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If you're shopping for a retro gamer this holiday season, there are plenty of great gifts to choose from. Not only will you find a wide assortment of retro games that have been remade for modern consoles, but you'll also find a slew of arcade cabinets, Lego sets, and old-school-inspired controllers. There's truly no shortage of awesome retro gaming gifts, and whether your budget is $20 or $200, there's bound to be something that'll make the perfect present. Need some help sifting through all your options? Here's a look at the best retro gaming gifts of 2023. And for more gift ideas, check out our roundups of the best Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and Final Fantasy merch.
Evercade EXP Handheld
Blaze Entertainment's cartridge-based Evercade EXP is an awesome retro gaming handheld. It comes preloaded with 18 Capcom games and includes a cartridge featuring classic IREM arcade games. The EXP has a sleek, premium design with a truly superb feel, including one of the best D-pads around. You can even play in TATE mode--vertical orientation--for select arcade games, which is a nice bonus. Throw in a lovely custom operating system, an 800x480 IPS screen, Wi-Fi support, and the ability to connect it to your TV to play on the big screen in 720p, and you have yourself an extremely versatile portable retro machine. There are dozens of cartridges available to purchase separately for about $20 each, too. Cartridges typically have at least a handful of classic games (and often more than that). The eclectic library includes retro games from older platforms like Intellivsion and Atari Lynx, arcade games from Data East and Technos, and modern retro games, including the recently released Goodboy Galaxy and Demons of Asteborg carts. There's even a brand-new remaster of the first two Duke Nukem games exclusively for Evercade as well as a second Duke Nukem collection. Read our Evercade EXP review.
Capcom and Taito Super Pockets
A spin-off of the Evercade brand, these affordable $60 handhelds are about the same size as the Game Boy Pocket and come preloaded with either 12 Capcom games or 18 Taito games. They support the full Evercade cartridge library, too, which gives you access to roughly 50 different game compilations (if you choose to buy extra games). These pocketable portables boast vibrant IPS displays and have a great build quality. It has four face buttons, an eight-way D-pad, and four triggers located on the back of the handheld. You're getting a lot of bang for your buck with the Super Pocket, and it's far more comfortable than you might expect to play. You can think of the Super Pocket as the budget version of the Evercade EXP. Read our Super Pocket review.
Evercade VS
The home console version of the Evercade, the VS supports up to four players, outputs video in 1080p, and is compatible with the entire Evercade library. Two versions are up for grabs--the Premium Pack includes two controllers and two games, while the Starter Pack includes a single controller and game cartridge. Read our Evercade VS review.
Gaming Ornaments
Ornaments are a fitting holiday gift, and if you're shopping for a gamer, consider checking out these adorable products from Hallmark. From gaming consoles to iconic characters, there are some cool (and affordable) items up for grabs.
Decorative Lights
Decorative lights are a great way to add some stylish ambiance. And if you're looking for something to toss into a game room, it's hard to beat these gaming-inspired lights.
Books about gaming franchises and genres
From Zelda and Mario to Sonic and Final Fantasy, tons of gaming books are available at Amazon--and they're the perfect holiday gift for dedicated fans.
Books About Retro Consoles
Shopping for someone with a passion for a certain retro console? Check out one of these great books instead:
Boss Fight Books
This massive series encompasses everything from Earthbound and Chrono Trigger to Galaga and Metal Gear Solid. Books in the collection are budget friendly, with prices around $15 for physical editions and $5 for Kindle ebooks. Each one has a different focus--touching on topics such as level design, music, or how the video game impacted the author's life.
Retro Gaming T-shirts
Metroid, Pac-Man, Mortal Kombat, Duck Hunt, and other iconic games are part of the collection over at Tee Public. There's no shortage of cool designs to choose from, so be sure to peruse the full collection before making your decision.
