I love how the OG Xbox has this otherworldly feeling that I absolutely adore, like it's an alien computer that crash-landed, Microsoft found and proceeded to mass-produce
FYI the gray instead of black is an absolute must in ui design, as it's relaxing for the eyes but doesn't burn your retinas if the screen transitions to bright like it does if your eyes get used to a deep black background
I like black at night. Plus a lot of games open to a black bootup screen, which gives you a second to adjust your eyes against the logos. With a gray, even dark gray, as soon as it's turned on the ui burns my eyes out at 3 am. Just my 2 cents on it.
How about an option for either? Black, dark grey, light grey (maybe also white, but that might be too bright). With the minimum contrast for readability, almost every app is starting to look the same, and I prefer true black on battery powered devices with OLED screens because it makes a big difference to battery life. Lots of users prefer the dark grey (or dark blue) and that’s fine, but just make it an option?
I really do love the Wii U menus because when you turn up the gamepad volume, you start noticing that the music coming from it ant the TV is different, and that having both at the same time gives a weird 3D audio effect, which I like very much. Subtle Nintendo details here.
@@balls991 Bill Gates has alot of "Connections" because of that 5G thing he started, he controls the media so hard through his vaccines that even the Nintendo Wii News Reporters are under his Iron Fist. So sad!😭 /s
@@balls991 It honestly isn't that hard to add something like that on After Effects, my day job is as an editor and I like to add stuff like that on my channel too from time to time. It's just a cool Easter egg
I'm sure it's RiiConnect24, which brings back WiiConnect24, which powered the Weather Channel, the News Channel, some others. You need to softmod your Wii, but it's so easy a child could do it, and they do.
Something I can’t stand about the newer menus is that everything is an app, and they organize your Home Screen by most recent apps instead of most recent games, so my Home Screen is mostly comprised a single game followed by a bunch of apps like settings, users, store, etc.
The ps2 ui feels like a small glimpse into what I imagine it feels like to be dead and have your soul floating through the ether. It is out of this world truly.
Fun fact about the GameCube and PS2 menu's. GameCubes background music was an extremely slowed down mix of the FDS insert disk song, like to a ridiculous degree. As for the PS2's those towers you'd see when loading the systems UI were based on how many games and blocks of data each game used. If you had a game with larger save blocks the bigger the tower.
Huh neat, as a kid I did somewhat noticed a difference when starting up my PS2, but never really thought much of it. Maybe thought it was just random, but it did always make a newer game feel like an even fresher experience somehow
@@Cockus_Blockius I didn't know the very details of each PS2's block back then, but I knew it was related to saves after, for some reason, I wanted run my PS2 without the memory card. The background was SO BLUE it kinda shocked me back then lmao
Switch being scored higher than the ps4 is absolutely insane to me. They both have 2 horizontal X-axis menus that make it easy to see your games/recent apps but also your settings/friends/etc so its weird that its a flaw of ps4 but a good feature for the switch. Its literally the same except the ps4 menu background and icons are customizable, the background isn't stagnant, and hovering over games gives you trophy, game music(depending on the game), dlc, and community information in a way that isn't in your face because only trophy info is visible until you click down to it. The only real downside is the store being insanely slow although I don't really play digital games so I cant relate to this, but this also isn't part of menu design anyways.
basically I'm not upset that ps4 menu isn't rated 4.001 or whatever to be above nintendo. I'm fine with it staying 3.5 if that's how he sees it. I want Switch's rating LOWERED😈. The menu is the "simplified corporate logo meme" of ps4s menu and the "the Wii figured this out years ago" thing is even more impactful when its the same company. edit: wait why is it rated higher than the Wii menu? the Wii had personality for days and menu music and music/animation for apps/games after clicking on them. How the heck did the switch get scored higher?
Honestly, I would've docked points for the "Nintendo Switch Online" button that appeared on every Switch's HOME menu one day. It's a glaring red pimple on what is otherwise pure, minimalist simplicity.
I loved the PS2's menu design as it wasn't sensory overload, and it minimalist and mysterious design was in line with the ethos Sony was going for when promoting the console. It also felt more mature and signalled a shift away from the design aesthetics of gaming in the 1990s; edgy and in-your-face.
Wym? It was the Xbox line's second most stylish dashboard after the Xbox dashboard. Both are very "early 2000s-looking" dashboards. The Xbox was going for the Matrix look and the 360 was going for the neo-midcentury look which were some of the most mainstream motifs at the time.
I mostly agree with your ratings, except for the WiiU's menu. There's definitely some nostalgia playing into it, but I absolutely adore the WiiU's menu! I love the ethereal ambient sounds and the glassy asthetic to everything, and the fact that they improved on the Wii menu's organization features by letting us finally make folders! There's a bunch of little details I really like too, from the jingle and confetti it plays on your birthday (this was in the video) to the music which splits parts between the gamepad and TV sound outputs, and the loading artwork for each game on the system. I also appreciated how the friends list, internet browser, online storefront, and miiverse features were always easily accessible on the edge of the menu. On top of all of that: the online storefront felt much better to navigate than the Switch's, the miiverse community feature allowed us to DM friends (something still not implemented in any way on the Switch), and the friend system just required you to know someone's Nintendo Network tag to add them instead of a friend code. I just wish the loading times were a little quicker, Miiverse was kept around, and the settings didn't require you to use a gamepad... 4.25 stars out of 5 from me.
@@BenjerminGaye I just turned down the TV volume before I booted up the console. Also, it could've been worse, PS4 fans and XB360 rattling would've woken up everyone in the house anyway.
I've always loved the ps3 menu, I think it's crazy that it came out 16 years ago, it looks so modern, if you said this menu was made last week anyone would totally believe it.
Agreed. I loved its interface, but the change of background style was so jarring to me that I was instantly not a fan and I havent liked that tube-like background since
I can't say I agree with your Switch rating. Sure it's simple, but I think it's too simple to where it loses the charm and customization of previous Nintendo menus.
