25 Dec, 2007

The Christmas gaming charts are a special thing. Not only are they a celebration of the festive season's out-of-control consumerism, but they also show us which of the titles released during the intense pre-Chrimbo gaming avalanche have most successfully grabbed the attention of the masses.

After all, it's the one time of the year when financial frivolity is king, when partners, friends and gene-pool sharing associates rush out to purchase the software-based gift that their gaming loved-one has been dropping unsubtle hints about since November.

This year's Christmas UK gaming charts were announced yesterday, but because we're writing this in the past (you don't think we'd really be working on Jesus' birthday, do you?), we don't know what it is. However, you can find out by visiting Chart Track's site.

We thought it'd be a nice Christmas Day diversion for you, then, to look back at the Christmas week gaming top 10s of the last 20 years. Are you old enough to remember all the games in the 1987 top 10? How many single-format games have held the Christmas number one top spot? Which publisher has featured most prominently in the Christmas charts (Clue - begins in E and ends in A)?

You can find out by joining us as we amble down a snow-covered memory lane. And for a bit of cultural reference, we've also included each year's number one movie and song to help you get properly misty-eyed nostalgic. So, click on all ye faithful as we ding dong merrily on high... 

Note: The software charts we reference are the Christmas All Formats Software Top 10s for the UK as compiled by Chart Track. We would also like to say a massive thank you to the little helpers at Chart Track that diligently dug up all this data for us.