventures 2" take parts of their game on the go. Nintendo will utilize the connectivity of the two systems later this year with "Animal Crossing," but curiously opted not to with "Super Mario Sunshine" or other upcoming high-profile games. No other console system offers gamers this degree of mobility and synergy, but it's not something the company has taken advantage of so far. Speaking of lost opportunities...

Nintendo has always been the go-to company for children's games. Most gamers, though, have grown up. When the GameCube was announced, Nintendo swore up and down that it would actively pursue the adult market.

We're still waiting.

Metroid Prime will be Nintendo's next foray into the adult marketplace.

Oh sure, there have been a couple of internally-developed titles tailored for older fans, such as the mind-bending "Eternal Darkness," but they've been few and far between. While the forthcoming "Metroid Prime" is a good step in the right direction, the majority of titles in the pipeline sure look like they're tailored toward the young 'uns.

Third-party publishers are offering more mature titles, but no one creates characters like Nintendo. If it's really serious about capturing a larger segment of the adult population, it's time to start backing up words with home-grown titles.

The Xbox has become a pop culture phenomenon, maybe even more than the PS2. (Credit a big part of that to the half-billion dollars Microsoft is spending on marketing.) Watch a few hours of television and you could become convinced the Xbox is THE gaming system to own, if you're truly cool. In the last week alone, I've seen it plugged during an episode of "Will & Grace" and in a Target ad that's in particularly heavy rotation.

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As for the GameCube: nothing. Yeah, there are occasional spots for the games, but Nintendo hasn't done much to increase awareness of its console in its first year. And the ads it did run, with folks staring glassy-eyed into a large cube before being sucked into the game, didn't turn any heads.

Earmark a few million dollars for a snappier ad agency and an awareness campaign and you'll see the GameCube breathing down the Xbox's neck once again.  

Morris is Director of Content Development for CNN/Money. Click here to send him an email.