2016 Holiday Buyer’s Guide: Games

Henry Gilbert
Games Fallout
Games Fallout Super Mario Marvel Star Trek
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As Andy Williams famously sang, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. The holiday seasons means kids jingle belling and loved ones nearby. It also means giving gifts to the loved ones in your life. If those folks are gamers, let me be frank with you: Don’t buy them video games! That may sound ridiculous, but they likely bought the game they wanted the day it came out, so they don’t really need it as a gift. So surprise them by getting lovely toys, books, statues and more based on their favorite games.

We’ve chosen gifts in three different price ranges, from stocking stuffers all the way to big-ticket items. And if the gamer in your life enjoys other digital entertainment, check out our TV and Movies guides!

Under $50: Gifts for Casual Fans

Fallout 4 Coin Bank

Price: $18 / £23

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If the Fallout franchise has taught us anything, it’s that you need to prepare for the apocalypse. A great way to start is by collecting your spare change (or bottle caps) in a bank in the shape of the series’ iconic helmet. Buy here.

Five Nights at Freddy’s Freddy Fazbear Pizza Kit

Price: $25 / Not Available in UK Yet

Sure in the dark the robotic killers make a pizza restaurant seem terrifying. But let’s remember the good old days before the events of Five Nights at Freddy’s with this kit straight from Freddy Fazbear’s place. In one package you get a unique pan, pizza cutter, apron, and pizza box (you gotta supply the pizza yourself). A great gift for the fan of jump scares in your life. Buy here.

The Original Pokémon Pin Set

Price: $26 / £26

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Pokémon have starred in some of the best 3DS games ever, along with the inescapable app Pokémon Go. If you know someone who has been chasing all the first generation of Pokémon on their phone for the last six months, they’ll appreciate this exclusive pin set. You’ll not only get your hands on the original three starters, but Pikachu as well. Buy here.

Funko Titanfall 2: Jack and BT

Price: $35 / £51

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Titanfall 2 is the story of two soldiers deep behind enemy lines, trying to prevent doomsday. It just happens that one of those soldiers is a giant robot that you can ride around inside of. And that duo has never looked cuter than as this toy combo from Funko. Buy here.

Pixel Pals LED Lights

Price:  $20 / £25

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Why choose between getting someone a statue or a new desk lamp when you can get both in these retro packages? Pixel Pals are a new series of battery-powered lights that look like the 8-bit sprites of old, starting with icons like Mario, Mega Man, and Fallout’s Pip-Boy. Buy here.

$50-$100: Gifts for Superfans

Play Arts Batman: Arkham Knight Figure

Price: $80 / £88

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When it comes to action figures, few make them better than Japan’s Play Arts. That goes for Batman as well, who has rarely looked better in plastic than in this Batman: Arkham Knight recreation. Sure, this Dark Knight is about four times the price of a normal Batman figure, but that’s fine because it’s four times better than the rest. Buy here.

NES Classic Edition Console

Price: $60 / £50

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We barely even need to tell you about the NES Classic, because this is one of the most popular (and hard to find) toys at the moment. Hopefully, more consoles will be released, or else you’ll be paying a whole lot more than $60 to play these 30 NES originalsBuy here (maybe).

Emily’s Imperial Signet Ring From Dishonored 2

Price: $115 / £150

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Dishonored 2 is the talk of the town with fall games (just read our review). And if you’re loving playing as Emily in the FPS, then maybe you’ll want to duplicate her sense of style with this jewelry. Just pretend that this silver ring was a gift from your own Royal Protector. Buy here.

Snorlax Bean Bag Chair

Price: $114 / £151

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Snorlax is one of the most beloved of the first generation of Pokémon. He’s always been this big, cuddly monster, and now you can actually go to sleep on top of the big beast. It’s certainly not cheap, but it’s an incredible gift for kids and adults alike. Buy here.

Mega Man Buster Replica

Price: $80 / £90

If you’re the type of person looking for the nostalgia of the NES Classic console, then you might also enjoy playing Mega Man in real life. This high-quality replica of Mega Man’s weapon of choice lights up and fits comfortably over the hands of people who love the Blue Bomber. Buy here.

$200 and Up: Gifts for the Extreme Fan

Lucky Cat Mario Statue

Price: $225 / £185

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Nintendo added Cat Mario to Super Mario 3D World; it was partially inspired by a love for the traditional Lucky Cat statues. This pricey bust follows through on that influence by transforming Mario into the coin-holding Lucky Cat. Of course, it’ll also cost you a big gold coin to afford this statue. Buy here.

LEGO Minecraft: The Village Set

Price: $200 / £300

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Seems like the entire planet fell in love with Minecraft‘s blocky world-building gameplay. It’s so big that the grandaddy of block building, LEGO, has gotten in on the fun with a series of Minecraft sets. If you’re going to give one to the Minecraft player in your life, you’ve got to go all out with the biggest version there is: The Village Set. Buy here.

Super Sonic Statue

Price: $230 / £222

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Sonic the Hedgehog‘s fans are about as hardcore as they get. If you’ve got one as a secret Santa recipient, they won’t just settle for the usual toys or t-shirts. They’ll want a hefty statue of Sonic at his most super-powered. That’s why you’ll want to grab this Super Sonic statue by First 4 Figures. He’s 12 pounds of Chaos Gem-infused fury. Buy here.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade Toys

Price:  Over $200 / £275

SDCC 2016 Exclusive Video Games

There are literally thousands of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toys out there to choose from, but for gamers of a certain age, the arcade original is the pinnacle of TMNT. And it wasn’t until this year that the arcade versions of the Turtles got their own figures from NECA. This set colors them to look like their retro game counterparts, and while it was originally sold exclusively at Comic-Con, it’s available online from certain resellers. Buy here.

Simon Belmont Castlevania Statue

Price: $400 / £328

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It’s not easy being a Castlevania fan these days. There are no games on the horizon and its best developers have left the franchise. Ease the pain of the Castlevania lover in your life with this massive, rare statue recreation of the series’ first hero. Perhaps looking at Simon Belmont will ease some of the pain. Buy here.

Featured Sponsored Product:

Samsung Gear VR

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Virtual reality is all the rage this holiday season and the Samsung Gear VR is your easy entry point into that world. Just plug in a compatible phone, download some apps, and enter into a world of 360° visuals. Buy here.

Henry Gilbert
Henry Gilbert is Senior Games Editor at Fandom. He's worked in the gaming press since 2008, writing for sites as diverse as GamesRadar, IGN, and Paste Magazine. He's also been known to record a podcast or two with Laser Time. Follow him on Twitter @henereyg.