It's Christmas, which might mean snow wherever you are in the world. However, not all of us are that lucky, and sadly have to settle for rain or – gasp! – ghastly sunshine instead. Fear not, though – there is a solution: playing winter-themed levels in your favourite games.
Christmas is the best time for it too, as you're probably already feeling nostalgic for the time when you first unwrapped your SNES/N64/Wii and fell in love with Nintendo. To that end, we've rounded up the very best wintery or festive levels we could find in our favourite games from the SNES all the way up to the Switch.
So wrap up warm and stay indoors as you experience winter the Nintendo way.
Metroid Prime - Phendrana Drifts (GameCube)
Phendrana Drifts is a wonderful frozen area in the first Metroid Prime, and the fourth area Samus encounters on her adventure. It's most fondly remembered by fans for his snowy features, including a frozen lake, several ice caves and a canyon. The only thing missing is Santa himself!
If you still own a copy of Metroid Prime on GameCube (or the trilogy on Wii) dig back into this to experience Phendrana Drifts in all its frozen glory.
Donkey Kong Country - Gorilla Glacier World (SNES)
We couldn't pick just one level in this wonderful, winter-themed world so settled on, well, the entire world. Nintendo seems to love heading back to the freezer for its fourth worlds, as this is also the fourth area in the SNES classic Donkey Kong Country.
This freezing world is located on top of Donkey Kong Island, and features a variety of frigid caves, ravines and a particularly festive treetop village – thanks to its many fir trees.
It's notable for featuring slippery ground, the 3D dynamic snow effects and backgrounds, and for being the location that you first meet Squawks the Parrot.
Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver - Mount Silver (DS)
Mount Silver first made an appearance in the original Pokémon Gold and Silver, but we opted for the HeartGold and SoulSilver variant instead for two reasons: it's our favourite Pokémon game of all time and the 3D visuals brought it to life in a way that the 2D variant could never achieve.
Just take a visit to the peak at nighttime and you'll see why – it's a hauntingly beautiful winter scene.
Earthbound - Winters (SNES)
Winters is an appropriately-titled location in EarthBound that will live long in our hearts as one of our favourite icy landscapes in Nintendo history. It's notable for a number of different reasons: you meet a bunch of awesome characters here like Bubble Monkey and Tessie, and visit notable nearby locations like Stonehenge Base and Lake Tess. Nostalgia abounds.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess - Snowpeak Ruins (GameCube)
No matter how you feel about The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, there's no doubting that Snowpeak is a memorable location. It's a gorgeous place blanketed in snow that features the awesome Snowpeak Ruins dungeon. You know, the one where you have to help out the Yeti couple in a cozy mansion.
Even getting to the mansion is memorable. Remember sliding down the mountain on a frozen leaf to reach it? Of course you do!
Paper Mario - Shiver City (N64)
The Mario games have always offered good value where snowy locations are concerned, and the original Paper Mario is a particular highpoint. You visit Shiver City during Chapter 7, which plays out as a murder mystery at the beginning. That's always fun.
Shiver Snowfield is particularly wonderful though. The snowstorms, northern lights, snow-covered trees and icy enemies combine to create one of the most beautiful winter-themed locations ever in video games.
Super Mario 64 - Cool, Cool Mountain (N64)
The 3D Mario games don't rest on their laurels though, with a wealth of festive levels to dig through if you really want to get in the Christmas spirit. We could only pick one for this list though, so settled on the intensely nostalgic Cool, Cool Mountain. It's the fourth course in Super Mario 64 (what is it with the fourth world and snow?!) and is notable for its massive ice slide you can take from the top to the bottom of the mountain. It's worth it for that alone.
Animal Crossing - December (Any!)
No franchise quite does Christmas like Nintendo's Animal Crossing – so much so that we couldn't even settle on just one game to recommend. The truth is, no matter the entry you decide to play you'll encounter a wonderfully whimsical winter environment full of colourful lights, Christmas costumes and snowmen. If everything else fails to get you in the Christmas spirit, play an Animal Crossing.
Xenoblade Chronicles - Valak Mountain (Wii)
Monolith Soft has proven itself a master of creating environments while working with Nintendo. Simply play any Baten Kaitos or Xenoblade outing and you'll witness some stunning scenery.
