When the days get colder, and the shops start putting up their decorations, it can only mean one thing…it’s September, andChristmascreep is setting in. It also applies to December itself, when families get together, exchange gifts, and generally have a good time celebrating the holidays. The biggest of which is Christmas, with its carols, trees, yule logs, and jolly old St. Nick himself.
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Santa Claushas appeared in countlessmovies, TV shows,cartoons,literature, artwork and more for centuries now. But what about video games? He’s turned up in one cheap mobile or Flash game over the years. But some of his appearances are more notable than others. Here are a fewstandout games featuring Santa Claus.
7Yakuza 5
“But Santa isn’t real! He’s just a guy in a costume!” shout the cynics. If so, then they won’t mind counting this appearance as a list entry, where Santa is indeed someone in a suit. OnceYakuza 5’s2nd protagonist, Taiga Saejima, finally reaches Sapporo’s snowy city section Tsukimino, he gets a wide variety of substories to complete.
One involves Saejima dressing up as the North Pole’s most famous fictional resident to catch the Santa Hunters: a roaming gang of punks who shake down Santas for presents. At first, he ends up having to deal with some kids who think he’s the real deal and has to escape them. Then he comes across the actual Santa Hunters and gives them their Season’s Beatings. The kids got a very different image of Santa that day.
6Elf Bowling
“Okay, I believe! Santa is real!” cry the formerly cynical in fear of a Saejima fist to the face. Well, prepare to lose that faith as the real deal was the lead character inElf Bowling. When his tiny workforce goes on strike and demands fair pay and working conditions, Santa decides to use them as bowling pins instead. The game was originally released as freeware on the PC. It would even turn up in junk email as an .EXE file like a computer virus or a creepypasta MacGuffin.
But instead, the unsuspecting person who dared click ‘Download’ got a bog-standard bowling game. It was later released with its sequelElf Bowling 2for theGBAandNintendo DSfor sale, whereit was critically pannedby critics and gamers alike. This response also earned it a film with Tom ‘Spongebob’ Kenny as Santa’s evil brother Dingle Kringle. Some things just manage to fail upwards.
5Santa Claus Saves The Earth
The horror continues as the GBA andPS1also got this turgid platformer.Santa Claus Saves the Earthfinds himself trapped in the realm of the evil witch Nilam. If he doesn’t find his way out soon, the children won’t get their presents come Christmas morning. So, he has to go through 15 levels, hopping from one chamber to another to get keys to access a hidden exit.
Related:Top Santa Claus Appearances in Video Games
His only means of defense against Nilam’s goons are a few guns with ammo drops scattered across the levels. If all else fails, he still has his sack of gifts to smack foes with. Even though it has a woeful hitbox and makes Santa walk backwards when he does. The graphics were woeful, and the controls were tragic. It was the video game equivalent of a lump of coal in one’s stocking.
4Daze Before Christmas
Luckily, there is a good platform game with a playable Santa out there. Funcom’s platformerDaze Before Christmasis a hidden gem for either console, as Santa has to save the holidays from an evil mouse and his hordes of rats, snowmen, and toys. He can magic them back into normal toys, shoot flames, and turn into his evil twin Anti-Claus to smash enemies with his sack.
The game was not exactly on par withMarioorSonic, but it was still a fun game to play. However, it’s quite rare these days, making it very expensive to buy, and very lucrative to own. The game only came out in Europe and Australia, where its cool reception and sales quashed any thoughts of a US release. The most common release was theSNESport, while the original ‘Mega Drive’ version was an Australian exclusive.
3Clayfighter 63 1/3rd
An evil Santa is a fun concept that’s turned up in other games, likeSaints Row4’sHow the Saints Saved ChristmasDLC pack. But its own Anti-Claus, or ‘Clawz’, wasn’t playable. At best, he could be made into a Homie alongside the real deal after a boss fight. Players would have to go all the way back to theNintendo 64for a playable evil Santa.
Clayfighter 63 1/3rdanditsSculptor’s Cutintroduced Sumo Santa, a mean and moody version of the jolly big elf that wants to take back control of the North Pole from Bad Mr Frosty. He bides his time on the island of Klaydonia, eager to smash any opposing heroes with moves like the ‘Blubber Bump’ and the ‘Kringle Krush’. The North Pole is just the first phase of his plan too, as he’ll soon set his eyes on the rest of the world afterwards.
2Fight Of Gods
What if players want to play as the real Santa Claus in a fighting game? Then they can check out Digital Crafter’s notoriousFight of GodsforPC, PS4, and theNintendo Switch. The game pitted characters frommyths, legends, and religionsall up against each other in a 1v1 fighting game, including a particularly big and red version of Santa himself. It’s a fun idea, though it’s unlikely to be featured at Evo anytime soon.
Despite the game’s disclaimer, the playable Jesus, Moses, and Buddha characters were a step too far for some places and platforms. They got the game banned in Malaysia and Singapore. Then they were mildly altered on the PS4 to ‘Saint’, ‘Wisdom’ and ‘Zen’. So, fans’ dreams of replicating the Jesus Vs Santa fight from theSouth Parkpilot can only be achieved on the PC and Switch. Speaking ofSouth Park…
1South Park: The Fractured But Whole
South Park: The Fractured But Wholegives players a break from fighting games and platforming by offering a grid-based tactical RPG. It’s longer than its predecessor,The Stick of Truth, but ultimately it’s moreon par with that gamethan an improvement. In the game’s later stages, the New Kid, Stan, Kyle and co are sent to the future where they have to defend themselves against the Woodland Critters.
They’re so difficult that the New Kid has to pray to Jesus for help. However, the communications must have gotten crossed, as Santa ends up crashing his sleigh into the battle. After a quick explanation, he joins the battle for some payback. He can tank the critters’ hits, deflect their attention with a gingerbread man, or simply smash them with a baseball bat.
