this post was submitted on 01 Mar 2025
384 points (99.0% liked)

RetroGaming

20848 readers
397 users here now

Vintage gaming community.

Rules:

  1. Be kind.
  2. No spam or soliciting for money.
  3. No racism or other bigotry allowed.
  4. Obviously nothing illegal.

If you see these please report them.

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

I'd have to go with the wood grain Atari 2600, I'm a sucker for 70's designed electronics.

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] circuitfarmer@lemmy.sdf.org 3 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours 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.

[–] frezik@midwest.social 2 points 2 hours 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@lemmy.world 2 points 2 hours ago

Console: Sega Dreamcast

PC: Any IBM beige box from the 90s

[–] twocupsofsugar@lemmy.world 10 points 22 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!

[–] Default_Defect@midwest.social 7 points 19 hours ago

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

[–] otp@sh.itjust.works 4 points 21 hours ago

The 3DO FZ-10

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

[–] InFerNo@lemmy.ml 9 points 1 day ago (2 children)

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

[–] otp@sh.itjust.works 4 points 21 hours ago

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

[–] peetabix@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 day ago

Best looking and best name.

[–] RampantParanoia2365@lemmy.world 3 points 20 hours ago

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

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

[–] 0x30507DE@lemmy.today 8 points 1 day ago

Vectrex, hands-down. Vectrex-Console-Set

[–] bufalo1973@lemm.ee 2 points 19 hours ago

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

[–] HappySkullsplitter@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

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

[–] Ramenator@lemmy.world 8 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

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

[–] frezik@midwest.social 2 points 2 hours ago

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

[–] the16bitgamer@programming.dev 11 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (3 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@lemmy.world 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.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] LunarLoony@lemmy.sdf.org 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

[–] JoeBidet@lemmy.ml 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!

[–] LunarLoony@lemmy.sdf.org 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

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Opisek@lemmy.world 2 points 23 hours ago

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

[–] idunnololz@lemmy.world 14 points 1 day ago (7 children)

Is PS Vita a retro console? If so that.

[–] ipkpjersi@lemmy.ml 6 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

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

[–] LemUrun@pawb.social 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.

load more comments (5 replies)
[–] vividspecter@lemm.ee 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.

[–] otp@sh.itjust.works 4 points 21 hours ago

The Dreamcast is up there too imo!

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] Atomicbunnies@lemmy.dbzer0.com 60 points 1 day ago (7 children)

I'm very partial to the IMSAI 8080!

load more comments (7 replies)
[–] Danitos@reddthat.com 36 points 1 day ago (1 children)

A photo of Nintendos's GameCube console

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

[–] Rai@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 2 hours ago

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

[–] dave@feddit.uk 16 points 1 day ago (2 children)

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

load more comments (2 replies)
load more comments
view more: next ›