Well. Another Christmas, another year of stress, later leading to total bankruptcy because of the expensive PS4 you bought for your children, and you’ll be forced to starve while your parents work multiple jobs just to get by. What a magical time of year. So, naturally, whenever this time of year comes up, I play every video game I can find and look over at all of the Christmas themed levels in it. Weather it is a huge mound of Christmas with lights and ribbons, or if it’s a small mound of snow, Christmas is always a nice thing to see in video games. So, today, I want to share with you all my personal favorite Christmas levels in video games. Rules, as usual. Only one game per franchise, and only ones that I have played. So, with all that said, let us start the list.
#10: Turnabout Goodbyes from Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney
Yep, that’s right. The last trial in the game, where Miles Edgeworth is framed for murder, tensions are high, Manfred acts like a total jerk throughout the trial, Phoenix has no chance at finding the evidence he needs, and has resorted to cross examining a damn parrot just to figure out something about some crazy boat renter. So, with all of that insanity, it makes you wonder. What in the hell does any of this have to do with Christmas? Well, the crime takes place on December 25th. They also mention that it is Christmas several times, with the real killer saying Merry Christmas, and the DJ on the radio that Larry was listening to on the night of the murder points out that it is ten minutes until Christmas (Remember, it’s Ace Attorney. The smallest evidence can be very effective). So, yeah. Even though it has practically nothing to do about Christmas, I am still including it on this list. Next!
#9: Snowman’s Land from Super Mario 64
This may be a bit more of a snow level rather than a Christmas level. I mean, January and February also have snow, but every time I play through Snowman’s Land, it just feels like Christmas. With Cool Cool Mountain, it just feels like a giant snowy mountain, and not much of Christmas. But with Snowman’s Land, it, to me, feels so much like Christmas in a way. The huge snowy ground, with an igloo you can go into, a frozen lake, a large ice platform you can battle a Bully on top of, and of course, the one that sticks out of them all, the giant snowman that you need to scale in order to get the Star on top, which can blow you off if you don’t hide behind the giant penguin. just looking up at the snowman in first person mode is incredible to me, and I can never get tired of looking up to remember that I have to climb to the top of that thing for a star. Yeah, it may not look like Christmas, but it definitely has the Christmas feeling.
#8: Festive Pack from Minecraft
This may not count as a level, per say, but hey, it’s Christmas. And it’s in a video game. So that’s good enough for me. This has so much to do with Christmas, with the skins including Santa, Rudolph, an elf, a snowman, a zombie covered in figgy pudding, a Creeper in a Santa hat, a walking present, a walking tree, a gingerbread man, Scrooge from A Christmas Carol, and a bunch of ugly sweaters, just like Christmas. There are also the dozens of new building equipment you get around this time, such as a nice log cabin, a giant tree, an ice cave, a snowy landscape, and you can make it snow. And who doesn’t like snow? (Anyone who has to drive an hour to work, that’s who). It’s so Christmas themed, that the sun has turned into a giant snowflake. What’s not to love about that. Yes, I know, it’s no level. But damn it, it’s Christmas. And I want Christmas. And THIS HERE is Christmas.
#7: Snow Land from Kirby’s Epic Yarn
Don’t worry. After this, there won’t be anymore snow levels. Still though, this level feels even more like a Christmas level. Snow Land is the sixth world in the game, and it definitely has more of a Christmas feeling to me. The levels consist of a large snowy plain where Weedle Dees throw snowballs, a small little cabin in the snow, a large slippery mountain with pine trees, a frozen land that Kirby has to skate across, and then there’s the last level of Snow Land, Evergreen Lift, where Kirby has to climb the top of a giant Christmas tree to reach the star at the top. The treasures here are also Christmas related, such as wreaths and trees, and the music… OH THE MUSIC. This is easily my favorite song from the games soundtrack. It definitely has that Christmas feeling to it, and I love it so much. Sure, it starts slow, but when it gets to the Christmas stuff, it is just amazing.
#6: You Better Watch Out from Hitman: Blood Money
We sure did talk about a bunch of light hearted games like Mario and Kirby, so let’s talk about a Christmas level from a game where you assassinate people. Agent 47 is asked to assassinate Lorne de Havilland, who has footage of Senator Bingham’s son murdering a woman and plans to show it to the people, so Agent 47 is tasked to get the footage and assassinate the target… with a Christmas theme. Like any Hitman game, you are able to hide yourself by donning disguises and striking at the target when the time is right. In this mission, however, you are actually able to dress Agent 47 as Santa Clause. Now I can finally play a game where I shoot a man out of a jacuzzi that is 70 feet about a rocky mountain dressed as Santa. Who would have thought. The level is filled with Christmas decorations, holiday music, and girls dressed in the shortest elf skirts I’ve ever seen… well, this is a party in a Hitman game, so I am not to surprised. However, don’t let the Christmas theme fool you. There is still the chance you you getting attacked by the assassin that is after Agent 47. But, let me tell you, nothing, not even nearly getting murdered, is going to keep me from enjoying this level.
