20090122003153_nesmouse

No, not a Mario-themed version of Art Spiegelman’s Pulitzer prize-winning graphic novel but rather a foam model of a NES-themed mouse created, supposedly, for a German school project.

There’s something iconic about the pairing of grey and red tones used for the NES console design, as with the beige and maroon tones used in its Japanese counterpart, the Famicom.

It’s a quality that somehow stretches beyond mere nostalgia, although that’s undoubtedly part of the aesthetic.

The Famicom is the only retro console I have out in my house, sat on a bookshelf. It is, to me, the most beautiful of the consoles, followed by the original GameBoy and SNK’s Neo-Geo, whose sleek black lines are like some kind of 1980′s supercar, a fitting comparison considering its eye-watering price tag upon release.

Which is your favourite console design?