We selected Valak Mountain from the original Xenoblade Chronicles on Wii for our favourite winter-themed level as it's just breathtakingly gorgeous – particularly at night. Xenoblade has a bunch of environments that come to life during the night, but none are quite as entrancing as Valak Mountain, where the trees made of ice fire beams of light into the freezing night sky. It'll take your breath away.
Mario Kart 8 - Sherbet Land (Wii U)
Mario Kart is also a franchise that is well-acquainted with an icy level or two, but none are quite as entrancing as Mario Kart 8's Sherbet Land. Yes, we're well aware that this course made its debut in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, but we think 8's version really perfected the track thanks to its HD visuals.
It's got the lot: ice-skating Shy Guys, frozen blocks of ice with worried little faces on, and trademark snow-covered trees.
Pikmin 3 - Distant Tundra (Wii U)
The latest entry in the Pikmin franchise also happened to have its finest winter-themed world too in Distant Tundra. It's the third level in Pikmin 3 and is most notable for its icy enemies, large amount of water sections and for being a little more open than previous levels.
It's also absolutely beautiful and will help get you in the festive spirit.
Banjo-Kazooie - Freezeezy Peak (N64)
The N64 was in its winter-themed element back in the day, as yet another of its exclusives makes our list of best Nintendo winter levels. This time it's, of course, Freezeezy Peak from Banjo-Kazooie, which actually had a Christmas tree in it covered in flashing lights.
There's also snowmen galore, cozy little cabins that look so warm inside they give us a shiver and a frozen lake to navigate. This one in particular is very festive, while many of the others focus mostly on just being very cold.
Diddy Kong Racing - Frosty Village (N64)
Yet another N64 winter level that we love is Frosty Village in Diddy Kong Racing. Much like Freezeezy Peak, this one also feels a lot more festive than the others, thanks to its light-covered trees and log cabins. The giant moon filling the sky also helps make it all the more beautiful.
Yoshi's Island - World 5 (SNES)
And we'll wrap things up with World 5 from Yoshi's Island, a winter wonderland from the SNES era. It's got everything from snow to ice to frozen trees, and hits us really hard in the nostalgia nerve. Dig out your SNES or SNES Mini to get a taste of this gorgeous winter environment.
Did your favourite wintery Nintendo level make our list? If not, what is it? Let us know all about your Christmas Nintendo memories in the comments section below.
Comments 74
10,000 points for putting frosty village on there. Good job. I was actually considering playing Mario kart 8 dx the other night with frosty village music in background
For Pikmin 3 I would've chosen the Fortress of Festivity mission mode level.
Frosty Village is an unforgettable track! Looking forward to playing Diddy Kong Racing on the Switch one day!
The list is fine, but I have a guilty pleasure I'd like to add to the list. Mario and Sonic at the 2014 Winter Games. It didn't get great ratings but I really enjoyed it. It did a good job making novel use of all the the Wii U's controller gimmicks and most importantly for this list, is very Wintery.
I still keep the date for my first town (Neptune) of animal Crossing New Leaf on 22 December 2018.
I'm very busy during this week until 30 December 2018, so i keep the date same until i want to continue to next day.
The secret of mana snow level is the best. It even has Santa in it! But it's a third party game...
Clicked article just to make sure DKC1 was on here. Bravo 👏
@Benjoo I would love to see Nintendo find a way to remake that.
It's not Nintendo exclusive but Lego World's on the switch has great wintery-themed levels after the tutorial. That would be my choice.
Luigi's Mansion (2) Dark Moon has a pretty cool snow level and 3D is great in that game.
@DockEllisD yeah it is a great leveling point. It has great music too, and this was years before metroid prime.
Props to Glen Fox for putting this list together. It's refreshingly thorough.
Love the N64 representation: Rare really nailed the Christmas Spirit in both Banjo-Kazooie and Diddy Kong Racing.
Also, I love any list which includes the very best Paper Mario game of them all: The original.
The snow level on super ghouls n ghosts is a good one and the music is amazing
The Surface level from GoldenEye deserves a mention.
The snow on Animal Crossing during the month is great. I still have fun making the snowmen. Also sherbet land bring good winter memories, especially the N64 version.
Freezeezy Peak always has me thinking of Christmas. Such an amazing level
But why that level for Pikmin 3? There's literally a festive level with a Christmas tree!
That aside it's a (surprisingly) comprehensive list, but the snow levels in Super Mario 3D World are still some of my favourites, playing as Toad in a giant ice skate with that music is amazing!
