Support NeoGAF

[VGEsoterica]

I can't believe it's December again and for the third year in a row I get to be an idiot and make a video discussing a different Die Hard video game and wax poetic about why Die Hard the movie and the video games are 100% Christmas experiences. Half because I grew up and my father insisted they were Christmas movies and half because it makes me laugh and have a good time. But in all seriousness you could do a LOT worse than playing Die Hard on the PC Engine. Super fun run and gun game and if you put Christmas music on in the background it really sells it.

But I am curious what everyone else plays at Christmas? Doesn't need to specifically be a Christmas themed game (obviously...I am playing Die Hard here) but I do love hearing all your responses and the stories behind them

And because it's December, I love presents and the world could use a little more December joy this year...I've got a spare sealed copy of Metroid Dread to giveaway. I could have sold or traded it...but that won't make me happy haha

 

[VGEsoterica]

Yippie Ki-yay!

 

[VGEsoterica]

 

[fart town usa]

I don't really have any Christmas themed games outside of Nights for the Sega Saturn and Die Hard Trilogy/Arcade, but I do really enjoy playing Xenoblade Chronicles X during winter, as well as Until Dawn and Super Mario 3D World. Breath of the Wild as well, last winter I played the bulk of it while walking on the treadmill, such a weird but memorable experience.

Die Hard 2 with the light gun is fun to revisit during the Winter. My mom and Step-Dad live in the town that has the Die Hard 2 airport runway. Whenever I visit and drive by that airport, I always think of Die Hard 2, ha.

 

[Kilau]

A game I love takes place at Christmas time:

Parasite Eve. Lots of Christmas spirit in this one.

Another that has some Christmas themes and I just love the use of colors and the dynamic music in the overworld is Diddy Kong Racing.

It's just a small section of the game but it does a great job setting the theme.

 

[fart town usa]

A game I love takes place at Christmas time:

Parasite Eve. Lots of Christmas spirit in this one.

Another that has some Christmas themes and I just love the use of colors and the dynamic music in the overworld is Diddy Kong Racing.

It's just a small section of the game but it does a great job setting the theme.

I always forget about Parasite Eve, I definitely need to revisit that. Third Birthday takes place during Christmas too (I think), can't remember if PE2 does.

 

[fart town usa]

Love the music in that level. Nintendo should have made a mode where you can just cruise around in the ice skate. So much fun.

 

[ManaByte]

Die Hard Arcade was the best Die Hard game.


People have fond memories of Die Hard Trilogy just because it was an early gen PSX/Saturn game, but it was SHIT.

 

[The Cockatrice]

Division 1 is nice to replay considering it has a very nice atmosphere, prolly one of the best, perfect for this time but I need my friends to play it and they're bored of it so this year I'll prolly skip it. Played it 3-4 times anyway.

 

[VGEsoterica]

I always forget about Parasite Eve, I definitely need to revisit that. Third Birthday takes place during Christmas too (I think), can't remember if PE2 does.

I forget about it too. I need to write it down for Xmas 2022!

 

[Fbh]

As a kid I always liked the North Pole level in Twisted Metal 3



(Man the visuals of this game don't hold up)

 

[ckaneo]

Dont have a Christmas game, but games I play during christmas are multiplayer couch co op games. Finally gonna play it takes two. Smash bros ultimate of course is a staple.

 

[SportsFan581]

Nothing says Christmas more than Agent 47.

Enjoyed both the Die Hard trilogies on PSX, don't think they hold up too good today though.

 

[Dream-Knife]

I don't have a Christmas game, but two years ago when Death Stranding came out I wore a Santa hat.

 

[Dane]

Die Hard Trilogy

 

[00_Zer0]

Christmas Nights into Dreams....a little slice of Christmas joy!

 

[ProgenitorCastle]

Bayonetta 2 the thread

 

[GymWolf]

I don't have a particular genre to play around christmas, but for example last year i played spidey morales around december and the game location is a sniwy new york on christmas so i guess it's nice when these coincidence happen.

We play tombola and card games (not magic the gathering type of card) during christmas usually.

 

[Nitty_Grimes]

Daze Before Christmas.

 

[00_Zer0]

Duke Nukem Nuclear Winter is not very good, but Christmas Village brings the retro Christmas feels.

 

[Zannegan]

Banjo Kazooie's Freezeezy Peak was pretty magical at Christmas time. The environment, the the challenges, and especially the music all just oozed winter wonderland.



Disclaimer: This is not my video, and I haven't watched all of it, so it may not be the best. At least they player doesn't talk, so you can hear the music.

 

[DevilMayFlyForAWhiteGuy]

Last week I went to check the latest update to Skyrim, and then I ended up starting another play through. Winter time seems to put me in the mood to play it. Since I live in New England it’s like being in a fantasy version of that so it’s somewhat nostalgic to me in a way.

