My 27-Year-Old Gaming Tradition: Christmas NiGHTS into Dreams
I have been re-reading my old reviews and features from my earlier video game journalism days as I relocate them for archival purposes, and it reminds me that I still follow the same Christmas tradition with the same amount of excitement as I did when writing about it twelve years ago: my annual playthrough of Christmas Nights into Dreams on Sega Saturn.
For those unaware, Christmas Nights (which is the shorthand I will use going forward) is the holiday-themed demo disc previously only sold or bundled in the following ways for the following regions: in Japan, it was bundled with a Christmas Sega Saturn bundle, and also shipped “free,” to Saturn owners who covered the shipping cost. In the UK, the disc was bundled with Sega Saturn Magazine. The US could find the sampler packaged with Next Generation Magazine, given away with the sale of specific Saturn games, or sold individually in Blockbuster Video stores. I bought my copy of Christmas Nights for $5 at Blockbuster.
The demo, or sampler, disc was released following the success of the base game Nights into Dreams, which many dubbed as the replacement for Sonic on the Saturn since the famed blue blur never received a Sega Saturn exclusive platforming title.
Even though it is just a demo disc, Christmas Nights has been argued to be a larger package than the base game with many unlockable items. The extra items, aptly named “presents,” are all unlocked through a game of Memory after each successful run of a level. The depth of the unlockables includes many things, such as photo galleries, karaoke tracks, and a fully playable version of the demo disc, including a different boss fight, as Sonic the Hedgehog — marking his first foray into the third dimension.
When I play the game annually, I am sure to take my time and never go for the best or fastest run. I have to admit that I have thought about submitting my playtime towards speed-running leaderboards since Christmas Nights is a pretty niche game, but those thoughts are immediately dashed as I know it would remove the fun of the tradition. I checked the leaderboards recently since the last time I gave it serious thought, and there are a few new names on there with insanely fast times, which makes me happy that this game is still on people’s radar.
Speaking of how chill and relaxed the game can be, I’ve actually received compliments regarding previous streams of my tradition for it being such a laid-back endeavor. I’ve been down the Christmas Nights’ snowy road before, so its comfort and familiarity allow me to carry on conversations with whoever may show up in the chat.
The biggest reason I play Christmas Nights every year is the nostalgia for simpler times in a simpler world. My family never did a lot for holidays, but I could always sit down and play this unforgettable demo disc to remember why I love video games. Once I started working, specifically in the world of retail, my job took over the would-be family-oriented seasons and essentially destroyed any joy previously found in them. It may sound cheesy, but I’m older and wiser to understand (or maybe trick my brain into thinking) that the outside world will wait while I sit down with a polygonal world from 1997 with only two carols repeating for the entire runtime.
Prior to online streaming, I was content with my solo time in front of the glowing screen as I lost myself in Christmas Nights’ pixelated landscape. On the other hand, streaming the game allows me to introduce the adventure to newcomers or find like-minded retro souls, which is one of the best parts of any stream.
I don’t have many traditions, but Christmas Nights taught me that traditions don’t need to involve an entire physical location or specific groups of people. If you have something you enjoy doing and are able to lose yourself or even share the joy with others, then that’s enough to do it once a year.
I am not entirely sure if I will stream my playthrough tradition as I have eased away from routine streaming. However, if I stream, I hope to see some familiar names in chat and hope newcomers quickly see why I enjoy this short, spirited adventure.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