Retro Gaming Mugs & Coasters
You can't go wrong with gifting a coffee mug or coaster set. Retro gamers will particularly appreciate the designs on the products below:
Atari 2600+
The Atari 2600+ is a modern reimagining of the iconic console. Along with the ability to play the original cartridges, it also comes with 10 games, a CX40+ joystick, and an HDMI output for seamless use on modern TVs. You can pair the new Atari 2600+ with a two-pack of paddles and a four-game compilation as well as a second CX40+ joysticks. Atari even released brand-new games like the platformer Mr. Run and Jump. The $130 Atari 2600+ launched in November, just in time for the holidays.
My Arcade Atari Game Station Pro
It doesn't look retro, but this console comes packed with more than 200 Atari games. You'll also get two wireless joysticks for a bit of multiplayer action. Like the Atari 2600+, the Game Station Pro released in November. This is the better option for Atari fans who don't have an interest in collecting cartridges.
Lego Atari 2600
With 2,532 pieces, this Atari Lego set will keep even experts busy for quite some time. When the kit is complete, it offers a replica of the Atari 2600, the CX30 joystick, three game cartridges and a game shelf as well as three miniature builds base on the trio of iconic games: Asteroids, Adventure, Centipede.
Lego Nintendo Entertainment System
The Lego NES is one of the coolest sets Lego has ever created. You're technically building four separate items: the NES console, a CRT TV, a wired NES controller, and a replica of the original Super Mario Bros. cartridge. With 2,646 pieces in all, the Lego NES is a substantial--but very fun!--undertaking. It has some impressive interactive elements, including an operable cartridge deck and a crank on the TV that, when turned, moves Mario through a level. There probably isn't an old-school Nintendo fan out there who wouldn't love to have the Lego NES.
Lego Super Mario 64 Question Mark Block
Super Mario 64 is widely regarded as one of the most influential and best 3D platformers of all time. Fans of the Nintendo 64 classic would no doubt love to build Lego's Question Mark Block set. You'll build more than just the iconic Question Mark Block found in almost every Super Mario platformer. This 2,064-piece set also includes replicas of beloved levels and locations from the game, including Peach's Castle, Bob-omb Battlefield, Lethal Lava Trouble, and Cool, Cool Mountain. The miniature builds come with 10 microfigures. What's especially cool is you can open and close the block to reveal/hide these nostalgic allusions.
mClassic Graphics Upscaler
While many folks use it to upscale the graphics of Nintendo Switch, this unique device truly shines with older consoles such as Nintendo 64, GameCube, PS2, Xbox, and many more. If you've ever connected those consoles to your modern TV, you've probably noticed the picture is pretty rough. Consoles outputting at low resolutions simply don't look great on the 4K TVs of today. That's where the mClassic comes in, as it upscales older consoles to 1440p/4K resolution. Keep in mind you'll likely need an AV to HMDI adapter to get up and running, but the mClassic is a great alternative to buying an old CRT TV just to play your old games.
8Bitdo Retro Mechanical Keyboard
Like many 8BitDo products, the Retro Mechanical Keyboard's design nods to the past. Modeled in the color scheme of the original Nintendo or Famicom, this budget-friendly $100 wireless keyboard released this year and rivals many gaming keyboards with much higher price tags. It's fitted with Kailh Box Switch V2 White switches across its 87-key layout (no numpad), which promotes a clicky and responsive typing experience. You can customize your keyboard settings using 8BitDo's Ultimate Software V2 on Windows. The keyboard is also compatible with Mac and mobile devices. It's versatile with support for 2.4GHz wireless (via a dongle), Bluetooth, and a USB-C wired connection. Lastly, it has a rather unique attachment called Super Buttons. The pair of large red buttons have microswitches and are designed specifically with gaming in mind. On the keyboard itself, you'll find dedicated A and B inputs you'd find on a controller. For a cheaper retro option, check out this wired keyboard for $40.
