Christmas Mission

If movie plots and video games are to be believed, Santa is pretty bad at his job, given the fact that almost every year he runs into trouble that prevents him from delivering the presents. Granted, miracles and dedication help the old man achieve his purpose on time, so it’s an enjoyable experience to be part of the adventure whenever you are presented with the chance.

Christmas Mission is a simple arcade platformer in which you have to avoid traps, jump over enemies and collect presents as you explore the stages. There are no revolutionary mechanics at work, so there are no new elements to learn or enjoy. Even so, the adventure is both fun and challenging, so it can be a great way to spend your holidays if you are not too picky.

The most important goal is to collect all the presents from each level, otherwise the exit is not accessible. Naturally, these presents are placed in the most awkward locations, usually guarded by traps or enemies. Speaking of which, spikes, cannons and various types of enemies block your path, although it’s usually pretty simple to avoid them with a bit of practice.

The level design is a bit of a letdown, unfortunately, mainly because there are no interesting sections that keep you guessing or truly challenge your skills. Most of the time you are moving forward and jumping over spikes, although sometimes it’s important to go back on a different path in order to collect the presents that were not previously accessible. Sometimes you have to reach levers and open doors to continue your progress.

Speaking of level design, the graphics quality is not something to write home about, given the fact that everything is kept as simple as possible. The retro style goes well with the general mood of the game, on the other hand, so it’s a neat experience if you are having a fit of nostalgia. Not much can be said about the sound, on the other hand, since most of the time it’s missing entirely.

All things considered, Christmas Mission is not the type of game that keeps you coming back time and again, but at least if features enough levels and quite the challenge sometimes. Hence, it can be a great distraction whenever you are not in the mood for a more complex game.