The Best & Worst Console Names

Anything to do with games at all.
User avatar
JT986M2
Member
Joined in 2020
Location: Scotland

PostThe Best & Worst Console Names
by JT986M2 » Tue Aug 11, 2020 12:32 pm

A recent post by KK in the Xbox Series X thread showed that Microsoft had a number of different 'Xbox' console names in consideration last year before settling on Xbox Series X. It got me thinking about some of the console names that have been used in the past, and how the name - or naming convention - impacted the console itself.

Personally, although I never had one, I think 'Dreamcast' was an great console name. The Gamecube was too because it went hand-in-hand with the design. NES is nice and succinct and the non-abbreviated name perfectly describes it's purpose. The Playstation obviously wins the naming consistency prize.

On the other hand, I think Wii U was one of the worst purely because of the confusion it caused with the general public.

So, in your opinion, what are the best and worst console names that have been used in the past, and why?

User avatar
Dual
Member
Joined in 2008

PostRe: The Best & Worst Console Names
by Dual » Tue Aug 11, 2020 12:36 pm

Xbone

User avatar
Memento Mori
Member
Joined in 2008
AKA: Emperor Mori

PostRe: The Best & Worst Console Names
by Memento Mori » Tue Aug 11, 2020 12:37 pm

Wii U has to be the worst while Switch is actually pretty good. Instantly communicates one of the most unique things about it.

User avatar
Photek
Member
Joined in 2008
Location: Dublin

PostRe: The Best & Worst Console Names
by Photek » Tue Aug 11, 2020 12:37 pm

Atari Jaguar is god awful and I'd go with Dreamcast as best name.

Image
User avatar
Balladeer
Member
Joined in 2018
Location: Lord's

PostRe: The Best & Worst Console Names
by Balladeer » Tue Aug 11, 2020 12:38 pm

Wii U for the aforementioned reasons
Game Boy if I think about it too hard
PS3-5 - use some imagination
XBox One and all the variants on it that were just confusing
XBox Series X might actually be worse

I like the Switch, GameCube, Commodore, Genesis, and Dreamcast. Genesis probably wins. What a mental image!

Last edited by Balladeer on Tue Aug 11, 2020 12:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
KK
Moderator
Joined in 2008
Location: Botswana
Contact:

PostRe: The Best & Worst Console Names
by KK » Tue Aug 11, 2020 12:39 pm

I never had one, but I always loved N64 and how the 64 aspect was repeatedly incorporated into the title of many of the games. There was a synergy there between hardware and software.

Image
User avatar
Tomous
Member
Joined in 2010
AKA: Vampbuster

PostRe: The Best & Worst Console Names
by Tomous » Tue Aug 11, 2020 12:40 pm

Memento Mori wrote:Wii U has to be the worst while Switch is actually pretty good. Instantly communicates one of the most unique things about it.



/thread

Image
User avatar
Balladeer
Member
Joined in 2018
Location: Lord's

PostRe: The Best & Worst Console Names
by Balladeer » Tue Aug 11, 2020 12:41 pm

Just remembered that the NGage existed. :dread:

User avatar
Lotus
Member
Joined in 2008

PostRe: The Best & Worst Console Names
by Lotus » Tue Aug 11, 2020 12:41 pm

Good
Playstation
Dreamcast
Mega Drive
Switch

Okay
Gamecube
Xbox
Xbox 360
N64
NES
SNES
Genesis
Saturn

Bad
Wii
Wii U
Xbox One
Xbox Series X

User avatar
rinks
Member
Member
Joined in 2008
Location: Aboard the train that goes around the world

PostRe: The Best & Worst Console Names
by rinks » Tue Aug 11, 2020 12:42 pm

Wonderswan.

Also, Switch is dreadful in one respect: you have to type in Nintendo Switch to get any kind of meaningful google results.

