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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[–] [email protected] 3 points 54 minutes ago* (last edited 32 minutes ago)

Technically neither a console nor a PC (in the IBM-compatible sense), but the Commodore PET has a certain kind of 70s futurism about it.

Note the integrated tape deck for all your storage needs.

The keyboard pictured, while interesting looking, is a complete POS. Later PETs had a more usable keyboard with a better layout.

Edit: I don't think that red button at the bottom right is stock. It's almost certainly a hardware reset button, which on the Commodore machines is typically done by shorting a couple pins on a user expansion port.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 52 minutes ago

I like the woodgrain look, but I don't think the Atari 2600 is a very good example of it. Lots of audio equipment from the time does it better. Especially when combined with brushed aluminum or stainless steel.

Purple GameCubes are retro now, so I'll go with that as my favorite.

[–] SpiceDealer 2 points 1 hour ago

Console: Sega Dreamcast

PC: Any IBM beige box from the 90s

[–] twocupsofsugar 10 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

while not necessarily the prettiest console by any means but i always thought the Og xbox home menu went way harder than it needed to, now that's presentation!

[–] [email protected] 6 points 17 hours ago

They said retro, the Xbox can't be retro, its only been around for- oh. Oh no.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 19 hours ago

The 3DO FZ-10

It just looks so sleek. For me, it was the future of gaming.

[–] RampantParanoia2365 3 points 18 hours ago

One more vote with OP. That Atari is a nice looking machine.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 23 hours ago (2 children)

The Mega Drive is the best looking retro console, I mean look at it

[–] [email protected] 4 points 19 hours ago

This one looks a little naked. Needs more "High Definition Graphics" or whatever it says

[–] [email protected] 2 points 23 hours ago

Best looking and best name.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 17 hours ago

The Atari Portfolio (the one John Connors uses in Terminator 2) or the ST Book.

[–] dejected_warp_core 20 points 1 day ago

The 2600 depicted in the article thumbnail, was absolutely a beauty in its native environment of the late 1970's:

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 day ago

Vectrex, hands-down. Vectrex-Console-Set

[–] HappySkullsplitter 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I'm a fan of how ENIAC really used the space

[–] Ramenator 8 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

If we're also talking old computers then it's hard to beat the Cray-1

[–] [email protected] 2 points 50 minutes ago

Also had the advantage of fooling your house guests into thinking it's a weird, modernist couch that makes conversation really hard.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day 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.

[–] AngryCommieKender 7 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I still have that GBA micro laying around somewhere. An ex GF stole my reloadable cartridge though. :(

Mine has a black face plate.

[–] Zombiepirate 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

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

Very elegant.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 17 hours ago)

I would say the cutoff is Game Boy Advance SP and Micro is a poseur, because Micro can't play original Game Boy or Color games. If one is counting GBA, then the DS and DS Lite could still play those.

Edit: Get a flash cart and you can unofficially play old GB on any GBA-compatible using Goomba Color. Micro is awesome at what it does, I just hate that it has the Game Boy name yet can't play GB games and had yet another different link cable port because Nintendo!

[–] Opisek 2 points 21 hours ago

Damn, wood. Or wood-looking material at least.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 day 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

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 day 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!

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 day 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

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[–] idunnololz 14 points 1 day ago (7 children)

Is PS Vita a retro console? If so that.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I'd say PSP is, but Vita isn't. DS is, but 3DS isn't.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 day ago

To me, no. PS2 is a retro console, but PS3 (Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X., Crysis 2) is not. I mean, look at those games' graphics, they look FENOMENAL.

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[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day 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.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 19 hours ago

The Dreamcast is up there too imo!

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[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 day ago (2 children)

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

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[–] [email protected] 36 points 1 day ago (1 children)

A photo of Nintendos's GameCube console

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

[–] [email protected] 2 points 46 minutes ago

It came with a beat carry handle and drug-hiding compartments!

[–] [email protected] 60 points 1 day ago (7 children)

I'm very partial to the IMSAI 8080!

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