This special review page contains games I've reviewed that have Christmas themes. I would certainly recommend playing any of these games during the month of December, ideally while it's snowing outside. In addition to my normal grades, I've assigned each game a "holiday spirit" rating, ranging from one to five candy canes.

Reindeer Rescue (Atari Age 2006) System: Atari 2600 Grade: B-

Christmas games are few and far between, making Reindeer Rescue a fantastic treat to pull out around the holidays. It may not be great, it's hard to dislike a game that exudes so much holiday spirit. Through four stages you help Santa bound over rooftops and snow-covered landscapes in an effort to gather up his eight reindeer. Santa is rendered in several colors, and the fluid manner in which he runs put a smile on my face. The houses and snowdrifts in the foreground look blocky, but in the background you'll spot all sorts of seasonal images, including snowmen, trains, and polar bears. There are surprises as well including AT-ATs and snowspeeders from Star Wars! Getting past the third stage is a challenge, and there's some strategy involved in deciding whether to run on top of a snowdrift or underneath it. Santa's health is represented by a string of Christmas lights at the bottom of the screen, which is another nice touch. But what really steals the show is the game's outstanding soundtrack, which plays pleasant renditions of many Christmas carols. These timeless tunes elevate an otherwise average game to the ranks of holiday classic.

Toyshop Trouble (Atari Age 2007) System: Atari 2600 Grade: A

It's amazing what programmers can do with the Atari 2600 nowadays. Toyshop Trouble is not only a technical marvel, but it exudes holiday cheer! The originality and creativity of this game is remarkable. I play hundreds of video games every year, yet I can't recall ever having played anything quite like this! Toyshop's main screen consists of five conveyer belts of moving toys with pots of paint lining both sides of the screen. The idea is to paint the all the toys their proper color before a timer expires. Each day in December offers a new "wave", often adding a new variety of toy into the mix. A nice intermission screen explains how newly introduced toys are to be painted. Some can be painted a solid color, but most require multiple colors, and sometimes the order in which you apply the colors makes a difference! Quick thinking and good technique is required to paint the toys in the most efficient manner. The controls are excellent, and the fire button allows you to dash - a move that's often handy but sometimes risky. Toyshop Trouble is outrageously fun to play, but it's the toys themselves that steal the show. Not only are there the obligatory fire trucks, trumpets, and trains, but also more modern toys like Tonka Trucks, Godzilla figures, Lincoln Logs, and even AT-AT Walkers from Star Wars! And when I saw those beautiful Atari 2600 joysticks, I couldn't believe my eyes. The multi-colored toys are artistically rendered in a high resolution, and Toyshop's audio features authentic choo-choo whistles and melodic holiday music. Completing the entire month of December poses a serious challenge, and as icing on the cake, there's even an Easter Egg buried in the game. The only thing missing is a two-player co-op mode! With so few holiday-themed games available, Toyshop Trouble is like a Christmas miracle!

Grinch, The (Konami 2000) System: Dreamcast Grade: C

Most critics wrote this one off immediately, but underneath its rough exterior, this Grinch has a heart. I really like this game's "winter wonderland" vibe. Playing as the Grinch himself, you embark on a series of missions to thwart the holiday plans of the happy "Whos" living in the town below. As the Grinch smashes presents and performs his evil deeds, he discovers blueprints that allow him to assemble elaborate inventions like the Rotten Egg Launcher and Grinch Copter. As you can imagine, your options increase as these contraptions come into play. The graphics aren't spectacular, but the holiday theme shines through with the ornamented trees, snow-covered scenery, and cheery music. The Grinch does have its share clipping and collision detection issues, but they don't detract from the overall experience. The lush, orchestrated soundtrack is terrific, and the sound effects (like walking on the snow) are noticeably crisp. The Grinch is generally fun and easy to play, but a few of the more tedious missions (read: stealth) are bound to turn off certain gamers. The camerawork is better than average, but the controls to select and use gadgets are needlessly complicated. It's rough around the edges, but the Grinch somehow succeeds in spite of itself. This is one of the few video games I can recall with a Christmas theme, making it a nice title to pull out in December.
Check for Grinch, The on Ebay, Amazon

