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We apparently missed one release in our Now Playing list for this week: 8-bit Xmas 2009 for the NES. The cart was apparently constructed entirely from new parts and -- aside from incorporating the festive light display you see above -- is actually a fully functional NES game. The best part: you can totally buy it.

RetroZone is selling the cart up until tomorrow for $43 and there's even a demo you can try out right in your browser. If you forgot someone on your gift-giving list, you can throw down $5 more and get a personalized title screen added along with a nice Christmas card. If there ever was a way to make up for being such a Procrastinating Pete, this is probably it.

[Via Video Games Blogger]

We were far too busy a-wassailing yesterday to notice, but Valve released a soon-to-be-holiday-classic that we think is going to catch on like wildfire. It's the latest track from Left 4 Dead 2's quartet of bearded troubadours, the Midnight Riders, titled "All I Want for Christmas (Is To Kick Your Ass)." It's a lot like that one song with the similar title, only ... with more ass-kicking, we guess. Unsurprisingly, it's not suitable for work -- but incredibly suitable for your family gatherings. Click past the jump to rekindle that holiday spirit.

In our rush to the yule late this past week, we nearly forgot to mention that Nathan Drake and Nathan Drake lookalikes (Drakealikes?) have the chance to earn double cash (read: XP) this weekend in Uncharted 2's multiplayer mode. Donning the ubiquitous red cap (and apparently two brand new invisible hands), those taking Drake online will encounter not just jollier looking foes, but also "double for all kills and medals," according to Naughty Dog marketing man Arne Meyer on the PlayStation Blog. The temporary XP boost kicked in on Christmas Eve (December 24) at 10AM PST and goes until tomorrow at 11AM PST, so there are still at least another 24 or so hours to shoot some of those dastardly Drakealikes in multiplayer.

This time of year is usually one of peace and safe comfort for just about everyone. The same can't be said for the land of Quake Live, where id Software has injected some Yuletide spirit into the browser-based frag-em-up's usual industrial surroundings. For two weeks, players can enjoy a Christmas-themed remake of Team Arena map "Distant Screams," now named "Silent Night."

This update doesn't add particularly festive weapons to the mix, but the fresh coat of winter wonderland paint is certainly welcome. Nothing tops off the Christmas spirit tank like a little rocket play beneath giant candy canes and a star-filled sky, after all.

[Via CVG]

Update: The joke's on us, folks. The source article is, of course, satirical -- something we conveyed rather poorly in the story below. We've seen no signs of Xbox Live so much as flinching this holiday, so far, and it has continued to provide us with a legitimate excuse to ignore that one cousin that nobody seems to know but someone keeps inviting for Christmas lunch. If you can give us your forgiveness for the error, that would be a really fine gift.

Can't wait to get home to the family for the holiday this weekend ... and then completely ignore them with a Left 4 Dead 2 marathon on Xbox Live? You're not the only one. Microsoft is bracing itself for a flood of online gameplay this weekend, including players trying catch up on all of the games they were too busy (baking cookies and wrapping presents) to play since November, as well as all the new folks who just unwrapped new games from under the tree. It's become a holiday tradition -- last year two years, the outage lasted for 11 days, from the weekend before Christmas to the end of the year, and spawned not only a free game, but a class action lawsuit to boot.

Previously, the problem was compounded by most of the tech staff being offline with their families, but this year, we're sure Microsoft has both servers and staff on notice to solve problems the second a clatter happens to arise. And if not, maybe we'll get another free game. Hopefully one better than Undertow.

You're going to think I'm messing with you, that this is some sort of holiday gag, but I assure you that it is not: I can not remember ever being as addicted to a game as I was to A Christmas Santa. For a full calendar day it absolutely ruled my life, and then, just as quickly as it appeared, it was gone.

You think it's easy to type these words and admit that as you sit there all smug and judgmental? Well, it's not. But give me a chance to explain myself and I'm hopeful that you'll walk away -- if not convinced, perhaps just a bit more tolerant.

Our biggest problem when not playing LocoRoco is that we wished we were playing it. Sometimes, you're stuck in a situation where you just can't game, but that doesn't mean you can't have those cute and cuddly little blobs a mere glance away. That's where the PlayStation Blog comes in, as it's just posted some festive LocoRoco wallpapers for all to enjoy, which differ somewhat from those posted by the American site yesterday.

