For many, the magic of Christmas morning is intertwined with the thrill of unwrapping a new video game or console. That specific shape of a parcel, promising hours of adventure, is a core memory for a generation of players. This festive season, developers behind some of today's top titles have shared the childhood Christmas gaming moments that lit up their lives and, in many cases, set them on their career paths.
The Magic of Discovery and Sweet Revenge
For veteran designer Rhod Broadbent of Dakko Dakko, the Christmas of 1992 was transformative. His father, a programmer who had previously looked down on consoles, gifted him Mario Kart and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. "Zelda was completely unknown to me at the time," Broadbent recalls. After a morning with Mario Kart, he plugged in Zelda. "Everything changed. From the title music, through the intro and into that beautiful initial thunderstorm, everything was so polished and smooth... It didn't leave the cartridge slot for weeks."
For Anna Hollinrake, founder of Electric Saint, Christmas 2007 offered a chance for playful payback. A competitive child with a guitarist father, she was delighted to unwrap Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. "Imagine my delight as I watched my dad catastrophically miss every note on the plastic guitar controller," she says. "Oh, how the tables turned, father. Who's the musician now?!"
Disappointment, Delight, and Lasting Traditions
Not all festive gaming memories end in triumph. Sam Barlow, creator of Her Story and Immortality, recalls a year when he and his brother meticulously investigated a present that was the perfect shape of a Super Nintendo game box. Their Christmas morning reveal, however, yielded only a Ghostbusters card game. "His utter disappointment was the funniest thing I've seen," Barlow admits. The phrase 'Ghostbusters card game' is now family shorthand for life failing to meet expectations.
Sometimes, perceived disappointment turns to joy. Video game writer Alex Donaldson remembers desperately wanting a PC but receiving a Sega Mega Drive instead. Loading the Mega Games compilation cartridge, he found Golden Axe, Streets of Rage, and Revenge of Shinobi. "Everything was so immediate, so visceral. This wasn't a PC, it was better," he says, recalling the beautiful simplicity of the console.
Many keep these traditions alive. Lucy Blundell of Kinmoku Games (One Night Stand, Videoverse) spent last Christmas morning with her husband, snuggled on beanbags with their dog, playing Christmas NiGHTS on a Japanese Sega Saturn. Afterwards, they booted up the very same Nintendo 64 she received in 1999 to play Diddy Kong Racing's winter levels and Super Mario 64. "Spending a quiet Christmas together and sharing our favourite childhood games was a real festive treat!" she says.
The True Spirit of Festive Gaming
The common thread in these stories isn't necessarily the latest, most expensive hardware. As evidenced by responses from the public, the thrill often came from secondhand machines with bundles of pre-loved games – a Commodore 128, a Nintendo Wii – offering a treasure trove of new experiences. Christmas gaming, at its heart, is about shared fun, discovery, and the lasting memories created with whatever machine you have to hand, proving the festive spirit is alive and well in the world of pixels and play.