Toy Commander Christmas Surprise (Sega 2000) System: Dreamcast Grade: NA

Christmas Notes: This promotional demo can only be found on the Official Sega Dreamcast Magazine disk dated Jan 2001, Vol 10. It features one stage from the game modified with a Christmas theme, complete with a Christmas tree and scattered gifts to collect. Also adding atmosphere is subtle mood lighting and frosted windows which reveal snow outside. In addition to controlling a jeep and plane, you'll also control a toy Santa in a jet-pack! The game looks Christmasy enough, but the music is disappointingly generic, making this seem like a lukewarm effort.
Review of actual game: Toy Commander that it's become a "cult classic" of sorts. Its imaginative premise lets you to control miniature toy vehicles on diverse missions around the rooms of a typical house. With planes, cars, and tanks, this game is designed to appeal to the little kid in us all. You'll switch on appliances, race other toys, or embark on various "search and destroy" missions. Each room is a miniature world in of itself, and you'll spot some subtle humor if you pay attention (was that a Sega Saturn in the attic?!). Toy Commander's tranquil soundtrack is a good fit for the surreal action, but as good as it looks on paper, I didn't find the game especially fun or compelling. Missions that pit you against little green army men are a challenge and searching for hidden items is fun, but stages that require the transport of objects and interaction with appliances border on tedious. In the racing stages, it's so hard to follow the tracks that you're better off following another vehicle instead. Toy Commander's control is generally good, but navigating tight areas is often problematic. There's a nice split screen mode that accommodates up to four players, but it can be hard to locate opponents because they are so small! This is not really my cup of tea, but if you find the premise behind Toy Commander intriguing, then by all means give it a try.
Check for Toy Commander on Ebay, Amazon

Christmas Nights Into Dreams (Sega 1996) System: Saturn Grade: NA

Intended as a promotional disk for Nights Into Dreams (Sega 1996), this highly sought-after novelty CD is fascinating to play, especially during the holidays. Not only does it feature a playable demo of the game's first stage (and boss), but the visuals change based on the time of the year as determined via the system's calendar! Once December arrives, the lush green landscapes transform into a festive Christmas motif. It's hard to resist the holiday spirit with all of the blinking lights, trees, candles, wreaths, ornaments, and elves. Lively renditions of Joy to the World and Jingle Bells play in the background, and there's even a clock on the title screen that counts down to the big day. Upon completing the two stages, you win "presents" in the form of karaoke songs, concept art, and even extra game modes. Christmas Nights Into Dreams must have been very special back in 1996, and it's still a treat today. Reeking of Christmas through and through, this is a terrific addition to any Saturn collection.
Check for Christmas Nights Into Dreams on Ebay, Amazon

Diddy Kong Racing (Nintendo 1997) System: Nintendo 64 Grade: A

Christmas Notes: It's not a Christmas game per se, but Diddy Kong Racing's Snowflake Mountain tracks have an undeniable Christmas theme. There are lighted Christmas trees all over the snow-covered landscape and giant candy canes marking the finish line. The best track is the Frosty Village. Set at night, the windows and streetlamps cast a warm yellow glow on the snow. Best of all, the excellent music is clearly derived from the song Winter Wonderland. If you're looking for something to play this Christmas but don't have any Christmas games, Diddy Kong Racing will do the trick!
Original Review: Diddy Kong Racing takes the outstanding gameplay of Mario Kart and expands upon it in a number of ways. In addition to cars, you can also race planes and hovercraft! The tracks feature tropical islands (always a favorite), snowy mountains, and even a prehistoric world. These scenic courses are well-designed and mercifully short, allowing for quick, action-packed races. Diddy Kong's graphics and frame-rate are gorgeously smooth, and the waterfalls and snow drifts look particularly appealing. The airplanes handle surprisingly well, but I found the hovercrafts a bit sensitive when it comes to turning. A single-player adventure mode lets you unlock tracks to use in the multiplayer modes, and it's madly addictive but never frustrating. Catchy tunes play throughout the races, including a few that sound like Christmas carols in the snow stages. With exciting racing action that places fun over realism, Diddy Kong Racing is a top-notch title for the Nintendo 64.
Check for Diddy Kong Racing on Ebay, Amazon

