The artist Ryan Fitzpatrick (PlatinumFungi) has put together a lot of amazing custom NES consoles over the years, celebrating a bunch of classic games from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to The Legend of Zelda, and Mega Man to Metroid. However, we think that his most recent creation might just be his best yet.
On June 26th, the creator posted a video to YouTube showcasing a new custom Super Mario Bros. NES and it looks absolutely stunning from all of the footage and images we've seen of it online. It was made with the help of Fitzpatrick's frequent collaborator and painter Custom NES Guy and apparently took over 14 years to build from concept to creation.
Some of the key features of the build include its distinctive red paint job, the stylish LED backlit design on the top inspired by Level 1-2, and the hidden warp zone in the cart tray that plays the correct warp zone when you press it either up or down. The power and reset buttons also play a bunch of Mario-themed sound effects too, including the noise the game makes when Mario gets a 1-Up or slides down the flagpole at the end of a level.
There are also two custom controllers dedicated to Big Mario and Small Mario respectively. These depict both versions of the character hovering over the A + B buttons on the front, while the back portrays Mario chasing either a mushroom or a star.
In the video description, Fitzpatrick gave a little information about the custom console and its 14-year journey:
"Creating this project has been a dream of mine since 2009. I had decided I wanted to make an art tribute to the legendary Super Mario Bros, but did not yet have the skills or experience to build what I saw in my mind. Many years and countless experiments have since passed, but, with great perseverance, this dream has finally come true!
"Since the initial idea in 2009, I've made a number of other NES related art pieces, each time developing my skills a bit further. However, it wasn't until somewhat recently that I finally felt ready to tackle this particular project. Even then, from start to finish, this art piece has literally taken OVER 3 YEARS to complete... There were an unlimited number of opportunities to just give up and move on with our lives and do something easier, but luckily, we did not.
"It has been a VERY long journey for Custom NES Guy and I, but we have finally come to the grand unveiling - we're so happy to bring this project to life, and we sincerely hope you enjoy!"
If you like what you see and want to see more awesome custom creations like this, you can go and support Fitzpatrick on Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube.