Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
Perfect Gifts For RPG Fans
Looking for that perfect gift to get a fellow role-playing gamer? How about ideas for your own holiday list to give friends and family? I searched for some not-so-obvious gift choices that cater to RPG fans really invested in specific series. Today, we’ll look at gift ideas for franchise fans of Persona, Kingdom Hearts, Mass Effect, Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and World of Warcraft. What better way to spend Black Friday than to find more gifts to buy?
Persona Fan
Don’t know what to get the Persona fan who likes to reach out for the truth? This year, you’re in luck, as there’s some great options for those who have come to love the series, especially the characters.
Persona 4: The Animation Collection 1: For those who don’t know, Persona 4 now has an anime incarnation, appropriately titled Persona 4: The Animation. Right now only the first volume is available, but in a surprising turn of events, the Blu-ray edition is actually cheaper on Amazon.com than the DVD version. The anime follows Persona 4’s plotline, but fleshes out some characters more than the game.
Persona 3 and 4 T-shirts: Of course, you can never go wrong with a t-shirt, and surprisingly enough, if you’re willing to look on the internet, plenty of t-shirts options are available so you can don the lore. Sanshee.com has its very own “Every Day’s Great At Your Junes,” shirt and sweatshirt. But Persona 3 fans should look to Redbubble.com for a wide variety of shirts featuring just about every character (along with Persona 4 ones). Some of my favorites are the Persona 3 FES shirt, featuring 3’s iconic main character and persona. Another cool shirt features our favorite robot girl Aigis.
Collectable Figures: We’re hardly done here; the Persona-verse also has many figurines, including this Persona 4 Chie and Yukiko set that’s releasing in December in time for the holidays. Individual figures also make their mark with Yukiko – complete with her silly joke glasses. Old-school Persona 2 fans will probably revel in being able to own a Lisa Silverman figure; the figure isn’t cheap, but it’s not something you see on the store shelf everyday.
Persona 4 Golden Soundtrack: And if you the person you’re buying for is more into the addictive J-pop music of the franchise, the Persona 4 Golden soundtrack won’t steer you wrong. The soundtrack has 15 tracks and all are new compositions or arranged tracks from the PS2 release.
Kingdom Hearts Fan
Don’t want to depend on Hot Topic to get your Kingdom Hearts gifts? We have some choices that you won’t see everybody else with.
Heartless Cosplay Hat: This hat is awesome. Spoiler: I have my own. Right now, your best chance to get it is from reputable Amazon seller Anime Santa. The hat is a fun, inexpensive gift that’s sure to get any Kingdom Hearts fan smiling, and then you get to laugh as they wear it around.
Riku and Sora Shirts: Redbubble has some awesome and unique Kingdom Hearts gear. Are you a Riku fan? Maybe you like Sora more, in that case check out this shirt. The store is filled with Kingdom Hearts shirts, but I liked the simple and clean (see what I did there?) design of the Sora and Riku shirts best.
Kingdom Hearts 10th Anniversary Fan Selection - Melodies & Memories CD: This compilation CD is pretty special. It was put out not only to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Kingdom Hearts, but Square Enix also let fans dictate the most memorable pieces from the series through a poll. The result is a fantastic mix all fans can share.
Kingdom Hearts Organization XIII Jacket: SixOnClothing has an etsy shop where they sell handmade, casual cosplay wear, but nothing could be a bigger gift to Kingdom Hearts fans than an Organization XIII hoodie. Will you accept the darkness? Better act quickly: only one is available.
Mass Effect Fan
Commander Shepard’s journey may be over, but the legacy will never die. The amount of memorabilia out there to remind people of Shepard and her crew’s journey is remarkable.
Commemorative Figures: A trip to the BioWare store gets you access to fan-favorite Garrus Vakarian standing in style. The store also offers Commander Shepard posing with the infamous omni blade; unfortunately, it’s just male Shep, but a fem Shep figure is coming in February.
Mimobot Flash Drives: The mimobot flash drives at BioWare’s store are absolutely adorable, especially the Liara one. The time has come to save your files in style.
