F.A.Q.
Do I sell my creations?
Usually, yes. If you’re interested in anything, please send me a message and we can discuss the details.
Can I create a custom project you’ve dreamed up / do I offer custom commissions?
Sometimes. I find that life is unfortunately very busy and there are so many projects swirling around in my own head that I don’t often have time to fit in additional custom work. HOWEVER, please message me and let me know your idea – we ‘might’ be able to make it happen!
How do I create the cut outs in the video game cases?
I use a drill, a dremel with various bits, hand files of different shapes and sizes, and sand paper of varying grits. It’s a VERY slow and sometimes stressful process – there really isn’t any room for error, so if you make a mistake it could mean having to start the project over.
What are my favorite video games?
My number one favorite video game of all time is Ninja Gaiden for the NES.
In no particular order, some of my other top favorite retro games include: The Legend of Zelda (NES), Super Mario Bros. (NES), Contra (NES), Mega Man 2 (NES), Gemfire (NES), Lords of Thunder (TurboDuo), Earthbound (SNES), F-Zero (SNES), Samurai Shodown (Neo Geo), GoldenEye 007 (N64), DOOM (PC), Splatterhouse (Arcade), Landstalker (Sega Genesis), Mega Turrican (Sega Genesis), Risky Woods (Sega Genesis), Sonic the Hedgehog (Sega Genesis), Final Fantasy Tactics (PSX), Vandal Hearts (PSX), Three Dirty Dwarves (Sega Saturn), Bonk’s Revenge (TurboGrafx 16), Gargoyle’s Quest (Game Boy), the Metal Slug series (Neo Geo) and many others.
How did I get into this line of work?
Ever since I was a child I’ve enjoyed making artwork of one kind or another – it’s always been a very important aspect of my life. In the early days I drew a lot, but once I started playing video games with my friends, I found a fascinating new universe of inspiration. I loved to draw all the interesting characters and worlds I saw in the games – they were unlike anything I’d ever experienced in real life.
Years past, and one day in my adulthood I found myself feeling like I had an empty hole inside me – something important was missing. After some soul-searching and a bit of luck, I was fortunate to realize the problem was that I wasn’t pursuing my true passion in life – I wasn’t doing much of anything creative, and that was draining the life right out of me. It was time to get back to my artistic roots.
Through many twists and turns, I experimented with various art-forms and projects, but eventually decided I wanted to combine my interest in art with my interest in retro gaming. So, one day as I sat at my desk pondering what project to try next, it hit me – the original NES/Nintendo Entertainment System looked like a blank canvas that I wanted to work on. It’s basically just a grey rectangular box – it’s prime for artistic customization.
I made a basic prototype of my first idea and posted pictures online way back in the summer of 2009. The positive reception I received convinced me that I needed to pursue the idea further – thus began my ‘backlit NES’ art series.
The moral of the story – be true to your heart. Whatever it is that you’re passionate about in life is what you need to pursue. If you don’t, you’ll never be happy or feel true fulfillment.
Now, in the early Summer of 2023, I’m thrilled that Custom NES Guy and I are working on several new projects and am looking forward to bringing lots of my dreams into reality. My newest creation is finished and will go public in late June 2023.
If there’s something else you’d like to know, just ask!
Thanks for reading and for being part of this journey with me! Stay tuned…
– Platinumfungi