Also that switch online button they added thats a different color from all of the other icons makes me really annoyed esp since its not useful at all just an ad for the paid online
Surprised it was higher than PS2's when the PS2 atleast had the awesome start up and system menu, the Switch doesn't even have that and is a step down from Nintendo's previous menus imo
The older I get, the more I appreciate the menus which don't have sensory overload amounts of clutter. Xbox with their ads is the devil to me. The Switch, on the other hand, is perfectly straight to the point - the games.
the Wii Menu's biggest problem (the need for Wii motes) can be solved by using a classic controller as the joystick can control the pointer on the Wii. on the other hand, for some reason, you can't use a GameCube controller to do the same thing a Classic Controller can do, which is stupid
Here in brazil we feel more nostalgic towards the saturn and the dreamcast than towards the n64 and the gamecube (Although the ps2 outsold the aforementioned by a huge margin, but y'all get the point) I've seen and played more sega consoles than nintendo consoles, and i have never personally seen a nintendo 64 in my life
Idk if it’s nostalgia speaking but I absolutely love the ps3, the wavy background, that noise it plays when you start the console, the simplicity. It will always be one of my favourites
I love the simplicity, minimalism. and organization of the PS3 Crossbar. The PS4 and PS5 interfaces are all over the place. It seemed like the designers intended to incorporate the touchpad but abandoned it.
I feel the 3ds had the best menu in my opinion. The fact you can organize and customize it i feel made it really convienient. I just wish they added this to the switch.
@@V3ntilator Not really. The WiiUs was simular, but the 3DS was superior thanks to all the backgrounds you could get. There are so many backgrounds for like everything and you can even choose a bounch of them to randomly appear, so that you get a different background every time you start ^^ Also every background has an awesome background music that fits the theme of the background. And it also had an fitting sound when you press the A buttom to start a game :D Additional there is a free game called Badge Arcade in which you can win badges featuring game characters (You get like 5 trys for free every day, otherwise you could pay money to get more, but I've never did that XD). With the badges you win you can customize the menu even more. You can place the badges in the menu or put them on Folders etc. It's really cool :D I'm sad we can't customize the Switch menu :/
@nasachusetts it makes having to find ant of my digital games a chore. Cause now i have to go all the way to the end and search through an alphabetized list to find said games. On 3ds i had categories for easy searching, so if in in the mood for something specific i can easily access it. Ps4 has this feature but ita not as well put togethwr as my 3ds library.
@@Feurigel1806 i loved the badges, i juat wished they didnt take up so much memory :o But i simply loved the themed wallpapers. Its always nice to personalize your console experience :3
When it launched I showed it to each of my friends and NONE of them knew how to access the friends tab when before you literally click UP and they're there
I never knew I needed this video til now. Thank you so much! Something about it is just peaceful and brings back so much nostalgia lol. Definitely the best thing I’ve seen in a while
5:02 The Nintendo 64 actually did have a memory card, and had a "menu" to go along with it! The Controller Pak plugged into the controller, similar to other N64 accessories, and certain games required it to save, while others used it for extra data separate from the main save data. Though the ""menu"" isn’t much to write home about. It barely qualifies as a graphical interface. It's just white and blue text.
Console User Interface in Review: Pre-Gen 5= Sega Saturn -Winner by default. Not much to say. Gen 5 Consoles = Sega Dreamcast, Winner by a long margin, quite innovative. N64 was non-existent, and the PS1/PSOne UI was just plain bad. Gen 6 Consoles = Xbox, but the colour is bad, GameCube is too simplistic, PS2 had better Font and Sounds. Tempting to put Wii here based on it's hardware capabilities weaker than the Xbox, but it launched after both the 360 and PS3, so it wouldn't be fair to lump it here. Handheld's 4th Gen = PSP UI. Winner, it's a huge innovation for Computers. However, the Nintendo DS, it's actually great, those retro pixel icons and having the grid tile. But having two screens, only one with touch and with different sizes and resolutions really detract from the experience. They were close. Much better than the Updated UI in the DSi. Gen 7 Consoles = PS3. Winner, obviously. The Early Xbox 360 UI was an eyesore. The 2nd-gen 360 was good, but not as great as the PS3, but it really was a good user experience. The latter Kinect UI with Ads was bad. The Nintendo Wii was actually awesome, those blips and haptics, the light theme and sounds. It would have been a tie to the legendary PS3 had it been friendly for gamepads instead of remotes. Honestly this was the best generation for gamers. Handheld's 5th Gen = Nintendo New-DS-XL. It's okay, very meh, not good, but still better than the trash of the PS Vita. What were they thinking. Gen 8 Consoles = Xbox One. Sad victory. The Wii U lost some of its charm from the Wii, and just felt childish. The PS4 really is confusing and it is VERY slow, the obvious worst choice. The Xbox One, aimed to be the Entertainment Hub, so if you used it as such, it was good. The Ads are bad, but tolerable. Aesthetics are good. Not the best, but at least Metro UI was consistent. Honestly, this was the worst generation for gamers. Gen 9 Consoles = Nintendo Switch. Again, this is slower than the Xbox One so it feels like it should go in that category, but it launched after both systems so it should be placed here. And the Switch UI is actually good. Not great. But really nothing dealbreaking. The PS5 is an upgrade over the PS4, a bit more intuitive, and a lot more faster. The Xbox Series X, has a new UI which is worse than Metro in terms of consistency and as an Entertainment Hub. It's more focused on games, and has less Ads, so those are good things. But its still not a good UI. Not many good options overall.
For me too, I loved the heck out of XMB, so easy to navigate through the options, you could swim from one thing to another as fast as nothing, + once you know your usual options it was kinda like another game.
About the Wii Menu, you can navigate it with a classic controller’s left joystick. You can’t move channels around, but it’s an alternative that I think should’ve been mentioned.
@@BlueisNotaWarmColour simple in part because the gamecube was a pre-app console. Simply put, newer consoles have more stuff put in them that would likely strain the gamecube UI as well, though honestly I could see it being adapted to working well anyways
@@finadoggie modern consoles could still be much simpler than they are. What if each face button corresponded to a different category or something? A for games, X for apps, B for settings, Y for store, that kind of thing. Keep it clean and let us organize everything if we want. That's how I'd like it.
Nintendo really went all-out with cubes in Gen 6. The Game Cube was a cube, but only with a little help from a GBA Player. The menu was a cube, the font used cubes, and even the memory was made of cubes. It was cubes in cubes in cubes. This may be a call-back to the 8-bit blocky days of the NES, particularly Mario who practically invented 'block platforming'. Blocks evolved into cubes in the third dimension, so naturally Nintendo based their entire platform on cubes with their first CD-based console.
