CoN 25th Anniversary: 1997-2022
Best Console (Or Handheld) Design

Posted: 21st October 2005 01:51

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There's been alot of talk lately about how awsome the new console designs are, from an aestetic veiwpoint. There's also been no end to the claims that the PSP is the "sexiest" handheld in all creation. It got me to thinking, I like alot of OLD designs, not only for their looks, but for their durablity, and convinience.

So dear poster, let's hear your votes. What, in your opinion, is the best console or handheld design?

I'll get the ball rolling by suggesting the GBA SP. Not only is this thing cute, but it's flip up design protects the screen, a strangely ignored concept, save for with the DS. It's also almost perfectly pocket sized, without being so small that it's easy to misplace or break. Speaking of breakablitly, I've heard all manner of anecdotes about the GBA SP where people have had theirs washed/dropped/run over by a car, and the little thing just kept ticking. Small but mighty I say happy.gif

Ps: Please don't argue weather it's proper to call a game system 'sexy.' It's not like I invented the term. pinch.gif

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Posted: 21st October 2005 02:28

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Out of the handhelds the DS is certainly designed with durability and user friendlyness in mind, but the PSP does look better.

And for consoles the Gamecube's shape is probably the most original console design... ever. But the Xbox 360 and Revolution are looking pretty hawt as well.
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Posted: 21st October 2005 02:49

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I'd have to say that out of the next-gen consoles, the Xbox 360 looks the best overall. I mean, the PS3 CONSOLE looks mighty perty, but that controller just ruins it. The Xbox 360, while not looking QUITE as sleek as the PS3, has a great-looking controller (and judging by what others say, it's really comfy as well).

The Revolution, revolutionary though it may be, could've been a little better-looking. The controller needs to be rounder, and the console... well nothing's really WRONG with it, it just could be better.

In terms of old systems, I'd say that the Dreamcast and the SNES are pretty sexy. The SNES mostly just had a great controller, but the console looked okay as well, and everything DC-related looks great.

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Posted: 21st October 2005 05:51

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Game Boy Color all the way!
I guess second would be the GBA, and the PSP would be... a distant third (not really, just felt like doing a spoof on Edgar)

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Posted: 21st October 2005 11:24

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Black Waltz
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PSP indeed looks sexy. The DS looks durable, but PSP wins the beauty contest. I've heard that the REvolution has a strange looking controller, is that true?

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Posted: 22nd October 2005 05:40

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I haven't really 'felt' the DS or even seen the PSP first-hand, so I won't comment on those two.

However, out of GB, GBpocket/GBC, GBA, GBA SP, Sega Game Gear, and that old Amiga/Atari (which one?) handheld system, I'd say the award goes to GBA (non-SP) for ease of controls. It's held almost like a paper that you're reading. Plus, the controls were easily responsive (not as much so in GBA SP). The screen was annoyingly tiny on the GB and GBp/GBC, and that other handheld was pretty darn big, so second place goes to Game Gear, with it's GBA-like controls arrangement and its neato color screen.

I will, however, admit that I hadn't thought about the screen-protecting issue when I first conceived this post.

Edit
Oh wait, I didn't realize it included consoles as well.

However, my vote still goes to the GBA (non-SP).

A pity vote goes to the extraordinarily short-lived Panasonic 3DO.


This post has been edited by Glenn Magus Harvey on 23rd October 2005 00:51

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Posted: 22nd October 2005 17:33

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I choose the SP. I love that system. Just the perfect size for all your hand-held videogaming needs. for next-gen consoles, I have to go with the 360.

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I've heard that the REvolution has a strange looking controller, is that true?


Indeed it is. The Revolution controller is to look like a remote for your TV. That crappy control is why I'm not buying a Revolution.

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Posted: 22nd October 2005 18:20

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Quote (master_tonberry @ 22nd October 2005 12:33)
Indeed it is. The Revolution controller is to look like a remote for your TV. That crappy control is why I'm not buying a Revolution.


I take it you haven't read much of the hands-on impressions with that "crappy" controller. Try before you judge, young grasshopper...

GMH, did you mean the Atari Lynx handheld system? That thing was great! Well, at least it would've been had it not leapt so far ahead of its time that developers couldn't make anything for it... and so uncomfortable.

For best design, I'd go with the SNES and Genesis. They had almost identical, simple-yet-effective designs and their controllers were the most comfortable and easy to use in my opinion. For durability, I'd have to go with the GameCube; the PS2 and XBox fall apart from heavy sledgehammer beatings long before it does. And that apparently serves some sorta significance for those people who routinely smack around their consoles.

