Nostalgic Indulgence: 20 Retro Gaming Must-Haves

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Nostalgic Indulgence: 20 Retro Gaming Must-Haves
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With the holiday season poised to arrive faster than most of us expect, now is the perfect time to look at some of the retro-inspired merchandise available to nostalgic gaming fans. From clothing to home furnishings, electronics and even modern games in an old-fashioned style, there’s a whole world of quirky and fascinating items waiting to be discovered. We pick through the mass of products available to bring you a carefully curated list of the most desirable and fun retro gaming must-haves this winter.

By Graeme Mason

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Nostalgic Indulgence: 20 Retro Gaming Must-Haves.
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California Games Hoodie – With autumn having arrived and winter just around the corner, this officially licensed hoodie from Seven Squared is great for keeping both warm and stylish, whether indoors or out. Available in storm grey, ash or combat green, each colour sports the logo of the famous Epyx sports game and is an essential item of clothing for fans of the Commodore 64 in particular.

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Nostalgic Indulgence: 20 Retro Gaming Must-Haves.
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Bubble Bobble Quarter Size Arcade Cabinet – Fancy owning an arcade machine but stuck for space? Then this adorable recreation of the classic arcade game Bubble Bobble is the machine for you! Scaled down to a quarter size of the original cabinet, the beautiful replica from Numskull brings all the excitement of the cute Taito video game into your home. Authentic, portable and unique, it’s an exceptionally cool purchase for retro gamers.

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Nostalgic Indulgence: 20 Retro Gaming Must-Haves.
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Retro Gamer Magazine Subscription – Retro Gamer is the top magazine dedicated to the video games that we used to play. Edited by Darran Jones, who has overseen the title’s production since 2005, Retro Gamer is currently at issue number 224 and is celebrating the history of the Nintendo 64 on its cover. Written by a pool of respected games journalists, the magazine aims to cover a variety of consoles and eras in each issue, making it an invaluable resource for any follower of video games and gaming history.

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Nostalgic Indulgence: 20 Retro Gaming Must-Haves.
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Home Computers Trump Cards – Top Trumps remains popular in 2021, and now you can play the home computer version of this brilliant card game, thanks to Cambridge’s Centre For Computing History. Each pack contains 39 cards representing various home computers throughout history. Analyse each machine’s strengths and weaknesses, and use them in a point-scoring battle against your opponent. The Home Computers Trump Cards pack comes in a suitably nostalgic cassette box, and all proceeds from its sale go to the Centre for Computing History, a registered charity.

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Nostalgic Indulgence: 20 Retro Gaming Must-Haves.
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Hyper Sentinel – The UK’s Huey Games have been pumping out retro-styled games for a few years now, and this manic shoot-‘em-up, inspired by the Commodore 64 classic Uridium, is one of its best. Colourful, incessantly fast and gleefully exuberant, the Steam version is available on a smart collectors’ USB cassette loaded with extras such as interviews and game demos.

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Nostalgic Indulgence: 20 Retro Gaming Must-Haves.
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Old School Musical for Nintendo Switch – Super Rare Games are doing great work keeping the physical media flame alive, and this bizarre rhythm game – complete with 50 toe-tapping chiptune tracks – is a loving homage to retro gaming and the culture surrounding it. As with all super-rare games, availability is tight, so grab it while you can.

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Nostalgic Indulgence: 20 Retro Gaming Must-Haves.
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Evercade Handheld Console – Handheld consoles come and go in the retro gaming market. Yet this little console stands head and shoulders above its competition, boasting superior build quality and a stylish selection of game compilation packs, each full to the brim with bygone classics. The Funstock bundle may look pricey, but with 122 games spread over 10 cartridges, you’ll never be bored on the bus with an Evercade.

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Nostalgic Indulgence: 20 Retro Gaming Must-Haves.
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Mega Drive Everdrive X3 Cartridge – Everdrives are a superb piece of kit for anyone who wants that authentic retro gaming experience without the expense of buying the original cartridges. This model, built for the famous 16-bit console, the Sega Mega Drive, slots in as a normal game would. On top it has an SD card slot which, when turned on, will display any present ROMs in its on-screen library. With the ability to save games and even support cheat devices such as the Game Genie, this is a great option for anybody who still clings passionately onto their original hardware.

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Nostalgic Indulgence: 20 Retro Gaming Must-Haves.
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Pac-Man Light – Need some cool illumination? Then look no further than this funky Pac-Man light. The perfect size to act as a bedside lamp or living room talking point, the Pac-Man light comes with a small remote control. One tap of a button, and those well-known wakka-wakka-wakka sounds will be ringing in your ears, bringing memories of the ‘80s arcade classic flooding back.

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Nostalgic Indulgence: 20 Retro Gaming Must-Haves.
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Masters of Doom – Few video games have transformed the gaming landscape and industry as much as id’s Doom. This book, written by David Kushner, recounts the story of how the two Johns, Carmack and Romero, met and created the behemoth that is Doom. An epic tale of the American dream, Masters of Doom is a must-read for video game aficionados of any age.