I honestly would occassionally leave my ps2 on the menu and listen to the ocean waves crashing to fall asleep. It's very chill. That boot up sequence is THX levels of startling though lol
There’s something I can really appreciate about the older generations where there was no menu, you just pop the cartridge in, turn the console on, and you’re already in the game.
Which is what makes the Switch menu so great. Pop the game in, turn on and start the game. No ads, no tabs to go past, just boot up the game the second the console is on.
@@Oujouj426 except that’s not how the switch works, there’s like 3 ads on the left as soon as you turn it on, and about 4 on the home screen where all of your games are.
That PS2 start-up sound really hits hard. PlayStation should have just kept that for each new console but updated. That and the Japanese voice actor saying Purraystayshion.
There is a REALLY GOOD ps2 theme for the ps4. It's called the Legacy Dashboard Dynamic Theme. Made by Truant Pixel. They have a behind the scenes making of it thing here on youtube too, they worked hard on it!
7:36 - Although several PS2 save file icons were relatively basic like a simple static cube or model, there were some that actually had animated models that can change animations depending on what the user is doing with said file, whether copying or deleting. The only game with a save file that I know of that uses this feature is Klonoa 2.
Correction, the N64 DID have a menu, as many games on the system used memory cards to save. You need to hold the start button while booting up the system to access it. It's not that exciting tho, it just allows you to look at saves and delete them in a menu that looks nice but unexciting. I think you'd give it a 2/5 stars
Those menus weren't in built to the console, they were on the actual game cartridges - with each dev developing their own UI,etc so doesn't count. Some games didn't have the menu built in either
@@igoterectionuk Really? I don't own enough N64 games that use the controller pak to ever have had to worry about running out of space, I just knew those menus existed. My bad, and thank you.
The PS2 menu was surprisingly dynamic and should have definitely gotten a better rating with these overlooked features tbh. Even the amount of animated cubes on the main menu changed depending on how many saves you had on the system.
The nostalgia for that old Sega Saturn menu, god I loved that menu as weird as that is to say lol. I spent more time listening to music on my Saturn than I did with any other console just because of the fun background and foreground stuff that reacted to the music, as well as I remember it having way more options than any music player on a console since.
The 19:06 Xbox 360 menu is the only one of its UI's I've ever had to experience firsthand and I honestly preferred it over the PS3 menu. Of course I did not have an internet connection until well after the end of the 360 so I also missed the whole front page add feature for most of my time using it.
You forgot the a couple so let me do it. Sega Cd: The entire menu is different depending on the region and the model, some versions even have Sonic on it. It’s kinda like the 64dd logo in some way. The Japanese music is better as the Us version still sounds like it’s using the genesis sound font. Other than that you got a CD player and options regarding RAM, the model 1 interface is better. While it’s basic at least it has some good music to listen to. Super Disc: I know it might not be fair to judge an incomplete console but the prototype was almost finished anyways so it’s probably what we would have got. There is no music at all. Not even an intro really. Just the Super Disc Logo, the final product would have probably had a CD player interface, there is really nothing besides tests as this is a prototype system. Besides the Word “Super” and the four colors on each corner of the screen it seems Sony removed all traces of Nintendo on it. Famicom Disk System: You got the Nintendo Logo dropping down and unlike the 64dd startup, you got both Mario and Luigi screwing around. There is no interface. The only thing you can do is put in the disk and start the game.
Loved the video, but I wanted to bring up a small point when it comes to PS3 that you can play music while scrolling the menus in the background & it had some nice visual options as well. You can also use a classic controller in the Wii to scroll through the menus. Thanks for putting out fun content!
XMB will forever be the best one. With a good PS3 dynamic theme it's perfect. So many different settings and categories, yet it's all very easy to navigate. The lack of music always worked for me too, it enhances the mood (especially when playing late at night). I love the way you can sort games into folders, the PS1/PS2 memory cards, organization of VITA/PSP/Minis, the "ads" that aren't annoying, the "click" sound, even the default icons are stylish. Small stuff like organizing trophy lists alphabetically that lack on PS4 are almost unnecessary, but the few times you will use them, they are going to make your life easier. Changing the font, colors, icons is also good. And you can even use custom themes and backgrounds. It's just perfect. The only real downside is trying to use it in background while playing a game. Gets very slow, and it's not good when playing online when you have to wait a minute to get back from the menu. And also seems random what options can be accessed without having to turn off the game.
You just have to agree that it's a brilliant and truly unique idea !! And the video is executed well and truly not a meme, but a detailed actual review of something that probably noone hasn't thought about previously... Great dude !!
My favorite by far has to be the PS3 menu it's just so easy to navigate compared to all the other ones having random shite everywhere. It feels like the most modern and efficient way to do menus. I also actually enjoyed seeing the game background and hearing the music when you select a game.
Your absolutely right. And this mf had the audacity to rank the gamecube higher. Just about the most useless menu ever. Why arent more people calling him out on that bs
I like how the icons on the Wii are actually called channels, which makes me think of the menu as a room with a bunch of different TV’s with different channels on
25:21 you missed a few xbox one minor menu updates and a major one, they kept the major menu up up till now and it was on xbox one before series x/s came out
A note regarding the Dreamcast CD player: If you actually had a CD inserted, it would show the disc spinning vertically until you started playing something on it, at which point the disc would lay sideways and start spinning (as if it was on a disc tray). While the player interface itself is still a bit plain, that one detail is a pretty fun visual touch. EDIT: I'd also love to know the music you used for this video; specially that one you starting at the end of the Switch review (lol)
I have a lot of emotional investment into the Wii and DSi menus. They are pretty much signatures of the company and a lot of my childhood experiences. I was expecting Tyler to completely destroy them, and now I feel a unique emotional emptiness because he said both of them were just ok.
Hey, I grew up with the PS2, and yeah, I gotta say, its UI is just what ennui would look like if it were a mid to late 2000s game console. Ultimately though, that was kind fine since the console just booted directly to the game anyways.
I actually like the modern Xbox menu, the ads can be useful because it often informs of of stuff I would've missed otherwise (sales, games, game events, etc.)
This is the kind of thing I just love nerding out about. A cool thing about the Wii's menu is that you can navigate it with the Classic Controller's analogue stick instead of having to use the remote's pointer, which is my method of choice most of the time. And the 360's menus are just a heartbreaking spiral. Mine had the New Xbox Experience when I got it in early 2011, and it just blows that the menu with the giant ad and your inserted disc off to the side is what the console is left with :/
Honestly I thought I'd disagree more overall going in but really it is nailed pretty well. I'll never be okay with ads on the front of my stinking console either.