#5: Totally Scrooged from Gex 3: Enter the Gecko
For those of you who haven’t heard of this level…. I wouldn’t be surprised. Still, it’s a good Christmas level. You start off in a little snowy land, where the North Pole has been torn apart by evil elves and a huge Evil Santa mini-boss, who throws presents at you so hard, they can kill you. Yeah, imagine that. However, that’s not all this level has. You are also able to enter the small houses inside to find health or Remotes, and you are also able to explore more than just this little area. Some other places include a large snowy bridge where you can save a dinosaur character (I don’t get it either), a small lake where you can jump across icebergs, and a hill where you can sled down to the bottom while fighting evil elves who try to knock you off. Yeah, it definitely lacks that whole Christmas feeling, but hey, I see trees, I see candy canes, I even see Santa, so it still counts in my book.
#4: Gotham City from Batman: Arkham Origins
Yes, I know, the online mode is terrible, and this is nowhere near as great as Arkham City, but, at least it’s not Batman and Robin… so with that movie in your mind, try to avoid getting mad for this entry while I talk about it. I didn’t know where they were going when I put this game in, but the last thing I expected was that they would actually make it Christmas time around here. Throughout the game, you can see Christmas EVERYWHERE! There are huge wreaths strung across the bridges, there is a giant Christmas tree in the middle of town, one of the thugs acts like Santa, and even Alfred tries to keep Bruce Wayne home for Christmas, despite the fact that Black Mask has a bunch of assassins looking for Batman to kill him, including Deathstroke. So naturally, just sitting around isn’t the best idea. Yeah, Arkham Origins isn’t the best in the series, but hey… Could be Dark Tomorrow.
#3: Freezeezy Peak from Banjo-Kazooie
Oh man, does this place feel like Christmas. Freezeezy Peak is the fifth world you enter in Banjo-Kazooie. And when you see that giant snowman for the first time, the first thing that pops up into your mind (Or at least mine) is Christmas. The entire level, even the music for it, is all just a bunch of Christmas themes. From the tree, to the igloo, to the snowy landscape. It just screams Christmas and I love it. There are many interesting places to go, like the Snowman, as stated earlier, Boggy’s igloo, the Ice Key in the cave, and village is a nice looking place too. There are some Jiggies to get here as well, by beating Boggy in a sledding race (Twice), get the Twinkles into the tree, turn into a walrus and talk to Wozza, beat Sir Slush, knock the buttons off of the snowman, find christmas presents, and jump into the snowman's pipe to find a Jiggie. This place is just incredible. There sure were a lot of N64 games with a lot of Christmas levels.
#2: Christmas Is Here from Bully
Christmas is supposed to be one of the happiest times of the year. Not for Jimmy though, that’s for sure. When Christmas rolls around, all it is is embarrassment and manual labor. It all starts with Jimmy having to pick up a present that his mother sent him, which is none other than an ugly sweater, which, once he puts it on, everyone laughs at him, and you’ll have to endure it for the entire day. After which, you’ll have to go on stage to be in the kids play of the Nutcracker under the threat that if you refuse, you will fail Music class. And if that wasn’t bad enough, after that, you have to help some homeless Santa make money from kids by finding thrown out Christmas decorations and bringing it to him to bring children, while being chased by two elves and a dog (Don’t ask me). Yeah, it’s far from having all the Christmas cheer, but what can I say. I really like Bully.
#1: Toy Day from Animal Crossing
Of course I was going to include this one in here. It just had to be Animal Crossing. You gotta wait for Christmas in reality, and you gotta wait for it here in Animal Crossing as well. But, that isn’t what makes it number one. No, there are a LOT more reasons that make it number one on this list. What I like about it is how it really IS Christmas. No climbing up snowmen, no walking through a snowy field, no beating up criminals, no defending people in court, no murdering a guy because he’s blackmailing a political figure. No, this is straight up Christmas. In the original Animal Crossing game, Jingle would reward you with a present every time you found him, while delivering presents to the other villagers. In City Folk, he would give you a present for each different pair of clothing you had. And in New Leaf, he just got incredibly lazy and asks you to deliver the presents and instead of getting five or as many as you want, you get one….. New Leaf’s one isn’t all that good, really. But, who cares, it still has the Christmas feeling, it still has the wonderful moments that Christmas brings, and it still gives you that warm feeling you get every year. And that’s why Toy Day is number one.