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Posted: 23rd October 2005 07:16

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Quote (SilverFork @ 22nd October 2005 13:20)
Quote (master_tonberry @ 22nd October 2005 12:33)
Indeed it is. The Revolution controller is to look like a remote for your TV. That crappy control is why I'm not buying a Revolution.


I take it you haven't read much of the hands-on impressions with that "crappy" controller. Try before you judge, young grasshopper...

Agreed. At first I thought it was a crappy controller as well, saying "WTF" when i first saw pictures of it, and the "joystick" downright laughable. However, It's not just a one-handed controller. They've finally revitalized the ol' gun stuff and made the hardware responsive to the position of the contoller. They've released a sword-fighting demo with it, and the controller IS your sword. This made me reconsider the Revolution.

The main reason why I'm not going to buy It still stands though: I probably won't have enough money to buy any of the NextGen consoles.

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Posted: 24th October 2005 12:50

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I dig the gamecube. It's so tiny it's practically a portable system...Sleek lines, an actual cube. Console wise it's the best I've seen. If I get to vote for worst it's MR. XBOX. That thing is a big ugly gorilla.

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Posted: 24th October 2005 14:33
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I like the gamecube's design...except for the fact that I routinely hit every single button on top before figuring out which one I want. If the buttons were lined up in front in an order that I could easily remember, I'd pick that. Other than that, I'm loathe to say that I find any of the designs "sexy", at least as far as I can recall. The PS1 had that annoying pop-up cover, the PS2 has the dangerous sliding tray, the SNES had a great way for dust and debris to enter the system...I guess the NES, with a hinged cover over the cartridge opening, is the best console I can think of. As for handhelds, the PSP certainly looks pretty, but I don't know how the button layout works, and the only other one I've really played with is the traditional GameBoy.

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Posted: 24th October 2005 16:29

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Even though I'm not a loyal gamecube owner, I like the design of the gamecube. It's its own carrying case
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Posted: 29th October 2005 07:41

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Im gonna Old Skool on ya and say Game Gear. It was the first wide grip handheld (GB Advanced was shaped just like it) which in my opinion was comfortable to hold. It was pretty much a Sega controler witha screen in the middle. I just like it,but im weird that way sleep.gif .

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Posted: 29th October 2005 12:43
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I think the Revolution, especially the white one, is fantastic, looking more like a piece of artsy furniture than a games console. I was as skeptical as anyone when I saw the controller, but I hear it's actually very comfortable and intuitive and even if it was slightly odd for a controller, it looks pretty cool. Thinking about it, Nintendo really always have been the best for making practical consoles. This one just looks especially good.
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Posted: 29th October 2005 14:11

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I'd say the GBA SP. It's lighter then the DS, and its easier to hold then the regular GBA. It makes me wish I haden't dropped mine and smashed the screen. sad.gif

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Posted: 20th November 2005 17:00

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Best looking handheld:

PSP is nice-looking, I love the screen, but the analogue stick is in a horrible place. Still cute little machine though. Also, the Game Boy Micro is sooo cute! wub.gif

Best looking console:

Revolution looks nice, especially the white one and the green one. I like the X-Box 360's idea of using replaceable face plates too. Special mention to the highly cute Dreamcast also!

Ugliest console:

X-Box. It's so ugly. It looks EVIL.

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Posted: 21st November 2005 01:11

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Now, I'm not the smartest person out there, but why do alot of these next-generation consoles need to be so sleek and aerodynamic? It's going to sit on a table or entertainment center, not race in CART.

For the best design, I'm going with my instincts, SNES. It's the most reliable thing I own. I ran through two NESes, busted the disc tray of my PS2 (managed to fix it) and my brother busted the disc tray to his Xbox (he was in a war zone after all). Every system I have owned has had to have a 'love tap' or 'realigning thwack' except my SNES.

It's like the coconut of an old Looney Toons. The squirell tries to drop it off the Empire State Building and it destroys the street below. The SNES is invicible. It doesn't need a 'x-treme' design, it has CT and FFVI.

This post has been edited by Kylerocks on 29th November 2005 19:22

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Posted: 21st November 2005 12:51

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hmm...i'd say the SP. flip screen with backlight. i'd probably say the DS if it weren't for the fact i've never actually played one.

for the worse design, i gotta say PS3. good please dont let that be the final controller design. and further more, who's idea was it to make the thing look a damn fax machine?

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Posted: 29th November 2005 17:30

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i think that the psp is one of the best systems but the only problem is how hard it would be to play a first person shooter on.

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Posted: 30th November 2005 00:10

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Gamecube and DS look nice, same with the GBA and SP, but im not too happy about the PS3 controler design (aka the Batarang controller) and the XBOX 1 appearence, same with the its controller F (the originnal one, aka fatty controller), i still think that controller looks like it was made for the Hulk, biggrin.gif.
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