25 Years of Video Game Snow

[@any_austin]

anyway, sorry about that. What's your favorite video game snow? The Riften unemployment is taking a little longer than expected so here is a video about S-N-O-W. support me on patreon- www.patreon.com/any_austin

[@_graybee]

miles morales is an absurdly cozy winter wonderland. I've spent hours swinging around central park chasing pigeons

[@jonathanwilson7949]

Love your stuff

[@novelezra]

The Division had incredible snow. In fact it was the only good thing about the game. The rest of the game was complete garbage. Well done Ubisoft.

[@infinitytower8957]

Definitely frostpunk. It even responds to temperature somewhat

[@mikejuarez2383]

1080 snowboarding for n64

[@imnotcam123]

Another touch the devs included in Super Mario 64 is what happens when you afk for a bit. In most levels Mario lays down and falls asleep. In Cool Cool Mountain, Snowman's Land and, interestingly, the cloud stage, he will instead crouch down and start shivering!

[@SykoPathak]

I love the SM64 snow levels and this just makes me love them more

[@WhoIsSirChasm]

The clouds are the same texture as the snow, so that makes sense. See also how if you land on a cloud from a great height, Mario will be stuck and pull himself out rather than taking damage.

[@SECONDQUEST]

It's cold really high up! But yeah the clouds are probably reused snowy objects or something

[@thegreatautismo224]

Whether Mario shivers or falls asleep is dependent on the level, not whatever texture he's standing on. Nintendo likely intentionally chose for Mario to shiver in Wing Mario Over the Rainbow because it's really cold way up high

[@bunkymag]

Away From Kontroller..?

[@RyanHaney55]

"Tropes that nature uses to convince of that we are in snow." HAHAHA😅 I like this video. Other games that have music that somehow feel cold are Metroid Prime - Phendrana Drifts, LOTRO - Misty Mountains, and Donkey Kong Country - Gorilla Glacier and various icy areas.

[@Cheatscape]

In Donkey Kong Country, the snowfall in world 4-1 gets more and more intense, and the distant mountains get more and more shrouded in fog as the level progresses. After taking refuge in an ice cave in World 4-2, 4-3 takes place outdoors again where the weather effects are reversed, becoming less and less severe as the level progresses. Altogether, it really sells the impression of climbing up a mountain and passing through a storm.

[@Teh_Random_Canadian]

I was just thinking about SNES DK. The snow level was hard af, they did it very well.

[@legoboy7107]

That also reminds me of the snow levels in SMW2: Yoshi's Island, particularly the one snow level where you climb all the way up a mountain and then ski all the way back down.

[@joshshrum2764]

Snow bound land in 2 is amazing too.

[@KonamiKonami]

Luckily if you get into the right barrel, you can skip most of the hard part.

[@OpalDruscilla]

When I think of video-game snow I think of that level and the way it made me feel

[@leilao.3528]

As someone who has never lived anywhere snowy and snowfall is considered a phenomenon, this has been very educational.

[@ThisIsChris-Anime]

Minecraft snow captures that feeling of walking during a snowy night in a way that no other game really does. Skyrim comes close, but I fee like skyrim really excels in emulating the feeling of a blizzard rather than gentle snowfall. Great video!

[@thoughtsforthebuilders]

we just got a good foot of snow up here in NW Washington. a local weatherchaser got this excellent footage of fine dusty snow blowing over a roadway; oddly enough, it reminded me of the bare ice, snow and gusts of the Pale. helps that I'm in the middle of a Skyrim playthrough atm hehehe

[@jllemin4]

I really like how Vintage Story does snowfall and weather

[@stevensmith1031]

Snowy nights in minecraft are a vibe

[@jessicadominguez1315]

Not just the blizzard but also how beautiful icy places are that are dangerous. The north wilderness between Dawnstar and Winterhold is as breathtaking as it is lonely.

[@bugjams]

For me, weirdly, it's the Escape from Hoth Base level in the original LEGO Starwars trilogy. After you clear out a bunch of enemies in a given room, just sit there and soak up the atmosphere. The old LEGO Starwars games are _really_ something when it comes to atmosphere for some reason. Maybe it's Nostalgia. But I'd really like him to cover these games sometime. The hidden areas in the old games can feel especially dream-like, even moreso on old TV screens where the game looks sort of blurry.

