With the Kentucky Derby right around the corner, I'm really wanting to restart my copy of Pocket Card Jockey on my 3DS. I'm getting in the spirit of the Triple Crown, and this game is all about horse racing (and solitaire). I might have to make this an annual tradition around this time of year.

I'm curious what your guys' gaming traditions are if you have any. Is there a game you play every year, games you play around certain holidays, gaming food you create, really anything.

I've always liked to play Castlevania in the Fall/October. The music, gameplay, overall spookiness and gothic lore really gets me in the spirit of the season and gaming. Not to mention, the epic challenge/reward that really adds to the experience. Last year I played through Super Castlevania IV for the first time, years prior to that it was Bloodlines on Genesis and all the NES classics. This Fall I'd like to finally tackle Rondo of Blood (PC Engine), preferably on original hardware/SSDS3. When I hear Castlevania music it's like a signal that Fall has fully arrived.

I too do the Castlevania thing during October, and I play Zelda more so during the Fall months

My tradition when I do a 2 player game in Super Mario Bros., is to press pause before my friend is about to jump over a pit.  

Besides blowing on the cartridge...

If a game has emote, I must spam them at the start of a game during a countdown.

I am a bunny hopper, I refuse to walk if a game lets me b-hop. Especially in shooters.

I instinctively crouch jump, even if the game doesn't support crouch jumping.

On games where the map can be discovered, I have to explore every square inch of it. Diablo kills me for this.

Regarding actual traditions: I have to play these songs at least once or twice during Christmas:

GM mode on Live/2K after my team has been eliminated from the playoffs

I try and play through a few personal favorites at least every year or two. Zelda 2 (play through this one a few times a year), SMB3, Mega Man X, Skies of Arcadia, Fire Emblem 7, Dragon Quest IX, and Pokemon Leafgreen.

I also will make myself wait 5 years between re-playing each Zelda title I beat because I forget the puzzles and it remains fresh.

I try and play a new-to-me Castlevania and/or Resident Evil each October.

Every birthday I ask my wife/friends to do some arcade/party multiplayer games like Turtles in Time, Time Crisis series, Bomberman, Mario Kart Double Dash, Timesplitters 2, etc. I'm not a huge birthday person but realized that people who take birthdays seriously (like my wife) are more inclined to make time to play for a birthday

My in-laws have a Wii with Mario 64 on VC. Whenever we go and visit (once a year usually, they're in another state), I try and get some playtime in, continuing my save file between visits, and deleting it when I reach 120 stars and beat Bowser. Don't worry, it's only when I'm the designated stay-at-home adult to watch a sleeping baby, or other situations when there aren't any awake people to interact with. It's been helpful to look forward to that, since some of those trips are not fun. And it also solidifies Mario 64 as a Christmas game.

Aladdin @ Christmas time. (Got it for a present as a child)

I play through the original Final Fantasy (in one form or another) at least once a year.

Whenever I hang out with my brother we beat Contra together at least once, as we did daily for years as kids.

Don't have any, just grip up some tapes when I feel like tapin.

Shrimps year round too...

January I usually play a few of my favorites - EarthBound, DKC SNES trilogy, Conker's Bad Fur Day, Super Mario 64. Except this year I really didn't. October is Resident Evil month, I used to try to finish as many as I can in a month, but lately it's been just one RE at best since I just don't have the time anymore. Christmas sometimes I'll play games with Christmas themed levels like Banjo-Kazooie, Diddy Kong Racing, and Kirby's Epic Yarn. Donkey Kong 64 is another holiday favorite as I got it for Christmas the year it came out and played it literally all day so my memories strongly tie it to Christmas for me.

At the beginning of every semester at school, me and a couple of friends bust out the famicom and try to beat Super Mario Bros 2 (lost levels).

Every April when I meet up with my friend to go the Midwest Gaming Classic, we always play Gradius Gaiden for it's amazing music and fun simultaneous co-op craziness  

For the month of October,I play Castlevania games. Mainly the nes and snes ones,but all are in play.

Also every December I play Mega Mdn games and while not gaming per se,starting Thanksgiving week I watch the Mega Man anime DVD “A Star is Born.” I’ll watch it periodically up until the New Year,then I’ll put it away until the next Thanksgiving week.

Every year I play a Vectrex at MAGFest to remind myself I see no appeal in the Vectrex.

Wish I had some. Closest is I (almost) play Mega Man 2 annually every year, but its not connected to any holiday or anything like that.

Bust out Wii sports at Christmas.

I've been playing Donkey Kong every new years eve for the last ten years. It got way cooler when i got a DK arcade.

I use Tecmo Super Bowl to make my actual NFL SB prediction. All of the players and many teams aren't relevant, but i have fun regardless. It's right about 1-in-5.

At my birthday party each year, i have some sort of video game challenge or tournament set up. Always something different to keep it fresh.

I replay Ocarina of Time at least once a year to 100% completion. Sometimes it's the N64 version, sometimes the 3DS version, but it's always a version of Ocarina of Time.

I will play Borderlands and GTA IV on average once per year.

My brother and I played worms armageddon 64 every easter. Originally was a way to escape from a big group of guests and became a yearly tradition.