Brendon Smith
AI first software engineer and creator
New to Contra
Brendon is ready for their next project!
š¹ļø What happens when a software engineer misses the strange, experimental magic of the Nintendo 64 and original PlayStation era?
Apparently, he builds an entirely new game console.
Meet Nova64: a JavaScript-powered 3D fantasy console inspired by chunky polygons, mysterious cartridges, CRT glow, demoscene creativity, and the wonderfully weird software of the late ā90s.
I designed and engineered Nova64 as an open platform where developers can create a game cartridge in JavaScript and launch it instantlyāno actual plastic cartridge blowing required. š
Underneath the playful exterior is some seriously fun engineering:
š® A shared game-development API across Three.js, Babylon.js, and Godot
š§ JavaScript running natively through an embedded QuickJS engine
š¹ļø A custom RetroArch core for playing Nova64 cartridges alongside classic systems
š ļø A browser-based studio with Monaco, hot reloading, and developer tools
š 3D graphics, physics, particles, shaders, audio, controllers, voxel worlds, and WebXR
š¾ More than 70 playable demos and experimental cartridges
š„ļø A Mac OS 9-inspired desktopābecause modern software could use more personality
Nova64 isnāt an N64 emulator, and it isnāt pretending to be a historical machine. Itās a new creative platform built around a question I couldnāt resist exploring:
What if the next fantasy console used JavaScript cartridges?
This project brings together nearly everything I love building: games, graphics, creative tooling, native integration, web technology, nostalgic interfaces, and slightly unreasonable ideas that somehow become real products.
Iām not selling Nova64 as a Contra service. Iām sharing it because it demonstrates whatās possible when creative direction and deep engineering live in the same project.
If your idea sounds ambitious, interactive, technically unusualāor just a little bit weirdāIād probably love to hear about it. š
Explore Nova64: https://nova64.io
(https://nova64.io)View my services: https://contra.com/brendon_smith_axke294z/services?r=brendon_smith_axke294z
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āØ What could your Shopify store become?
A lightning-fast custom storefront.
A polished iOS and Android shopping app.
An interactive product experience customers actually remember.
I help ambitious brands turn Shopify into more than an online store.
Using Next.js, React, React Native, and Shopify, I can create:
šļø High-performance custom Shopify storefronts
š± Branded mobile apps for iOS and Android
ā” Fast, responsive product and collection pages
š Intuitive search, filtering, cart, and checkout flows
šØ Custom interfaces that feel unmistakably yours
š Interactive 3D, animation, and immersive product experiences
š Integrations that connect Shopify with the tools your business depends on
With React Native, your store can become a polished mobile shopping experience across both major platforms. With Next.js, we can build a modern storefront with greater creative freedom, excellent performance, and room for experiences that go far beyond a standard theme.
Have a product customers need to see in 3D? Want a virtual showroom, interactive configurator, loyalty experience, custom campaign, or something that has never been built before?
Thatās where things get fun. š
I bring 20+ years of creative technology and engineering experience to every projectāfrom ecommerce and mobile applications to gaming, WebXR, cloud platforms, and production-ready interactive experiences.
If you have an ambitious idea, letās turn it into something fast, joyful, useful, and unforgettable.
Explore my services and letās build something great together:
https://contra.com/brendon_smith_axke294z/services?r=brendon_smith_axke294z
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Rock Paper Reality: Holographic Retail Experience for Microsoft
I helped develop a responsive WebXR retail experience for Microsoft using 8th Wall, A-Frame, Node.js, and Azure. The application enables shoppers to place, explore, and model life-sized 3D clothing within their physical environment.
The interface adapts across mobile phones, desktops, Meta Quest, Microsoft HoloLens, and other XR-enabled devices, delivering an immersive holographic shopping experience through the web without requiring a dedicated app.
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Dictionary.com (https://Dictionary.com) UI work, Games, Component Design, AB Testing, Feature Flagging, Storybook
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