The Oregon Trail Handheld Game

If you remember the Oregon Trail from school computer lab days, this Basic Fun handheld plays the 80s-style game with authentic graphics and sounds, based on the original computer game. You get the retro gameplay you remember in a small handheld, and three AA batteries are included, so you can start the trail as soon as you unwrap it.

The real appeal is as a nostalgia gift. Hand it to someone who spent a school year watching their wagon party die of dysentery, and watch them go quiet for a second before they start narrating their own bad luck. The sounds and graphics aim for that 1980s feel rather than modern polish, which is the point. It also works for passing the game to a kid who has only heard about it, since it is listed for ages 8 and up.

The drawback is that it is built around this one game. If you want a varied library or something to keep playing beyond the trail, this will feel thin.