that 'Christmas Eve feeling'...

[Adam Stone]

When I was a child, Christmas Eve offered a magical air of wonder and excitement. It was day where my childish-enthusiasm blossomed in my heart whilst the brightly wrapped presents under the tree tauntingly-teased with their mystery. I would rest uneasily at bedtime knowing tomorrow I could feast upon all the mountains of exotic and luxurious delicacies that would normally be too expensive, or naughty… I would try my utmost to stay awake to take a glimpse of Santa’s frostbitten red coat, yet my eyes would always be overcome by tiredness.

When it actually came to Christmas morning I would wake up with my eyes wide, heart pounding with a strange yet wonderful tingly-sensation surging through my veins…

And you know what, I miss that feeling. I still get it a little at Christmas, but it’s not the same, the magic has gone. But! I do still feel that magical air of wonder and I can feel it growing steadily with the prospect of the new Legend of Zelda for the wii. Yes, indeed…

As sad as it may sound, but come the release of the new Zelda I will find myself feeling that strange yet wonderful Christmas Eve feeling the night before. I won’t be able to sleep, I’ll be restless, I’ll be ready to dive out of bed the next morning with over exaggerated movements… I will want to open the window and shout merrily to the world. It doesn’t happen often, but The Legend of Zelda does that to me. It happened with Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, Wind Waker and Twilight Princess. The night before their release I feel like an stupidly, excitable child again…

So, finally, the question is: What videogame franchise or singular title gives you, or has given you, that overwhelming sense of excitement? In other words, the 'Christmas Eve feeling'? Or, alternatively, have you ever even felt it?

Just to clarify:

This thread isn't about Christmas itself, but rather the feelings and the excitement a videogame release evokes.

[abigsmurf]

I saw chrismas stock in M&S the other day and now the Christmas threads are coming in September too!

'tis commercialism gone mad!!!!!

But yeah I miss being excited about Christmas.

I dislike it now, all the forced family stuff and I find present giving and receiving awkward (especially as if I want anything, I just buy it).

[Malc]

Playing Shenmue 1 on the DC or Animal Crossing on the Gamecube at christmas (both in game and real life) always evokes that christmas feeling in me.

I do worry that I relate so much of my real life towards games though.

[Adam Stone]

I saw chrismas stock in M&S the other day and now the Christmas threads are coming in September too!

'tis commercialism gone mad!!!!!

But yeah I miss being excited about Christmas.

I dislike it now, all the forced family stuff and I find present giving and receiving awkward (especially as if I want anything, I just buy it).

This thread isn't about Christmas mate :-)

But rather... the feeling that the excitement of a game can feel like it's Christmas? I just used my experience of Christmas eve as an example of my excitment for those Zelda titles... for me, their releases feel like Christmas! You get me? Maybe I should make my original post more clear! :-)

[Nighteyes]

Despite recently suffering from some gaming apathy, I'm now very excited about Forza 3, if the game was out tomorrow I'd also have that christmas eve feeling.

[Malc]

Well, if it's not about christmas and more about excitement, then i'd have to say the Halo and Metal Gear Solid series gives me the most excitement about them being released. Not quite the same as when I was a kid before christmas though.

[Nighteyes]

The last time I was super-turbo excited about a game's release was Mass Effect. MGS4 came close, as did Batman quite recently. But Mass Effect had me counting the days, hours, minutes, seconds...

[cutmymilk]

Mario Galaxy 2 has me excited. Two months away!

[abigsmurf]

Ah, I've a habbit of increasingly scanning text the further down I get in a post/article, missed the final sentence.

I do occasionally get lightly buzzed about waiting for purchases but less and less so about games because I always try to ensure I don't have gaps between things to do.

The games I tend to get buzzed about are MMOs because there's the 'experience' of being in a new world with other people who are exploring it for the first time. Of course the lengthy closed beta and dem... Sorry 'open beta' periods are increasingly spoil this. There's something great about doing an instance boss and having to react on the fly to it because no one knows the 'tactics' to killing it. Very very rare for that to happen now.

I'm currently a bit buzzed because I'm getting my new motherboard tommorrow which will finally enable me to build my new PC (even if it has a £15 graphics card to tide me by until the ATI 5xxx series is released).

[Adam Stone]

Just to add: I think most recently, Fable 2 had me super excited... Not quite to the same levels as Zelda, but I'm already super-charged for Fable 3. Come it's release, i know i'll be losing sleep :-)

abigsmurf, that's cool man... It was my fault for not being entirely clear! I know what you mean about the experience of a title... I like to be whisked away to a different world.

[MrMarbles]

The first Rock Band was the most recent game to have given me that feeling - it was further heightened by the fact that I imported it on release in the US so would find myself rushing home from work in case the courier had delivered it.

Prior to that it was Guitar Hero 2 - I remember speeding back home on the motorway that night, eager to give it a proper seeing to. I finished it on Expert the same evening in one mammoth session, crippling my hand in the process as, in those days, it was far less accustomed to playing on fake plastic guitars.

Sadly, I appear to have become completely desensitized to hype and excitement since and nothing really stirs my loins now. I imagine the next time I feel that excitement will be the night before the release of a new home console.

[garrz32]

My birthday is on the christmas eve which was always a bummer,people would always say birthday/chrismas presents is all in one..Not bothered about it now cos i just buy what i want now.

The best one i had was when I got a PS1 from my girlfriend(who is now my wife) at chrismas eve and we stayed in bed all day and chrismas day as well, playing ABE and Resi Evil.Stopping for the odd "hide the sausage" game.

To this day it still makes me smile.Totally changed now ofcourse now am married

So any Resi game makes me think of Xmas

Like they say "What food puts a woman off sex" Wedding cake

[Adam Stone]

Sadly, I appear to have become completely desensitized to hype and excitement since and nothing really stirs my loins now. I imagine the next time I feel that excitement will be the night before the release of a new home console.

I was thinking this prior to typing up this thread... and I was thinking that recently I've not really felt that extreme-excitement for a title's release - except zelda of course. I'm already finding myself constantly awaiting more news and the concept art alone has me all giggly. Ha, only two years to wait!

[MisterBubbles]

Only 2 games 1 genuine and 1 i must have believed the hype ( flava flav would be dissapointed ), you got good taste Adam as The Legend of Zelda : Ocarina of Time is my favourite game of all time, i remember going to get it i was giddy and had the xmas eve feeling, just holding it my hands like you'd hold a small child it made the hairs on my neck stand up, just staring at the box. The other as said is a real sad story, i dont need to go into it cause when i say Halo 2 you'll know the feeling,playing it and getting that ending

[112]

I thought i would always have this feeling when it came to a Biohazard/Resident Evil game. That was until RE:5 was released.......... But, as like most childhood emotions and experiences, they tend to fade away as you grow up.

I think to reach that level of excitment and anticipation now, is for me, experienced in the form of waiting for a game to be released more that anything.......... the buzz and energy surrounding a AAA title before it is released is unlike anything felt before, especially within the confines of a community such as NTSC. Of course, like with some games, hopes are easily dashed when the game turns out to be a let down or if someone does not agree with it, less favourable comments tend to dampen the excitment on a forum....... I guess you just have to accept that not everyone will agree with everything.

Im trying to think about a particular game i am eagerly anticipating, and i think it might just be Uncharted 2 As i will be state side the day after its release, i dont think i can NOT buy this game when i am there.......... The fact that i will have to wait till i come home, a couple of weeks later will jus add to the excitment, kinda like the run up to Christmas in this case.

So i guess it still exists for me, its just not as obvious i guess......... But then again, when looking back to Christmas's past, we tend to look with a tinted glaze.

112