[@MrCheese1338]

Death Stranding's snow and weather was also phenomenal, trudging through it in the middle of a complete swirling whiteout was an amazing experience

[@WillmotionAnimation]

I once had an interview with Rockstar to be an animator and I talked about how much I liked the snow in red dead, possibly too much. I didn't get the job

[@jonathanwilson7949]

Their loss

[@dave7474]

their loss!

[@blondemaverick]

Their loss!

[@teamonkey3]

Their loss.

[@enotsnavdier6867]

I have no idea how good of a worker you are, so I won't say it's their loss. But also Rockstar treats its employees terribly, so it's good you didn't get the job.

[@RetroTaylor94]

I was hesitant at first, but the title quickly reassured me that the video IS in fact about video games.

[@H3Vtux]

10:14 the other game that nailed the "snowstep" sound was majora's mask.

[@CptFitzgerald]

Thank you again, Austin. I've never had such an emotional understanding of snow until I watched this video. My favorite snow feel in a video game was when I was 10 yearls old playing Majora's Mask and approaching Snowhead Temple while simutaneously looking outside from the window on a January's day with that game's background music playing. I will never forget that memory.

[@pinkcupcake4717]

Skyrim has the most intense and evocative winter for me, but my favorite snow is Minecraft. It falls so gently and the soft music make for a soft and delicate energy.

[@sas.tronaut5055]

heckin lOve the vibes of snow, especially when its not windy and its just falling softly, making everything quiet

[@seiretzym]

I think you could talk about all sorts of seasonal themes in games throughout the year. romance in february, flowers/eggs in spring, farming in summer, leaves or halloween in fall

[@JohnnyRapture.]

Can't wait to watch this after work. It's about to snow here later too.

[@jonathanwilson7949]

Where I’m going to be spending Christmas is going to get over a foot of snow

[@pepper4481]

Wow enjoy the snow, that sounds so nice. I moved from a place with lots of snow each winter to a place that never snows a few years back and I miss it.

[@Wyatt_James]

I love viddy game snow. Have you considered video game menus? The spinning item box in the Mario Kart 64 menu always mystified me as a kid.

[@flipnog]

I know some devs must watch these videos and are just eternally grateful you notice such small and pretty details. love your videos

[@sledgen.]

I actually really liked this, please do one for another sort of biome!

[@ghost-fs7th]

Theres also places in twilight princess where the snow is very deep and you have to trudge through it slowly.

[@brianlange9112]

I love this analysis of things you normally wouldn’t notice in video games! It allows me to appreciate the little things in life-the minute details.

[@TechieindahHood]

I still really love the snowy areas of Minecraft, and especially standing in the snow, imo the fact it’s so quiet (because the game lacks wind) really adds to its realism cuz I have a lot of memories as a kid just standing outside in the snow, esp at night, and taking in just how quiet the snow is when it falls. Many games either have semi-continuous background music, ambient sounds, or wind sounds, so it’s not that often that you get silent snow. At least, in the games I’ve played.

[@pk_cupcakes]

This is why I love your channel so much. I love these videos! Snow levels/worlds are always my favourite in video games (next to the tropical levels). You make video game snow such an interesting topic to talk about. Great video Austin and happy holidays! ❄️🌨️🎁🎄 Also is that a new song I hear? 👀

[@thegoodgeneral]

Cool, Cool Mountain with its skybox textures and constant calm snowfall and Christmas-y (specifically the sleighbells) is this dreamlike fantasy of winter and snow that persists to this day on my 37th year alive on this planet.

[@LynnyM]

In Nightmare Creatures there's a level with snow and a meat locker / slaughterhouse. If you walked through the blood, you would leave bloody footprints in the snow. As an 11 year old this blew my mind.

[@dooptown]

I remember Harvest Moon for SNES having a very atmospheric winter, especially after the sun sets and the music stops and it's all quiet as the snow is falling I think this was a really great video idea and could lead into some other ideas. Perhaps autumn in video games? You'd have to wait about a year to release it though

[@abbycarroll101]

I really like this! Snow is one of my favorite weather conditions and seeing an analysis of it in video games was really fun!

[@concerninghobbits5536]

Woah is Austin from Minneapolis? That would explain his vast knowledge of snow

[@2teepeepictures382]

I have already hit the like button. 17 seconds in and you have my undivided attention. Bravo!