Batman Returns (Konami 1992) System: Super Nintendo Grade: A

Christmas Notes: This may seem like an oddball game for a Christmas page, but as one reader pointed out, Batman Returns clearly takes place during the holidays. There's snow on the ground, huge lighted Christmas trees, and holiday displays in department store windows. Heck, even the clown villains emerge from a giant Christmas present!
Original Review: If you thought Batman Returns was good on the Genesis, you'll be blown away by this remarkable SNES game. With a completely different look and feel, this plays more like Streets of Rage or Final Fight. In contrast to the dark, grainy graphics of the Genesis version, the visuals here look bright and crisp. Batman Returns more or less follows the film's storyline, with the Catwoman and Penguin serving as the main villains. The fluidly-animated characters are absolutely huge, and the fighting action is top-notch. Not only can you execute the obligatory punches, jump-kicks, and throws, but you can actually fling enemies into the background scenery! I can't put into words how satisfying it is to toss a thug through a department store window! You'll need to beat down belligerent clowns of all sizes, including fire-blowers, sword-swallowers, jugglers, and skull-headed motorcyclists - to name a few. Should you find yourself between two enemies, you can grab them both and bash their heads together! Superb sound effects accompany the action, so when you slam one evil clown into another, it makes an audible "thud". Your Batarangs and spear gun provide you with projectile attacks, and you also have a supply of "test tubes" that function as smart bombs, obliterating all visible enemies on the screen. The Batmobile driving stage isn't as flashy as the Sega CD version, it's still a nice bonus. The snow-covered Christmas scenery is a joy to behold, and some stages feature nifty lighting effects - very impressive for a 1992 game! The dramatic musical score is also outstanding and apparently lifted directly from the film. Is there anything wrong with Batman Returns? Well, Batman looks like he let himself go a bit and picked up about 50 pounds. Also, some gamers may regard the non-stop fighting as repetitive, but in my opinion that comes with the territory. This may be the best Batman game of all time, thanks to its winning combination of tight controls and gorgeous 2D graphics.
Check for Batman Returns on Ebay, Amazon

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (DSI Games 2006) System: Nintendo DS Grade: D

Looking for a good Christmas game for your DS? Good luck with that! On television, How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a timeless classic that will delight kids and adults for generations to come. On the DS, you'll be bored in ten minutes. Assuming the role of the Grinch, you sneak around expansive houses while avoiding clueless people wandering in predictable patterns. The top screen keeps a tab on your progress as you snatch up gifts, Christmas trees, wreathes, and other decorations. Once you gather the minimum number of items, you can climb up the chimney and move onto the next house. Unlike most stealth games where you need to remain out of eyesight, the Grinch can walk right in front of people without anybody noticing. Only by touching someone will you find yourself in trouble. Some of these encounters trigger mini-games you can play to "escape" detection. These easy, stylus-driven games usually involve tapping on wandering people (to send them back to their rooms) or avoiding a crowd of sleepwalkers. The Grinch would be okay if it had some variety, but every house looks exactly the same except for a new layout. By the fourth one, you'll practically be begging for some generic platform jumping! The colorful graphics aren't bad, and I like how the Grinch slinks around in a sneaky manner. The jazzy background music is catchy, but doesn't have much of a holiday ring to it. Treats are promised to those who conquer the advanced levels, but getting there will be a chore.
Check for How The Grinch Stole Christmas on Ebay, Amazon

Return to The Video Game Critic's Main Page.

---