There are some terrific games coming out this holiday season; but today we want to take a look at some of the greatest holiday themed games to grace a console or computer. We even put them in order for you based on fun and overall ridiculous-ness.

10. XMAS Lemmings

 

9. Christmas Nights Into Dreams 

Released as part of a Christmas console/game package in 1996, Christmas Nights Into Dreams almost made up for the fact that you got a Sega Saturn when you had asked for an N64. Christmas Nights is a two level version of the cult favorite Nights Into Dreams from Sega. Fly through wreaths, collect pretty baubles, and weave your way along a path filled with goodies to achieve a high score. Also, for some reason, there are birthday cakes scattered about.

8. Popples Christmas Adventure

Created as a 1986 give-away item from American Greetings, this gem features the adorably weird Popples. Playable on the Commodore 64, this “game” offers little in the way of interactivity, instead you sit and watch as the Popples bounce around on screen. Sometimes they play instruments.

7.  Die Hard Trilogy

You may think that the top Christmas action movie would translate into one of the greatest action Christmas games, and you would be right! This game was a fun run through the first three films. Available on the Playstation, PC, and Sega Saturn John McClane runs around barefoot kicking butt and taking names. Maybe not taking names.  Pretty sure he just calls everyone ‘jerkweed’.

6. Elf Squad Seven

An indie game from Stardock Entertainment, Elf Squad 7 offers single and multi-player elf squad action.  Lead your elf team through puzzles to save Santa before it is too late!

5. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

Help Kevin find his family in this game based off of the sequel of the same name.  You’ve got baddies on your tail as you adventure through strange environments towards the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center where your rather neglectful family is waiting for you. Plagued by wonky controls and an incoherent plot, the game released for the NES, Sega Genesis, Game Boy, and Super NES system does not hold up well to scrutiny. There is a portion of the game though in which you are charged with avoiding bird droppings as a flock of pigeons flies above you… so there’s that.

4.  Elf Bowling

Santa has the bowling ball. The elves are the pins.  Let the festivities begin! This game released in 1999 by NStorm is not only ridiculous but also has a fair bit of obscenity thrown in for good measure. The elves taunt St. Nick when his bowling ball misses by calling out, “Is that all the balls you got, Santa?” If that were not enough (and no, it is not enough) the Elves moon Santa, smack their butts in his general direction, and dance in between frames to ‘Elf, Elf. Baby’ (a play on a famous Vanilla Ice tune that is not in any way similar to a David Bowie song)

3. Santa Saves The World

This Playstation One game pits Santa against the menacing Nilam. Collect candy canes, climb ladders, and drink soda in a strange new land. Nilam hates the holidays with a  serious passion and attacks Santa with cavemen, flying elephant creatures, and tigers. Clearly one of the most realistic holiday titles to come out of 1992.

 2. Daze Before Christmas

In this 1993 game for Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo, Santa is minding his own business being jolly and wonderful when, for the purposes of plot development, he drinks a magical elixir that turns him into the feared ANTI-CLAUS! Anti-Claus, overflowing with newfound jumping powers, attacks each mouse that dare stir in his workshop as he collects the presents strewn about the levels. The presents have been refilled by baddies and now contain enemies for the Anti-Claus to beat including snowmen that decapitate themselves and then use their heads as weapons by flinging them at Santa.

1. Duke Nuclear Winter

Hail to the King, Santa. One of three expansion packs to 3D Realm’s Duke Nukem, Simply Silly’ s Duke Nuclear Winter (aka Duke Nukem’s Nuclear Winter) has everyone’s favorite misogynistic dude saving Christmas.  Santa has been brainwashed and Duke has to shoot and wisecrack his way through legions of holiday themed baddies.  The star on top of the tree: bodaciously evil female elves that dual wield sub-machine guns.

Honorable Mentions

The Christmas Story Room in Borderlands

I am not going to tell you how to get there. (You can look here if you don’t want to find it on your own) But yes, there is a secret room in Borderlands and it is A Christmas Story Themed. Ralphie would have loved to play with half of the weapons in Borderlands and you can sneak down to this secret room and find a make shift tree, spiffy presents, and a rather macabre leg lamp.

Christmas is Here Mission in Bully

This mission is a pretty straight forward one.  Jimmy wakes up in his dorm and hears over the loud speaker that a present is waiting for him in the office. What makes this little side mission ripe for the list though is that by not completing this mission you can make Christmas last forever.  Sure in this mode Jimmy cannot attend class or partake in missions, but who wants to go to school on the holidays anyway?

 

Did we miss one of your favorite in-game holiday moments? Talk at us about it on our Facebook page or Twitter. 🙂