Well, it’s New Years Eve, and holiday parties are erupting everywhere. This is the big payoff for all the holiday buildup that came before, so let’s listen to some lush and lively holiday tracks appropriate to the grander scale of these holiday festivities.

Talesweaver (2003)

This is a Korean massively multiplayer online roleplaying game based on the fantasy novel Children of the Rune. The game takes place on a single massive continent, and players visit various cities and explore a deep storyline adapted from the novel.  The Christmas season is celebrated in-game with several versions of classic holiday songs, including this radiant version of “Feliz Navidad,” that has some of the broad grandeur of a pop anthem from the 1980s.

Nintendoland (2012)

This game was bundled with the premium versions of the Wii U, and offered a theme park full of minigames meant to demonstrate the capabilities of the new console.  The Metroid Blast minigame allowed players to either fly in Samus’ gunship or battle on the ground below wearing environment suits. In the subzero level, players shoot their way through icy caves, wiping out waves of enemies. The music for this level is a sparkling and adventuresome romp with a sense of faint danger – a great soundtrack for a wild ride on Santa’s sleigh.

Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix + (2007)

This was a re-release of the hit game from 2005 that mixed Square Enix and Disney characters and settings. This music came from an area patterned after Disney’s Nightmare Before Christmas.  The recording below is a newer orchestral version from the composer’s compilation soundtrack album, entitled “Drammatica.”

Chocobo’s Mysterious Dungeon (1997)

One of the iconic aspects of the Final Fantasy game series is the Chocobo – a yellow flightless bird that can be mounted and used as a jouncy and humorous means of transport.  This game focused solely on these birds, which have become trapped in an underground maze and must find a way out.  This track, “Chocobo’s Happy Christmas,” allows us to enjoy the holidays through the eyes of these sugar-sweet creatures.

Well, that’s it, friends – video game tunes for the holiday season.  I hope everyone has had a joyous holiday, and may all of us enjoy a wonderful New Year!