 

[VGEsoterica]

Last week I went to check the latest update to Skyrim, and then I ended up starting another play through. Winter time seems to put me in the mood to play it. Since I live in New England it’s like being in a fantasy version of that so it’s somewhat nostalgic to me in a way.

Where in New England? I grew up in Vermont and still have family there

 

[John Bilbo]

Breath of the Wild has a chill atmosphere suitable for Christmas. Also I remember the chickens from CS:GO in Christmas season having Christmas sweaters.

 

[kingpotato]

People love to go on about how Die Hard is a Christmas movie, but I never hear people also bring up that Lethal Weapon is a Christmas movie.

 

[VGEsoterica]

People love to go on about how Die Hard is a Christmas movie, but I never hear people also bring up that Lethal Weapon is a Christmas movie.

Lethal Weapon is more of a life lesson movie where you realize that Roger Murtaugh was right all along...you need to learn in life "when you are too old for this shit"

A parting shot at the bar at 3 am before you go home? WWMD - "What Would Murtaugh Do"? If he is too old for this shit...maybe I am too!

 

[plushyp]

I play Skeal:

Skeal — Whymog

Skeal is not the game I want to stake my reputation on. It's a clunky, stupid single-joke game—and it's not even that funny of a joke. But it made people laugh, and some of those people told their friends. And then Rock, Paper, Shotgun wrote an article &n

www.whymog.net

 

[TexMex]

I don’t know why, but I play Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker and True Lies, both for Genesis, every holiday.

 

[anthony2690]

Christmas Nights into dreams, they gave it away free at Currys I believe when I was kid

 

[Rodolink]

A game I love takes place at Christmas time:

Parasite Eve. Lots of Christmas spirit in this one.

Another that has some Christmas themes and I just love the use of colors and the dynamic music in the overworld is Diddy Kong Racing.

It's just a small section of the game but it does a great job setting the theme.

aah those images brought me back to that Christmas i got the N64 with DKR good times

 

[Kuranghi]

Love the music in that level. Nintendo should have made a mode where you can just cruise around in the ice skate. So much fun.

I don't know whats wrong with my black heart but all the elements in isolation I love in this game but the whole package doesn't do it for me

I never played in co-op/MP though and I've just rebought it for Switch to play Bowser's Fury (Loving that!), but my niece is getting a Switch for Christmas so time to give MP a go with her and maybe my sister/brother-in-law. Should be more fun that way since it can be more about mini competitive challenges than me just scouring the levels and finding them kinda empty then running out of time lol.

 

[StateofMajora]

Nothing says christmas like a cup of cocoa by the fire and your n64.

 

[Strider Highwind]

During the holidays I typically load up a JRPG and just dive into it. My mom would be in the Kitchen cooking up a storm and I'd be in my room playing through the different Final Fantasy/Secret of Mana/Breath of Fire Games and so on..I dunno what it is or why but its been my thing since I was a kid lol.

so this year im finishing the second half of Eastward(Not a jrpg i know) and I've started SMTV also to keep it going.

 

[Lunarorbit]

During the holidays I typically load up a JRPG and just dive into it. My mom would be in the Kitchen cooking up a storm and I'd be in my room playing through the different Final Fantasy/Secret of Mana/Breath of Fire Games and so on..I dunno what it is or why but its been my thing since I was a kid lol.

so this year im finishing the second half of Eastward(Not a jrpg i know) and I've started SMTV also to keep it going.

How's smtV? Never played any of them and am looking for a more mature Rpg to play. I started xenoblade chronicles 2 yesterday and just can't take the kiddy feel.

I think of bioshock, mass effect games, and old school zelda when I play in the winter.

 

[UnNamed]

My is the original Need for Speed. Is it a Christmas game? No, but I played a lot during the Christmas days.

 

[coffinbirth]

As many others have said, Christmas Nights into Dreams was my jam for many years, and I still fire it up every few years for a little romp.

But the one from recent times I like to play around in is Dead Rising 4. It's Christmas themed, came out around the season (unwrapped it on Christmas) and the preorder came with a crazy mistletoe, haha.

 

[VGEsoterica]

My is the original Need for Speed. Is it a Christmas game? No, but I played a lot during the Christmas days.

That’s all it takes.

Every time I use my DOS machine I am transported back to the Christmas back in the day when I got a shiny new 486 DX 66 machine. DOS = memories of Christmas

 

[VGEsoterica]

During the holidays I typically load up a JRPG and just dive into it. My mom would be in the Kitchen cooking up a storm and I'd be in my room playing through the different Final Fantasy/Secret of Mana/Breath of Fire Games and so on..I dunno what it is or why but its been my thing since I was a kid lol.

so this year im finishing the second half of Eastward(Not a jrpg i know) and I've started SMTV also to keep it going.

