Retro Christmas Gift Ideas – Games, Toys, Consoles & More

That’s it – we’re on the home stretch until Christmas.

If you are still wondering what to get your friends and loved ones, this list might help you choose the perfect gift for them.

There is a dizzying array of modern gadgets, toys, games, and accessories, and it can be difficult to choose between them.

But maybe the answer lies in the past – your past and all the wonderful things you grew up with.

We’ve put together a list of ten ideas to help you choose retro and retro-inspired gifts for any occasion.

Great gifts for family members; something cheap and cheerful for coworkers; and all the rest.

Table games

You might want to gift someone a board game so they can have hours of fun with friends – or even at the Christmas dinner table while you digest.

Football enthusiasts will love to see Subbuteo.

This football game dates back to the 1940s, and has been popular ever since, although there was a time when production was halted before the former favorite returned.

Scrolling through players on a playmat is hours of fun, and you can kick off some dramatic games if you really get down to it!

If you don’t like soccer, there are plenty of other tabletop and standalone games to play with your friends and family.

This Air hockey will give you competitive fun on Christmas Day and beyond.

Vinyl turntables

If you know someone with piles of records gathering dust in an attic, why not treat them to some music?

The “vinyl revival” has been going on for several years now, but record players that have not survived the years may need to be replaced.

A budget option for occasional listeners could be this one 1 BY ONE portable vinyl turntable, packaged in an elegant case-shaped case. It has built-in speakers and plug-in cable slots in bigger and better configurations.

To get the most out of vinyl, you need a more expensive kit – the Pro-Ject Primary E turntable is well reviewed for vinyl beginners. No gimmicks like bluetooth or USB connections, but it does the basics just fine.

Super Nintendo Classic Mini

Retro gaming has made a comeback in recent years, with gamers from the ’80s and’ 90s keen to relive the incredible video games that started the home console trend.

The SNES Classic Mini is Nintendo’s offering – a compact console with two controllers that match its original design. However, you can’t use your old cartridges – they come preloaded with a selection of 21 games from the life of the SNES.

You can play one of Mario’s first adventures in Super Mario World, detonate aliens in the sprawling world of Super Metroid, or take on a friend with the second controller of the classic Street Fighter II.

A great gift for early 90s gamers.

Classic PlayStation

For those who remember Sony discs more than Nintendo cartridges, there is the Classic PlayStation instead of.

The PlayStation has revolutionized video gaming, bringing 3D graphics into the home and making it accessible. Like the SNES Classic, this doesn’t allow you to use original games, but to have 20 preloaded on the system.

This console comes with a selection of more “grown-up” titles – the spy thriller Metal Gear Solid, the timeless RPG classic Final Fantasy VII and the spooky and bloody first game of Resident Evil, among others.

A solid gift, reminiscent of Sony’s rise in the video game world.

Retro candies and treats

If you’re shopping on a smaller budget or know someone with a notorious sweet tooth, going down the retro candy trail might be a great option.

Just treats on Amazon sell everything from letterbox-sized packages full of candy to large baskets of chocolate. Retro candy collections look great, full of modern take on classic candy – they come with plenty of sorbet treats.

For something with style, check out the Heavenly Sweets 1.2kg Traditional Pick and Mix – it comes with a spoon! – and taste sweets, Swedish fish and cables.

Retro housewares

Maybe the person you are thinking of wants to redecorate and go back to what they were since childhood.

A starting point might be to abandon these modern landline phones and put one of these rotary retro corded phone sets in place. Just make sure they don’t need cordless handsets!

For the exterior, you can give someone these old fashioned lamppost style garden lamps – they use modern light bulbs, so there will be no problem with the fuel.

Cameras

We all have cameras in our pockets these days thanks to smartphones – but how about capturing those best moments on physical film instead?

Polaroid-style instant cameras have seen a revival in recent years, with many charming designs from a wide variety of manufacturers. Polaroid themselves have their own line of modern instant cameras – like the Polaroid OneStep + with a pair of different lenses for different situations.

Fujifilm has a long history of dealing with instant cameras as well, with their cheaper option in the Instax Mini Series.

Don’t forget to buy film packs with any instant camera!

Office toys

Sometimes you need to buy something for your favorite coworkers, but you don’t want to break the bank.

Pin Art or Pinscreen toys are always a good shout out – it’s weirdly addicting to lean your hand or an object into one and see the 3D sculpture come out the other side. This one is a basic model with metal pins that should fit any office.

Gyroscopic models of the solar system – with this one, a simple press sets the whole model in motion. Perfect for the watchmaker of your life – although we hope you don’t tell him that to his face.

Accessories

A little retro flair can add spice to modern fashion trends.

You could get a modern recreation of Marty McFly’s calculator watch from Back to the Future – everyone knows math is cool, and this Casio watch is cheap enough to boot.

And while they might not be very useful in winter, a pair of Top Gun-inspired aviator sunglasses can help a friend or loved one recreate the Tom Cruise classic when the sun returns.

Musical gadgets

There are a lot more gadgets and quirks from your youth lying around or being reissued in modern times.

Take the Stylophone for example – it has been a great gift for children for generations since the 60s, to play with sound or learn music. There are also newer versions with more features to adjust the type of sound produced by the Stylophone. Who knows, maybe the next David Bowie will be in your family?

For music that you don’t have to play yourself, you can try a modern take on the classic boombox, since the time when music arrived on cassettes. This one has a cassette player and an FM radio antenna, or you can use a bluetooth connection to stream music to it.