A winter like the one we’ve been having is the perfect time to catch up on games, or to play new ones. There’s not enough snow to do all the fun winter activities, like snowboarding, skiing, sledding, making snowmen, etc. In fact, it’s downright miserable right now.

So to ease your wintry blues and remind you of how fun the season can be, here’s a list of games where the winter isn’t quite so tragic.

“Donkey Kong Country“ (and “DKC 3”)

The winter levels in the first DKC were incredible to look at — lots of snow, great mood music and difficult platforming. The third Super Nintendo iteration became that much cooler with sledding and an epic snowball fight with an angry snowman.

“Final Fantasy 6”

Everyone remembers the opening to this game, where soldiers march across the barren snowplane to a mining town, set to one of the most evocative pieces of music written for gaming. It’s a classic winter scene, and not to be missed.

“SSX Tricky”

What a game! Ridiculous amounts of snowboarding tricks and a whole lot of personality makes the SSX series something special in the snowboarding genre. If you miss snowboarding as much as I do right now, pick this game up to ease your woes.

“Metal Gear Solid”

The game that brought the Metal Gear series to stardom, “Metal Gear Solid’s” snowy Alaskan military base set the tone for an amazing story told on the Playstation.

Despite the graphical limitations of the time, it was an incredible game to experience, and the various snowy battles with bosses were all the more chilling when considering the environment.

“Croc: Legend of the Gobbos”

If ever winter was a handicap, it was in “Croc: Legend of the Gobbos.” I remember being excited to play this game, only to watch my mediocre crocodile die over and over again in several snowy levels. Winter is cruel, especially in Croc.

“Journey”

You’ll know when you get to the snow-capped peak in “Journey,” that the game is almost over and you’re ready to experience something special. A welcome ending level, and something that leaves you breathless.