That time Santa Claus was the new Super Mario (or at least he tried)

Forty years ago, back in 1984, everything, in general, was much more innocent. So much so that even the world could afford Santa Claus games without a plot twist turning him evil or a character handing out punches in South Park or in a fight. That’s why things like Special Delivery: Santa’s Christmas Chaos exist, a title from Atari where the player controlled everyone’s favorite chubby guy delivering gifts in his sleigh. And if you think it’s the start of a long lineage of Christmas games… think again.

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Ho, ho, ho, what a shame

There are really hardly any Christmas video games, beyond indie titles and phone apps with very (very) little charm. Not everyone wants to risk being criticized by purists for featuring Santa Claus as the protagonist, making it too cheesy, or not fully representing the festivities. That’s why Santa Claus Saves The Earth stands out so much, even if just for the attempt, which appeared in 2002 for Game Boy Advance and PlayStation.

That said, it is one of the worst games in history. You have been warned, just in case you felt like giving it a try. The title was only released in Europe (its American version was rightly canceled) and it was the first created by the Lithuanian studio Ivolgamus, which later devised Barbie, Shrek, and billiards games for Nintendo Wii. Yes, it is one of those studios that provided games to put in the “everything for 3 euros” boxes.

In the game, we control Santa Claus, who must stop an evil fairy named Nilam, who on December 24th has used her magical power to send him to an enchanted land. Will he be able to return in time, traveling through the different lands, and stop Nilam? Keep in mind that, despite what the title says, what Santa is going to save are the Holidays, not the Earth. It’s much less exciting than it seems.

The enemies are unfair, the bosses laughable, the levels a mess… But there’s some decent track in the soundtrack! Hey, it’s better than nothing for Christmas! Since there’s not much else to choose from in the genre, maybe it’s time to dust off this cheesy platformer and try to save Christmas. Or at least, have a laugh while your uncles talk about economics and politics during dinner.

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