What is the charm of the console menu? I guess for me at least it's the potential. I look at, say, my Gamecube menu, and I think of all the games I *could* be playing, or *might* buy someday. It inspires the imagination.
9:43 I love how you chose Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed to represent the 2000s. I’ve always thought it looks and feels like one of the most 2000s movies ever.
literally the feel of the console is my favourite part. that alone brings back memories bruh. Nintendo and others need to remember to add personality to their consoles again
I love how the OG Xbox has this otherworldly feeling that I absolutely adore, like it's an alien computer that crash-landed, Microsoft found and proceeded to mass-produce
Same with Ps2, that generation was so cool. Both Ps2/Xbox seemed like they were made of space tech
That was actually what they were going for. They wanted to portray "futuristic alien tech" on their first attempt on consoles.
Nowadays, it's so placid and plain...I hate how boring and uninspired the modern UI is.
go touch grass
@@aylo.mp3 go play some video games
FYI the gray instead of black is an absolute must in ui design, as it's relaxing for the eyes but doesn't burn your retinas if the screen transitions to bright like it does if your eyes get used to a deep black background
Yeah! As an aspiring graphic designer, it is being drilled into our brains to not use pure black and whites as backgrounds
Pure black is just ugly, nothing seems to contrast well with it unless the only colors you use are pure black and some form of white
I like black at night. Plus a lot of games open to a black bootup screen, which gives you a second to adjust your eyes against the logos.
With a gray, even dark gray, as soon as it's turned on the ui burns my eyes out at 3 am. Just my 2 cents on it.
How about an option for either? Black, dark grey, light grey (maybe also white, but that might be too bright).
With the minimum contrast for readability, almost every app is starting to look the same, and I prefer true black on battery powered devices with OLED screens because it makes a big difference to battery life.
Lots of users prefer the dark grey (or dark blue) and that’s fine, but just make it an option?
Especially if you have an OLED screen pure black looks nice.
Lol I love how Scott represents the Wii U
It's how he'd like to be remembered
I laughed unbelievably hard when his face was just blasted in front of my eyes.
he might be a Wii U
@@maritoguionyo It would not surprise me if he were to put Wii U any time gender is left as a blank space.
One of 6 people that owns one
I really do love the Wii U menus because when you turn up the gamepad volume, you start noticing that the music coming from it ant the TV is different, and that having both at the same time gives a weird 3D audio effect, which I like very much. Subtle Nintendo details here.
14:24 Absolutley cursed how the News Channel is talking about Covids Delta Variant and death, on a Console from 2006. So much for Childhood Nostalgia💀
I was literally about to comment the same thing lol
@@balls991 Bill Gates has alot of "Connections" because of that 5G thing he started, he controls the media so hard through his vaccines that even the Nintendo Wii News Reporters are under his Iron Fist. So sad!😭
/s
@@balls991 It honestly isn't that hard to add something like that on After Effects, my day job is as an editor and I like to add stuff like that on my channel too from time to time. It's just a cool Easter egg
I'm sure it's RiiConnect24, which brings back WiiConnect24, which powered the Weather Channel, the News Channel, some others. You need to softmod your Wii, but it's so easy a child could do it, and they do.
@@NichePlays its just a modded wii bruh
Something I can’t stand about the newer menus is that everything is an app, and they organize your Home Screen by most recent apps instead of most recent games, so my Home Screen is mostly comprised a single game followed by a bunch of apps like settings, users, store, etc.
The original Xbox menu is a mood
Hi Cody
Waiting for that PointlessHub and Whimsu collab.....
plz :)
They have become one
This man has 4 channel I am worried about him
@@romanmalo both Tyler and Cody have 3 accounts for each (including their *secret* shitpost channels)
I remember the PS2 menu feeling strangely unsettling. There wasn't anything that looked like something in the real world, it was the void.
The ps2 ui feels like a small glimpse into what I imagine it feels like to be dead and have your soul floating through the ether. It is out of this world truly.
@@PredictableEnigma I 100% agree
@@PredictableEnigma lol
Fun fact about the GameCube and PS2 menu's. GameCubes background music was an extremely slowed down mix of the FDS insert disk song, like to a ridiculous degree. As for the PS2's those towers you'd see when loading the systems UI were based on how many games and blocks of data each game used. If you had a game with larger save blocks the bigger the tower.
Huh neat, as a kid I did somewhat noticed a difference when starting up my PS2, but never really thought much of it. Maybe thought it was just random, but it did always make a newer game feel like an even fresher experience somehow
Fun fact, the GameCube menu is the FDS screen slowed down 19 times
@@Cockus_Blockius I didn't know the very details of each PS2's block back then, but I knew it was related to saves after, for some reason, I wanted run my PS2 without the memory card. The background was SO BLUE it kinda shocked me back then lmao
I knew this. I saw it in a video somewhere. And the PS2 i figured out myself way back in the PS2 modern days.
Those are common knowledge..
But they are neat.
Switch being scored higher than the ps4 is absolutely insane to me. They both have 2 horizontal X-axis menus that make it easy to see your games/recent apps but also your settings/friends/etc so its weird that its a flaw of ps4 but a good feature for the switch. Its literally the same except the ps4 menu background and icons are customizable, the background isn't stagnant, and hovering over games gives you trophy, game music(depending on the game), dlc, and community information in a way that isn't in your face because only trophy info is visible until you click down to it. The only real downside is the store being insanely slow although I don't really play digital games so I cant relate to this, but this also isn't part of menu design anyways.
basically I'm not upset that ps4 menu isn't rated 4.001 or whatever to be above nintendo. I'm fine with it staying 3.5 if that's how he sees it. I want Switch's rating LOWERED😈. The menu is the "simplified corporate logo meme" of ps4s menu and the "the Wii figured this out years ago" thing is even more impactful when its the same company.
edit: wait why is it rated higher than the Wii menu? the Wii had personality for days and menu music and music/animation for apps/games after clicking on them. How the heck did the switch get scored higher?
Honestly, I would've docked points for the "Nintendo Switch Online" button that appeared on every Switch's HOME menu one day. It's a glaring red pimple on what is otherwise pure, minimalist simplicity.
