Retro Scan of the Week: Christmas 1983 Challenge

December 18th, 2006 by Benj Edwards

Straight from the cover of the December 1983 issue of Electronic Games comes this bountiful bunch of Christmas game goodies. There’s lots of stuff crammed in here — video game cartridge “multiplexers,” joysticks and joystick accessories, a classic Commodore monitor, a special video game desk, an infamous robot, and even some handheld Nintendo products!

So, how many products in this picture can you name?

Whomever names the most specific product models that appear in the picture above gets to be VC&G’s 2006 Game Elf of the Year!

Ok, so I just made that up. Still, give it your best shot in the comments below. Now, on to our next item:

The two-page scan above is from EG’s 1983 Christmas gift guide, in the same issue as the fist scan. You’ll find lots of goodies here as well, but most are a repeat from the cover.

I actually own the ancient LaserDisc player featured on this page (lower left). My unit was manufactured in April 1981 and its operational laser is as big as a large can of spray paint! It’s cool though; I’m planning on building a laser cannon out of it when I get the time. Funnily enough, the equivalent laser these days is probably about half the size of your (yes, I’m talking to you, Gordo!) thumb.

[ Special thanks to McPhail Hunt for donating this issue. ]

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This entry was posted on Monday, December 18th, 2006 at 7:00 am and is filed under Gaming History, Humor, Retro Scan of the Week. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

10 Responses to “Retro Scan of the Week: Christmas 1983 Challenge”

1. Bruce Anderson Says:
   December 18th, 2006 at 1:06 pm

   Oh god, I used to have that issue. I wish I still did, but I threw out all my old magazines when I moved to California. D’oh!

2. KitsuneDarkStalker Says:
   December 19th, 2006 at 10:50 pm

   T.O.P.O! That’s my favorite home robot!!!

3. kyle Says:
   December 21st, 2006 at 1:32 pm

   what is that?……is that…cocaine??

4. RedWolf Says:
   December 22nd, 2006 at 12:04 pm

   Well Kitsune, unless someone else answers soon, you’ve going to be VC&G’s 2006 Game Elf of the Year!

5. kyle Says:
   December 22nd, 2006 at 2:56 pm

   theses an ol’ stick station, a mario bros tabletop game, and is that an atari 2600?? , a video plexer….wow, and it looks like a ms pacman speak and spell…lol

6. David Says:
   January 10th, 2007 at 2:32 pm

   Yes I do believe that is cocaine. That’s the 80’s. Snorting cocaine while playing atari 2600.

7. JeriC Says:
   March 23rd, 2007 at 5:49 pm

   I remember, I had the same commodore video monitor.

8. Keith Says:
   June 6th, 2008 at 2:41 pm

   oh man I had that issue too. this site is a trip!

9. Chris Jester Says:
   March 4th, 2013 at 3:06 pm

   I own a Topo with the Ir controller for an Apple II.

10. Mr Slamm Says:
    December 21st, 2013 at 12:35 am

    I have that issue, bought new, and still with me today in storage! I was an Apple II owner and gamer…and student. In that issue are the Coleco battery operated miniature coin ops I wanted to collect, I had at least two that I remember. Frogger and Ms Pacman. Also was a lust worthy photo of the actual Q*Bert coinop I wanted, oh, so bad!

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