Retro Controllers
Tons of retro controllers are available today, with some working on modern consoles and others designed for their original console. Regardless of which you're shopping for, you'll find the best below. We listed the compatible platforms in parentheses. - 8BitDo SN30 Pro Wireless Controller (Switch, PC, Mac, Mobile)
- 8BitDo Pro 2 (Switch, PC, Mac, Mobile)
- 8BitDo SN30 Wireless SNES Controller (SNES, PC)
- 8BitDo N30 Bluetooth NES Controller (Switch, PC, Mac, Mobile)
- 8Bitdo N30 Wireless NES Controller (NES)
- 8BitDo M30 Wireless Sega Controller (Switch, PC, Mobile)
- 8BitDo Sega Genesis Controller (Sega Genesis)
- 8BitDo TG16 Wireless Controller (TG16 Mini, Switch)
- 8BitDo Neo Geo Wireless Controller (PC, Android, Neo Geo Mini)
- Retro-Bit Sega Genesis Wireless Controller (Genesis & Mini, Switch, PC, Mac)
- Retro-Bit Sega Saturn USB Controller (Switch, PC, Mac)
- Retro-Bit Tribute 64 Wired N64 Controller (N64)
Sega Genesis Mini 2
Relive the glory days of Sega Genesis with the Sega Genesis Mini 2. Not only does it look almost identical to the iconic console, but it comes with a wired six-button controller, USB power adapter, and supports HDMI output. You'll find 60 games preloaded on the system, including Bonanza Bros, Streets of Rage 3, Ristar, Golden Axe II, The Revenge of Shinobi, and VectorMan 2.
Retro consoles that play original cartridges
Rather than hunting down an original console that was discontinued decades ago, consider snagging one of these newer consoles that are designed to play original cartridges. Many of these budget-friendly consoles support multiple platforms.
Arcade1Up Cabinets
Arcade1Up cabinets are incredibly popular thanks to reasonable prices compared to conventional arcade cabinets, solid build quality, and a massive catalog to choose from. Whether you're hunting for NBA Jam or The Terminator 2, there's bound to be an arcade cabinet that catches your eye.
MSVX Neo Geo & Mini Consoles
These cabinets focus specifically on Neo Geo games. You can opt for the high-end MVSX home arcade, an arcade stick that hooks up to your TV, or a budget-friendly Neo Geo Mini for only $60.
Commodore 64 Mini
Along with 64 preinstalled games and support for 720p resolutions, this cool mini console offers CRT filter options to really drive home its old-school vibes. Some of the games you'll find on the device include Anarchy, Jumpman, Summer Games II, and Skate Crazy. You'll also get a joystick that connects to the keyboard. A second USB port is available for additional controllers. True to the original Commodore 64, you can use this miniature edition as a regular PC. You can even design your own Commodore 64 games to play on it. Plus, the C64 Mini is super cheap at just $45.
PlayStation Classic
The original PlayStation was one of the best-selling consoles of all time. Relive the glory days with this mini console that’s 45% smaller than the original and comes bundled with 20 games--including Final Fantasy VII, Ridge Racer Type 4, and Wild Arms. It also comes with two wired controllers. The downside here is that the controllers follow the original design, so they don't have analog sticks.
Game & Watch Zelda & Mario
Beyond their gorgeous design that's worthy of display, these two official Game & Watch handhelds are fully playable. One includes three Zelda games, while the other features the original Super Mario Bros., The Lost Levels, and a Mario-themed version of the classic Game & Watch game, Ball. You can also use them as a digital clock with over 30 animations.
Mini Arcade Cabinets and Handhelds
Small enough to fit into the palm of your hand yet still featuring full games, these mini arcade cabinets are great gift ideas. Plus, there are plenty of different cabinets to choose from, each of which have nostalgic designs.
Retro Game Compilation
Plenty of retro games have been ported over to modern consoles, making them more approachable than ever. From TMNT to dozens of Mega Man games, here's a look at some of the best retro games available on PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch.
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