Swedish audiovisual artist Love Hultén’s body of work speaks for itself, and his latest looks to capture the nostalgia rooted in retro gaming. By fusing his knowledge of crafting immaculate synthesizers and the consoles of yesteryear, Hultén has crafted a one-of-a-kind concept inspired by the iconic Nintendo Entertainment System.
The NES-SY37 boasts a robust wooden composition with bits and pieces implemented from the Kyoto-bred gaming giant’s game-changing home console, including its black D-pad and unmistakable red buttons. This unique concept serves as a full-on homage to the NES, as it’s capable of accepting cartridges, allowing you to play them thanks to its built-in 8″ 800×600 LCD screen. It also features an original 7-pin port to plug in those vintage, rectangular controllers — if you still have them on hand, of course.
While the idea of playing classic games on this is incredible in its own right, you can’t overlook the bread and butter of Hulten’s portfolio: music. The NES Poly Chiptune Synthesizer courtesy of Arcano is neighbored by a multi-track chip-tune synth in tribute to Rioch’s EP2A07 microprocessor, which originally served as the NES’s sound chip. A sleek, console-inspired keyboard activates this polyphonic synth, as well as an 8-bit-adjacent MIDI visualizer made in collaboration with visual artist p1xelfool.
Blending modish form and technical function has come to be what Hultén is best known for, as the artist’s latest example puts each element at the forefront. The NES-SY37 can be found on Love Hultén’s website, along with the rest of his portfolio.
