this post was submitted on 01 Mar 2025
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I'd have to go with the wood grain Atari 2600, I'm a sucker for 70's designed electronics.

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[–] the16bitgamer@programming.dev 12 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (2 children)

Humm, for PCs I’d have to say iMac

For game consoles it’s a hard debate between the GameBoy Pocket or the GameBoy Micro. One is the essence of a GameBoy shrunken down to a power efficent and usable design. While the other is the smallest you can make a console while still having it usable.

[–] Zombiepirate@lemmy.world 6 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Apparently, the Micro was the last Game Boy product that Nintendo made.

Very elegant.

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[–] idunnololz@lemmy.world 14 points 3 weeks ago (4 children)

Is PS Vita a retro console? If so that.

[–] stargazingpenguin@lemmy.zip 5 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

I've still got mine, and it still works great! I sold my PSP to get a used one about a month from launch, and I've kept it ever since. It's a great console, if only there were more games for it.

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[–] EddoWagt@feddit.nl 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

It came out in 2011/2012, I wouldn't classify that as retro

[–] roguetrick@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago

The 2600 was retro and quaint by 1990.

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[–] Slyke@lemmy.ml 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Hol'up.

Atari's only had 4, not 6, switches on them?

[–] stargazingpenguin@lemmy.zip 5 points 3 weeks ago (4 children)

Nope, there were two different versions! The 6 switch is the original. (And in my opinion the better looking one!) The 4 switch came later, and still has 6 switches, they just moved the difficulty switches to the back. I believe it saved them some money and made production a little easier because everything was on one circuit board with that setup.

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[–] LunarLoony@lemmy.sdf.org 17 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

PC Engine. Not only does it look like a prop from the set of TNG, but it is delightfully tiny. The cartridges are little cards that you slot in the front. There is literally nothing bad about a PC Engine. (Except for maybe that it's only got one controller port)

NEC-PC-Engine-Console-FL

[–] chiliedogg@lemmy.world 5 points 3 weeks ago

The PC Engine/Turbagragix 16 also had a handheld (PC Engine GT/TurboExpress) that was way ahead of its time. It had the same power as the home console, was color, had a backlit display, and even had a TV tuner attachment. And it was released in 1990. The Sega Nomad basically copied these features in 1995, and Nintendo didn't have a colored, backlit handheld until 1998.

I loved mine.

[–] JoeBidet@lemmy.ml 10 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

+1.

Also it can be turned into a coolest spaceship, with its CDRom attachment, a very first in 1988!

Also the HuCard format for its games is unbeatable!

[–] LunarLoony@lemmy.sdf.org 7 points 3 weeks ago

Speaking of spaceships...

Pc-Engine-Shuttle

Not the most practical PC engine model, because it lacked the extra oomph of the SuperGrafx and you couldn't attach a CD-ROM² - but just look at it

[–] pyre@lemmy.world 7 points 3 weeks ago

the atari 2600 looks like it could take you back to the future with enough jigawatts

[–] dave@feddit.uk 16 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Remember having one of these at school in the late '70s / early '80s G7000

[–] khannie@lemmy.world 5 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

OH MY GOD! I had one of those! I haven't seen a picture of one since.

The keyboard was so awful. I don't remember getting it as a birthday or other gift so it must have been a hand me down from a family friend or something.

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[–] vividspecter@lemm.ee 18 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (3 children)

The Sega Saturn, especially the Japan version:

Although I never owned this model myself, I recently picked up an 8bitdo replica (M30 bluetooth) of the Japan controller and it looks and feels great, although not strictly a direct copy of the original.

[–] reddig33@lemmy.world 14 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Why does there have to be just one? So many consoles are awesomely designed and reflect their eras well. I’m partial to colecovision and the Intellivision II. The redesign of the intellivision had an entire suite of peripherals to match the new design, including a musical keyboard.

[–] BlueSquid0741@lemmy.sdf.org 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Mega Drive 1 and 2, they both looked awesome

[–] vividspecter@lemm.ee 3 points 3 weeks ago

The headphone port on the Model 1 was so ahead of its time. Although I was stuck without an extension chord for my Koss Porta Pros (so couldn't actually use it), it was my first taste of relatively high quality sound.

[–] lordnikon@lemmy.world 15 points 3 weeks ago

I got my start with atari 2600 but I think the GameCube was the best looking in both form and function. Best looking computer is an IBM Aptiva S IBM Aptiva S

[–] sundrei@lemmy.sdf.org 10 points 3 weeks ago

(I'm sad no one uses faux-marble anymore.)

[–] AceFuzzLord@lemm.ee 6 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

If we're talking strictly design, my personal favorite is a generic fat PS2, probably tied with my model 1(?) Sega Genesis (none of the things like 32x or CD, which I desperately want to get some day).

If we're talking like PC with OS, the 90s Amiga lineup because I think the Amiga Workbench 3 line and the icons they used look absolutely beautiful. Definitely would love to get my hands on a 1200, but they're expensive. So no getting into that hobby for me just yet.

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[–] yuki2501@lemmy.world 5 points 3 weeks ago

NGL, that fine-wood version of the Atari looked so slick. Too bad I only got the cheap plastic one.

[–] Danitos@reddthat.com 39 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

A photo of Nintendos's GameCube console

Nintendo's GameCube. It's cubical. Cubical!

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[–] son_named_bort@lemmy.world 15 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

How many consoles look like toilets?

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[–] TheOgreChef@lemmy.world 23 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

Intelligang represent!

Intellevision may not have the best controller design out there, but the versatility with the different card inserts made playing games easier when I was a kid. Basically a guide in the palm of your hands for each game you owned. Losing them did blow however.

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[–] didnt1able@sh.itjust.works 25 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)
[–] Blackmist@feddit.uk 3 points 3 weeks ago

I never liked the side-by-side Mega CD.

The stacked one looked better. Like an old hifi system.

[–] SpaceCowboy@lemmy.ca 11 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Needs a Sonic 3 cartridge plugged into a Sonic & Knuckles cartridge plugged into the 32X plugged into the Genesis to get the full Sega experience.

[–] NoDignity@lemmy.world 30 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

Ask and you shall receive fellow lover of lock on technology ™️

Unfortunately I don't have a genesis Game Genie or Action Replay to really spice it up

[–] AceFuzzLord@lemm.ee 11 points 3 weeks ago

If I could reach through my phone screen, I'd definitely let you borrow my game genie just to complete that lock on power tower.

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[–] Zombiepirate@lemmy.world 7 points 3 weeks ago

And the pièce de résistance, a Game Genie.

[–] HakFoo@lemmy.sdf.org 9 points 3 weeks ago

The Atari XL seriea computers cut a nice space between retro and futuristic.

They're much sleeker looking than their 400/800 predecessors, as well as the Apple II and the breadbin VIC 20/64/C16. Only the 64C and Plus/4 really look similarly minaturized and not-in-need-of-a-big-wristrest-for-comfortable-typing.

The use of metal and smoked plastic trim gives it a premium appearance. The 1200XL even hides the cartridge slot on the side to avoid anyone nistaking it for a mere console..

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