In our latest Antstream Arcade Archive series, we take a look at another specific game from the
Antstream Arcade retro vault, giving you the lowdown on its plot, gameplay, tips and more. This month we proudly present The Official Father Christmas Game, the Spectrum game that puts you in charge of the big man himself – on Christmas Eve!
OK. I’m Santa.
Yes you are! And it’s his busiest time of the year, Christmas Eve!
What’s that noise? Is it… a medley of Jingle Bells, Deck The Halls and We Wish You A Merry Christmas?
We think so. While we love the original Sinclair ZX Spectrum here at Antstream Arcade, sound and music were never its strongest point.
I’ve made it stop. So, I imagine this is some present-delivering type of caper?
Spot on, although Father Christmas has a bit of an issue with his sleigh. The reindeer are waiting
patiently to take off, but the sleigh itself has been taken apart by some pesky elves. Each part is hidden inside Santa’s workshop/home and he has to search every room before taking the part to the waiting reindeer outside. There’s a catch, though: should Father Christmas bump into one of his elves, they’ll grab the part off him and hide it again!
Wow, those elves are mischievous. I’m intrigued, what do Santa’s digs look like?
There’s a homely feel to Father Christmas’ house with its roaring fire and a multitude of candles. Santa’s bedroom contains just his bed and a stool, while he and Mrs Claus seem to have a preference for rocking chairs, which must make meal times interesting.
Sleigh assembled, now do we get to deliver presents?
Woah, hold your reindeer there, Santa Claus. First you have to select the six presents that you’re going to hand deliver to those lucky kids throughout the world. From teddy bears to doll houses and a computer, Santa has to catch the presents as they fall from the sky (don’t ask), before finally getting ready to take off on his sleigh.
Poor Santa! I never realised delivering presents was such hard work.
And he still has to deliver them! Across the skies of several continents, Father Christmas flies in his sleigh dropping presents via parachute to the lucky recipients below. Unfortunately irksome birds, planes and clouds are causing some presents to go astray – it’s fortunate Santa has a few spares tucked away on his sleigh.
Look, I’m used to blasting aliens and such like – any tips on how to tackle this important mission?
Being of a – ahem – slightly larger frame, Father Christmas can’t jump, so avoiding the nippy elves is tricky. Watch for when they disappear off screen, follow them and hope they don’t double back. When it comes to the present delivering segment, the downward fall of the presents can be guided by the movement of Santa’s sleigh because, y’know, Christmas magic. Use this to guide them past the clouds and other present-stealing hazards.
I’m ready to deliver pressies! But what are my chances of getting on the Antstream Arcade leaderboard?
Top Santa is ZOLUK with 12,300 points with John Brady close behind with a score of 12,100. Third place is currently occupied by Antaeus000 with 11,600 points while beating Galaheart’s total of 10,700 will get you into the top 10 as of this moment.
Right, I’ve got my Santa hat on and am ready to jingle with The Official Father Christmas Game.
That’s the spirit! Yes, The Official Father Christmas Game is playable right now on Antstream Arcade. Get delivering!
Thank you for reading – have a very retro gaming Christmas and watch out for another blast from the Antstream Arcade Archive soon.
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