Correct
yes, and the app is pretty much useless
@@raidev_ true
Also the fact that the menu has ads when you first open it
I'd dock points for the complete lack of music, it doesn't seem like much but it makes a huge difference compared to the older nintendo UIs
I loved the PS2's menu design as it wasn't sensory overload, and it minimalist and mysterious design was in line with the ethos Sony was going for when promoting the console. It also felt more mature and signalled a shift away from the design aesthetics of gaming in the 1990s; edgy and in-your-face.
same, it just doesn't need that much, and i think the settings menu should've been talked about cause omg
Blades on the 360 wasn't a looker but it was so fast, way faster to navigate than the updated ones.
It was slower on Xbox Live. First NXE was my favorite dash
I’d kill to have the Blades back in some capacity but the NXE was such a breath of fresh air.
Yeah it was a very functional design. I'd love to see it updated with modern design philosophies
Wym? It was the Xbox line's second most stylish dashboard after the Xbox dashboard. Both are very "early 2000s-looking" dashboards. The Xbox was going for the Matrix look and the 360 was going for the neo-midcentury look which were some of the most mainstream motifs at the time.
I mostly agree with your ratings, except for the WiiU's menu. There's definitely some nostalgia playing into it, but I absolutely adore the WiiU's menu! I love the ethereal ambient sounds and the glassy asthetic to everything, and the fact that they improved on the Wii menu's organization features by letting us finally make folders! There's a bunch of little details I really like too, from the jingle and confetti it plays on your birthday (this was in the video) to the music which splits parts between the gamepad and TV sound outputs, and the loading artwork for each game on the system. I also appreciated how the friends list, internet browser, online storefront, and miiverse features were always easily accessible on the edge of the menu. On top of all of that: the online storefront felt much better to navigate than the Switch's, the miiverse community feature allowed us to DM friends (something still not implemented in any way on the Switch), and the friend system just required you to know someone's Nintendo Network tag to add them instead of a friend code.
I just wish the loading times were a little quicker, Miiverse was kept around, and the settings didn't require you to use a gamepad...
4.25 stars out of 5 from me.
Exactly
the menu music is the best part, just going into settings is a real treat...
Facts out there. I miss Wii U golden days, and Miiverse.
Preach 🙌🏼
I love the OG Xbox menu but the PS3 startup sound of an orchestra tuning their instruments feels amazing. I know not everyone likes it but I adore it
PS3's startup is majestic...
CD32 console also have a great music when you power it up.
Its too fuckin loud when I'm tryna game at 3am.
@@BenjerminGaye I just turned down the TV volume before I booted up the console. Also, it could've been worse, PS4 fans and XB360 rattling would've woken up everyone in the house anyway.
Yeah, I loved the PS3 music and UI. Clean and straightforward.
I've always loved the ps3 menu, I think it's crazy that it came out 16 years ago, it looks so modern, if you said this menu was made last week anyone would totally believe it.
Agreed. I loved its interface, but the change of background style was so jarring to me that I was instantly not a fan and I havent liked that tube-like background since
I can't say I agree with your Switch rating. Sure it's simple, but I think it's too simple to where it loses the charm and customization of previous Nintendo menus.
I agree. One of my favourite features of my DS is the themes, it really makes the console feel like my own.
Also that switch online button they added thats a different color from all of the other icons makes me really annoyed esp since its not useful at all just an ad for the paid online
I agree. I wish they did it like the GameCube where it's super simple but still creative and fun enough to pack a lot of charm.
Surprised it was higher than PS2's when the PS2 atleast had the awesome start up and system menu, the Switch doesn't even have that and is a step down from Nintendo's previous menus imo
The older I get, the more I appreciate the menus which don't have sensory overload amounts of clutter. Xbox with their ads is the devil to me. The Switch, on the other hand, is perfectly straight to the point - the games.
the Wii Menu's biggest problem (the need for Wii motes) can be solved by using a classic controller as the joystick can control the pointer on the Wii.
on the other hand, for some reason, you can't use a GameCube controller to do the same thing a Classic Controller can do, which is stupid
How dare you warn that your viewers may have a lot of nostalgic affection for every console going forward, right AFTER talking about the Dreamcast.
Cause your old. Jk love yourself.
also he missed the Famicom disk drive and Sega cd.
@@radiokunio3738 Famicom disk drive had a usable menu? I thought it was just the logo on screen til you inserted a disk?
@@jordyaguilar946 but these are menus. Not start screens
Here in brazil we feel more nostalgic towards the saturn and the dreamcast than towards the n64 and the gamecube
(Although the ps2 outsold the aforementioned by a huge margin, but y'all get the point)
I've seen and played more sega consoles than nintendo consoles, and i have never personally seen a nintendo 64 in my life
27:32 I don't see it as wasted space, I like that not every inch of screen is a button or option
Honestly, I think the Wii Pointer works extremely well for the Wii Menu, it's like using a mouse.
But it really should have had GC controller support. The menu is grid, making it really easy to navigate.
@@Liggliluff It has Classic Controller support at least.
Idk if it’s nostalgia speaking but I absolutely love the ps3, the wavy background, that noise it plays when you start the console, the simplicity. It will always be one of my favourites
I love the simplicity, minimalism. and organization of the PS3 Crossbar. The PS4 and PS5 interfaces are all over the place. It seemed like the designers intended to incorporate the touchpad but abandoned it.
I also use this format to describe my asshole on grindr.
Chris Ray Simple, clean, minimalistic and organized? Or all over the place with an abandoned touchpad?
@@MildMisanthropeMaybeMassive Depends on whether we're talking about the asshole _before_ the hook-up, or _after._
The PS4 is ok it’s just that it takes you through 3 different screens to get to one place when it’s clearly not necessary.
What does the designs of the ps4/5’s interface have to possibly do with the touchpad? Tf kind of criticism is that? lol
I feel the 3ds had the best menu in my opinion. The fact you can organize and customize it i feel made it really convienient.
I just wish they added this to the switch.
Wii U had same menu system as 3DS.
@@V3ntilator Not really. The WiiUs was simular, but the 3DS was superior thanks to all the backgrounds you could get. There are so many backgrounds for like everything and you can even choose a bounch of them to randomly appear, so that you get a different background every time you start ^^ Also every background has an awesome background music that fits the theme of the background. And it also had an fitting sound when you press the A buttom to start a game :D
Additional there is a free game called Badge Arcade in which you can win badges featuring game characters (You get like 5 trys for free every day, otherwise you could pay money to get more, but I've never did that XD). With the badges you win you can customize the menu even more. You can place the badges in the menu or put them on Folders etc.
