Retro gaming is alive and well. In fact, it looks like business is booming, so might as well cash in on every imaginable merchandising tie-in you can grab onto. Since folks who revere Nintendo’s classic eight-bit console probably won’t mind looking like the aforementioned eight-bit console, the outfit is releasing the NES Classic Hoodie.
That’s right, you can now dress yourself in a hoodie that resembles the fairings of the 80s-era NES Classic, so you can play with your mini-NES while looking exactly like it. No, it won’t make the games any more interesting, more challenging, or more entertaining than they are, but it will show the world (or whoever else is in your living room) that you’re a true retro gaming die-hard at the next level of your personal evolution. Or something.
The NES Classic Hoodie is an officially-licensed garment, so you can wear it with pride, knowing full well it comes with Nintendo’s blessing. It sports the retro console’s original graytone color pallet, complete with some defining details, so no one will mistake it for anything other than a hoodie clone of the legendary console. Well, some folks will probably call it a video game spacesuit or something, although we have a feeling the large Nintendo Entertainment System stitching will drive the point home.
If you’re curious about the defining details we’re talking about, we can do a short run down here. Check out, for instance, the sleeves of the hoodie, which comes with black and gray paneling reminiscent of the strip on the original NES, with the gray panel even looking like the vent openings of the game system. They even threw in reset and power buttons along the left hand pocket, ensuring even the densest dolts (you know, people like me) will recognize the retro reference. Sadly, pressing the buttons won’t actually do anything other than turn you into a dolt like me.
The NES Classic Hoodie comes in a trim fit that should wear nice and snug, so it should play nice with your outfits much like any contemporary sweatshirt in your closet. Both the cuffs and hem come ribbed for better grip and comfort, so the darn thing won’t be flopping while you run errands for the day. We know, it’s so much better wearing it when you’re just playing video games, but even retro gamers need to live like the rest of the world, too.
It has a full front zipper for revealing your Legend of Zelda t-shirt underneath (or your bare skinny fat torso, whichever the case may be), along with two hand pockets for stashing game cartridges you pick up at a surprisingly geeky flea market. Even the hood’s drawstrings come in the same gray and red pallet, making for a garment that unabashedly sports the original NES console’s colors. And, yes, the darn thing looks kickass when paired with the power glove, although we advise sticking to wearing that combo when you’re safely alone in your home.
Available for preorder with a September ship date, the NES Classic Hoodie is priced at $54.99.