worst designed console... functionally or aesthetically

[DreamcastRIP]

Hey, it would have worked out fine if you bought the watermelon red edition!

As I stated in my earlier post!

[ShadowNeku]

Ahhh so you did.
Looking at those coloured N64's, my regular black one looks so boring now...

[DreamcastRIP]

Ahhh so you did.
Looking at those coloured N64's, my regular black one looks so boring now...

That's kinda why I bought a 'Jungle Green' model as the standard colour model does indeed look boring. Each to their own and all that as I appreciate some will consider the Jungle Green model to look hideous!



That's exactly how mine looks with the RAM pack inserted.

Maybe Ninty ought to have also released different coloured RAM packs so owners had the option of a better colour co-ordinated setup. A bit like Sega did for Dreamcast where a variety of different colour controllers were released as well as matching colour VMUs made available to purchase too.

[killbot]

No, it's a fact. The standard N64 model was opaque. The expansion pak could not be seen at all in these models. Therefore saying that the expansion pack being visible is a design flaw of the N64 makes no sense unless you have x-ray vision. You might consider it a problem for the translucent models, but I believe Killbot was clear that he wasn't talking about them in his last statement.

If that's your interpretation of the facts then that's your prerogative.

So to go back to the Ford analagy, if the new Fiesta is a perfectly good car, but a small number of limited edition models released several years later have a very minor cosmetic flaw then the entire design is a bad one? Ludicrous.

[Antiriad2097]

The Fiesta is flawed, since only women can drive them without looking ridiculous. Its like putting a red memory expansion in a skeleton case N64, it just doesn't look right.

[theantmeister]

That's exactly how mine looks with the RAM pack inserted.

Maybe Ninty ought to have also released different coloured RAM packs so owners had the option of a better colour co-ordinated setup. A bit like Sega did for Dreamcast where a variety of different colour controllers were released as well as matching colour VMUs made available to purchase too.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Seriously, what were they thinking releasing a see-through lime green N64?! Yuck! And then releasing a red expansion pack? It looks like someone melted down one of Santa's elves.

[HEAVYface]

the r2-d2 looking xbox 360 looks awful. and costs loads with the ugly matching kinect thingy.

original ps2 looks cack...that logo!

for me the problem with the n64 expansion pack isn't the way it looks, its that the n64 should have the extra ram built into it in the first place.

[ShadowNeku]

for me the problem with the n64 expansion pack isn't the way it looks, its that the n64 should have the extra ram built into it in the first place.

A little like the Wii Motion Plus controller. Shouldnt we have had very accurate motion control from the beginning!?

[rednoggy]

Design wise:
PS2- Only two controller ports?
N64- Analogue stick wearing out, for me was, and still is, an issue.
GBA- No backlit screen. Fixed in subsequent versions but should have been in from the start.

[Antiriad2097]

I don't think I've ever used 2 pads in either of my PS2s. I think the only multiplayer gaming they've seen used USB.

The lack of backlight on the original GBA seemed fine at the time, I don't recall having any serious issues with it. It was just the way of things then. Now we've been spoiled by increasingly bright and clear screens it seems much worse but only in relative terms. Not ideally suited for the dull british weather though, it was much better when I bought it in Tenerife. They may have fixed the backlight for later GBA revisions, but they broke the design by returning to a portrait format with the SP which wasn't fixed again until the Micro.

[rednoggy]

Fair point on the GBA, it certainly served me up until the DS, but as an extra it would have been nice.It was different with me and the PS2 ; it semi regularly had three pads in so a need of a multi tap, and the extra cost, was a pain .

[Megamixer]

The Fiesta is flawed, since only women can drive them without looking ridiculous. Its like putting a red memory expansion in a skeleton case N64, it just doesn't look right.

Hey! I drive a Fiesta . In any case, Zetec-S and ST models disagree with your statement .

Those coloured N64's make me want another one now...one that isn't the standard black colour. Then again, I remember the awful pad and decide against it. I like the shape of the N64 controller but the analogue stick is unforgiveable. The pad with my console was virtually unused but the stick still felt like a horrible stalk that could snap off at any moment. It didn't feel smooth to use at all and the fact that they inevitably break is a major turn-off. Admittedly, it will last longer if you avoid Mario Party

[SexyWayne]

What have I done....

I still reckon the N64 is ugly regardless of the ram expansion cover, I assumed that the genuine ram expansion had the red cover built into it like my 3rd party one, because every picture you see on the net of N64s with the expansion fitted show them with the cover off.. which would of course make sense now I know the cover can be put back on.. otherwise how would they show that the expansion was fitted...

OK, enough of the N64 red ram expansion now

I don't like the hump it has right at the front it looks censored, maybe if the rest of the console followed that hump instead of sinking down it wouldn't look so bad, I hate the way if you give it a slight knock the games freeze, the controller leads are way too short

Don't get me wrong though.. I still love the N64, gamewise anyway, bar emulation where else would I get my Ridge Racer 64 fix?? although if RR64 was to be released on VC along with Goldeneye I'd pack up my N64 straight away..

[noobish hat]

If your main area of contention with the N64 is the stick, I'd recommend you invest in a Hori controller, which uses a stick virtually identical to the Gamecube one, and dispenses with the left arm of the pad.

http://www.horistore.com/images/items/detail/HN6-07.jpg

Doubtless there will be those who complain it is now too cluttered. There's no pleasing some people.

[Megamixer]

If your main area of contention with the N64 is the stick, I'd recommend you invest in a Hori controller, which uses a stick virtually identical to the Gamecube one, and dispenses with the left arm of the pad.

http://www.horistore.com/images/items/detail/HN6-07.jpg

Doubtless there will be those who complain it is now too cluttered. There's no pleasing some people.

Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't those slightly difficult to find and expensive? I'll admit that the Gamecube-like analogue stick looks inviting but if it's pricy then...no.

Personally I find it easier to just download a select few N64 games from the Virtual Console store. I know I miss out on some great third party stuff that way but I also need to space so it's a compromise I'm willing to make.