Collect the presents in style
MegaXmas’89 is a free sports video game wherein you can enjoy the winter holidays by skiing in a cute pixelated world. Developed by Nekojita, this 2D indie game is a Christmas-themed skiing game directly inspired by SkiFree, an old but classic sports game. This game is designed to run on Sega Genesis and Mega Drive, as well as their emulators. It’s also region-free and has been optimized for all regions so anyone can play.
The holiday version
SkiFree is a 1991 single-player skiing video game created by Chris Pirih, released for PC and DOS. In it, you play as a skier on a mountain slope, who must avoid obstacles while racing against time or performing stunts for points—depending on the game mode you chose. The game became popular enough with its gameplay mechanics and visuals to be ported to other platforms and was eventually given a free version.
MegaXmas’89 is pretty much the Christmas version of this game. Instead of a normal character, you play as Santa Claus himself and your goal is to collect all presents along the snowy slopes to achieve the highest score possible. Aside from that, you also need to watch out for obstacles such as pine trees, giant candy canes, snowmen, and even other skiers. Plus, the classic Abominable Snowman enemy has been replaced with the nasty Krampus.
The gameplay is pretty much the same, with you being able to steer, jump, and dash to weave through the numerous obstacles in your path. You can also do tricks for bonus points whenever you jump through the yellow ramps. Compared to SkiFree, the pixel art graphics here are more polished and appropriately shows Christmas decor. Unlike the former, however, you can’t run this on your PC alone.
Still a bit limited
All in all, MegaXmas’89 is a great indie version of a classic game if you’re looking for holiday-themed games. While this is only for the Sega Genesis and Mega Drive, fans who still have those consoles or have emulators for them can easily enjoy this as there’s an easy installation guide included in the download. However, if you want other skiing games, you should try out Steep, ORF-Ski Challenge, and Fancy Skiing VR.