[@samhein321]

I like the chilling out vibe here, just looking at game models peacefully and noticing things we usually rush thru and never appreciate

[@Chillco600]

I like terrarias snow, or more specifically, the snow biome, i like how you can pick up the snow blocks and craft them into ranged snowballs without a crafting station (implying you just take a chunk of snow and make a bunch of snowballs from it) its a fun touch, i also like how theres clumps of ice in the snow, similar to how there would be in most snowy climates, i also like how as you go further down it becomes an icy cave before you hit rock, as if the snow piled up so much that the oldest layers hardened into ice

[@fearhunger3983]

For me peak snow feel is Megaman X1's Chill Penguin stage. That music encapsulates snowy feel to me. Other than that SSX1 is the first time I was blown away by snow effects. When snowboarding, you actually left a trail! :O

[@Unsung_Guardian]

This channel is a "Stop and smell the roses" kind of channel. I really love your content!

[@pocoxiaomi5182]

2:54 Amogus

[@Tvboy777]

The 3 video game experiences that stand out for me in terms of snow are Metal Gear Solid, Pokemon Platinum, and Assassins Creed III.

[@cowcow0506]

I can't describe it but the vibe this video gives off is awesome

[@MagnesiumPC]

One things I really like about The Long Dark is how it handles snow, which makes sense since it's sorta the whole point of the game. It's got a very dynamic weather and sound system, which creates a very "realistic" world despite the more stylized appearance.

[@appleschloss]

Youre so right about the sound design of snow in ACNH its top tier

[@RyanMoser]

@ 7:30 lol yeah, when you first came at Minecraft's snow i was like "Bruh, what? That shit's tremendous! Serenity at its finest!" Glad you recognized the errors of your ways 🙏

[@jackpennoyer1669]

Snow in Daggerfall!! Feels isolating, cold, sometimes magical.

[@YugiMomo]

I love this. I've spent a lot of time walking around in snow just crunching it and it's cathartic. The other day we had a massive snow + windstorm and when I woke up the snow was structured almost like sand dunes

[@phoebe_ophie]

11:55 such an authentic Skyrim moment

[@sandracardoso2602]

I've never seen snow falling, it sounds quite insane to me. Fluffy cold ice crystals falling quietly from the sky in pretty shapes and hanging around until it melts.

[@KiroKatashi]

I really like the snowy section of Journey. Really makes you feel like you are freezing.

[@stefl3431]

Rise of the Tomb Raider is one of my favorite snow themed games. 😊

[@PopTartNeko]

Somehow I want those 40-50 year old CG artists to find this channel and listen to you just earnestly admiring all the little work they did all those years ago

[@misfortunecookie]

As both a snow enjoyer and a videogame enjoyer, I enjoyed this video.

[@aortaplatinum]

Christmas NiGHTS into Dreams has my favorite snow, it crunches, it blows a bit, based on when you're playing it the snow will change or be colorful when it hits the ground, absolutely beautiful game

[@jackal27]

Sorry, but I was born in 1987, 35 years ago today and you didn’t even remember? Wow.

[@johnleecooper8520]

great idea for a video, love looking at graphics in games from this like emotional response perspective as opposed to just realism or simulation. Would love to see more about other commonly rendered lil things in games: rain, fire, birds, etc.

[@snowboundwanderer]

Few things are more relaxing than a good snowfall, loved seeing all the little details pointed out.

[@MrMeist]

a few games that I think are vital to the story of snow in video games are Lost Planet with the first hi-fi snowtracks that were a bit of a graphical showcase on 360 and snowboarding games like 1080, Shawn White, and of course SSX. Bonus deep cut is Company of Heroes 2 which made a whole mechanical system out of blizzards on the Eastern Front of WW2 until they pared it back in multiplayer because it was unfun. But very awesome mechanics and graphics.

[@the_boss45]

A game that comes to mind for me is metal gear solid 1 which is set in Alaska where I guess it snows a lot. There’s footprints, sounds, flakes, and stuff with snow on it. Also if you look out of the map there’s a sort of fog.

[@NetherStray]

The variety of snow in World of Warcraft is, as you might expect, also pretty huge. You can tour the zones in the game from expansion to expansion and see how the attention to detail evolved over time. Definitely a lot more in the way of blowing snow effects these days.

