The 2023 Christmas Gift Guide

Can you believe that another Christmas is upon us! The stress of finding gifts for friends, family and most importantly, for yourself, is heightened around this time of year.

We thought we’d help alleviate the stress of finding Christmas gifts by curating a list of items that would be suitable for any of our audience, be it a gamer, pinball wizard or a general pop-culture geek, there is something for everyone.

First cab off the rank, the quintessential 80’s Boombox, but this is no ordinary boombox, it has a CD Player, Cassette Deck, FM & DAB+ Radio, USB and can act as a wireless Bluetooth speaker! At $299.95 (at Amazon AU), it’s not cheap, but hey, when it comes to playing your fave 80’s tunes, this player will make you feel like you are back in the best decade of all time!

While you are on the Amazon AU site, you might as well check out the Atari 2600+ console ($179) – which let’s you play your old Atari gaming cartridges! If that doesn’t tickle your fancy, how about the Arcade1Up Atari Couchcade ($285.14)?

If you are like us, then you probably have a myriad of devices that require microSD cards, so why not go big with the Samsung 512GB EVO Plus Micro SD Memory Card/w Adapter at just $39 (usually $99)! Your Nintendo Switch and/or Steam Deck will thank you!

If you really want to splash out and are a Zelda fan, then the 1TB SanDisk microSD hits the sweet spot at $177!

We got bitten by the Drive to Survive bug and are now (almost) obsessed with F1 racing. Naturally, when you put F1 together with Lego-like construction, then we take note! This WINNER SPACE Remote Control Formula 1 Racing Car Building Blocks Set (1:12 Scale RC Building Kit) is an absolute bargain (currently) at $52.90. With 729 pieces in the kit, this is the perfect STEM toy for kids aged 6+ (and adults of course)! If you [prefer your F1 car to be red, then go here 😉

Being IKEA lovers, there is always a reasonably priced practical item on offer. We absolutely love our Elloven (Anthracite) monitor stand with drawer. It has freed up our desk and tucked away all the clutter we used to have around us. At $39 from Ikea, the Elloven is a tad easier on the Xmas gift budget.

If you (or a friend or family member) are into board games, then there is no shortage of awesome board games for all ages, even the little ones! These are some of our faves, which are quite fun – perfect to unwind with good company after a hearty Xmas meal!

Or favourite Australian gaming culture specialists and purveyors of rare, high-quality video game memorabilia and collectables store, PixelCrib isn’t short on cool stuff, from books, artworks, vinyls to hard to find video games and gaming systems.

If you are into gaming related books or vinyl soundtracks, then you are in the right place – PixelCrib rocks some awesome products. If you are into retro gaming systems that play physical carts, then we reckon you should check out the Evercade VS, with the Starter Pack coming in at just under $170 with console, controller and the Technos Arcade Cartridge to get you started with some sweet retro gaming goodness this Christmas.

For those of you that prefer retro gaming on the go by using inbuilt games or your Evercade carts, then the Super Pocket TAITO handheld ($109.99) is for you!

Do you like to support independent authors and publishers? Do you like indie created guide books full with Atari retro goodness? If you answered yes to either or both of these questions, then you must check out Zafinn Books! This indie publisher has a number of gaming guides, but the one we got (that we reckon is pretty darn cool) is the Atari Lynx GameGuide book (~$96.00).

For those hard to find or exclusive gaming items, you can’t go past Play-Asia! Their gaming exclsuives are pretty darn good and reasonably priced, like the exclusive Startup Company (Switch) Limited Edition bundle $70.00.

For the SEGA Dreamcast fanatics, perhaps some recently published DC games will warm their 128-bit cockles, like PixelHeart’s fighter Tough Guy ($73.55) and/or vertical shmup Wolflame ($70.05).

Surely everyone knows someone who is a Star Wars fan? Maybe you are a SW fan – if you are (or someone you know is), then these Star Wars related gifts are what you have been looking for!

LEGO® Star Wars™ Emperor’s Throne Room™ Diorama 75352 Building Set for Adults ($124.07)

The Star Wars Archives. 1977-1983: 40th Anniversary Edition ($49.99) is the ultimate coffee-table book for fans of the original trilogy.
For those of you into pinball or know someone mad about the silverball game, then the From Pinballs to Pixels: An Arcade History of Williams-Bally-Midway book ($102.17) by Ken Horowitz will be right up their alley!

In the 80s, there was nothing better than watching the anime TV show, Astro Boy on ABC during our school holidays. The manga to anime transition is nigh-on perfect, with the hero for all ages ensuring that you all get to (re)enjoy this very influential animated joy ride and cherish its timeless message of hope. Packed with 20+ hours of animated goodness, Astro Boy The Complete 1980 TV Series on Blu-Ray ($94.66) is amazing value.

And no Xmas gift guide is complete without some handmade/indie creations from the Etsy store – check these out:

NES Cartridge punny wood coasters ($35.53)

Nіntendo Swіtch Animal Crossing / Marіo Kart / Zelda keyrings ($8.50)

Game and Watch Display Stand ($11.50)

For those that have everything already, we bet they may not have a Hallmark Keepsake Christmas Ornament, like these Nintendo and Star Wars related decorations!