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Nostalgic Indulgence: 20 Retro Gaming Must-Haves.
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Retro Joystick Cushion – With nostalgically themed hideaways popular in homes around the world, chic accessories such as this cushion are becoming more common. For a general old-school gaming vibe, this black cushion, emblazoned with lightning flashes and lovely retro joysticks, is fitting for either sofa, bed or chair. It will look quirky yet trendy while keeping your back well-supported during marathon gaming sessions.

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Nostalgic Indulgence: 20 Retro Gaming Must-Haves.
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Metal Gear Solid 2 Pencil Line Drawing Print – Wading through the many gaming art pages on Etsy can be time-consuming, so allow us to point you towards one of the most talented artists on the site. With an interest in sci-fi as well as gaming, Etsy artist Yavin Paints mainly uses pencils to sketch freehand from an image, a simple process that nevertheless creates some fantastic visuals. Our favourite is this delightfully grungy pic of Solid Snake from Metal Gear Solid 2.

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Nostalgic Indulgence: 20 Retro Gaming Must-Haves.
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Robocop ZX Spectrum Game Mug – Rendering a video game or old console in ceramic mug form is a regular marketing tool on the internet. What makes this work stand out from Etsy store Harbonaut is that it is designed by the game’s original Ocean Software artist, Bill Harbison. Portraying the ZX Spectrum loading screen of film licence Robocop, the image is completed with the Sinclair computer’s traditional loading bars, and it’s a splendid way to enjoy a morning cuppa. Thank you for your cooperation!

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Nostalgic Indulgence: 20 Retro Gaming Must-Haves.
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Atari Messenger Bag with Japanese Logo – This sturdy and stylish messenger bag boldly displays a Japanese Atari logo and is large enough to hold most laptops and more. With a front flap containing a zipped pocket, open rear pockets and an internal zipped section, it’s a great option for holding a variety of items safely and securely while simultaneously displaying your love for the retro gaming giant.

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Nostalgic Indulgence: 20 Retro Gaming Must-Haves.
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Street Fighter Stool – Officially licensed by Arcade1Up!, this stool is ideal for an old-school gaming room or a lone arcade cabinet. Designed for use around Arcade1Up! cabinets in particular, the stool can be set at two different heights and contains plenty of foam padding to make those gaming sessions as comfortable as possible. This version sports a sleek Street Fighter II logo on a grey and black background, ensuring your room looks just as hip when it’s not in use.

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Nostalgic Indulgence: 20 Retro Gaming Must-Haves.
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8-Bit Heart Earrings – Made from eco-friendly and nickel-free PLA materials, Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda serves as inspiration for these impossibly cute earrings – although its pixelated styling is redolent of many a retro video game. Handmade by the UnrealisticWorks Etsy store from Germany, the multiple colour layers of these earrings are sure to make you stand out, while capably demonstrating your retro gaming credentials.

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Nostalgic Indulgence: 20 Retro Gaming Must-Haves.
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Super Mario Nintendo Entertainment System Lego Set – While far from cheap at just over GBP 200, this wonderful Lego set contains not only the bricks needed to build a NES, but also for a retro ‘80s cathode ray television set. Once constructed, the TV displays a scene from Super Mario Bros.; position the plumber on-screen, and he’ll react against the scrolling enemies and obstacles while the game’s famous tune plays. A terrific gift for the young and young at heart.

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Nostalgic Indulgence: 20 Retro Gaming Must-Haves.
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Super Mario Coaster Set – Whether it’s for keeping hot drinks off the bar in a dedicated retro room, or just ready for use around the home, this set of Super Mario drinks coasters, presenting a quartet of characters from the classic Nintendo game, is a marvellous choice for retro gaming fans wanting to protect their furniture from unwanted marks. Featuring Luigi, Princess Peach, Super Mushroom and, of course, Mario himself, these high-quality coasters are fashioned on hardboard wood with a corked backing.

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Nostalgic Indulgence: 20 Retro Gaming Must-Haves.
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Pac-Man Fridge Magnet Collection – This pack contains two full sheets of magnetic graphics from Pac-Man. Including fruits, dots, ghosts and Pac-Man himself, now your humble refrigerator can become a glorious homage to the greatest dot-munching video game of all time.

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Nostalgic Indulgence: 20 Retro Gaming Must-Haves.
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Retro Gaming Boxes Backpack – There are hundreds of retro-themed backpack designs on Redbubble, but this one catches the eye for its sheer joy in the celebration of Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game boxes. From well-known classics such as Super Mario World and Starfox to arcade legends Final Fight and Super Ghouls ‘n’ Ghosts, you’ll have everybody you meet staring in awe at some of the amazing artwork on this bag.

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Nostalgic Indulgence: 20 Retro Gaming Must-Haves

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