So, there you have it. Did you enjoy the list? Tell me what you thought of it. With that said, I will see you all next time.
#10: Turnabout Goodbyes from Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney
Yep, that’s right. The last trial in the game, where Miles Edgeworth is framed for murder, tensions are high, Manfred acts like a total jerk throughout the trial, Phoenix has no chance at finding the evidence he needs, and has resorted to cross examining a damn parrot just to figure out something about some crazy boat renter. So, with all of that insanity, it makes you wonder. What in the hell does any of this have to do with Christmas? Well, the crime takes place on December 25th. They also mention that it is Christmas several times, with the real killer saying Merry Christmas, and the DJ on the radio that Larry was listening to on the night of the murder points out that it is ten minutes until Christmas (Remember, it’s Ace Attorney. The smallest evidence can be very effective). So, yeah. Even though it has practically nothing to do about Christmas, I am still including it on this list. Next!
#9: Snowman’s Land from Super Mario 64
This may be a bit more of a snow level rather than a Christmas level. I mean, January and February also have snow, but every time I play through Snowman’s Land, it just feels like Christmas. With Cool Cool Mountain, it just feels like a giant snowy mountain, and not much of Christmas. But with Snowman’s Land, it, to me, feels so much like Christmas in a way. The huge snowy ground, with an igloo you can go into, a frozen lake, a large ice platform you can battle a Bully on top of, and of course, the one that sticks out of them all, the giant snowman that you need to scale in order to get the Star on top, which can blow you off if you don’t hide behind the giant penguin. just looking up at the snowman in first person mode is incredible to me, and I can never get tired of looking up to remember that I have to climb to the top of that thing for a star. Yeah, it may not look like Christmas, but it definitely has the Christmas feeling.
#8: Festive Pack from Minecraft
This may not count as a level, per say, but hey, it’s Christmas. And it’s in a video game. So that’s good enough for me. This has so much to do with Christmas, with the skins including Santa, Rudolph, an elf, a snowman, a zombie covered in figgy pudding, a Creeper in a Santa hat, a walking present, a walking tree, a gingerbread man, Scrooge from A Christmas Carol, and a bunch of ugly sweaters, just like Christmas. There are also the dozens of new building equipment you get around this time, such as a nice log cabin, a giant tree, an ice cave, a snowy landscape, and you can make it snow. And who doesn’t like snow? (Anyone who has to drive an hour to work, that’s who). It’s so Christmas themed, that the sun has turned into a giant snowflake. What’s not to love about that. Yes, I know, it’s no level. But damn it, it’s Christmas. And I want Christmas. And THIS HERE is Christmas.
#7: Snow Land from Kirby’s Epic Yarn
Don’t worry. After this, there won’t be anymore snow levels. Still though, this level feels even more like a Christmas level. Snow Land is the sixth world in the game, and it definitely has more of a Christmas feeling to me. The levels consist of a large snowy plain where Weedle Dees throw snowballs, a small little cabin in the snow, a large slippery mountain with pine trees, a frozen land that Kirby has to skate across, and then there’s the last level of Snow Land, Evergreen Lift, where Kirby has to climb the top of a giant Christmas tree to reach the star at the top. The treasures here are also Christmas related, such as wreaths and trees, and the music… OH THE MUSIC. This is easily my favorite song from the games soundtrack. It definitely has that Christmas feeling to it, and I love it so much. Sure, it starts slow, but when it gets to the Christmas stuff, it is just amazing.
#6: You Better Watch Out from Hitman: Blood Money
We sure did talk about a bunch of light hearted games like Mario and Kirby, so let’s talk about a Christmas level from a game where you assassinate people. Agent 47 is asked to assassinate Lorne de Havilland, who has footage of Senator Bingham’s son murdering a woman and plans to show it to the people, so Agent 47 is tasked to get the footage and assassinate the target… with a Christmas theme. Like any Hitman game, you are able to hide yourself by donning disguises and striking at the target when the time is right. In this mission, however, you are actually able to dress Agent 47 as Santa Clause. Now I can finally play a game where I shoot a man out of a jacuzzi that is 70 feet about a rocky mountain dressed as Santa. Who would have thought. The level is filled with Christmas decorations, holiday music, and girls dressed in the shortest elf skirts I’ve ever seen… well, this is a party in a Hitman game, so I am not to surprised. However, don’t let the Christmas theme fool you. There is still the chance you you getting attacked by the assassin that is after Agent 47. But, let me tell you, nothing, not even nearly getting murdered, is going to keep me from enjoying this level.