It's really cool :D
I'm sad we can't customize the Switch menu :/
@nasachusetts it makes having to find ant of my digital games a chore. Cause now i have to go all the way to the end and search through an alphabetized list to find said games.
On 3ds i had categories for easy searching, so if in in the mood for something specific i can easily access it.
Ps4 has this feature but ita not as well put togethwr as my 3ds library.
@@Feurigel1806 i loved the badges, i juat wished they didnt take up so much memory :o
But i simply loved the themed wallpapers. Its always nice to personalize your console experience :3
I love how the PS5 menu makes things like friends super hard to access. You need to go through like 10 menus and it's extremely buried
Yeah and that they force that goddam fast-menu in our face
@@CrystalBulger I have plenty of friends...I just don't game with any of them.🤣 So point still valid.
When it launched I showed it to each of my friends and NONE of them knew how to access the friends tab when before you literally click UP and they're there
@@CrystalBulger I had friends but when I bought my PS5 they all disappeared and I’m scared now.
tread carefully soldier, all of the children arguing about xbox or playstation being better are inbound
I never knew I needed this video til now. Thank you so much! Something about it is just peaceful and brings back so much nostalgia lol. Definitely the best thing I’ve seen in a while
5:02 The Nintendo 64 actually did have a memory card, and had a "menu" to go along with it! The Controller Pak plugged into the controller, similar to other N64 accessories, and certain games required it to save, while others used it for extra data separate from the main save data.
Though the ""menu"" isn’t much to write home about. It barely qualifies as a graphical interface. It's just white and blue text.
the save data manager was part of the game though, not the console firmware
The guy shames the blades dashboard
*75% of the audience leaves in anger*
However I agree SO MUCH with your opinions on the metro dashboard
For me the PS3/PSP UI is a straight 5, one of the best UIs I’ve used to date.
For real, it's the one UI I didn't mind much the lack of music.
I concur
Console User Interface in Review:
Pre-Gen 5= Sega Saturn -Winner by default. Not much to say.
Gen 5 Consoles = Sega Dreamcast, Winner by a long margin, quite innovative. N64 was non-existent, and the PS1/PSOne UI was just plain bad.
Gen 6 Consoles = Xbox, but the colour is bad, GameCube is too simplistic, PS2 had better Font and Sounds. Tempting to put Wii here based on it's hardware capabilities weaker than the Xbox, but it launched after both the 360 and PS3, so it wouldn't be fair to lump it here.
Handheld's 4th Gen = PSP UI. Winner, it's a huge innovation for Computers.
However, the Nintendo DS, it's actually great, those retro pixel icons and having the grid tile. But having two screens, only one with touch and with different sizes and resolutions really detract from the experience. They were close. Much better than the Updated UI in the DSi.
Gen 7 Consoles = PS3. Winner, obviously. The Early Xbox 360 UI was an eyesore. The 2nd-gen 360 was good, but not as great as the PS3, but it really was a good user experience. The latter Kinect UI with Ads was bad. The Nintendo Wii was actually awesome, those blips and haptics, the light theme and sounds. It would have been a tie to the legendary PS3 had it been friendly for gamepads instead of remotes. Honestly this was the best generation for gamers.
Handheld's 5th Gen = Nintendo New-DS-XL. It's okay, very meh, not good, but still better than the trash of the PS Vita. What were they thinking.
Gen 8 Consoles = Xbox One. Sad victory. The Wii U lost some of its charm from the Wii, and just felt childish. The PS4 really is confusing and it is VERY slow, the obvious worst choice. The Xbox One, aimed to be the Entertainment Hub, so if you used it as such, it was good. The Ads are bad, but tolerable. Aesthetics are good. Not the best, but at least Metro UI was consistent. Honestly, this was the worst generation for gamers.
Gen 9 Consoles = Nintendo Switch. Again, this is slower than the Xbox One so it feels like it should go in that category, but it launched after both systems so it should be placed here. And the Switch UI is actually good. Not great. But really nothing dealbreaking. The PS5 is an upgrade over the PS4, a bit more intuitive, and a lot more faster. The Xbox Series X, has a new UI which is worse than Metro in terms of consistency and as an Entertainment Hub. It's more focused on games, and has less Ads, so those are good things. But its still not a good UI. Not many good options overall.
For me too, I loved the heck out of XMB, so easy to navigate through the options, you could swim from one thing to another as fast as nothing, + once you know your usual options it was kinda like another game.
CAP! XBOX menu is in every asperct better. But the most retarded thing about PS is ITS FUCKING SLOW LMAO!
The odd grey is supposed to be better for your eyes, when working with AutoCAD that is the colour you are recommended to work with.
Pit Black is só contrasty that with white text kinda hurts the eye
About the Wii Menu, you can navigate it with a classic controller’s left joystick. You can’t move channels around, but it’s an alternative that I think should’ve been mentioned.
It also works if the Wiimote is plugged to a guitar for GH or Rock Band. It had a little joystick and the green button turned to 'A' to choose
But a classic controller needs to be plugged into a Wii-mote. You still need a Wii-mote. This is the issue if you play games with a GC controller.
@@Liggliluff Good think homebrew exists and you can boot straight to Gamecube w/ Priiloader
The animal crossing channel said animal dying 13:54
10:54 your rose tinted glasses were glued hard to your face when reviewing the gamecube and ds
"Imagine booting up your PC and seeing a big ad right there." WIndows literally puts ads in the start menu these days.
One of the many reasons I use Linux :3
Those aren't ads you can remove all of those and put any application you want there. You don't even need a work around just right click and unpin it.
@@dstinnettmusic touch grass
@@darken2417 "you can remove it, so it's not an ad"
I don't know what software you're downloading but my start menu doesn't have ads
11:17 SIMPLE AND CLEAN IS THE WAY THAT YOU’RE MAKING ME FEEL TONIGHTT
Thank you so much for your work. This is exactly the mindless crap I needed for a sick day at college .
Yeah, the PS2 Save Data having their own little 3D models is pretty cool.
