The ugliest console ever created??

[oldskool]

To me it's a toss up, I'd say either the Famicon or the Jaguar.  What do you guys/gals think?

[Keranu]

I don't really think either of those consoles are ugly. Not so flashy, but I like the look of them. I think the original X-Box is pretty ugly and the original American SNES is pretty dorky too, but it's too simple to be ugly. I'm sure there are a ton of Chinese bootleg systems that could win this award.

[gundarN]

I do think my full Japanese Mega Drive setup is so ugly it's impressive:


As for others... I didn't think much of the original Playstation: it was just a grey brick, and I'm struggling to think of many others.

[Joe Redifer]

Naw, that system looks awesome.  The 32X looks a bit like a tumor, though.  Remove it, raise the volume slider to MAX and you have one sexy-ass system!

Some of the ugliest:

-Jaguar
-Famicom
-Sega Master System 2
-Genesis 2
-NES 2
-CDi
-Xbox
-Wii
-PS2
-N64
-Konix Multi-System
-ShuttleGrafx-16
-SuperGrafx-16

[Ninja Spirit]

Any Genesis after model 1 is ugly.

I remember how disappointed I was in Christmas 1993 when I got my Genesis when I tore that hole through the wrapping paper and saw that sliver of red. I had told them I wanted model 1 too.

[Tatsujin]

I remember how disappointed I was in Christmas 1993 when I got my Genesis when I tore that hole through the wrapping paper and saw that sliver of red. I had told them I wanted model 1 too.

HAHAHA!! i can imagine

[MissaFX]

The one that comes to mind first is the top loading NES which came out in the US.

[Arjak]

Any Genesis after model 1 is ugly.

YOUR SOUL IS A CAVERN OF LIES!!!!!

Seriously, though. I prefer the look of Model 2. Model 1 is just too bulky and not sleek at all. Still, it could be worse.

Now Model 3, that thing is UGLY. Not only does it not support the add-ons, but it looks kind of childish: the power and reset buttons are too big, the controller looks like a cheap bootleg, and that logo is too garish. I even hear that it is not a true genesis inside. That thing is evil! EVIL! Why couldn't they just let the Genesis die properly instead of trying to milk it to death!? Why!? WHY!?

Ok, I feel better having got that out of my system. Genesis is my favorite system ever, so I'm a little sensitive about it.

[Tatsujin]

the JPN Model 1 is quite god. the JVC wondermega is really near to god. the Mega-cd is very cool as well. al rest MD models or related are nearly for the can.

[Nazi NecroPhile]

I'm gonna go old school: most of the first and second gen stuff was pretty utilitarian and ugly (i.e. - Odyssey, Channel F, Colecovision, and Intellivision).  The Atari 2600 wasn't too bad, what with its real wood trim from a fake tree and all; and the 5200 wasn't all that bad of a design either, though it was too fat and chunky to be considered beautiful.  Of the newer stuff, the only ones that I find truly ugly are the Jaguar's toilet shaped CD add-on and the various hideous versions of the N64 (namely the gold, translucent orange, and Pikachu versions).

[SignOfZeta]

I'm going to go with the XBox and the PS2. The PS2 isn't super ugly per say, but in an industry that had already produced the Duo R, the DC, the PS, the PSOne etc there is no excuse for something that shitty. The Xbox is just garish and hideous and terrible. Shaped like a giant X with a bunch of neon green on it. Wow. Lame. Straight into the hands of people who collect CDi, Jag and 3DO and insist that the games aren't "that bad" when in fact they are the worst ever.

Its amazing that anyone could think the Wii is ugly. It doesn't look like much of anything, and its small. Ditch the vertical stand and it pretty much just looks like an external burner...only smaller. I can see people saying its too cautious or boring, but there isn't enough character there to make it ugly.

The Famicom is rather ugly in itself, but at this point I'm extremely nostalgic for any 1980s era white plastic from Japan. Little keyboards and databank calculators and stuff.

As far as bootleg systems, I have a "Handy FamiEight" or something like that which is hideous.

[guyjin]

the original 2600s are ugly. dust and junk always got trapped in those stupid grooves (WHY?), and the cartridge art faced the wrong way. the later 7800-esque models are better, though.

As great as the games were, the original front loading NES is ugly. I know they were going for the VCR look, but they didn't even do that right; I have a VCR of the same vintage that looks much cooler.

the SNES is ugly. Why they settled on that gray/purple/cream (now piss-yellow) color scheme I'll never know.
So is the N64; it's a videogame console trying to be a racecar, and failing miserably.

[DJLobo]

I have to go with the NES 2 and the Intellivision I. The NES 2 looks like it was designed by a small child. The Intellivision I is just laid out all wrong. I mean, why put the 2 controllers on opposite sides of the unit? I haven't played one in while, but I remember it was really easy to disconnect the controllers from the system while playing.

[Sparky]

I am with you on the original Intellivision i have no love for the looks of that system, next to that i would say as well the original playstation, it  should have been black,
but i do dig the white ps1 especially with the LCD screen

[gundarN]

I'd like to stick up for the N64 a little here, the Japanese two tone models are quite nice:


I agree that the PS2 should have been much better designed, it looks like whoever did the design work had never looked at any of the prettier machines produced before it.
The original XBOX did redeem itself a little with the crystal model.
I quite like the dinky Wii, but am still awaiting the "piss yellow" limited edition:


It is possible to make your own ugly consoles too. I called this my "Frankensaturn":


My vote for ugliest console that possibly doesn't qualify would be the original DS, especially when the DS Lite is so nice:

[rolins]

Probably that Daewoo Zemmix Turbo. Check the bottom of this webpage here for pics - http://pelikonepeijoonit.net/zemmix.html

[Duo_R]

Those are bad....really bad!   

