Snow! (this is about video games)

#snowlevels #videogamesnow #freeze #games #blizzard #snow #2022 #videogame #skyrim #rdr2
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[@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

[@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.

[@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..?

[@MALLGOTHZ]

"the year 1996, the year you were born" literally took me a second to realize he was just making a blanket statement and not gazing into the depths of my soul

[@teathomas]

Me too😂

[@Astatine95]

It's confirmed. We've all been born in 1996.

[@pleasepimpmycat7153]

bro same lol

[@TheFunniBaconMan]

Off by one year.

[@BlueBeetle1939]

When the dragon showed up and you reflexively pulled out your sword is the very first moment in any of these videos that I've actually felt like you really play these games when we aren't around

[@jaybee7892]

Yeah, and like he plays them instead of just walking around disregarding the gameplay and instead finding liminal spaces and conducting socioeconomic analysis

[@bbyounk7ns856]

I always got the impression that he’d play the games thoroughly and then just find unique ideas out of boredom from exhaustion of all the major gameplay elements, the thought of this probably occurring from my own experiences doing so as a kid.

[@moosesues8887]

@@bbyounk7ns856 me playing games to a very concerning degree

[@fatmario8244]

Man I’m just looking up and down, comparing the RDR2 snowy trees to almost identical ones outside my window.

[@willisverynice]

I love a good subtle burn

[@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

[@clockworkthoughts7830]

You just barely touched on music, but I am super interested in snow level music specifically. There is probably no other type of level that has such a distinctive vibe. I would definitely watch a whole video of snow/ice/winter level music. Classical composer Claude Debussy's "The Snow is Dancing" is a great example of this vibe, and that song was first published in 1910, so its been around for a while.

[@inconspicuoususername]

I definitely agree, and although not QUITE as distinctive, water levels also very frequently have a certain vibe I feel -- SM64's Dire Dire Docks, DKC's Aquatic Ambiance, Metroid Prime's Crashed Frigate -- There's often a calm stillness or slowness to them.

[@kefir321]

I'm definitely biased since Sonic is my favourite franchise, but my favourite winter level music is definitely Cool Edge (Day) from Sonic Unleashed. There is also Frozen Factory Zone 1 from Lost World, which gives off a really cozy vibe.

[@A_chocolate_bar_review_channel]

Sega and Nintendo really do justice in their own way to snow levels and music.

[@BierBart12]

I adore the Terraria snow music

[@kefir321]

@@BierBart12 i love making houses in the snow biome because of the music and the overall vibe

[@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.

[@slothburglar]

This is so wholesome, the appreciation for the artistry.

[@MLife1000]

Ditto

[@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.

[@randomname285]

great video - might we expect "rain", "sun", "lightning", and "overcast" in the coming months?

[@joshuapurdy7065]

I vote overcast first

[@stainless662]

rain and fog could be lovely

[@pancakes8670]

Lightning sounds awesome.

[@winterlogical]

"Starting all the way back in 1996, the year you were born" Me: genuinely surprised you knew what year I was born also me: remembers this is YT content made for tens of thousands of other viewers that's how casual your videos feel sometimes, austin. like im chillin with a homie. a homie who knows my birth year. lol.

[@spacebras]

Me literally

[@raucoussauce1528]

Get a real friend nerd

[@sierranicholes6712]

i felt so called out

[@monhi64]

It really feels like 1994-1998 birth range is way over represented on KZbin. Which is kind of extra interesting to me because, those are the sort of forgotten years generationally. Just a soup of not quite a millennial but also not quite gen z. I have a weird knack for finding creators who are almost exactly as old as me without trying too. I’m assuming he’s probably a 96-er cuz even his videos that are damn near ten years old he looks pretty much the same age

[@Teh_Random_Canadian]

​@@monhi64 The fact that he started with N64 and not SNES makes me think he was probably born mid ninetys. SNES and even the NES had some notable snow levels but he probably never played them

[@Ependyma]

Snow in video games is a great topic! For me, the first thing that comes to mind is the level Snow Barrel Blast in Donkey Kong Country. I always loved how it first gets darker and then gradually starts snowing more and more.