The GameCube menu was Nintendo’s best menu. Amazing content here
It…..it was just a cube though
@@dstinnettmusic yup. Simple is good. Simple with a dash of style is best. That's what they did with GameCube
@@BlueisNotaWarmColour simple in part because the gamecube was a pre-app console. Simply put, newer consoles have more stuff put in them that would likely strain the gamecube UI as well, though honestly I could see it being adapted to working well anyways
@@finadoggie modern consoles could still be much simpler than they are. What if each face button corresponded to a different category or something? A for games, X for apps, B for settings, Y for store, that kind of thing. Keep it clean and let us organize everything if we want. That's how I'd like it.
Nintendo really went all-out with cubes in Gen 6. The Game Cube was a cube, but only with a little help from a GBA Player. The menu was a cube, the font used cubes, and even the memory was made of cubes. It was cubes in cubes in cubes.
This may be a call-back to the 8-bit blocky days of the NES, particularly Mario who practically invented 'block platforming'. Blocks evolved into cubes in the third dimension, so naturally Nintendo based their entire platform on cubes with their first CD-based console.
Can we just take in for a moment how the Wii news channel was (is?) still around recently enough to give Covid 19 updates?!? That blew my mind!
That's only thanks to Riiconnect 24
No the official one is down
it’s modded but still pretty cool
soy
thats because they are using a modded wii
I always found the PS2 and GameCubes menus unsettling at night when I’d played em at night.
I honestly would occassionally leave my ps2 on the menu and listen to the ocean waves crashing to fall asleep. It's very chill. That boot up sequence is THX levels of startling though lol
There’s something I can really appreciate about the older generations where there was no menu, you just pop the cartridge in, turn the console on, and you’re already in the game.
And then there's the Sega Master System with Snail Maze built in.
No day one updates
@@JC20XX that has nothing to do with the menus or directly booting into games
Which is what makes the Switch menu so great. Pop the game in, turn on and start the game. No ads, no tabs to go past, just boot up the game the second the console is on.
@@Oujouj426 except that’s not how the switch works, there’s like 3 ads on the left as soon as you turn it on, and about 4 on the home screen where all of your games are.
I swear, i can't wait for the day where people revisit the type of aesthetic and sound that these wii / wii u / 3DS Menud had... ;w;❤️
That PS2 start-up sound really hits hard. PlayStation should have just kept that for each new console but updated. That and the Japanese voice actor saying Purraystayshion.
There is a REALLY GOOD ps2 theme for the ps4. It's called the Legacy Dashboard Dynamic Theme. Made by Truant Pixel. They have a behind the scenes making of it thing here on youtube too, they worked hard on it!
7:36 - Although several PS2 save file icons were relatively basic like a simple static cube or model, there were some that actually had animated models that can change animations depending on what the user is doing with said file, whether copying or deleting. The only game with a save file that I know of that uses this feature is Klonoa 2.
Correction, the N64 DID have a menu, as many games on the system used memory cards to save. You need to hold the start button while booting up the system to access it. It's not that exciting tho, it just allows you to look at saves and delete them in a menu that looks nice but unexciting.
I think you'd give it a 2/5 stars
Those menus weren't in built to the console, they were on the actual game cartridges - with each dev developing their own UI,etc so doesn't count. Some games didn't have the menu built in either
@@igoterectionuk Really? I don't own enough N64 games that use the controller pak to ever have had to worry about running out of space, I just knew those menus existed. My bad, and thank you.
I never knew this for all my life LMAO
My favorite menu is PS3/PSP I like how everything is organized and easily accessible. You always know where everything is with just one look.
The Ps2 memory card manager could actually have fully animated save files depending on the game
The PS2 menu was surprisingly dynamic and should have definitely gotten a better rating with these overlooked features tbh. Even the amount of animated cubes on the main menu changed depending on how many saves you had on the system.
Agreed. Honestly, given how inconsistent he was with his ratings, Im super curious on what his perfect menu would look like
@@MrVuckFiacomHe didn't even bother to show the clock...
The nostalgia for that old Sega Saturn menu, god I loved that menu as weird as that is to say lol. I spent more time listening to music on my Saturn than I did with any other console just because of the fun background and foreground stuff that reacted to the music, as well as I remember it having way more options than any music player on a console since.
Whenever I hear someone complain about skeuomorphism I always say "Do you want every program to be like Emacs?"
Yes. If I can't check my email and play Tetris, is it really even a text editor?
@Chris Ray I don't know what that means, but it sounds threatening! °~°
What the fuck is Emacs
The 19:06 Xbox 360 menu is the only one of its UI's I've ever had to experience firsthand and I honestly preferred it over the PS3 menu. Of course I did not have an internet connection until well after the end of the 360 so I also missed the whole front page add feature for most of my time using it.
You forgot the a couple so let me do it.
Sega Cd: The entire menu is different depending on the region and the model, some versions even have Sonic on it. It’s kinda like the 64dd logo in some way. The Japanese music is better as the Us version still sounds like it’s using the genesis sound font. Other than that you got a CD player and options regarding RAM, the model 1 interface is better. While it’s basic at least it has some good music to listen to.
Super Disc: I know it might not be fair to judge an incomplete console but the prototype was almost finished anyways so it’s probably what we would have got. There is no music at all. Not even an intro really. Just the Super Disc Logo, the final product would have probably had a CD player interface, there is really nothing besides tests as this is a prototype system. Besides the Word “Super” and the four colors on each corner of the screen it seems Sony removed all traces of Nintendo on it.
Famicom Disk System: You got the Nintendo Logo dropping down and unlike the 64dd startup, you got both Mario and Luigi screwing around. There is no interface. The only thing you can do is put in the disk and start the game.
You forgot the stars
I love the NS menu, it's so simple and slick, straight to the point. And the little noises and sounds are so fun to hear.
Loved the video, but I wanted to bring up a small point when it comes to PS3 that you can play music while scrolling the menus in the background & it had some nice visual options as well. You can also use a classic controller in the Wii to scroll through the menus. Thanks for putting out fun content!
5:19 "i give this a mario out of 64" good one
The Wii menu is my favorite. It will always be a classic to me.
GameCube and Wii U menus as well
@@ianeons9278 Wii U menu is way better than the limited Switch menu.
