Play Daze Before Christmas Online

Summary

Daze Before Christmas is a quirky platformer that managed to become the sole Sega Mega Drive title ever released exclusively in Australia. The game’s charm lies in Santa’s oddball arsenal: he can zap foes with magic, melt ice with flame‑shooting power‑ups, and even turn collected presents into surprise items ranging from extra lives to hidden bombs. A standout mechanic is the transformation into “Anti‑Claus” – a blue‑suited, invincible alter‑ego who swaps magic for a sack‑swinging melee attack, but can’t open gifts.

Between the side‑scrolling stages, Santa pilots his sleight, dropping the gathered presents down chimneys worldwide, adding a brief aerial interlude to the otherwise ground‑based action. Development was a bit of a sprint: lead programmer Carl‑Henrik Skårstedt says the team only began serious work six months into a year‑long schedule, even reusing code from Funcom’s earlier *We’re Back! A Dinosaur’s Story* project. A quirky level‑select cheat references the Swedish word “Barra,” evoking a pine tree shedding its needles.

Despite its limited release, the game’s rarity and the fact that its production run was halted after the first batch due to quality concerns have turned it into a collector’s curiosity among retro fans.

Storyline

In Daze Before Christmas you step into the red‑suited shoes of Santa Claus as he races against time to rescue the holiday. An evil mouse has stolen the children’s presents and cursed them with a spell, while the sinister Timekeeper threatens Santa’s elves and his master plans.

Santa must battle through snowy landscapes and whimsical levels to retrieve the stolen gifts, free the elves, and reclaim his plans from the Timekeeper. The game blends platforming action with a festive storyline, putting the player on a frantic quest to save Christmas.