User avatar
rinks
Member
Member
Joined in 2008
Location: Aboard the train that goes around the world

PostRe: The Best & Worst Console Names
by rinks » Tue Aug 11, 2020 12:43 pm

And PlayStation is naff too.

User avatar
Tomous
Member
Joined in 2010
AKA: Vampbuster

PostRe: The Best & Worst Console Names
by Tomous » Tue Aug 11, 2020 12:43 pm

The Wii is definitely not a bad name from a commercial perspective, the branding helped its success

Image
User avatar
KK
Moderator
Joined in 2008
Location: Botswana
Contact:

PostRe: The Best & Worst Console Names
by KK » Tue Aug 11, 2020 12:43 pm

Balladeer wrote:Just remembered that the NGage existed. :dread:

Having to take the battery pack out to change cartridges has to feature right up there as one of the worst hardware designs ever conceived.

Image
User avatar
Tomous
Member
Joined in 2010
AKA: Vampbuster

PostRe: The Best & Worst Console Names
by Tomous » Tue Aug 11, 2020 12:44 pm

rinks wrote:Wonderswan.

Also, Switch is dreadful in one respect: you have to type in Nintendo Switch to get any kind of meaningful google results.



No you don't

https://www.google.com/search?safe=off& ... CAw&uact=5

Image
User avatar
KK
Moderator
Joined in 2008
Location: Botswana
Contact:

PostRe: The Best & Worst Console Names
by KK » Tue Aug 11, 2020 12:45 pm

Tomous wrote:
rinks wrote:Wonderswan.

Also, Switch is dreadful in one respect: you have to type in Nintendo Switch to get any kind of meaningful google results.



No you don't

https://www.google.com/search?safe=off& ... CAw&uact=5

Says there I can save up to £492 on the my energy tariff! :toot:

Image
User avatar
Balladeer
Member
Joined in 2018
Location: Lord's

PostRe: The Best & Worst Console Names
by Balladeer » Tue Aug 11, 2020 12:45 pm

KK wrote:
Balladeer wrote:Just remembered that the NGage existed. :dread:

Having to take the battery pack out to change cartridges has to feature right up there as one of the worst hardware designs ever conceived.

Wait what!? :slol:

User avatar
Cumberdanes
Member
Joined in 2011
Location: Sunderland

PostRe: The Best & Worst Console Names
by Cumberdanes » Tue Aug 11, 2020 12:51 pm

3DO is a pretty cool name as is NEO GEO. In terms of bad names there's Wii U which I just think confused consumers and the FM Towns Marty just sounds ridiculous to me.

Image
User avatar
Memento Mori
Member
Joined in 2008
AKA: Emperor Mori

PostRe: The Best & Worst Console Names
by Memento Mori » Tue Aug 11, 2020 12:53 pm

Balladeer wrote:
KK wrote:
Balladeer wrote:Just remembered that the NGage existed. :dread:

Having to take the battery pack out to change cartridges has to feature right up there as one of the worst hardware designs ever conceived.

Wait what!? :slol:

Yeah my friend had one, it was hilariously bad.

User avatar
SEP
Member ♥
Joined in 2008
AKA: Moggy

PostRe: The Best & Worst Console Names
by SEP » Tue Aug 11, 2020 1:01 pm

I love GameCube. It's the Ronseal of console names.

Image
User avatar
Poser
Banned
Joined in 2008
Location: Newcastle Upon Tyne

PostRe: The Best & Worst Console Names
by Poser » Tue Aug 11, 2020 1:04 pm

rinks wrote:And PlayStation is naff too.


It's actually awful, but you become used to hearing and saying it. It felt really jarring to me for at least a couple of years when it launched. I also think XBox is a terrible name: a meaningless letter pasted to the front of a mundane word, now suffixed by other meaningless letters.


Return to “Games”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Billbones84, Edd, Garth, Kriken, Ploiper, Poser, SEP, shy guy 64, Trelliz and 338 guests