Christmas break from school was always the optimal time for a long RPG. Just because it was cold and what the hell else were you gonna do?

 

[Warablo]

Can't really think of a Christmas game except for The Division 1. Bully with the changing seasons and holidays were fun too.

 

[OmegaSupreme]

I played the shit out of Home Alone on NES. I can't recall if I ever beat it but 8 year old me had a blast.

 

[NeverYouMind]

There are two that come to mind:

Daze Before Christmas


Silent Hill: Shattered Memories


Shattered Memories is not exactly a Christmas game but the winter theme and empty locales as everyone is likely gathering for the holidays really makes it feel like that.

 

[fart town usa]

I don't know whats wrong with my black heart but all the elements in isolation I love in this game but the whole package doesn't do it for me

I never played in co-op/MP though and I've just rebought it for Switch to play Bowser's Fury (Loving that!), but my niece is getting a Switch for Christmas so time to give MP a go with her and maybe my sister/brother-in-law. Should be more fun that way since it can be more about mini competitive challenges than me just scouring the levels and finding them kinda empty then running out of time lol.

Yea, 2 player is great. 4 player is fun too but gets a bit too chaotic. If you revisit 3D World, try switching up characters if you didn't on previous plays, I find that helps to give it a bit of variety. The levels are pretty small unfortunately.

I really want to try Bowser's Fury but not willing to spend the money, someday....

 

[Labadal]

I play Final Fantasy VI every year during the Christmas period. Some years, I beat it, and sometimes, I just play the Narshe region, until you escape. It's probably my favorite opening sequence of any game. The atmosphere, graphics, and last but not least, the music does such a great job of setting up the perfect mood.

 

[Kuranghi]

Yea, 2 player is great. 4 player is fun too but gets a bit too chaotic. If you revisit 3D World, try switching up characters if you didn't on previous plays, I find that helps to give it a bit of variety. The levels are pretty small unfortunately.

I really want to try Bowser's Fury but not willing to spend the money, someday....

Will do on first part. I did start using Toad and that alleviated my issues with the speed and feeling like I have to hold run all the time but they increased the speed in the Switch version anyway so that should be much better I'm sure. I just can't get over long jump being nerfed as well haha, I need to let it go because the levels would be broken by it so I know why they did it.

I was the exact same but I got it for £25 in a sale + staff discount here in the UK so I said fuck it. Its really really great btw, I think its worth getting it just for Bowser's Fury if you can get it for your local equivalent of £30 tbh. Its longer than I thought it would be, but I take my time and do everything before moving on and mess about looking for small secrets (coins and powerups).

I thought I would hate the element of Bowsers turning up every now and then but its really well implemented because you are always looking for the thing that makes him go away anyway so it just adds a bit of tension every now and then. The way the game is fully open world but feels scripted sometimes is a marvelous feat by them, like you'll be chasing something for a Shine and the way Bowser appears along with the unique set up of enemy pathing/cycles makes it feel so... cinematic. Which is not something I thought I'd ever say about Mario haha. They were definitely inspired by the intro to New Donk City in Odyssey in terms of "cinematicness".

 

[akaFullmetal]

Infected on PSP. Killing Christmas zombies!

 

[VGEsoterica]

There are two that come to mind:

Daze Before Christmas


Silent Hill: Shattered Memories


Shattered Memories is not exactly a Christmas game but the winter theme and empty locales as everyone is likely gathering for the holidays really makes it feel like that.

I haven’t played Shattered Memories since it came out. I should give it another go. I remember playing it but not much of my opinion on it back then

 

[David Ricardo]

The first Shenmue had a nice winter setting

 

[VGEsoterica]

The first Shenmue had a nice winter setting

Plus if you play on Christmas (or around Christmas. I can’t remember the exact unlock requirement) Santa appears

 

[Flintty]

I'm with you, OP, Die Hard is a great Xmas movie. My favourite Xmas game in recent years is The Division

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

Dunno if I can say it's a favorite (yet), but I'm currently playing Napple Tale (Dreamcast) and I love the whimsical atmosphere it has. You can tell they did a lot of worldbuilding in the game, can't wait to get deeper into it.

But I'm only really bringing it up because it's one of the games I'm playing currently and it just happens to during Christmas season. I do think it's a good fit for a Christmas-style game though.

I always forget about Parasite Eve, I definitely need to revisit that. Third Birthday takes place during Christmas too (I think), can't remember if PE2 does.

Same here; I've started up two playthroughs for it in the past but both of them died with either my memory card or my system (PS3 in the latter's case). Didn't get super-far in either but when I'm ready to try a 3rd time I'll have to blitz through the opening areas.

But it'll have to wait a while, got enough JRPGs either on the dock or in the query to play for a few months. As for PE2 story timeline, it takes place in September over a few days.