Feel free to slap 'em on your computer or on your PSP. And if anyone catches you staring and asks why you're crying, ignore them because that just means they don't get it at all.

Rare has seen fit to brighten up your Xbox Dashboard with a new holiday-inspired theme. Everyone will be able to download this new free theme -- wait, it's not free? It costs 240? Wow, we guess Christmas really is all commercial now.

Shortcut: Add Rare Holiday Theme to your Xbox 360 queue [Via Xbox.com]

Click to download in Santa-sizeWe thought the Scribblenauts Halloween wallpaper was a one-off, an excuse to promote the game a bit more in the period immediately following its release. But, to our delight, 5TH Cell has delivered the Christmas present we didn't dare hope for: new Scribblenauts artwork by character designer Edison Yan. It's a Christmas miracle! Well, okay, it may not be miraculous, but it's really nice! We don't even care if it is a promotional effort to remind people to put Scribblenauts on their holiday shopping lists.

There are also two new Christmas-themed screenshots in our gallery. In retrospect, it was a pretty clever idea to make a game that includes multiple holiday-themed items as part of its nature.

Remember the kid that was so happy to get himself an N64 for Christmas? Of course you do, who doesn't? Well, it would appear the torch has been passed on to a small Canadian child, who is a bottomless well of excitement upon receiving a certain gift this Christmas. We won't ruin the surprise (you probably already guessed, anyway), so just head past the break and watch the video. Oh, and if you need a refresher on the N64 kid, hit up the video above.

[Update: Sorry, but it looks like I got this one horribly wrong, folks -- the WSJ was in fact referring to November sales. Thanks, Jay!]

Big surprise: early reports from the NPD indicate that the Wii utterly owned December, "doubling" its sales from December 2007. As it shifted 1.35 million units a year ago, that means this December saw approximately 2.7 million Wiis sold. For those who care, PS3 December sales dipped 19% from 2007, while the Xbox 360 got an 8% year-on-year lift.

More precise data concerning the Wii won't be released until the middle of January, but this could mean the Wii breaks the all-time record for U.S. hardware sales in a single month. Currently, the PlayStation 2 holds that honor, with -- aha! -- 2.7 million sales in December 2002. It's going to be close, in other words.

[Via SlipperyBrick]

Man, some people's kids. A couple from Portsmouth, New Hampshire got themselves arrested on Christmas Day for exchanging punches over an unwanted gift -- a Wii, of all things. Heath Blom and Randi Young , aged 8 26 and 6 24 respectively, repeatedly punched one another, pulled hair, and ended up tumbling down two flights of stairs together. Joys be thine!

Things started turning sour when poor Heathy-Weathy didn't get the $1,000 RC airplane he had asked his grandparents for. When his girlfriend produced a Wii, he "got really upset," Young told The Boston Herald. Blom admitted he had "disparaged" the Wii (and somehow we don't think he was offering a sober criticism of third-party support), which understandably peeved Young.

The argument mushroomed from there, with Young packing her bags and some punches being thrown, mainly in the direction of the deserving Blom. It all finished with the pair falling down the stairs together, and the police arresting the loons shortly thereafter.

[Via Shacknews]

... not the physical cards. Here's an item of post-holiday hilarity from NeoGAF's HUELEN10. It may stretch credibility a bit, but it's a great story regardless of veracity!

According to HUELEN10, some neighbors with whom he is casually acquainted informed him that they had just given their kids a Wii for Christmas, and then solicited game recommendations. HUELEN10 suggested a few retail games as well as the Sega Master System version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Unfamiliar with the Virtual Console, the mother asked for further explanation, which HUELEN10 offered, saying, among other things, that it requires the user to "put in her credit card when prompted on the Shop Channel, and get the amount of points she wanted."

Which she did, unfortunately. Some time later, the mother called her neighbor, furious that their new Wii had been broken by following his advice. She put the credit cards into the Wii, just like he said.

Right into the disc slot.

And when one didn't work, she went ahead and jammed two more credit cards in there. Now, with three unusable credit cards and one busted Wii, she has demanded that HUELEN10 pay for repairs.

Look forward to a new warning screen on Wii games, right after the Health and Safety screen and the wrist strap warning!