Retro Games to Enjoy This Christmas Season

      Andrew Newton offers a collection of nostalgic festive games to enjoy this Christmas…

      With the gifts all wrapped and the children settled in bed, it's the perfect moment to carve out some time for ourselves by firing up our favorite retro computers to play some delightful Christmas-themed games. Whether featuring Santa, snowmen, elves, or even Lemmings in wintry settings, there was always something to entertain us in the lead-up to the special day. Below are some of the games that kept us merry before the new wave of games arrived under the tree…

      **Psycho Santa – Bullfrog 1993 – Amiga**

      The holiday season was always a fantastic time for gamers since it often brought along special issues of computer magazines filled with cover tapes/disks featuring themed mini-games, competitions, and extra pages of guides, cheats, and more. The One magazine issue 52 included a cover disk with Psycho Santa, a playful Christmas-themed mini-game developed by Bullfrog, the creators of Populous and Theme Park.

      I’m guessing the spooky wraith resembles Jack Frost, given the icicles on his fingertips. Regardless, it fears snowballs.

      Despite its quirky name, Psycho Santa is an enjoyable arcade shooter brimming with whimsical charm. Players navigate Santa’s sleigh, dropping gifts onto a limited number of houses while avoiding and shooting at malevolent snowmen and bizarre foes within a time constraint. Santa's supply of presents wasn’t infinite, but players could replenish it by shooting down flying enemies.

      After each level, players could try for a bonus stage where Santa hops on a pogo stick, bouncing around a large Christmas tree to collect extra gifts and points.

      I'm sure using a ladder would have been simpler.

      **A Very Sheepy Xmas – Quantum Sheep 2020 – Spectrum**

      The festive fun continued for these classic computers, with skilled individuals still creating games today. One such title is A Very Sheepy Xmas, a charming Christmas platformer where players assist Santa in collecting presents. Old Father Christmas may have indulged in some brandy and danced a bit too much, forgetting to gather the gifts. Players take on the role of the helpful Quantum Sheep, jumping and climbing through 25 vibrant platforms to retrieve scattered presents and deliver them to Santa before time runs out.

      Deadly bats try to thwart our brave sheep on this mission while a puzzled Santa shakes his groove upstairs.

      Players must evade various enemies and hazards on each screen, climb ladders, and slide down icy platforms to complete their objectives.

      A Very Sheepy Xmas evokes strong memories of Chuckie Egg, and that's a compliment. With colorful visuals, well-drawn characters, and increasing difficulty, A Very Sheepy Xmas is a fantastic little game.

      First bats, then snowmen; who else did Santa invite while indulging in brandy?

      **Special Delivery: Santa’s Christmas Chaos – Creative Sparks 1984 – Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum**

      Taking us back to the early days of 8-bit computers is Special Delivery: Santa’s Christmas Chaos, where players embody Santa Claus himself. In this arcade adventure, players steer Santa’s sleigh through a scrolling winter sky, attempting to catch presents tossed from the top of the screen by little angels. They must gather as many as possible while avoiding mountains (which makes sense), clouds (Santa seems allergic to moisture), and adversaries.

      An angel releases a gift as a cloud looms ominously over Santa.

      But that's not the end of the fun; once players have collected enough goodies, they must land on a rooftop, dodge fireballs and snowballs in a giant chimney, and place the presents under the tree without waking any sleepwalking children (because every house has them). After placing the gifts, it's time to grab the backdoor key and head outside to collect more presents from angels.

      Crash magazine awarded the Spectrum version a respectable 71%, praising its smooth scrolling gameplay. I can’t find fault in that review; it’s a fun game to play.

      Those sleepwalking children could use some medical attention. Where are the parents?

      **Santa & Rudolph Do Christmas! – Ian West/ Jonathan Eggelton 1993 – Amiga Public Domain**

      Not only companies and gaming magazines were crafting Christmas games; small developers also contributed to the public domain market (often at the cost of a blank disk and postage).

      Santa & Rudolph Do Christmas! was crafted using AMOS, but don't let that deter you from giving it a try; it’s an enjoyable arcade shooter. Players assume the role of either Santa Claus or Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, collecting presents as they appear on a single screen. Once enough presents are gathered, they need to be delivered to one of the open windows of various houses, huts, or igloos.

      Santa takes a page from Richard Branson’s book and travels by balloon.

      It’s not entirely smooth sailing for our festive heroes,