World 6 and the last level of World 5 in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze! It also has amazing music
I'll give a nod to SMB3 World 6 - Winter Wonderland. I'll also add Mega Man X3 Blizzard Buffalo's stage.
The Christmas Eve music from Animal Crossing GameCube hits me straight in the feels.
I would prefer to play the surprise-announced Zelda Skyward Sword remake on Switch.
Some great examples there.
Can still hear that frosty village Diddy Kong racing theme
obscure recommendation:
Sonic Advance 2, Ice Paradise Zone.
Frosty Village from Diddy Kong, good its there! 😊
What about Super Mario 3D World 3-1?
Which of the Final Fantasy SNES games starts at winter?
What a whole lot that is still missing from this list. The levels mentioned do deserve their place here though👌🏻
Golden Sun - Emil is missing.
@Sinton Final Fantasy VI (aka, the best one)
Oh damn, I completely forgot that Xenoblade level! It's one of the best, honestly, especially at night indeed. That soundtrack that comes with it is also just a masterpiece.
Diddy Kong Racing all the way
At the game select screen, highlight the slot you wish to load and press L, R, R, L, R, R, L, R, L, R. A screen will appear where you can enter one of the following codes:
MERRY — During the bonus levels you will hear a Christmas tune, the star are bells, and the bananas are blue presents
EDIT: Forgotten to mention, that this is for Donkey Kong Country 3
All of silent hill: revelations! The falling snow casts shadows! Admittedly not particularly festive.....
Fortress Of Festivity from Pikmin 3 takes my pick. I play it every Christmas but I still have yet to get a platinum medal! I was going to play it tonight actually but I'm stuck peeling veg
@CharlieSmile - Give me the most remixed Sonic zone anyday over that.
Ice Cap.
@DarkCojiro - I am actually surprised Nintendo hasn't ported that game over around this season just to advertise it like that.
Not Nintendo, but I loved the FFVII winter town right before the snowboarding mini-game. That music was simple but matched the look so well.
Everytime I see a Glen Fox article on this site, it makes me regret not being a journalist, as no other job could allow you to pass misinformation without getting fired.
Anyway, I am enjoying Striker Striker Guvolt, Christmas mode. Xmas themed level rush theme.
Feel like there might’ve been some sort of wintery level in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze...
But I would’ve gone with original DKC too because nostalgia is strong and it was such a good game. Wish we could get VC for Switch so I could return to memory lane anytime!
Also, for Xenoblade I would’ve gone with X - technically Sylvalum doesn’t have snow but it still gave me magical winter vibes. And for the Banjo series I prefer Hailfire Peaks but I mean, Freezeezy does have Christmas stuff, making it more relevant!
Just race through every track of Snowflake Mountain in Diddy Kong Racing. That's Christmas in game form.
I love the whole snowy atmosphere of TP's Snowpeak Ruins. Good choice.
Hmm, Valak Mountain indeed.
Though I go Sonic for this kind of thing.
The Sonic Adventure Ice Cap is sublime.
Sonic Adv 2's Ice Paradise is the only ice stage to feature a city at nighttime which is a really nice touch.
I would say Ice Mountain from Sonic Advance for the music alone.
Twinkle Snow from Sonic Advance 3, is a really pretty stage with an aurora borealis-type of animated background.
And Blizzard Peaks from Rush Adventure.
@Paraka if they did a Pikmin Trilogy Collection for Switch I'd be a very happy man indeed! Even a port of Pikmin 3 would do, I'm not fussy
And the winner is... Freezeezy Peak! And Frosty Village.
@NybroCymerej Bit harsh, he'll actually be leaving Nintendo Life next month.
@NybroCymerej I think that the problem is that there are people that work (?) on the gaming websites that just like video games as if it was the only requirement for being a gaming journalist. They have not the required knowledge to write good articles because they haven't read nor played enough and they aren't journalists either because they haven't studied journalism at university.
Phendrana Drifts is the best!
All I am Setsuna
Just hit winter in Stardew Valley, so feeling pretty good about the timing. Also, will probably revisit some of the snow courses in Golf Story. Definitely worth another go around.
Gotta agree with Sonic and Ice Cap. Nothing beats it’s music
Mt. Silver wasn't even snowy in the original GSC anyway, it was a generic cave. HGSS overhauled the area making it feel like an actual mountain with a combination of indoor cave areas and outdoor snowy areas. So HGSS is the only version of this that even fits the theme.
