The Best Console

[Hyrulian Hero]

I'm not talking about a holistic, considered answer to the best console, I want to talk about the finest plastic shell holding your pcbs together. What is the best-looking video game console on earth?! I've got a few ideas...



5: XBox 360 (OG)
I never owned the 360 when it was current (although I now have them coming out of my ears) but I distinctly recall its release. Even back then, I knew this was one of the best looking consoles of all time. The subtle curve of the sides (yes, it's definitely an intentionally Freudian thing like the hood of a '79 vette), the aesthetically pleasing asymmetry, the interchangeable faceplates, it's a thing of beauty. The 360 S fixed the red ring issue (mostly) and the E...existed, but the original XBox 360 was Microsoft's best-looking console by far.



4: Game Boy Micro
The GBM has so many awesome features: The subtle curve of the sides, the aesthetically pleasing asymmetry, the interchangeable faceplates...I think I might have a type. Seriously though, while it was mostly useless as a console and really did very little that the GBA didn't except that it felt so dang premium! The chrome start and select, R and L buttons are a perfect accent and it's the only console with the cajones to lable their face buttons in the lower case! The Game Boy Micro is proof that an annoyingly small form factor, loss of backward compatibility, and being an update to an obsolete console are a recipe for success!



3: Vectrex (3000)
It's got a vertical screen built in displaying vector visuals behind an interchangeable screen overlay specific to individual games. It was released in 1983 and had more impressive graphics than a pretty much anything up through the 7800. And since the screen is built in, I'm counting the display as part of the look of the console. We should all be aghast that there hasn't been a Vectrex mini released for this generation of retro gamers.



2: PS3 (OG White)
Another entry from the seventh console generation?! But hear me out, this refrigerator is actually beautiful! Like the 360, I didn't own the PS3 when it was current but when I finally got a hold of the PS3, it was the PS3 super slim. What a butt-ugly console! There was also the PS3 slim which wasn't offensively ugly but kind of plain. When I bought an OG PS3, the first thing I thought was, "I'm going to need three friends to carry this out." and my second thought was, "This thing is gorgeous!". What other console went with glossy black? It shows prints, dust, and scratches like crazy but in the .02% of cases where the owner hermetically sealed the PS3 upon purchase and never again touched it, this is one of the finest-looking consoles of all time. And for as nice as the black looks, the white looks ever so slightly better. Every line and curve of the PS3 strikes the eye just right. The Spider Man font that spells out "PlayStation 3" in full is certainly in the top five console logos I can think of (perhaps just behind the N64 logo). This style even extended to the PSP and PSP Go as well as the Vita to some degree and for good reason: it's beautiful.



1: PC Engine (Super GrafX)
Look. At. This. Monster. It's grey like steel and boxy like something a cool guy should own. It has four fake bolts sticking out of the top like they needed to use big, manly fasteners to hold the shell together lest the raw power of the PC Engine break free and wreak havoc on your living room. The controller is a simple rectangle, mocking you for desiring an ergonomic paddle and demanding that your hands callus up or be destroyed. Six pretend pistons straddle the central powerhouse in order to pump combustion power to the motherboard, providing adequate power to the eXtreme processing core. This is what a true gamer's game console should look like.

 

[Bowsette Plus-Ultra]

The Vita, obviously. Not only is it the best console by the power it brought and the unnecessary bull**** it brought to the table, but it's got a slick form factor. It feels good to hold, fits well in the pocket, and comes with an impressively crisp screen for 2011.

 

[Chevywolf30]

Agree with the 360, that thing looks mean. Wii U is also pretty nice looking. NES and GameCube as well.

 

[CynicalSquid]

Snes and GameCube are probably the best looking ones to me. I also like the Series X and Xbox One designs.

 

[mαrkαsscoρ]

my #1 in design has always been the PSone, I just love the compact look of it so much

 

[thePlinko]

I like the original Xbox design if only because the giant “X” on top of it is an incredibly goofy choice for such a “serious” console.



I’ve said it before, but this looks like the design of a console that an episode of a cartoon would center around the protagonist playing with.

In fact, the Fairly OddParents even parodied this aspect specifically

Maybe that doesn’t make it the best, but I like it.

And yeah, a more serious answer would definitely be the Gameboy Micro. Vectrex is a pretty cool one too.

 

[GrooseIsLoose]

****ing Xbox Series X. Mmmf the cube, the edges

 

[Ganondorf]

I like the Gamecube for having a handle & the N64 for allowing me to comfortably play video games with my 3 arms.
Okay, but, being serious now, out of every console I have owned, they've been the most sturdy & have lasted me the longest without much special care. They FEEL solid, unlike my 3 Xbox 360's which all either melted on me or gave up their disc trays to wear, or our PS3 that overheated & literally warped when Dragon's Dogma came out, even with care. My PS2 slim eventually died to Okami abuse. Nintendo stuff has just literally never once failed on me in any generation of console or handhelds... I really like how solid they all feel. No wasted space & they literally design all of their controllers to work with children's hands, which I appreciate for the comfort factor for me, since I have finger tendon issues. That's a very distinct thing with Nintendo's design plans, & I don't think any other company tries to have accessibility in that way.

 

[Uwu_Oocoo2]

Personally my favorite console look has always been the SNES. I think the greys and purples go really well together, plus it's got an interesting controller design. Very coordinated.

 

[A Link In Time]

I love all of the special edition 3DSs. I used the Majora's Mask one for the longest time, and it was gorgeous. The Pikachu one I'm using now is also a looker.

 

[Stray the Witch]

My top 5 favorite consoles has got to be... two sharing the number 1 slot, PS2 and GameCube, they still hold up as great consoles to this day. And even in their Hay Day, they really hit hard with great titles, and the controllers feel great on the hand no matter which console I use. Barely missing out on the number 1 slot: The Switch, never really had that much problems with drift on the Switch after I switched to the pro controller. And once again a lot of great titles on this console.
Number 3: The SNES, if we're talking about longevity, this console takes the cake, mine is still working to this day. A lot of great titles, from simple ones like Super Mario World, to even more complex ones like Chrono Trigger. This consoles got your back with 16-bit graphics and the FX chip.
Number 4: Before I reveal the final of my top five, the last 4 were pretty much neck to neck, this was the only one with a even noticeable Gap in terms of favorites. The Wii U. Say what you want about how it failed as a console from every direction, but the title that it has on it are all top tier quality titles.

Edit: The reason why I did not include the Wii, is because I'm left-handed. They only gave support for left-handed people in two titles in the entire console's lifespan. Making my list of favorite games Limited in that console. While there are good ones that doesn't make a difference with the controls, like Super Mario Galaxy, Okami, and Super Paper Mario, the vast majority of them are just awkward to control for me. Even Twilight Princess for the Wii is awkward to control for me, cuz the only two moves I can do without feeling like I'm in awkward position are the Jump Attack and Spin Attack moves.