Probably that Daewoo Zemmix Turbo. Check the bottom of this webpage here for pics - http://pelikonepeijoonit.net/zemmix.html

[turbokon]

I would have to say it's a toss up between the jaguar and n64.

[Ninja Spirit]

-SuperGrafx-16

I got a mixed bag toward that one.

In fact, it does have the appearance of a car engine

[Ceti Alpha]

-SuperGrafx-16

I got a mixed bag toward that one.

In fact, it does have the appearance of a car engine

The Supergrafx is so ugly it's gorgeous. It's certainly odd looking, but it is definitely an object of desire for me. 

[Keranu]

I'm gonna go old school: most of the first and second gen stuff was pretty utilitarian and ugly (i.e. - Odyssey, Channel F, Colecovision, and Intellivision).

No way, those old skool consoles were the coolest! You just can't go wrong with 70's electronics. I'd also like to point out that the Astrocade has the coolest controller ever made.



Am I the only one who thinks the Shuttle Grafx looks awesome, by the way? Some people seem like they were born to absolutely loath it. SuperGrafx rules too, especially in person.

[Joe Redifer]

I cannot stand hex screws I cannot turn.  If I had a SuperGrafx-16 I'd probably get out my metric allen wrench set and strip the plastic trying to turn those things.  They should have made them real.  Absolutely no excuse not to.  It's like having plastic buttons you can't press or something.  It totally deceives the player and as a result is completely immoral.

[TH0R]

i don't know......virtual boy? 

[Sparky]

SuperGrafx rules too, especially in person.

yepper, it rocks hard!!! i like the way it looks, its so different and ya it does have a bit of a car engine look!! it is certainly bigger than my saturn car engine
<<hugs the supergrafx>>

[Tatsujin]

i don't really hate console cases except of the later Mega Drives, jaguar, pippin,

[guyjin]

Probably that Daewoo Zemmix Turbo. Check the bottom of this webpage here for pics - http://pelikonepeijoonit.net/zemmix.html

Actually, other than the Turbo, I think the Zemmix consoles are awesome looking.

[OldRover]

I don't really think any of them are ugly; art is always in the eye of the beholder (or beer holder). I do, however, find the original design of the Xbox to be rather amusing:

[Duo_R]

I think for the "mainstream" consoles, it is going to be the Jaguar.

[Tatsujin]

especially teh jags joy(?)pad

[Ceti Alpha]

What the hell was up with Atari and their terrible joysticks or pads, or whatever they were? You would have thought that by the time the Jaguar came out they would have come to their senses and not made one of their trademark monster controllers with the number pad like a phone. It was just as useless in the 90s as it was in the 80s.

[Tatsujin]

lol..they where just nuts

[OldRover]

I never had any problems with the Jaguar controller. It was weird sure, but then again, so was Sony's prototype boomerang-type controller that they wisely never produced.

[Ceti Alpha]

I never had any problems with the Jaguar controller. It was weird sure, but then again, so was Sony's prototype boomerang-type controller that they wisely never produced.

hehe. Yeah, the boomerang controller was ass, for sure. But the PS controllers aren't my favourite controllers by a long shot.

[gundarN]

Slightly off topic; but the worst controllers are the Nuon ones, these are the two I've tried:

[Lord Thag]

The mattel Hyperscan. Nothing even comes close.

Plus, it came with an x-men fighting game that featured nightcrawler with a voiced line that went 'You are weak, like unwashed leiderhosen!"

 

[guyjin]

 

[Digi.k]

xbox, N64, atari jag and lynx were pretty ugly.. and I also disliked the pc engine shuttle..

and this too.. Amstrad GX4000

[guyjin]

if we're including portables, the game.com is pretty fugly... and so is the original DS.

[Ninja Spirit]

Slightly off topic; but the worst controllers are the Nuon ones, these are the two I've tried:

The d-pad almost looks like an emerald

[CrackTiger]

Everytime I think of an unattractive console, I realize that it at least resembles a console. The one that I can't think of anything uglier and less-console-looking than is the Playstation 2. The original model, the slim version is an improvement.

[Zeon]

No mention of the Atari XE system!? Heathens, the lot of you! That thing is BUTT ugly, and WTF is up with the pastel colored buttons? What the hell were the designers smoking?:

[guyjin]

I think it's cute. not as pretty as the 7800 or the later 2600 models, but it's nice - at least the cart label faces the right way.

[Keranu]

Agreed, I like that Atari XE. Easter colored!

[Ceti Alpha]

Yeah, I remember really liking the Atari XE. The pastels are definitely a product of the late 80s.

[Duo_R]

someone might have already mentioned this but i missed the photo, this thing is fugly!

[Lord Thag]

Yeah, I love the bat-a-rang controllers on the CD32. Never played one though.

[guyjin]

Yeah, Commodore wasn't exactly into sleek styling. The controller is cool looking, though.

[Ceti Alpha]

someone might have already mentioned this but i missed the photo, this thing is fugly!

Commodore obviously had Genesis envy with the bat-a-rang controller and the big "32 Bit" logo.

[Duo_R]

If you cut the Commodore in half exactly where than line runs by the CD door, the right side looks like an old-school answering machine.

someone might have already mentioned this but i missed the photo, this thing is fugly!

Commodore obviously had Genesis envy with the bat-a-rang controller and the big "32 Bit" logo.

[somery]

If you cut the Commodore in half exactly where than line runs by the CD door, the right side looks like an old-school answering machine.

Hahaha, good eye! Old answering machines are the bane of my existence. When I'm digging through thrift stores, they always look like they might be something interesting from afar... then you get up close and you're like, "Aw, shit." 

Also, NO ONE buys them. What's the point these days? They're not even collectible! Get 'em off the shelves and put more dusty old consoles out, dammit!