The lights are on
At the end of November, Nintendo announced the existence and Canadian launch of the new Wii Mini (pictured above). Console redesigns are nothing new, as they've been frequent occurrences for most popular systems. Take a look below to see the second (and sometimes third and fourth) comings of several consoles.
NES
If you grew up playing NES, you were most likely using the model on the left. Considering that the top loader model (right) didn't debut until 1993, many gamers had already moved on to the 16-bit era of gaming. In addition to the new method of inserting game cartridges, it also introduced a new controller that resembled the shape of the one used for the SNES.
Game Boy
With a size that many compared to a brick, the original Game Boy was technically portable but certainly not ideal for pockets. The aptly named Game Boy Pocket rectified this problem with a drastically reduced size that was far better suited for on-the-go gaming. In addition to being smaller and lighter, it also took less batteries than its big brother.
Genesis
Sega made several changes to the casing of the Genesis between the first and second versions, from changing the power switch to a button to omitting the volume slider. When the Genesis 3 (far right) was introduced in 1998 (well into the Playstation/Nintendo 64 era), it featured the low price of $49.99 and a dramatically smaller frame. Unfortunately for cheaters, this version was the only one that wasn't compatible with the Game Genie.
Super Nintendo
Like most of the console redesigns on this list, the SNS-101 model (right) of the Super Nintendo was smaller than its predecessor. It launched in October of 1997 for $99.95, and included either Yoshi's Island, A Link to the Past, Kirby Super Star, or Tetris Attack, depending on which retailer you purchased it from. In addition to the cosmetic changes, the redesign also eliminated the eject button.
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I've owned a fat version of every single Sony console (including the PSP). But, now that I see what the old PS3 looked like next to its newer iterations, I've got to say I think think the first slim version is the best (and my current model).
Well made choices.
good thing my gba, gba sp, ds, and psp (1000) is still up, alive, and running.
I have never seen any of the older consoles redesigns! I didn't even know they had any!!!
love the genesis 2! still have one to this day. love both ps2s, but i hate the 2nd and 3rd ps3 design. its just not creative and a bit ugly. i wish they would've shrunk down the original ps3 model, offered it with more colors. 3dsxl is a beast and the flip gba was my favorite portable design. for some reason it felt like a precursor to the ds.
My original PS2 broke done right after the slim came out. I gave my old ps2 a proper funeral pyre and my slim is sitting on my bookshelf between The Return of the King and Game of Thrones. My PS3 ran out of memory (20gB) and i was tired of its gurth so I bought one of the slim and sold my ps3 to a friend, a power surge fried it 4 months later.