It’s mid-February 2002 and a 12-year-old Chase is ecstatic to get his first brand-new, not hand-me-down home console. I go with my father to the local game store and they ask me what color Gamecube I want: Purple or black?

“Well, black, of course” my young, naive mind thought. “Who would ever want a purple console?” After acquiring my black lunchbox and copies of Super Smash Bros. Melee, Sonic Adventure 2: Battle, and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3, I required a second controller. Again, black was my preference. That is, until I saw this thing of beauty.

Behold, Spice Orange

I was enamored. “Can I have an orange Gamecube instead?” I asked.

“Sorry kid, those only came out in Japan,” the clerk responded.

Slightly dejected, I took my black console and spice controller home where copious amounts of Smash Bros. would be played.

I still have that controller, and use it whenever I play Super Smash Bros. Brawl or Mario Kart Wii. It’s my favorite controller of all-time, and it’s all due to its color.

It’s sad to see that consoles have gone to such monochromatic color schemes. I like black and white just fine, but they're everywhere! All traces of color have been saved for special editions way after the initial release (when I’m already invested in a boring, de-saturated box and have no interest in getting another.)

Anyone else bored out of their minds with this color scheme?

The last bastion of color seems to be the 3DS with its aqua blue (and eventual fire red,) options. But it’s disappointing a medium built on unique experiences is content with conforming to all the other black boxes in our entertainment centers.

What do you guys think? Do consoles need to lighten up? What’s your fondest console color?