As you (might)know, PAL regions and South Korea got the NES and the Super Famicom, not the NES and the SNES, or the FC and the SFC. Any idea why Nintendo decided to give them one of NTSC U/C and one of NTSC-J?
PAL regions got PAL versions of NES and SNES. We didn't get a Super Famicom.
I meant that the PAL version of the SNES looks like a Super Famicom, not an American Super Nintendo.
Nintendo of America always like to 'reinvent' stuff that doesn't need reinventing.
I've read the interviews with Lance Barr about the approach - and I fully hear the goals, but I never remember thinking the PAL SNES looks anything less than cutting edge as a kid.
Of course this is very subjective, but look online and it's a common question. I know a lot of US gamers that look back at the US SNES design very fondly, with an equal measure of questions and disbelief.
Nostalgia is a powerful tool. If you didn't grow up with the US SNES, I wonder it can be considered beautiful. I do very much like the US SNES revision 2, I think it looks a lot better than the Super Famicom Jr. to be honest.