Wrex, Garrus, and Mordin Shirts: The t-shirts are usually what being a Mass Effect fan is all about, and I find the more obscure, the better. Redbubble once again proves it has shirts that are unlike any others out there. Wrex and Garrus fans are sure to get a kick out of this “Turiansosaurus Wrex” shirt with an image of the two buddies teaming up in combat. The fan in me also couldn’t help but get excited about this Solus M.D. shirt. But for those looking for a more obscure reference that only Mass Effects fans will get, this Archangel symbol shirt is hard to top.
Keep reading for gifts for your Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, and World of Warcraft loved ones.
Dragon Quest Fan
Dragon Quest may have never garnered the popularity here that it does in Japan, but that doesn’t mean that die-hard fans aren’t waiting to indulge in all things slime. Thankfully, many shops will import some pretty cool gifts.
Dragon Quest 25 Anniversary Helmet: Nothing quite tops this helmet from HobbyLink Japan. It makes you feel like you’ve snatched something straight out of the Dragon Quest world.
Dragon Quest Figure - Legend Armor Returns Equipment of Sky: In December, this awesome Dragon Quest hero figurine is available; there’s a reason it’s called “legend armor.”
Dragon Quest Dairy Queen Shirt: Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, Redbubble delivers the shirt we’ve all been waiting for: making the DQ in Dragon Quest resemble Dairy Queen. I always knew those slimes would make perfect ice cream.
Slime Earrings: Speaking of slime, the female Dragon Quest fan is sure to get a kick out of these earrings from Lickety Cut’s Laser Cut Acrylic Jewelry.
Stuffed Smile Slime Cushion: We’re still not over this slime lovefest, in December HobbyLink Japan is also offering this stuffed smile slime cushion, because three slimes are always better than one.
Final Fantasy
Does the person you’re buying gifts for prefer moogles to slimes? Luckily, Square Enix has licensed products aplenty, including figurines, t-shirts, and even game consoles.
Final Fantasy Trading Arts Kai Mini Figures: Loved ones love stacking their desk or shelves with figurines? The Final Fantasy Trading Arts Kai Mini line already has some great chibi artwork – including menus. The Lightning figurine is one of the cutest available, although it’s tough to argue with a Tifa figure that comes with a miniature Red-XIII. Tidus is also up for grabs, if he’s your favorite.
Play Arts Kai Serah Figurine: Realism more the style of choice? The Kai set of figurines also features Serah from this year’s Final Fantasy XIII-2, complete with her Mog-bow.
PlayStation 3 Slim Lightning Special Edition Bundle: If you’ve got money to burn, a new PlayStation 3 might be in the cards for the giftee, and this Lightning-themed PlayStation 3 console is quite badass. Don’t worry about this unit rejecting your favorite games – the PS3 is region free and your U.S. Blu-rays will even work in Japanese consoles.
Final Fantasy 25th Memorial Ultimania: For the hardcore Final Fantasy fan, the Final Fantasy 25th Memorial Ultimania is a great fit, featuring a metric boatload of artwork from the series’ first six entries in Volume 1, the PSone iterations in Volume 2, and X onward in Volume 3. It might be tough to get these into North America before Christmas, though – these aren’t available until December 18, so quick international shipping is a must.
World of Warcraft Fan
World of Warcraft players already sink hundreds of dollars into their habit - so what’s another gift? Luckily, Blizzard has plenty of venues to get your favorite MMORPG addict something from Azeroth.
FigurePrints: Although they’ve been around for years, FigurePrints still give a great bang for the buck. Bring World of Warcraft characters into the real world with complex, 3D-printed models based on an in-game character. Anyone in the World of Warcraft Armory can be modeled, equipment and all. Plus, you can set your loved one up in gear they don’t even have – even the Warglaives of Azzinoth. What a lovely thought!
Mega Bloks World of Warcraft: If building things in a 3D printer doesn’t do it, why not build something from the ground up? Mega Bloks holds the World of Warcraft license, and they’ve put together full-on battle scenes, including Deathwing’s assault on Stormwind. With a handful of figures, including Varian Wrynn, there’s even a chance for loot with randomized weapons in every box.
Mount/Pet: If they’re not coming out of the world of Azeroth anytime soon, though, it might behoove you to give them a mount or pet. Especially with Pandaria’s addition of pet battling, who wouldn’t want to have a Pandaren Monk that sends a tiny Pandaren Monk into battle?
Which of these gift options do you find the most tantalizing?
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