XMB will forever be the best one. With a good PS3 dynamic theme it's perfect. So many different settings and categories, yet it's all very easy to navigate. The lack of music always worked for me too, it enhances the mood (especially when playing late at night). I love the way you can sort games into folders, the PS1/PS2 memory cards, organization of VITA/PSP/Minis, the "ads" that aren't annoying, the "click" sound, even the default icons are stylish. Small stuff like organizing trophy lists alphabetically that lack on PS4 are almost unnecessary, but the few times you will use them, they are going to make your life easier. Changing the font, colors, icons is also good. And you can even use custom themes and backgrounds. It's just perfect.
The only real downside is trying to use it in background while playing a game. Gets very slow, and it's not good when playing online when you have to wait a minute to get back from the menu. And also seems random what options can be accessed without having to turn off the game.
That Dreamcast menu gave me some insane levels of nostalgia
bro was NOT cooking 💀
The startup for the PS2 gives me nostalgia. Got to admit, the actual menu is kinda trash looking back.
I really wish Sony would bring back a version of the XMB. It was so simple and intuitive
The addition of Scott the Woz at the mention of the Wii U made this whole video worth it for me
Wii U and Scott are great
You just have to agree that it's a brilliant and truly unique idea !! And the video is executed well and truly not a meme, but a detailed actual review of something that probably noone hasn't thought about previously... Great dude !!
I see a whimsu video, I click. He could review television remotes and I'd watch it
You're giving him ideas
He made a video about fkng lightbulbs and managed to make it both entertaining and educational. This man truly has a gift
At some point he very well may..
Ngl, I'd actually watch a video on television remotes and it doesn't even have to be a whimsu video
“The ps5 has no menu customization” then he gives the switch a high rating 😂
My favorite by far has to be the PS3 menu it's just so easy to navigate compared to all the other ones having random shite everywhere. It feels like the most modern and efficient way to do menus. I also actually enjoyed seeing the game background and hearing the music when you select a game.
Your absolutely right. And this mf had the audacity to rank the gamecube higher. Just about the most useless menu ever. Why arent more people calling him out on that bs
Same. I used to just sit on the game icons to listen to the music or watch the animations.
Real
I like how the icons on the Wii are actually called channels, which makes me think of the menu as a room with a bunch of different TV’s with different channels on
I appreciate this content as there nowhere else to get it. I never knew gaming GUIs could be very interesting.
25:21 you missed a few xbox one minor menu updates and a major one, they kept the major menu up up till now and it was on xbox one before series x/s came out
A note regarding the Dreamcast CD player: If you actually had a CD inserted, it would show the disc spinning vertically until you started playing something on it, at which point the disc would lay sideways and start spinning (as if it was on a disc tray). While the player interface itself is still a bit plain, that one detail is a pretty fun visual touch.
EDIT: I'd also love to know the music you used for this video; specially that one you starting at the end of the Switch review (lol)
It's one of the PS Vita menu tracks.
If you’re on Xbox and you go to settings, into accessibility, high contrast, and turn on dark theme you get a fully black UI👍
Whimsu became Brendaniel so slowly I didn’t even notice…
The gamecube menu is so great because you arent scrolling through menues, youre pushing in a direction and its just so seamless
I have a lot of emotional investment into the Wii and DSi menus. They are pretty much signatures of the company and a lot of my childhood experiences. I was expecting Tyler to completely destroy them, and now I feel a unique emotional emptiness because he said both of them were just ok.
This is one of my favourite videos on the platform and I have no idea why. It's just the perfect video for me.
The PS3 was definitely my favorite, still holds up today very well, probably the best in my opinion.
I had the fat PS1 as a kid and it 100% definitely had the grey block menu that you showed for the PS Slim
15:04 this screen and the music gives me such a rush of adrenalin jesus christ
Hey, I grew up with the PS2, and yeah, I gotta say, its UI is just what ennui would look like if it were a mid to late 2000s game console. Ultimately though, that was kind fine since the console just booted directly to the game anyways.
I never thought on how bad looking the previous xbox menus where until i reached the Xbox Series X. That was a real upgrade not gonna lie.
I mean Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S have pretty much the same menus.
The ps3, wii, and 360 blades dash will always be my fav, something about them was satisfying compared to newer menus
I knew you would give the GC a 5/5 since you're a man of culture.
*the fact that the news channel still works and is showing news about covid 19 both concerns and tickles me*
I actually like the modern Xbox menu, the ads can be useful because it often informs of of stuff I would've missed otherwise (sales, games, game events, etc.)
I liked the Xbox One community tab. I could scroll through friends clips for hours. Actually I miss horizontal tabs in general
This is the kind of thing I just love nerding out about.
A cool thing about the Wii's menu is that you can navigate it with the Classic Controller's analogue stick instead of having to use the remote's pointer, which is my method of choice most of the time.
And the 360's menus are just a heartbreaking spiral. Mine had the New Xbox Experience when I got it in early 2011, and it just blows that the menu with the giant ad and your inserted disc off to the side is what the console is left with :/
3:42 that was a flash from the past. I think it's the first game theory videos I saw
This video made me fond of my old consoles, but it also makes me feel extremely old
One thing I love about the switch menu is the little animations and sounds, straight up asmr stuff 🤤
Honestly I thought I'd disagree more overall going in but really it is nailed pretty well. I'll never be okay with ads on the front of my stinking console either.
“Oh yeah, we have the Wii U” **Shows Scott the Woz's profile picture**
I never owned or played on a early Playstation but their opening intro somehow still makes me nostalgic
The original Xbox menu feels like you’re in the Omnitrix from Ben 10
Absolutely Gamecube is a 5/5, I played with the menu so much. I would go to the menu first every time I put in a game.
Exactly
16:13 “4.5 out of 5” *gives it 3.5 stars*
10:52 minimalistic dark theme with cool ambient... Yeah, i think ps2 takes 2/5. Gamecube on the other hand...
Alternative Title: KnowledgeHub roasts 90s kids, 2000s kids, and 2010s kids for 28 Minutes 5 Seconds
What is the charm of the console menu? I guess for me at least it's the potential. I look at, say, my Gamecube menu, and I think of all the games I *could* be playing, or *might* buy someday. It inspires the imagination.
9:43 I love how you chose Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed to represent the 2000s. I’ve always thought it looks and feels like one of the most 2000s movies ever.
literally the feel of the console is my favourite part. that alone brings back memories bruh. Nintendo and others need to remember to add personality to their consoles again
The Wii U plays slightly different music on the TV and the Gamepad, which merges into a rather neat harmony. I find it pretty cool.