[@CptFitzgerald]

DUUUDE THE MUSIC ON THAT ONE

[@BrandonDilbeck]

Not only is it one of the game's longest levels but you have to take it soooo slowly, to make sure you don't die on the precarious icy platforms and the barrel cannons that have occasional opening for you to fire safely. The weather effects add to this bleak feeling of being stuck on these treacherous cliffs.

[@JMBAD_art]

You have quickly become one of my favorite content creators. I love shit like this. Nobody is doin’ it like you Austin

[@dangdelucia]

i hope this becomes a new series: ____! (this is about video games) i always loved the snow effects when exploring the open world elements in SSX 3, and although no snow actually falls, the snowy and icy textures and landscapes in the second act of baldurs gate dark alliance captivated me as a child. excellent, thorough, and profound work as always, austin! i started adding some of your tunes to the playlists i make for the taproom i work at, the vibes you create are just 🤌🤌🤌🤌

[@joshshrum2764]

He could rename it exploring aspects, though skyboxes are something that falls into a category of lesser discussed aspects.

[@leilao.3528]

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

[@crowofkindness]

i think i could listen to this guy talk about literally anything and be entertained because the delivery is just that good

[@tumbleweb]

13:00 The reason graphically cheaper games fade out old footsteps is because they're instantiating an object or mesh on top the terrain to represent your steps. This is a quick and easy way to make the effect, as it doesn't require any maths, but it does cost a lot more graphically since its not optimized (and thus they put a cap on how many footsteps are rendered at once). On the other hand, RDR2 is using a shader that is 1. drawing your movement on the terrain as a path, and 2. rendering that path on the terrain and changing the shape of the snow based on it. It's also probably doing some cost-effective optimizations like rebuilding the snow as a single mesh. It's not that RDR2 is using more CPU/GPU and therefore can leave the old footsteps in, but because the game already uses so much processing power, it has to render the snow so optimally that it would be _more_ costly just to fade out old footsteps.

[@tumbleweb]

I forgot to mention that this was a great video. You have discovered a really neat niche in exploring and appreciating the atmosphere of games. Would love to see more videos like this :)

[@atypicalcowboy]

the snow in the long dark will always be one of the most memorable examples of Good Snow for me. not only do they do a great job at depicting the physics of snow, it also, due the nature of the game, has a real threatening aura about it which i really appreciate

[@gnbman]

An unlikely contender when it comes to snow is Spyro: A Hero's Tail. Despite it being a cartoony 3D platformer, it somehow immerses me in its snow levels, to the point that it's relieving to come across a warm, glowing fire in the game, even though it has no effect on the gameplay.

[@LvlGenesis]

I’ve always loved Frappe Snowland from Mario Kart 64. The night sky with the snow falling down always reminds me of going sledding at night as a kid and sitting in the snow and staring at the night sky.

[@DRay210]

I feel like Pikmin 2 also did snow really good even on the GameCube way back then. The 1st level has all the aspects of the sounds looks and feel that your talking about here. Now im hoping for snow here on the east coast! Great vid again btw 👌.

[@BierBart12]

That might be my favourite snow in a video game.

[@stadbab]

the snowy sections of tlou2 were incredible. the way it conforms to the shape of your body when you go prone, the detailed animations of it falling from tree branches when you brush into them, even the way horses navigate it compared to cleared ground.

[@designate_om]

i grew up with very little-to-no exposure to snow in any capacity, outside of movies and video games. one particular example that left an example was Surface from Goldeneye, but at the time I obviously had nothing to really compare it to. Years later, I moved to a place that occasionally, if somewhat rarely, would get snowed in quite a bit and become a desolate wasteland that felt eerily familiar, only for me to realize that that was the long-dormant memories of spending hours on Surface as a kid

[@H3Vtux]

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

[@KairuHakubi]

I love that you're paying so much attention to this stuff. I have always gotten my sort of sense of the moods of nature and environments from games, since I never pay attention in real life, and in other media you don't have control of the camera to just sit and imbibe the vibe. Every time I try to draw a background in a comic or painting or something, I'm trying to replicate videogame feels.

