Nintendo is one of the biggest names in gaming, and they have a history of fantastic consoles to back that up. They've been around through the ages, creating innovative consoles through the decades. While all of them are great consoles with a ton of fantastic games, how do they stack up to one another when it comes to their design? Which console looks the best in an entertainment center? Let's take a look at the past and find out. As a note, we'll only be ranking the main, western version of the consoles, so systems like the Famicom system or the Wii Mini won't be included.
7 NES
The NES is a product of its time, it just sort of, looks old. That doesn't necessarily mean that it looks bad, but it just has nothing special going for it. It's multiple shades of grey and is essentially just a big rectangle.
The controller doesn't really add to the allure either. The NES has some great games, but it was the first of its kind, and unfortunately for it, there's nothing interesting going on in the design department.
6 N64
The N64 is a few console generations after the NES, and you can see that in its design. It's a little bit more modern, adding a few flourishes to spice things up a bit.
While it is still mostly a black rectangle, it has a little bit of curvature to keep things interesting, and the cartridge sticking out makes the system look grand. And that controller, wow. That sure is a statement piece, isn't it? Still, overall, the N64 is quite solid looking.
5 SNES
The SNES is an interesting console, deviating largely from its Japanese sister console to a purple and grey color scheme. The purple is a very interesting choice, especially for the time period in which this system was created. However, it looks great, and even just as an accent color, it helps the SNES stand out amongst all of the other grey boxes of gaming devices back then.
The controller looks great too, sharing a color scheme with its console counterpart. It feels great to hold, and has been recreated several times over the past few years.
4 Wii U
The Wii U on its own is a boring looking console, looking more or less like a DVD player. While the Wii striving to achieve this look was interesting at the time, by the time of the Wii U, it was boring. While the Wii U itself was pretty middling, of course, the most interesting part of the console is its tablet controller.
The actual tablet part of the Wii U is interesting, and while, of course, fans know how underutilized the thing is (and the plethora of other problems that the came with the Wii U), it certainly gave the console its very own look. If only developers had found anything interesting to use that tablet for. Well, at the very least, it looks pretty fun, earning it one of the higher spots on the list.
3 Wii
As previously mentioned, the Wii's goal was to become a part of the entertainment center, blending seamlessly with the rest of the devices present. Of course, the Wii did this pretty flawlessly. While the Wii does look a bit boring now when it gets down to it, it certainly is a sleek design.
Of course, the Wii Remote was nothing short of revolutionary at the time. While the motion controls aren't included in a conversation about console design, the Wii Remote looking like, well, a TV remote, was a bold move that ultimately worked in Nintendo's favor. While fans might have varying opinions on the Wii, few can deny that its look was sleek and clean, great for a console design.
2 Switch
The Switch design was a breath of fresh air in an era of consoles that looked like sad VCR machines. The Switch is lightweight and compact. Of course, the design of this console plays into its main hook, being able to be played at home on the TV or on the go. The console looks great either way you play it.
The Switch stands out by looking different from everything around it while docked, and looks great in handheld mode due to its sleek design and the ability to change its colors depending on the Joy-Con that are attached.
1 GameCube
Ahhhh, the GameCube. The big, purple cube that will always have a place in our hearts. The GameCube design is actually ridiculous. As previously mentioned, the thing is a big purple cube, and with a handle, a handle! Sure, it's a lot, but it absolutely works. It is great, a ton of fun. It indicates some of the great games that we were soon to get out of the console. And considering that the controller is still used in competitive gaming 20 years later, well, let's just say that part of the design speaks for itself.