By Zhaan 
HELLO, stranger. It is time for a more jovial type of content. Today, I will share some of my favourite winter and Christmas themed music from the video game world. There’s a surprisingly large amount of songs that would qualify for this post, so I’ll try to restrain myself a bit.
Now, some of these songs are not directly related to Christmas, but they always put me in the right mood. Sometimes it’s a cozy vibe I’m looking for, other times it’s more of a atmospheric/gloomy kind of thing. Let’s dive into it.
Final Fantasy
I’m starting off with my #1 video game series of all time, Final Fantasy. This franchise has a lot of music to choose from. Frankly, I could easily make a whole list with FF music alone, but I suppose that wouldn’t be as fun.
Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon – “Chocobo’s Happy Christmas” (Masashi Hamauzu)
Look, it’s a chocobo! And it’s wearing a santa hat! It doesn’t get any better than that. This song was composed by the legendary Masashi Hamauzu, perhaps best known for his work on Final Fantasy XIII. It’s a grand, seasonal take on the famous Chocobo Theme.
Final Fantasy VII – “Buried in the Snow” (Nobuo Uematsu)
This might be an obvious choice, since it’s from the only winter-themed town in Final Fantasy VII. It nails that astmospheric coziness you want for a list like this. I would describe this song as soothing and warm, perhaps with a mysterious undertone.
Final Fantasy IX – “Esto Gaza” (Nobuo Uematsu)
Esto Gaza is technically a town at the foot of a volcano, but there’s plenty of snow there. And more imporantly, it has a good wintry sound to it. I think of hot springs in the winter when I listen to this song. It’s also very good for sleeping, by the way.
I might be cheating by choosing this particular YouTube embed, since it has a falling snow effect and everything, but it’s appropriate.
Final Fantasy XIV – “Starlight Celebration” (Nobuo Uematsu)
FFXIV carries on the tradition of Starlight Celebration from FFXI, and this song never fails to rekindle those warm winter feels. Apparently composed by Nobuo Uematsu, possibly for the original 1.0 version of the game, but I’m not too sure about that. Either way, it’s excellent.
World of Warcraft
My most beloved MMORPG gets its own mention here. Plenty of songs to pick from.
“Lake Wintergrasp” (Various Artists)
We’ll start with a WoW location I really love, Wintergrasp. This is technically a battlefield zone where you murder people from the opposite faction, but the music is.. peaceful? Tranquil? Then again, I believe this song plays after the battle has ended. It’s very relaxing.
“Dun Morogh” (Various Artists)
This is the music from the Dwarven starter zone. Dun Murogh is a snowy, mountainous area filled with pine trees and towns. It’s very much a cozy and nostalgic place for me, even though I’m a Horde guy. This is a whole collection of songs that ranges from ambient to epic. Composed by Jason Hayes, Glenn Stafford, Tracy W. Bush, and Derek Duke.
“Winter Veil” (Various Artists)
Well, I had to include some songs from WoW’s official winter event. I think these songs were added in one of the more recent expansions, but I find them nostalgic regardless. I’ve been saving Metzen the Reindeer and feeding Santa Orc cookies and milk for about 17 years now. Might as well keep going.
Other Games
Sonic 3D Blast – “Diamond Dust Zone” (SEGA)
Gotta be honest here, I’m not a Sonic guy at all. Don’t care for the gameplay much, and I’ve had some strange experiences with Sonic fans over the years (not in a good way). However, I respect two things about the series: the colourful aesthetics and the music. Most of the games look and sound fantastic, except for that one BioWare game. I think this track just screams “Winter Level”.
MapleStory – “White Christmas” (Jun-Hee Lee?)
Ah, MapleStory. Like Final Fantasy XI, this is one of those early 2000s MMORPGs I tried for a little while and moved on quickly. The gameplay was simply too grindy for me. The music though? God-tier. And as it turns out, there are some really nice seasonal songs here.
Ragnarok Online – “Don’t Cry, Baby” (SoundTeMP)
Continuing the theme of grindy online games from the naughties, here’s a lovely track from Ragnarok Online. Y’know, the game with Porings. I’ve always thought Korean MMOs had an innocent and playful vibe to them, especially in terms of art and music. Maybe that’s why I found them so appealing in my younger days.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons – “Toy Day” (Various Artists)
A nice, slow-paced track from a recent(ish) title. This game has been a mainstay in my family since it released, and we still turn it on every Christmas Eve for the Toy Day event. It’s become a modern day tradition.
Persona 4 Golden – “Snowflakes” (Shoji Meguro)
One of the better additions to Persona 4 Golden, composed by Shoji Meguro. It plays during the winter months in Inaba. Very chill stuff, no pun intended. Honestly though, I can’t think of a single Meguro song I don’t like. He’s another one of those legendary composers who can do no wrong.
Mario Kart 64: “Frappe Snowland / Sherbet Land” (Kenta Nagata)
This particular song is a recurring theme in the series, and I think this is the best version of it. I haven’t actually tried Mario Kart 64 before, but the soundtrack is great. My only experience with the franchise has been with Mario Kart 8 and more recently Mario Kart World.
Nintendo Wii: “Christmas eShop Theme” (Nintendo)
Gone are the days of Nintendo system and eShop music, and what a shame that is. The Switch would be massively improved if they just added some good tunes. If I recall correctly, the Wii, Wii U, and 3DS all had eShop music that would change with the seasons.
Stardew Valley: “Nocturne of Ice”
Here’s a more somber pick from an indie darling I regretfully haven’t played much of (yet). This song definitely has an element of sadness to it, or perhaps a sense of longing, but that works well for a winter theme.
Okay, so at this point I could just keep going because there are a lot of winter-themed songs out there. But this will have to do for now. Until next time, keep on keeping on and have a great holiday.