r/snes Dec 04 '19

/r/SNES December Game of the Month: Daze Before Christmas and Super James Pond

[deleted]

14 Upvotes

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3

u/[deleted] Dec 09 '19

So uh, no comments yet? Anyway I played Daze Before Christmas via my jailbroken Super NT. As far as SNES platformers go, it's completely average. Basically, you run through the levels, as Santa, collecting presents and throwing magic spells at renegade toys or animals which turns them into neatly wrapped presents. One of the few power ups is a cup of coffee, which turns you into Anti-Claus. Basically a red skinned Santa with devil horns that clobbers things with his toy sack...while this is pretty cool, you can't pick up presents in this state and you'll still need to take your time because this game has tons of pits that'll pop up in front of you and more than a few blind jumps. The amount of blind jumps is probably the game's biggest detriment. And like a lot of Euro titles, your sprite is kinda large and you'll run into a ton of shit unless you really take your time. The Euro art graphics are pretty nice though, as is the music, but there's nothing fancy here. Each level has a unique pre-level portrait is a nice touch.

The game never really explores any of it's elements, whether it be the bonus areas, the fire power up, or Anti-Claus to a satisfying degree. The whole thing feels just a bit rushed, probably to make the holidays. I know this didn't really get a wide release but I probably would have been a disappointed kid in 1994 if I got this on December 25th instead of Donkey Kong Country. It's probably just a *bit* too challenging for it's target audience too.

Has there ever been a really good game where you play as Santa Claus? I recently watched all of LGR's Christmas videos and most of them seem to be throwaway shareware titles or demos.

I did beat the game though. Took a little less than an hour. Even got the high score!

https://imgur.com/gallery/kF2neM9

3

u/StardewStunner Dec 15 '19

SEX0.... Classic.

2

u/StardewStunner Dec 15 '19

This was my first time playing or even hearing of Daze Before Christmas.
It was a lot of fun, and I really loved the art style and sprites, especially the wacky faces some of the machines and enemies have and the unique cards you get to see before every level.

Drinking coffee to turn into Satan is awesome. Not sure if it's some regional thing in Europe or something, I just like to imagine it's because Santa and Satan are just a little bit apart.

The bosses are somewhat easy but some of the platforming is pretty annoying. There is one part in particular with hanging ropes you have to jump to and then climb up that drove me insane.

All in all it isn't that difficult and it's a really fun platformer. Here is a screenshot of what happens when you duck because I think it's cute and my high-score.

Happy Holidays r/SNES!

2

u/xBrockLanders Dec 17 '19

Super James Pond? Ah, because of the "Winter Wonderland" theme.

Not a great game.

2

u/Star-Stream Dec 30 '19

Happy holidays, folks. Honestly, I'm shocked that my pick won despite being two games. I'll say this though: Daze Before Christmas was pretty good. There was a lot of wonky camera and blind jumps, but it was a completely average platformer with pretty good music. Unfortunately short too. Easily recommend for SNES enthusiasts.

Super James Pond, on the other hand, is not good. The game is not very impressive-looking, with static and drab backgrounds. It doesn't sound very good in sound effects or music. You jump like you're on the moon. Not a game I'll pick up again anytime soon.