#5: Totally Scrooged from Gex 3: Enter the Gecko
For those of you who haven’t heard of this level…. I wouldn’t be surprised. Still, it’s a good Christmas level. You start off in a little snowy land, where the North Pole has been torn apart by evil elves and a huge Evil Santa mini-boss, who throws presents at you so hard, they can kill you. Yeah, imagine that. However, that’s not all this level has. You are also able to enter the small houses inside to find health or Remotes, and you are also able to explore more than just this little area. Some other places include a large snowy bridge where you can save a dinosaur character (I don’t get it either), a small lake where you can jump across icebergs, and a hill where you can sled down to the bottom while fighting evil elves who try to knock you off. Yeah, it definitely lacks that whole Christmas feeling, but hey, I see trees, I see candy canes, I even see Santa, so it still counts in my book.
#4: Gotham City from Batman: Arkham Origins
Yes, I know, the online mode is terrible, and this is nowhere near as great as Arkham City, but, at least it’s not Batman and Robin… so with that movie in your mind, try to avoid getting mad for this entry while I talk about it. I didn’t know where they were going when I put this game in, but the last thing I expected was that they would actually make it Christmas time around here. Throughout the game, you can see Christmas EVERYWHERE! There are huge wreaths strung across the bridges, there is a giant Christmas tree in the middle of town, one of the thugs acts like Santa, and even Alfred tries to keep Bruce Wayne home for Christmas, despite the fact that Black Mask has a bunch of assassins looking for Batman to kill him, including Deathstroke. So naturally, just sitting around isn’t the best idea. Yeah, Arkham Origins isn’t the best in the series, but hey… Could be Dark Tomorrow.
#3: Freezeezy Peak from Banjo-Kazooie
Oh man, does this place feel like Christmas. Freezeezy Peak is the fifth world you enter in Banjo-Kazooie. And when you see that giant snowman for the first time, the first thing that pops up into your mind (Or at least mine) is Christmas. The entire level, even the music for it, is all just a bunch of Christmas themes. From the tree, to the igloo, to the snowy landscape. It just screams Christmas and I love it. There are many interesting places to go, like the Snowman, as stated earlier, Boggy’s igloo, the Ice Key in the cave, and village is a nice looking place too. There are some Jiggies to get here as well, by beating Boggy in a sledding race (Twice), get the Twinkles into the tree, turn into a walrus and talk to Wozza, beat Sir Slush, knock the buttons off of the snowman, find christmas presents, and jump into the snowman's pipe to find a Jiggie. This place is just incredible. There sure were a lot of N64 games with a lot of Christmas levels.
#2: Christmas Is Here from Bully
Christmas is supposed to be one of the happiest times of the year. Not for Jimmy though, that’s for sure. When Christmas rolls around, all it is is embarrassment and manual labor. It all starts with Jimmy having to pick up a present that his mother sent him, which is none other than an ugly sweater, which, once he puts it on, everyone laughs at him, and you’ll have to endure it for the entire day. After which, you’ll have to go on stage to be in the kids play of the Nutcracker under the threat that if you refuse, you will fail Music class. And if that wasn’t bad enough, after that, you have to help some homeless Santa make money from kids by finding thrown out Christmas decorations and bringing it to him to bring children, while being chased by two elves and a dog (Don’t ask me). Yeah, it’s far from having all the Christmas cheer, but what can I say. I really like Bully.
#1: Toy Day from Animal Crossing
Of course I was going to include this one in here. It just had to be Animal Crossing. You gotta wait for Christmas in reality, and you gotta wait for it here in Animal Crossing as well. But, that isn’t what makes it number one. No, there are a LOT more reasons that make it number one on this list. What I like about it is how it really IS Christmas. No climbing up snowmen, no walking through a snowy field, no beating up criminals, no defending people in court, no murdering a guy because he’s blackmailing a political figure. No, this is straight up Christmas. In the original Animal Crossing game, Jingle would reward you with a present every time you found him, while delivering presents to the other villagers. In City Folk, he would give you a present for each different pair of clothing you had. And in New Leaf, he just got incredibly lazy and asks you to deliver the presents and instead of getting five or as many as you want, you get one….. New Leaf’s one isn’t all that good, really. But, who cares, it still has the Christmas feeling, it still has the wonderful moments that Christmas brings, and it still gives you that warm feeling you get every year. And that’s why Toy Day is number one.
So, there you have it. Did you enjoy the list? Tell me what you thought of it. With that said, I will see you all next time.