Anyway, Kirby's Epic Yarn had a few good Christmasy levels in World 5. The music is pretty fitting too. Snowy Fields anyone?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5T9NralDMew
Freezeezy Peak is and always has been my favourite Christmas level / world of all time. Although I am Australian (where it does not snow at Christmas - which is our summer), I have always loved seeing snowman at Christmas. I love that this world is based around a giant snowman.
I also like the part of “Bully” where Christmas arrives and you have to complete various Christmas related tasks throughout the town. I remember playing it on the Wii quite a few years ago.
Hopefully the new Animal Crossing (that is coming to the Switch) will also include a visit from Jingle. The first Animal Crossing that I ever played was on the DS (Wild World) where Jingle was sadly absent.
Flanoir from Tales of Symphonia. Especially the music. I always listen to the music on Christmas Day. The scenes featuring Lloyd and whoever your chosen party member is (Colette if we're going with canon) overlooking the town from the balcony are worth watching too.
And as has been mentioned already, Imil from Golden Sun. And Prox, too.
I will say Tantal is more beautiful than Valak Mountain.
Cool cool mountain is the correct choice.
Well, I mean Mount Silver also didn't have any snow in the original G/S/C. Snow didn't exist in the Pokemon series until Generation IV.
Kind of a shame, because the beta G/S were going to have snow.
God i love diddy kong racing.. I should also finish twilight princess. Keep putting it off in hopes of a switch hd port
This...is actually a decent list! Phendrana Drifts still wowed me despite only playing Metroid Prime for the first time last year. As for Gorilla Glacier? The snow effects for that first level are still ingrained in my memory.
Someone should design a summer Christmas themed level to recognise us plebs in the southern hemisphere haha
I think Frosty Village is the best appropriate stage for this season. And I remember getting Diddy Kong Racing for Christmas, so it's perfect.
Winters in Earthbound. For me, a big part of what makes that particular area so great is its music. The particular song that plays there is pretty much one of the most beautiful 16-bit musical compositions that I've ever heard in a game. Including the SNES classic from Square - it stands with the best of them. I mean, the whole game has fantastic music, but for some reason...the Winters theme really hits me in the feels.
@Rexx I have thought the same, tough I'm not from the southern hemisphere haha.
I'm so glad Shiver City made this list. Actually, I'm glad with every choice on this list. Merry Christmas everybody!
Shiveria from Mario Odyssey for me
Moley Christmas, the cover tape from Your Sincair #25.
When final fantasy 7 comes to Nintendo next year I'll be saying give first place to the Snow Fields. Getting lost after crashing your snowboard... Getting really lost in a snow storm... Climbing a mountain and having to keep yourself warm... Unforgettable.
Cool, Cool Mountain from SM64 is pure childhood nostalgia!
And of course Hebra Mountains from BOTW... I poked my nose in there and ended up spending weeks trudging around on a polar expedition. At one point I made a horsey friend who got me out of some tough spots. I had to abandon him to do some parasail exploring around the cliff edges. I couldn't bear it though, so I eventually hiked and climbed my way all the way back. There he still was, waiting obediently... I continued on with him and eventually led him out of the tundra, took him to a stable and made an honest horse out of him.
Xenoblade Chronicles <3
Guys and gals, I absolutely love this article!
@Kainbrightside One of my favorite memories was playing this game with my dad when I was younger. This is the only game he would play with my brother and I besides Burnout 2.
Wait, isn't there a Mario 3D World level that even has sleigh bells in the level music? Why isn't that listed?
The snow levels from Kirby's Epic Yarn are good,especially the music.
@Paddle1 No, it's not harsh when you recommend beating Zapdos with a water type and fighting the Elite 4 in a Power Plant in a Pokemon game. He said he will still write there and there, great if you love misinformation.
@BlueOcean Yeah, you are right there. IIRC most who work in journalism, via video games writing don't really care for the industry and just use that as a stepping stone. Most who stay on, actually like games, even if not the greatest paid job. Gets annoying when people who are not into it write any old inaccurate rubbish.
@NybroCymerej I hate it too because they are spreading wrong information that new players believe and spread too. Ignorant articles are detrimental, it's not just bad strategies for playing a game but they change the history and background of games and companies which is worse (in other articles).
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