[@robwtime]

Great video, I love these breakdowns of game elements that would otherwise be overlooked. Keep it up!

[@didrikthurfjell1805]

I remember loving the way snow whisked behind vihecles in battlefield bad company 2. Mesmerized and awed at the detail, first time i saw that in a game

[@fermata4425]

You talked about Minecraft snow without talking about powder snow? The snow that's so light and fluffy you can pick it up in a bucket? The snow that forces you to wear a special type of boots to stay on top of it or sink under your own weight and freeze to death? The snow that won a community-driven biome vote because of Jeb's iconic quote, "The snow is snowier than before"? We need a sequel to this video. _We need justice for snowier snow!_

[@DJ_DIGITAL]

I love your videos mate, hearing your take on all of these random things in video games, many of which I played as a kid. Your videos give me an odd feeling of nostalgia. Your helping me remember all of these little details that I probably would have forgotten about. Thanks for this random little videos! Keep it up brother.

[@Cerastes12]

Love this kind of video, you do a great job of capturing the atmosphere in games and it's wonderful.

[@alarex8204]

Awesome channel! I too like the vibes you can only get playing video games. Did you ever enjoy just standing in a huge storm in a game and stared at the sky loved it so much you left the game on for a week... Or two? I think a video about stormy skybox weather in games and all the vibes in there would be so cool.

[@Curbiture]

This video was so good man, I love your voiceover. For more snowy goodness, I'd recommend the Division! It really nails that "oooooh I'd love a hot chocolate" vibe, and the misty blizzards too!

[@ViviSectia]

Blockland, one of the games that was competing with Minecraft early on gave off a very similar vibe especially when looking up at it. It's still the most memorable snow in video games to me even though I haven't seen it in about 15 years.

[@yetanotheruser1989]

Been playing Skyrim for the first time these last few weeks. For me that game does snow best. It does a lot of things pretty damn well actually. Love it

[@porterjones6022]

This video got me thinking about how some of my favorite games (Crash Bandicoot, Spyro the Dragon, etc.) have snow levels, but no real snow in them. Go figure! That said, Metal Gear Solid 1 and 4, Silent Hill, and Medal of Honor: Allied Assault would be great games to check out if you ever do a video similar to this. Great content!

[@OldBird388]

i always loved the snow in metroid prime. i know it’s not the most realistic but when i was young i would turn on prime just to run around phendrana drifts

[@Hitmonstahp]

Phendrana Drifts from Metroid Prime is my favorite. The aesthetic is there, but it also has the banger theme music 👌

[@sarahb.5003]

i am so thankful i found this wholesome channel. :) i love your videos!

[@theycallmedyce]

"Oh my god, there's a dragon. Christ almighty. I'm tryna look at snow for gods sake." This is me playing any video game with beautiful world building but also mobs.

[@sierranicholes6712]

my favorite snow in a game was pokemon diamond and pearl! i loved in the northern routes where you could just get buried going through the deep snow.

[@darkjapan]

Ski (1972) for the Magnavox Odyssey is probably the first game with snow. Although it was technically an plastic overlay you put on your TV screen. Alpine Skiing (1980) on the Odyssey 2 is another early skiing game that actually has snow graphics. :)

[@excuseme2770]

I have always found the snow in the last of us very realistic. Its been a couple years since I played it, but I remember it being the first game where the snow sounded real and the footsteps stuck a round

[@eviIsister]

i would love for you to revisit this video one day when the complete version of wolf quest anniversary edition comes out. theyve put a few dev logs out about how theyre developing the dynamics of deep snow in yellowstone winter and its pretty cool

[@m.lwilson3652]

Far Cry 4 is probably the first time I was truly impressed by video game snow. There's an avalanche in the tutorial level which blew me away (get it?). There are mountain peak levels here and there where oxygen at high altitude becomes a concern as well as snowblindness as visibility deteriorates. Still a favorite game 8 years later.

[@McCheesy22]

The snow in Batman Arkham Knight is quite nice, Arkham Origins also had good snow. Off the top of my head, I don't remember if Arkham City ever had falling snow, but I think it captured the feeling of a cold winter night quite well, so I'll toss that in as well.

