The Top 7... Christmas moments

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From heartwarming to horrific, we count down gaming's most memorable holiday scenes

6. Secret of Mana (SNES, 1993)
This classic action-RPG took a turn for the surreal when, while exploring a frozen wasteland, you stumbled across a familiar red-nosed reindeer moping around outside a stone house. Rudolph immediately begged you to help his boss, saying that Santa Claus had been carried off by a monster, and so it was off to the Ice Palace to fight the monstrous, bearded Frost Gigas.

Once you'd beaten him down, though, it was revealed that you'd really been fighting Santa Claus all along, who was no worse for wear after the ordeal. Turns out Santa was depressed because the children of the world had stopped believing in him, and he'd heard somewhere that the ultra-powerful artifacts known as Mana Seeds could grow massive trees. So, naturally, he decided he'd steal one and use it to - get this - grow the world's biggest Christmas tree. Stupid Santa Claus; instead, it mutated him into a hulking ice demon. At least you saved Christmas in the end (by beating the crap out of it, but still.)