[@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.

[@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.

[@jacobyounce3223]

Pokemon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum with the entire route leading to Snowpoint City was the perfect encapsulation of hinderance and disorientation in heavy snow/blizzards

[@lukospicturehouse]

When you're inside your house in Animal Crossing I love seeing snow build up on the window sills, It's very cozy. Also the Christmas tree lights in December have always been one of my favorite video game traditions, even back to the GameCube

[@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

[@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.

[@atesch10]

My snow in game relationship is through the lens of snow sports games. 1996 Cool Boarders kicked things off for me, SSX (1, Tricky and 3) along with Amped gave me some snow deformation and some believable snow textures that weren't just white, 2007 Freak Out Extreme Freeride started out the open world believable mountain, 2008 Shaun White Snowboarding expanded, Wii Ski 1& 2 continued, 2016 Steep expanded further still and now we have Riders Republic that has the most believable snow I've seen outside of RDR2. Especially so, considering the variety of the snow effects the gameplay. I love snow

[@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.

[@hipsterhunter4eva901]

In the level Snow Barrel Blast in Donkey Kong Country 1, I’ll never forget the way that DK just gets caught in a snowstorm. The way the snow is at first in the distant background but the blizzard gets closer and closer until it’s hard to see the game you’re even playing. So good and so tense. Especially with the music

[@fabian6087]

You could probably make an hour long video just spending time in Animal Crossing New Horizons and looking at/appreciating all the details. Heck yea I'd watch that!

[@evervirescent]

like how double rainbows have a dark band in the middle

[@Slyfox2235]

I very much enjoy this content, please continue to make more.

[@todddouglas7231]

I love ultra niche detail topics like this. Thanks for this

[@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

[@sledgen.]

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

[@JakobeOG]

Any Austin: the snow in the town of Winterhold is beautiful, so peaceful Also Any Austin: why do I hear boss music?

[@Ogr3s]

This is my favorite video you've made and I'm a huge fan of your other series! I know this is a one-off but I'd love to see similar explorations of other weather effects, rain, storms, water, etc. Keep up the good work and happy holidays!

[@demit189]

Great video austin. So thoughtful and interesting

[@BeardedCarlos]

I really enjoy the interesting video ideas man. Keep it up!

[@agoodduck]

one of my favorite games for snow is Until Dawn; given that the entire game takes place during a blizzarding night, the characters need to all go outside and walk around in the snow. not only do they leave realistic footprints, but the sounds of taking steps also emulate that classic scrunch sound snow makes when it's all loose and your footsteps pack them together,

[@concerninghobbits5536]

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

[@nj8833]

Austin, i love everything you make. the way you dive into video games as an art form and appreciate every element is amazing. no notes, just keep it up

[@2teepeepictures382]

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

[@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? 👀

[@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

[@robwtime]

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

[@sas.tronaut5055]

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

[@novelezra]

Grand Theft Auto IV was meant to have snow. Could you imagine how different our lives would have been if that had happened? How much we would have changed as people?

[@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.

[@LockandKeyHyena]

your videos are so calming for me and i watch them whenever i have a panic attack and they instantly help. thank you haha

[@tere-gg1776]

I love your content, already waiting for the next video!

[@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!

