Ranking Every Single Handheld Nintendo Device Design

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Ranking Every Single Handheld Nintendo Device Design

Nintendo handheld systems are historically fantastic, but how do they stack up to one another in terms of design? has always been the biggest name in handheld gaming, its history in the field is unmatched. From the humble origins of the Game Boy to the current days of the Switch, Nintendo has always been a force in handhelds. Today, we'll be taking a look at all of their handheld consoles, and ranking them based on their design. We won't be including every single variant of every handheld, such as models like the Game Boy Micro and the 3DS XL, but we will be including major revisions. With that out of the way, let's get into it. THEGAMER VIDEO OF THE DAY

2DS

Ew. Ew ew ew ew ew. The is an absolute abomination. Did anyone even... look at this thing before it was released? Ever? Even just a quick glance? Becuase it doesn't seem like it. Why Nintendo decided to abandon the clamshell design for this... look will never make sense, but thankfully they did eventually bring it back with the 2DS XL and peace was brought back into the world.

DS

The original DS might have been groundbreaking for several reasons, but absolutely not in the looks department. Who was in charge of that? The thing is just ugly. The same "Don't look and just throw this thing out onto the market without checking its design" tactic that was used with the 2DS seems to have been used here too. Look at this brick. It is way too thick, doesn't feel good to hold, and is overall poorly designed. Don't worry though, this isn't the end of the story for the DS.

Game Boy

The original Game Boy isn't necessarily bad by any means, it looks old, of course, but that's because it's oldest modern handheld. There aren't any bells and whistles. The green screen is still ugly, of course, but other than that, the original Game Boy is fine. It's got everything you need to play, and the design isn't horrible on the eyes like that awful tablet monstrosity that is the 2DS. Things got even better soon enough, however.

Game Boy Advance

The Game Boy Advance is a nice looking system. The next-generation follow-up to the Game Boy, the original Advance model looks nice. It's clean, and flips the Game Boy systems from vertical to horizontal very well. The problem with this one is the screen, which just, doesn't work if you're in any sort of room that has any lighting whatsoever. Still, the overall design is nice, so it takes a spot near the middle of the list.

Game Boy Color

The Game Boy Color was the follow-up to the original, and while it didn't change all that much about in terms of design, the small improvements were appreciated. Everything got a bit sleeker, the screen was better, there were more color options, and the slightly see-through shells were a ton of fun. The small improvements here and there really added up to make a great looking system overall.

3DS

The is a natural evolution of earlier DS models, and it's nice. There are a few different iterations of the 3DS to look at that don't qualify for their own entires, but save for the nub of the New 3DS, they all look generally similar enough. The XL is the best version of the 3DS, but the original model's tendancy to leave smudge marks sort of brings everything down. Once the matte finish came in, the entire line was elevated.

Game Boy Advance SP

The Game Boy SP was the first Nintendo system to adopt the clamshell design that was used through the DS lifespan, and it works on the Game Boy beautifully. The screen actually works, which is great, but in terms of design, the SP is just fantastic, much better than the original. It fits wonderfully in any ol' set of hands, the clamshell keeps the Game Boy portable, and the screen economy is just great. The SP does everything right.

DS Lite

The fixes every problem of the original model while still being an evolution of the Game Boy Advance. Double the screens, double the size (or half it, in the case of the original DS), and double the games (seriously, there was a DS cartridge slot and a Game Boy Advance one, too). The DS Lite handles its size well, everything is slimmer and lighter than the original DS, but overall it feels as just as great to hold as the Game Boy Advance, which is a huge part of what makes this device so great.

Switch

A surprise to no one, the is one of the best handhelds that Nintendo has ever produced. The system feels great to hold, looks good (especially because you can customize the ), and even has a kickstand to prop up if you want to set the Switch up for tabletop mode. However, it does have a few issues, such as the lack of a D-Pad, that hold the system back. If only there was a model that fixed the small issues of the Switch.

Switch Lite

The is a better-designed system than the Switch, and as the lack of ability to dock the system doesn't come into play when discussing design, the Switch Lite ends up at the top of the list. The system is a little bit smaller, a little bit thinner, has a D-Pad, and is overall a better package. As Nintendo didn't have to worry about sliding the Joy Con off with the Switch Lite, they were able to improve the design here and there to make their best looking system yet.