Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Nintendo / 2020)
This is a game that doesn’t miss any opportunity to party, so there are plenty of fireworks – even though it’s debatable whether animals actually appreciate them (seriously, spare your four-legged friends this). New Year’s Eve is no exception, of course, and is celebrated with wonderful fireworks.
Cyberpunk 2077 (CD Projekt Red / 2020)
Even though it’s actually an ancient art form, fireworks feel strangely cyber, and seeing Night City framed by fireworks therefore feels completely natural. A very cool celebration.
Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth (Square Enix / 2024)
Gold Saucer was notably absent from the remake, but it reappeared in the sequel as a playground for mini-games. And of course, a Las Vegas-inspired place like this has to have fireworks – which Square Enix kindly thought to include.
This is an ad:
Monster Hunter: World (Capcom / 2018)
The image is not from a New Year’s celebration, but from the Spring Blossom Festival. However, that is irrelevant, as fireworks against a beautiful night sky are quite similar, and Capcom’s action role-playing game therefore deserves its place on the list.
This is an ad:
Persona 5 Strikers (Sega / 2020)
In a really cosy and quintessentially Japanese interlude in the somewhat forgotten Persona 5 Strikers, the main characters watch a spectacular fireworks display in a way that conveys that unique feeling of hanging out and being friends with the delightful protagonists. A sequence to watch over and over again.
Pokémon X/Y (Nintendo / 2013)
We have seen fireworks several times in the Pokémon series, but perhaps the most memorable of these was in the charming Pokémon X/Y, which in many ways feels like the last truly traditional game in the series.
Sea of Thieves (Xbox Game Studios / 2018)
Rare has gradually added more content to Sea of Thieves, including fireworks that can be fired from ship cannons while you drink grog and dance to pirate songs. Interactive, fun and actually quite beautiful too.
Shinobi: Art of Vengeance (Sega / 2025)
Normally, fireworks pose a risk of burning your finger or losing an eyebrow at most, not death. But then again, we’re not ninjas hunting down a murderous organisation. However, that doesn’t stop Joe Musashi (we think) from enjoying the view and the spectacular explosions.
Super Mario Bros (Nintendo / 1985)
You knew this one would be on the list, right? Perhaps the most iconic fireworks display in the gaming world. Countless rockets have been set off in countless Mario adventures since then, but nothing hits the mark quite like this sparse yet epic fireworks display – which we had a lot of fun figuring out how it worked when we were little.
Wii Party (Nintendo / 2010)
There are plenty of games where fireworks are part of the gameplay, and perhaps the most fun of these came from Mario Party challenger Wii Party, where in Lucky Launch we had to get our rocket to fly highest before it exploded with a loud and spectacular bang.
Happy New Year, everyone, see you in 2026!