[@gunstar420]

Merry Xmas, happy Hanukkah, and ACAB everyone 🎄

[@skeleton_craftGaming]

What's Xmas? That's not a holiday

[@bingusdingus8239]

@@skeleton_craftGaming bro chillax

[@novelezra]

What did the pig say the police officer after their date? Call me ACAB

[@LexSchilperoord]

All Christmasses Are Bad

[@gunstar420]

@@skeleton_craftGaming Xmas is when we celebrate Xs bday

[@brendanmontuori5664]

This was very nice, I love all the detail you pointed out. It’s the sort of thing I absolutly miss, sonI appricate bein shown it

[@johnny2920]

I love the snow levels in Kirbys Epic Yarn. The level with the big mitten. My sister and I used to play that game every christmas and go straight there haha

[@SleepyLyric]

I never really noticed how those windy snowy wisps in skyrim made it 10 times more realistic and immersive than other games. They nailed it without having to do all the fancy stuff that red dead eventually did

[@waffleflaufle3690]

Just farted because of this video's release

[@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

[@Gian990]

love your stuff and the nostalgic feeling

[@bloodywolf9317]

Loved it, more please! Enjoyed the song a lot too

[@Cerastes12]

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

[@samhein321]

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

[@Kevin192291]

Another great video! Love videos like this one!!!

[@TwinBlasters]

I will always appreciate that you leave room for wonder, speculation, and error in your productions. You were just speculating that the snow was one layer in Mario 64, not looking up exactly how it was made, and then you realized that some of the flakes DO layer, and you just left it all in rather than cutting to only the facts. The internet has all but destroyed the sense of wonder in most aspects of life, so I appreciate the voluntary wonder you present Nice to see the duplicated Ring Fit still hanging around

[@Lexyvil]

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

[@WaterMage100]

I enjoyed this! Thank you!

[@ReubMann]

lovely video as always!

[@archiepattinson9443]

I just finished watching this video on the other upload, very interesting and niche topic! I love specifically ssx3's approach to snow

[@alexanderlowhorn733]

Great video as always Austin. I love the creative video ideas man. Never in a million years would I have thought about making a video about video game snow.

[@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.

[@PsychoPenguin1919]

I really enjoyed this cozy video about snow :)

[@pzmurphy]

I very much enjoy your content 👍🏼 good stuff

[@lovemancrashburn6514]

Very talented. Love these videos!

[@davestrides]

love your videos!

[@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.

[@thecrimsonaxe6037]

This was a great video! You really highlighted how they did snow differently to fit the vibe of the game it's for

[@michaelm9899]

Superb. Loved the snow show

[@latifoljic]

I really, really enjoyed this video. It was very nice. Thanks for making it!

[@jonathonrhyne7295]

I enjoyed this video and I appreciate you making it.

[@SoupSackHandle]

I just started watching ur videos and they’re all really good so far, I hope ur channel gets more attention

[@DrawFreakHilger]

Goddam I love this type of stuff. Great video!

[@grindcorepr92]

This whole channel is lowkey my ASMR for sleeping. Good job!

[@sarahb.5003]

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

[@MLife1000]

I really enjoy this channel thank you

[@BlueMageRaeg]

Videos like this are exactly my jam

[@buzinessdog]

love this kind of video, good stuff

[@erikclaudio]

Happy Minneapolis! I loved this video about snow.

[@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

[@unansweredquestion768]

Great video, the snow and wind in Eder scrolls reminds me of the farm my grandparents had, on a day with heavy snow there would be that howl, when the wind would kind of slow down you could see the woods in the distance for a few moments, for some reason that howl was very comforting and calming. You ever think of doing a spin-off of your skybox appreciation, by looking for graffiti and posters and other similar things in games? Idk seems like you would take a few moments to appreciate things like that in a game, I do unless I’m one of very few who do lol. Besides being cool or aesthetically pleasing it can also be non verbal storytelling in a game. Thanks for the video.

[@ollie3957]

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

[@trainchomp6184]

I loved this video it's so calming and lovely caught myself just genuinely smiling at the subtle enjoyment of good, simulated snow.

[@skyevlyn]

What a wonderful huge heap of video game appreciation ;U; god I love it when people share their love for games especially tiny details this is AWESOME

[@MowseChao]

Your music is lovely :D

[@edwardmorvan5809]

I love your style! Please continue doing what you do😉

[@najalala]

This is starting to become one of my favorite YT channels.