Personally I don't care of the over-paneled look of both the new and the old. I am much more a fan of the MechWarrior 4-esque designs that use bumps and shapes to add detail rather than panel lines. It is more of a product of the technology at the time than a true art style, but overall, it is my favorite.
Plus with all the panels, there isn't any space big enough to put a unit emblem....
Also, please ignore the yellow beamer, this is my opinion as a fan...