As the temperatures drop and the evenings grow darker, many of us turn to video games as an ideal winter pastime. But what if the worlds we escape into are even frostier than our own?
Snow and ice levels are a proud gaming tradition, so we’ve selected ten of the best – and you can play many of them right now in our hands-on gaming wonderland Power Up! Grab your scarf and gloves, strap on your snow shoes and read on…
COOL, COOL MOUNTAIN – SUPER MARIO 64
The classic snow level: the name alone is enough to conjure up images of Mario leaping and sliding around a frozen peak. In true SM64 fashion, this world is packed with suitably wintry ways for Mario to earn his Stars, from reuniting a baby penguin chick with its forlorn mother, to rebuilding a headless snowman, to racing a champion penguin down an icy slide for glory.
You can play Super Mario 64 in the Mario zone of Power Up.
SPRING VALLEY – CHRISTMAS NIGHTS INTO DREAMS
As its title suggests, Christmas NiGHTS into Dreams embraces the festive spirit. Originally a free giveaway with Sega Saturn Magazine, it’s mainly a demo for the full NiGHTS game, one of the Saturn’s classics, beloved for its magical atmosphere, soundtrack and soaring gameplay. However, if you play Christmas NiGHTS in December, the console’s internal clock triggers a Yuletide makeover for Spring Valley. Snow blankets the level, collectible items are replaced with presents and Christmas trees, and a charming cover of ‘Jingle Bells’ plays on the soundtrack. Beneath the Christmas trappings, there are even more Easter eggs hidden in this curio, including the chance to play as Sonic the Hedgehog.
You can play Christmas NiGHTS into Dreams in the Timeline zone of Power Up.
THE MOUNTAIN – 1080° SNOWBOARDING
Perhaps it’s cheating to choose the entire setting of this slick snowboarding sim, but we couldn’t write a snow level list without including it. For 1998, 1080° Snowboarding‘s mountain courses formed a remarkably realistic environment, with their snowy particle effects and reflections – and variable physics for different surfaces like thick snow and solid ice – matched by the game’s deep and demanding simulation of snowboarding.
You can play 1080° Snowboarding in the Sports zone of Power Up.
SIBERIA – TIMESPLITTERS 2
This cult classic shooter’s first level was also its best. Developers Free Radical, many of whom worked on the legendary N64 game Goldeneye 007, crafted a masterpiece with this Bond-flavoured mission, which sees players infiltrating a dam across a frozen Siberian river. The variety, environmental storytelling and depth of this level as it moves from stealth to zombie shootouts are unmatched, and it also provided a huge map for the game’s addictive multiplayer mode. The music is the icing on the cake.
HOTH: ECHO BASE – STAR WARS: BATTLEFRONT
Echo Base shows how the Battlefront games became favourites among Star Wars fans, dropping players into an iconic battle from the original film trilogy and capturing its cinematic scope and action. This level brings the ice planet Hoth from the opening of The Empire Strikes Back to life. It’s a blast whether you’re playing as the Empire, stomping across the tundra in huge AT-AT walkers, or as the plucky Rebels trying to bring them down in snowspeeders.
You can play Star Wars: Battlefront in the Timeline zone of Power Up.
FROZEN ELEUM LOYCE – DARK SOULS II
This frozen city has faded grandeur in spades – the signature ambience of the Souls series – but its icy exterior hides a world of exceptional depth and dynamism. Exploration is rewarded with hidden lore, treasure and the chance to transform the level entirely, opening up even more secrets to discover. Hidden around Frozen Eleum Loyce are the Loyce Knights, fearsome warriors entombed in ice. Free them and they will fight alongside you in the area’s climactic boss battle against the Burnt Ivory King.
MOUNT WARIO – MARIO KART 8
Mario Kart is legendary for its iconic tracks, and Mount Wario is one of the very best. Instead of a repeating circuit, this spectacular course sends you hurtling out of a cargo plane and down the titular mountain in a slaloming downhill sprint. Part of its charm is how creative it is with its alpine location, taking racers through caves, across a massive hydroelectric dam and between snow-capped trees before returning to the slopes at the ski-themed finish line.
You can play Mario Kart 8 in the 2-player zone of Power Up.
SHADOW MOSES ISLAND – METAL GEAR SOLID 4: GUNS OF THE PATRIOTS
Shadow Moses formed the entire setting of the original Metal Gear Solid, but the return to the Alaskan island in 2008’s MGS4 is the game’s memorable high point. Arriving through a blizzard to the familiar strains of ‘The Best is Yet to Come‘, we’re treated to a feast of flashbacks and Easter eggs before the chapter culminates in a series of epic boss battles. This level is nostalgia done perfectly, mesmerising and melancholic at the same time.
SIDEWINDER – HALO
A classic capture-the-flag map, Sidewinder’s horseshoe shape provided the blueprint for many much-loved maps throughout the Halo series. Players can fight their way through the cramped tunnels to the enemy base, or take the long way around the snowy canyon; the ambience is so vivid you can practically feel the wind chill on your face. Just steer your Warthog clear of the frozen ponds if you want to stay in control of your vehicle…
You can play Halo in the 4-player zone of Power Up.
PHENDRANA DRIFTS – METROID PRIME
This one is all about the music. The gorgeous area theme is so chilly and pristine that icicles could hang from every note. After the dark caves of Magmoor Caverns, the previous area, the pale blue skies and gentle snowfall of Phendrana Drifts are a beautiful contrast. Don’t let yourself get too relaxed, however – like most areas of Metroid Prime, you’ll need your wits about you as you steer Samus through crevasses and caves packed with deadly flora and fauna who have adapted to this arctic biome.
Had enough of reading, and itching to get hands-on with a great game? Looking for a day out this winter? Book your tickets now to visit Power Up, our hands-on gaming experience filled with the very best video games from the last 50 years.