In case you've ever wondered what the Nintendo originally looked like - the Famicom

Then again, every gamer probably knows what it looks like already, but I still think it's worth posting.

Credit: Evan-Amos (via)

I like the holders on the side for the controllers. Those would have been a nice addition to the NES over either just leaving them where they lie or wrapping the cord around them. Speaking of controllers, the one docked to the console is different than the other. No Select or Start buttons, but it has a built in mic, along with a volume control. Apparently this was soon done away with and the second controller became identical to the first. They were both also originally hardwired into the Famicom itself before Nintendo changed that too.

I heard once that the reason why Nintendo designed the NES differently is because they believed that American consumers wouldn't take the console seriously unless it was bigger. No idea if that's true, but honestly, I'm willing to believe it is.