If I had about 500 euro (or whatever it costs), perhaps I would've bought a PS3. Or maybe an X-box 360? But all these consoles are so ugly, I think. Or perhaps not ugly, but they all seem to have such an impractical and "cool" design. I would like my PS3 to look like a huge book that I could put into my bookshelf, sized so it could fit into a vase (or look like one! could but flowers in it), or best of all, have it with a design that fits into the old DVD/CD/receiver-format. It would've been so nice! If I had an X-box, I would have to make a pretty cardboard box to hide it with when I didn't play it.

The DS is pretty though. So anonymous. Sleek and nice. The Wii is by far the coolest of all those consoles, but I don't like the idea of having a skewed white box on the floor together with my black tv. At least the PS3 is black. Now, the PSX was neat. I wanted that when it was released in Japan. I prayed for it to come to Norway. Beautiful thing.

What do you think? I bet you all love oldskool consoles like the (zomg! ugly!) American SNES.

I think the Dreamcast looked great, as did the original Saturn model. I like the general style of the PS3 but it's far too big. Aside from those... yeah, I probably agree with you.

They're so noisy and loud.  The dreamcast was the console which really made me aware of this, with all the disc-spinning noises of a jet engine.

The size of the PS3 and 360 are indeed monstrosities, but personally I'd rank their excessive problems in this order:
1. Noise
2. Heat
3. Size

When it comes to best console design, few can compare to the Sega Genesis.  The first gen release, to be specific; edgy black, circular top, and the red/silver in just the right places.  The thing was also built; didn't feel cheap or flimsy, and I'm wagering to bet that the one being housed in my parents' basement still works 100% today.  I bought the 32X attachment for it, but the thing looked so ugly sitting perched on the system.

No console comes close to the cuteness of the second iteration of the PSOne.  The thing is so adorable, and that optional LCD screen attachment for portable play just screamed of geek chic coolness.

In terms of portables, the DS Lite indeed has the best ratio between fine aesthetic and practical design.  I just wish they'd release a matte-coated version, instead of the glossy plastic - but I guess that's what the DSi is for.  Oh, and the GBA SP, too.  The matte-coating, cute cube shape, the big, bright screen ("bright" on the SP2, at least)..... can you imagine traveling back in time to 1989 when the first Game Boy came out, and showing the SP to people?  If my mind is still blown today, I can just imagine how my nine year own self would react to something so gadget-sleek.

** EDIT: Re-linked the PSOne LCD screen attachment pic.  The first one didn't allow for hot linking, apparently.

I always preferred the 2nd generation Snes (mini).  Practical, cute, sleek, and virtually unbreakable.  Even minimized the yellowing effect.

I like front-loading systems with disc trays, as opposed to top-loading systems.

The Wii could use a disc tray...Just slipping the disc in as-is feels...strange to me. It's like it's just eating it right out of my hand...

The Wii is a sleek, white box, and the PS3 is a sleek black box. The 360 has a lot of contours to it, but I'm going to be using it to play video-games, not fondling it...

You want ugly game consoles? Go check out the old Atari systems, or the Colecovision or Intellivision...generally anything that pre-dates Nintendo.

Seriously? My experiences with old genesises (geneses?) is that they're invariably borked.
Especially that power button has some major problems, when you touch it, it feels like it could drop off any moment.
I really love the fact that it had a headphone socket and volume control though, that was really cool.

Am I the only person who likes the gamecube? I thought it was kinda cool to have a console that was more...well...cubical than all those rectangular ones.

Also, those Slim PS2 models are sex-AY

I think the cube is adorable. However, I'll never quite understand why the Gamecube had purple as the default color. I think the GBA and GBC may also have been purple only at first.

The Super Famicom and its cartridges were nice and rounded, but the SNES was an angular monstrosity. Purple reared its ugly head back then, too.

What ever happened to the "skeleton" see-through systems? I always thought those were neat, and there was a time when everyone was releasing their consoles/handhelds in that style.

I haven't really thought about it before, but some systems definitely look better than others. I've a Polar White Japanese PS2 and Electric Blue PSP that both look rather nice, and I'm happy to have a Platinum GC and not a purple one. The Clear Kiwi Green Halo XBox a friend from work lent me though...THAT was hideous.

There's just something about the original PlayStation that really makes me believe it's the nicest looking console to date.  In fact, all of Sony's PlayStation consoles are stylin' in ways that the others aren't.  The little PSOne is a cute, more rounded version of the PlayStation.  The original PS2 still looks good hooked up next to all my other more advanced equipment, and of course the newer PS2 consoles are just slimmed down versions of that.  It took me a while to warm up to the look of the PS3 but I'm now sold on the fact that it's the nicest looking current gen console, with the Wii right behind it.  What's up with both of the Xbox consoles being ugly as sin?  And I have to give props to Sega for their three major consoles all being beautiful.  The original Sega Genesis model 1 and the Dreamcast (orange light ftw) being my favorites, but even the Saturn looks good, especially the white one since it resembles the Dreamcast.

-Mike

the hamster privacy coalition threatened to file suit....

I still LOVE the look of the Gamecube.  Unique and special... probably my favorite console of all time (partially because it released at a time when I had so much time to devote to games and had so many friends around to play multiplayer with... but that's another discussion!).  I still remember being in line for it the night of release at a local Meijer and EVERYONE ELSE in line was saying "Oh, I hope they don't run out of black ones by the time I get up there... I don't want the stupid purple!"  I swear I was the only person who thought that having a purple console was kind of cool and made it stand out from the rest of my bland electronics.  I later added the Tales of Symphonia green one to my collection, so I've got some bizarre colors going under the TV.