[@TheIncredible2IC]

"Skyrim remembers that snow blows" Oh it sure does, Mr. Man from Minneapolis, it sure does

[@jotun.616]

8:22 That is some properly paced snow melt.

[@maccamachine]

This video is great man definitely feels cozy while it’s cold outside

[@Lexyvil]

Amazing video, I'm glad you made it about snow of all things, knowing Christmas/Winter is here~

[@XX-sp3tt]

There have been beautiful snow effects before 3-D came around you know.

[@plasmophage]

For me the first game I noticed snow in was the original World of Warcraft. In Dun Morogh your feet left footprints, and your characters breath would create a mist that was actually in sync with the character’s breathing animation. It was really immersive for its time.

[@TylerComptonShow]

I liked this video, please make more like this. As someone who was actually born in 1996, I feel seen.

[@MLife1000]

I really enjoy this channel thank you

[@daryx.langdale]

In Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, they introduced snow levels, and you had your white snow coloured camouflage and weapons, AND they animated little puffs of condensed vapor that came out of your team mate's mouths whenever they exhaled. It fuckin blew my little 9 year old brain when I saw that.

[@shipwreck9146]

Anyone else think it's spooky that he knew what year you were born.

[@A_chocolate_bar_review_channel]

Mario 64 and NiGHTS into Dreams were released in the same summer of 1996. Both had good snow levels.

[@KevinAndersonVideos]

This is great! You should do another one for rain, lightning storms, tornados, etc. Or even do a video based on seasons like fall, summer, and spring in video games. Maybe even go deeper and look at specific props, like trees and bushes in video games over the years. Anyway really enjoyed this one, keep up the good work.

[@Milkthatsock]

I very much enjoyed this video, and it’s not only because you knew I was born in 96 💛 you’re the channel that stops and smells the roses in video games and isn’t afraid to make long dedicated videos about them, and not only when they’re “scary” or “liminal” but when they’re anything between odd and insignificant 😌 true gem of a channel to come across

[@Zeldafan1ify]

The snowy regions of Twilight Princess and Mario 64 always brought me a sense of comfort and giddy excitement, as someone who still views snow through the lens of childlike wonder. It disappoints me that Nintendo hasn't added more extensive snowy and christmassy environments for Zelda games, like wind waker for example. All we got was a giant ice cube. BoTW does the snowy regions justice, and I think spirit tracks had something going on, there's also Majoras Mask. but I still want to see more in different games

[@RurouniKalainGaming]

13:35 Snow Holes, talk about that some other time. xD Lovely.

[@PsychoPenguin1919]

I really enjoyed this cozy video about snow :)

[@jonathanbukey4424]

I really liked this one. I enjoy seeing some of the more modern games too because there's incredible work out there that goes unnoticed because of how detailed everything is nowadays.

[@spacekiddet2508]

You are my comfort youtuber, ty for posting !

[@JaxontheOkay]

i actually do take your advice to watch multiple vids of yours in a row just about every time. your vids are great!

[@Roxor128]

"1996, the year you were born" HA! Out by 15 years! I'm as old as the IBM PC. And when I think about that, I get a bit weirded out...

[@michaelm9899]

Superb. Loved the snow show

[@ollie3957]

I like this one. Just found your channel and it's great 👍

[@VVayVVard]

I haven't played RDR2, but based on this video the surface looks a bit off. Pristine snow typically has diamond dust on the surface, making it emit a bright glitter in the sun. The RDR2 snow seems to have some level of glitter, but it looks unnaturally dim, almost unnoticeable, while in real life it would look like a brilliant starry sky. It's very beautiful in reality, so I think it would make sense for games to attempt to emulate this aspect more properly.

[@bobthepacman]

blood will also realistically melt the snow in red dead letting you make some really nasty shootouts in the mountains with shotguns

[@chuchu9649]

Thanks to you I tangentially discovered that skyrim was recently rereleased with a mod menu on its console version, which is great when you don't own a pc. Thanks for that.

[@LoveProWrestling]

Back in the day, Soldier of Fortune 2 had a great snow level. You go to Kamchatka and try to fight elite russian troops in white camo, in a blizzard using thermal vision. Very well done for the time. Had a great crunch crunch when you walked.

[@JasonLihani]

"Tropes that nature uses" got me good.