Gamertell

I was so inspired by putting together the list of worst Christmas games ever, that I thought I’d do a flipside list of the best Christmas-y games of all time. Call it the Christmas spirit, or rose-tinted nostalgia, if you like. And there’s one caveat - I’m including Christmas-y levels in otherwise un-Christmas-y games.

5. Freezeezy Peaks in Banjo-Kazooie - this level has just about every Christmas tradition short of spiking the eggnog. We’ve got snowmen (even though they try to kill you with snowballs), sledding, presents, adorable little Christmas lights called twinklies, Christmas trees, you name it.

4. Snowflake Mountain in Diddy Kong Racing - does it shock you that I’m putting another Rare game on this list? Well, it shouldn’t, because four tracks of this adventure-racer were based on a snowy, cutesy peak filled with Christmas trees, snowmen, cute villages and Christmas-y music.

3. North Pole in Twisted Metal 3 - Nothing says Christmas like vehicular carnage in Santa’s Village!

2. Line Rider - one of the coolest indie flash games ever, this little physics-based treat has you creating a wacky course for your sledder to traverse. You’ve got to check out some of the more masterful creations

1. Christmas NiGHTS - Of course, this winter-wonderland expansion of the classic Saturn game was going to take top billing. As if the game wasn’t awesome enough already, the fine folks at Sega decided to release this very cool holiday dressing, complete with instrumental X-mas tunes, elf outfits, presents, and Christmas trees. Tis’ the season, friends, to boot up the Saturn again.

Read [worst Christmas games ever] Watch [masterful]