As far as other consoles, I've always thought that anything PC Engine was pretty cool looking.  I especially think the Duo and Duo-R are great looking pieces of hardware.  The original PC Engine/CoreGrafx are awesome as well because of how tiny they are.  I still can't believe the monstrosity they released as the Turbo Grafx in the US.

Portables have also begun coming into their own as far as looks.  The DS Lite and slim PSP are both awesome looking devices, as are the GB Micro and GBA SP.  I kind of actually wish that Nintendo had stayed with the metallic thing of the Micro instead of going all trendy Apple white with its stuff.  I don't really like that glossy look all that much, and white is a stupid, stupid color for anything you've got your hands on all the time.  Hooray for all my friends' DS Lite buttons being yellow.  Can't wait for my Wii controllers to look terrible.

As far as ugly systems, I've never been fond of anything that Sony has done.  The original PS1 has those weird 80s circle things going on all over and the PS2 is a bizarre giant monolith (the dark translucent blue one I have from Japan does look a bit better, though).  I DO think that the slim PS2 is pretty awesome, though.  The Dreamcast impressed me for its diminutive size back in the day, but I've never been much taken with any of their other consoles, especially any of the ugly Genesis iterations.  I always used to feel that Genesis hardware felt cheap and looked bulbous and toy-ish when over at friends' places.  Nothing is quite as ugly as either of MS's consoles, though.

http://img487.imageshack.us/img487/2226 … f92ft9.jpg

Yes, yes you were. I ended up with an Atomic Purple GBC and could barely stomach that. Then again, all of the initial GBC colors were fruity (grape, kiwi, berry, etc.).

It's probably the inner math geek in me, but I was always kinda annoyed that the Gamecube wasn't an actual cube. Although, I think the addition of the Game Boy Player did make it into a cube.

Hah.  That's right, I did own the Power Base Converter as well.  To its credit, it looked a little more presentable sitting on top of the Genesis than the 32X.  It was a flush fit, so it made for a more natural-looking extension.

Still don't know why I bought the thing.  At that point, I only had two Sega Master System games left to own: Astro Warrior and Space Harrier 3-D.

I bought the Power Base Converter for Phantasy Star alone.  It was worth the investment

There have certainly been fewer "ugly" looking consoles from the past couple generations than in previous days.  The Gamecube is borderline with some of those colors but in black it's pretty respectable.  The designs for the Xbox (1) and PS3 are fine but their sizes are ridiculous and the rounded tops are just silly.

I'm definitely a fan of Sega's designs for earlier generations.  Both the Genesis and Saturn look far more sophisticated than their respective rivals.  The N64 sported a pretty decent design except for the plasticky gray controller ports.  I was always impressed with how small and light it was.

In terms of visual appeal, I consider the N64 to be the most striking. It immediately reminded me of Roman architecture when I first saw it. It's also the only Nintendo console that attempts to look sexy (only one with curves), if I may say so.

The NES and SNES are fairly uninspiring. While the Gamecube is efficiently shaped, it is not very appealing to look at, unless you appreciate cuteness, which I do not. The Wii looks too standard, uninspiring, much like the NES and SNES.

I scarcely recall the Sega Master System, and the Dreamcast is the only Sega system I have found to be visually appealing. Like the Gamecube, it seems to have an efficient design, although it does not radiate cuteness.

The original Playstation is quite boring to look at, much like the NES. The PS2 attempts to announce its power with a formidable looking exterior, highlighted by an azure glow. I have never seen a PS3 in person, so I can't comment.

The original XBox reminded me of a shoebox. The 360 has always reminded me of a pillow.

I think the PS3 is awfully sexy, in a sleek oversized kind of way. It's certainly more attractive on my shelf than the boxy 360 is.

Either way, they've come a long way from the ugliness of the original Nintendo.

For me, smaller is better.  I'd say the most attractive consoles are the PSone, PStwo, and Wii.  The original Xbox, 360, and PS3 are all giants, though the PS3 is the most attractive of those giants, and it's also the only one of those three without an external power brick which is nice.  The older consoles were almost universally ugly, although the Saturn and Dreamcast were among the better looking ones.

For portables, the DS Lite is my pick for its sleek and practical design.

Gamecube and Dreamcast rank as the most aesthetically pleasing consoles in my book. As far as portables go, I've always liked the SP and DS Lite.

As far as ugliness goes, the original Xbox was pretty unslightly. I didn't care how big it was, the size never bothered me, but it looked like something that came from the ass-end of the 80's or some shit.

How about this?  Pointless Banter posts their ten ugliest consoles of all time.  I suspect most of these are before our time, but I remember my uncle owning the MB Vectrex when I was very young.  I thought it was a pretty awesome looking piece of tech back then. :)

http://pointlessbanter.net/2009/01/15/1 … -all-time/

Jesus, man. That Fairchild F thing looks like a bizarre sex toy. I can't believe there was a time when I would've thought that would look hip. Or neato. Or whatever ancient vernacular I used back then.

Sexiest game consoles for me:

1) Nintendo 64
2) GameCube
3) Mini-PlayStation

Gotta love the curves of the N64/PS1 and the perfect symmetry of the GameCube. Surprised there hasn't been more N64 loving.

I personally thought the SNES, Mega Drive, and NES were uglier than their successors. The Xbox might well be the ugliest and least energetically efficient game console of all time though.

The things weigh as much as a drowning cinder-block!

jeee.

The first-gen Genesis also has an audio chip superior to the later models, with a bit less distortion in the audio.

Similar deal with the Neo-Geo AES, it has a clearer video output than later models.

Thanks to Neo-Tropolis for pointing this out to me.

Also, his custom-made stereo/S-Video proprietary cables are compatible with both the Neo and the first-gen Genesis, so you can play these systems in stereo with a nice picture without spending money on Monaural compilation discs.