This Gorgeous Console Combines Arcade Games with Battleship

Image via Love Hultén
Image via Love Hultén | Image via Love Hultén

Video games are a relatively young medium, but that doesn’t stop people from feeling nostalgic for the way things used to be. Old school arcade bars are popping in the hippest cities across America, and some games released in the '90s are now selling for hundreds of dollars. The retro gaming consoles produced by Swedish designer Love Hultén tap into this sentiment. They combine arcade elements with sleek, gorgeous designs to make classic consoles for the modern gaming world.

His latest project is the Battlecade: a two-player, portable system designed for head-to-head gaming. Hultén attributes his inspiration for the console to the classic board game Battleship. The setup allows for players to keep their strategies hidden from one another while watching their opponents’ expressions as they get destroyed.

The console’s design alone makes it a desirable collector’s item. The portable case unfolds into three sections handmade from American walnut. It includes two 12-inch LCD screens, detachable joysticks, and built-in storage for accessories.

Even if you could afford the astronomical price this handcrafted console would go for, it’s sadly not for sale. Fans of arcade games and pretty things will just have to settle for admiring photos online, or else shell out a few thousand bucks for one of Hultén's other pieces