The best looking video game systems and computers

[Cobra Kai]

8 hours ago, Steven Pendleton said:

The Jaguar looks really cool without the CD thing or a cart, almost like something you'd see in Star Trek.

 

Unfortunately, if you add a cart or the CD thing...

Yes, that's exactly right, you can tell Atari put some money into the physical design so it was a great looking machine. Everyone knows the CD unit looked similar to a toilet because of the way the lid opened up, I knew that would be mentioned, it's inevitable.

 

I tend to think if the JagCD unit had a motorized disc insert instead of the lid, the toilet meme wouldn't have occurred. But it happened and it was obvious, I think Electronic Gaming Monthly was calling it the Jag Toilet as soon as they had pictures of the thing before release back in 1996.

[BawesomeBurf]

Not the biggest fan of most of the games released for it, but I always loved the design of the XBox 360. I especially love the older (although less reliable) models with the chrome disc tray door.

 

Also really like the design of the Saturn, Dreamcast, 3DO FZ-1, and the Atari XEGS.

[mb13081]

 

I like the PlayStation 1. It was pretty awesome for the time, you popped the lid and put in cd's that played 3d games. I just think it looks simple but cool, I like the ridges on the side.

[CatPix]

I wouldn't call the PS1 the best-looking, but as I have been fiddling with electronics for a long time, know a bit of tech, I can tell that of the 32/64 bits console gen, the Playstation is one of the most pleasingly engineered one design wise.

I think I posted that on another thread but... The Ps1 is so well-designed. Save for the reset button, from a top view, it's symetrical in both lenght and width. The hinge of the CD lid is cleverly hidden with that large slab going to the back of the system.

The two round buttons have those notches to tell what they do! Even without symbols, the right one has a notch going to the CD lid so you can guess it's to open it, the second one has a notch going to a transparent plastic so anyone remotely familiar can guess it's a power light, therefore the button is for powering the system.

The ridges are also a clever engineering answer to a classic cooling problem. Making a simple grille is easy but people can block them easily with paper, or putting the console in a tight space. And it's not really an aesthetically pleasing view.

Here, those ridges provide vents you cannot possibly block at once : even if you squeeze the console in a tight cabinet, air would still flow. And they are obviosuly oriented so from the front and even the sides you can't see the opening.

It's brillant.

It's not a beauty, but it's a beautifully engineered design.

Edited March 21, 2020 by CatPix

[mb13081]

Also I like how big the Power button and Open button are. They were so fun to press.

[adamchevy]

Also I like how big the Power button and Open button are. They were so fun to press.

I also like the PlayStation startup. I think it’s one of the best.

[Steven Pendleton]

3 hours ago, adamchevy said:

 

I also like the PlayStation startup. I think it’s one of the best.

 

 

 

It IS the best! It's really too bad the ones on all subsequent PlayStation consoles are so boring. I do like the one from when you turn on the PSP, though. Vita has nothing...

 

Anyway, the buttons on the PS1 are great. I think I mentioned in another topic that it's just a big grey box with some buttons, but I do like the simplicity of it and also the 2 huge buttons. Reset is just kind of there, and now that I think about it, I think it might be the only major non-Nintendo console since its launch to have a dedicated reset button. Even its own redesign doesn't have a dedicated reset button!

[+Black_Tiger]

My favorite startup screen is the original Japanese Mega-CD.

 

 

 

 

 

 

1st gen genesis and the super famicom are up there

SFC/PAL SNES looks like an awesome space shuttle-type thing! Maybe I'm the only one that is reminded of a space shuttle, but space shuttles are awesome, and therefore so is the Japan/PAL design. Too bad in the US we got that weird box thingy with 

 

The Jaguar looks really cool without the CD thing or a cart, almost like something you'd see in Star Trek.

 

You must really like the PC Engine Shuttle. 

Edited March 21, 2020 by Black_Tiger

[deepfb]

On 2/18/2020 at 3:29 PM, CatPix said:

LEMZ AGAT

I didn't know anything about this Lemz Agat, and now I love it, so thank you very much! There may be a lot of unkown (for me) Russian computers that sure look very good.

 

I love the design of the Atari XL range, the Amstrad CPC 664 and the TRS-80 Model 100, and there are also plenty of MSX computers very good looking (specially those made by Sony, Panasonic and Toshiba; Toshiba even manufactured a stylish portable PC, the Libretto -"stylish portable PC" is almost an oxymoron xD); but my favourites are these three beauties:

 

- Matra Alice 90: not only it sports a futuristic french styling comparable to those of some french cars like Citroën DS, GS or CX, but the box & manual were illustrated by french artist Jean Giraud (Moebius). Inside there is a TRS-80 MC-10.

 

 

- MGT Sam Coupé: this upgraded ZX Spectrum compatible computer came too late to be successful. But the casing is gorgeous. 

 

 

- Yashica YC-64: it's not the best MSX for its specs, but I love computers in red (I even prefer the design of the Sharp X1 to that of the X68000 )

 

 

And for the consoles, there are lot of cuties out there: the Sony PSX, the Coleco Gemini (plus some of the Telstar series: the original Telstar, Combat!, Arcade...), the Astrocade, the Vectrex, the PC-FX, the PC Engine... But I would choose these three among them:

 

- Brand Jopac JO7400: a futuristic french design again. It's a Videopac+ compatible system.

  

 

- Atari Super Pong: no more words needed

 

 

- Philip G7200: I believe it came in three colours (white, black, and dark blue?), marketed by Philips, Radiola & Schneider. I can't decide which one I prefer the most.

 

[Tanooki]

Going back to it with the PS1, I'd argue it's not the original but the PSOne (mini) from 2000~ that is quite a beauty. Small, smooth, easy on on the eyes design with no sharp angles or anything really crude about it, and it's easily more rugged than the older prolific model.  Holds up a hell of a lot better as plenty of PS1 would end up upsidedown just to load CDs after a good bit of use.

[derFunkenstein]

18 hours ago, Tanooki said:

Going back to it with the PS1, I'd argue it's not the original but the PSOne (mini) from 2000~ that is quite a beauty. Small, smooth, easy on on the eyes design with no sharp angles or anything really crude about it, and it's easily more rugged than the older prolific model.  Holds up a hell of a lot better as plenty of PS1 would end up upsidedown just to load CDs after a good bit of use.

I agree completely. The PSOne was adorable. It was also in some ways objectively better than earlier versions. The video output I feel is cleaner, especially RGB. 

[Tanooki]

4 hours ago, derFunkenstein said:

I agree completely. The PSOne was adorable. It was also in some ways objectively better than earlier versions. The video output I feel is cleaner, especially RGB. 

You got it, and even if you do have the LCD combo package (I do, it's my desk console only) it doesn't make it any better or worse as it blends in very nicely.  The video either natural or through that specially customized panel Sony tossed on there comes out performing at truly fantastic levels of quality.

[Rhomaios]

 

I think for me the Saturn (with a sleeker controller, not that one), the Genesis model 2, PS2 slim, or Xbox 360 slim are the best looking consoles. Turbo Duo I'd rank just below that. The Saturn, PS2, and 360 are all still modern looking (with discs and all).

 

I wish more homebrew were made for the Saturn. It was the absolute pinnacle of 2D graphics.