In the third part of a small series with contributions from multiple staff members, Liam Doolan explains why festive themes in games are the reason he can enjoy the holidays.


I am a bit of a Grinch this time of year. The commotion of the holiday season always gets the better of me. I know it is a period where it is important to value time spent with loved ones and to be thankful for everything you have in life, but if I'm not in the mood I'll put up a façade and embrace the annual festivities in a half-hearted manner. That's just my nature.

The weird thing is, while I'm busy turning green, I often cannot get enough of Christmas-themed gaming during the customary festivities. I shamelessly lap up anything and everything if it is able to meet my necessary criteria.

Image via sosostris.com

Animal Crossing: New Leaf is usually the first port of call. An entire month dedicated to the silly season – yes, please. The joy of running around my village building snow people, collecting festive items and catching up with Jingle and my fellow villagers always puts a smile across my face.

When it comes to other games, I often don't have such luxuries. This is when I am forced to improvise. On Christmas day, for example, I prefer to play snow themed levels in a particular set of games (yes, I have a serious problem). This preference is not necessarily difficult with Nintendo's offerings, though. From Mario Kart 8 to Super Mario 3D World, I select appropriately themed tracks and levels. I adore ones that are sprinkled in snow and include decorated trees with lights, with a trademark Mario star to top it off. A Christmassy soundtrack always helps get me in the spirit, too.

My madness doesn't necessarily end there, either. It's important to accessorise. My 3DS HOME Menu currently features one of the latest Nintendo Christmas themes. I've disabled the shuffle feature because this event only comes around once a year.

Delibird

I even enjoy booting up the eShop around this time. Not to check on sales, but so I can listen to the festive jingles. And I probably shouldn't forget to mention my Pokémon team in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire right now. It's just a party of Delibird. The unofficial Christmas Pokémon. Alright, in all seriousness, that last one might not be entirely true.

It's these weird traditions of mine that have me thinking that maybe I'm not such a Christmas Grinch after all. Video games have always helped get me in the spirit of the holiday season, and as an adult this trend has continued. For that reason, I am thankful, and deep down have always enjoyed this time of year.

I wish everyone an enjoyable and safe holiday period!