Critics Club V: The Best Looking Console Ever Face Off - Round 01

[Neon Ignition]

We've finally made it through every system and their existing design iterations giving us a shortlist of console designs that the users of the site have selected as the best looking.

We move onto the first round of deciding which will face off in the grand final with nine consoles vying to be the last one standing.

Which of the below nine machines is the best looking?




01 - The Western NES






02 - The Sega Master System Mark I







03 - The Panasonic 3DO FZ-1







04 - The PlayStation






05 - The Atari Jaguar






06 - The JP/PAL Super Nintendo






07 - The PC Engine






08 - Amstrad 4400 GX





09 - The JP Sega Mega Drive







Which gets your one and only vote?

[wakka]

Of these I voted for PS1. Clean, minimalist lines that still look great today.

[Neon Ignition]

I like the PS1 but for me the SNES is nicer

[Asura]

For me, it has to be the SNES.

Not because it's necessarily my favourite out of that bunch (that might be the PS1), but it's just that the SNES is, to me, the blurry image which pops into my head when someone says "game console". It's that shape, that size, with two controllers with colourful buttons. It's the intersection of tech product and toy.

I've also found it to be a really clean design, in terms of form and function.

Outside of that group, my top picks are the Dreamcast, the Saturn and the PSOne, with the PSOne possibly my overall favourite.

[QualityChimp]

The SNES is nice, but there's something about the PC Engine that works for me.
I think it's a combination of its diminutive dimensions in combination with understated lines and grooves.

Compare that to the monstrosity of the Amstrad beneath, which is this slab of bumps, lumps and panels.

[Neon Ignition]

The Amstrad looks like the PC Engine... but when it's spent five minutes melting in a microwave

[Dogg Thang]

This is a tough call but I'm going for the Japanese/European SNES. It looks cool but also fun. I must admit I have a soft spot for the Master System with that red part, which looks kind of technical. I also love the Mega Drive but the type of plastic or finish for the main bulk of it makes it feel cheap. That's also my issue with the PS1. I think of the PSP, for example, and if the Mega Drive had a similar finish it would look incredible.

For me, pretty much anything else on the list isn't a contender.

[Solar]

It's a hard one between the SMS and SNES, I think the SNES will win this vote, so I'll put mine down on the SMS to give it the bump it deserves.

[beecee]

Snes/SFC for me, but i must admit the Pana FZ1 is rather nice.

[CMcK]

For me it’s close between the FZ-1 and the PC Engine but it’s the little white wonder that gets my vote. The Panasonic 3DO looks classy and is built like a tank but the still impressively small size of the PCE wins it for me.

And the Amstrad console is called the GX4000.

[Atticus]

PlayStation. Subtle and simple with only the tiniest touches of colour.

[tokyochojin]

Panasonic 3do for me, I love the audio visual equipment vibe and it still looks like a cool piece of tech that goes well with any setup.

[Colin]

The only things I don't like in that list are the GX4000 and the Jaguar pad (I like the design of the system itself). Absolutely the golden era of console designs here, with the Master System being the first console I truly lusted after, and the holy trinity of Japanese MD/SFC/PCE. The PCE definitely gets my vote, but it's certainly not by a massive margin!

[Hirst]

I'm glad that Bordersdown seems to have universally rejected the looks of the NES. Though it might be iconic to Americans, it really is an awful piece of design compared to the original Famicom.

[Brad]

SNES or PS? Hmmmmm.

SNES certainly takes me back and it does look exactly like a console from that era should. That original PS design though. You could bring that out as a new console today and it’d still work. Best design ever I reckon.