Your Annual Game(s)

Having just watched Danny O'Dwyer's video of Half-Life 2 and learning that he plays it through every year, I began to wonder if any of you duders have games that have become something you like to play through at least once a year? And if so, do you do so just randomly or do you have a specific month/date set for it (the month it was originally released in) and whatnot, etc.

I sadly realized that I don't really have a game like that. I guess Dead Space 2 could become one, because I'm pretty sure that I have finished it on all years (2011-2013) but that's about it. Began to think that I could probably pick up something casual from last year and start a tradition with it, like the latest DmC. I did miss it's release month this year, but maybe I could just start playing it in June every year or so. Or heck, maybe even Brothers.

Mega Man X. Just played through it again yesterday lol.

Resident Evil 2 is played through at least once during October. Normally I do Leon A and Claire B, but sometimes I like to mix it up and go through with Claire first.

Oh neat, I also go through Half Life 2 each year.

I also tend to play Mercenaries 2 at least once a year. There's quite a few more games that I go back to randomly through the year that could count, though.

Sonic 1 & 2, Gunstar Heroes and Quake 2 every couple.

I've never really consciously committed to playing through any game once a year but I've probably almost ended up playing through Fire Emblem annually. Super awesome game, go play it, especially if you liked Awakening.

Don't got one.

But then again I've been playing DotA in some form for nearly a decade so that kind of fills that void I think.

I usually play one of the Halo games every six months... minus four or halo wars, cuz they suck.

I pick up Mega Man 2 and Mario 3 about once a month. Those games never get old.

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES

usually early in the year.

I'll play through Saboteur and Hitman Blood Money whenever I feel like it, on roughly an annual basis I guess. And it has become kind of a tradition for me to play Bully each year around christmas time. Didn't finish it the last two years, but always made it at least through winter, which is the whole point anyway.

I think about once a year I'd be feeling terrible and play The Sims (any of them) for pretty much a whole day.

Persona 4 and Jet Set Radio.

Maybe Civ 5? I've never really stopped playing it since it's released. And the last two years I've taken a week off of work to really dig into the new expansions.

I don't get enough gaming time to retread my steps. If I did I'd go for Half Life 2 and Civ.

i try to play final fantasy 7 at least once a year

Caesar 3 and Half-Life 2.

Final Fantasy V - usually during the Four Job Fiesta charity event.

I usually try to play Fallout 3, Ocarina of Time and Chrono Trigger every year. I am currently playing through Chrono Trigger again.

Used to be Mass Effect 2, but now that the whole trilogy is out on PS3, I've pretty much decided to run through all 3 games on a yearly basis.

@iburningstar said:

But that's the non-canon order! :o

Anywho, I tend to play Mount and Blade Warband and at least one of the Fallout games almost yearly. But I never make any sort of "I must play game X during X part of the year" or something like that, it's just like I love them so much I naturally find myself replaying them.
I also do tend to replay at least one of my favorite horror games during October, I guess that's the only date specific part of the year for me, Silent Hill 2 or 3 usually.

No. I don't do this for anything, be it movies or books or TV shows or games. I'm a one and done kinda guy, for the most part. Experiencing something a second time takes away from and adds nothing to, is my general feeling about this kinda thing.

Portal 2, for me. It's always fun to relive and, after a year or so, I've forgotten just enough about the puzzle solutions to feel a sense of accomplishment solving them again.

Persona 4 the past few years and sometimes multiple times per year. A few years back I wanted to play through every MGS game every year on the dates the occur (MGS in February, MGS2 end of April, etc) but I have yet to do that. When I decided to do that I was engaged, now I have a kid and been married a few years and just can't afford playing games over and over again (P4 the exception).

I like to go back and play through Symphony of the night, the Arkham games and any of the first three Pokemon games every year or two.

I have a few. I try to always play through Resident Evil, Syphon Filter, and Final Fantasy VII at least once a year. Resident Evil is the only one I'll finish every year.

@themanwithnoplan: Would you recommend SOTN to somebody who has never played it? For some reason it was a PS1 game that I honestly never got a chance to play as a kid.

Luigi's Mansion, it's short and universally recognized as the game of the decade, one of my favorite games.

I play through Call of Duty Big Red One on the gamecube every year because it was the first real FPS I had any experience with and I really love it. I usually pair it with reading 'To Hell and Back' and watch Band of Brothers to make it a WW2 weekend.

@mightyduck: I just played through Symphony of The Night for the first time a couple years ago and really enjoyed it (though it took a while for me to get into it).

Super Mario World. Also I end up playing Mass Effect 2 once every year without particularly trying. Metal Gear Rising looks like it may become this aswell.

The 16-bit Sonic series (including Sonic CD), and Streets of Rage 2. Plus the first episode of Doom.

Super Mario World and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night used to be annual but I've finally cut it down a bit.

And I'll usually do a playthrough of Twisted Metal 2 with a character or two.

It was Half-Life 2 for me, as well. It's been a number of years since I've actually managed to play all the way through it, but at the very least I start a new game every year with the intention of getting through it. I really just want to play Episode 2 again, but I've committed to never playing either of the episodes without recently having played HL2 first.

Persona 4. Come to think of it, I gave it to a friend a few months ago... gonna need it back soon.

I don't think I ever thought about playing a certain game every year. I certainly go back and play some classic games every now and then since I have a pretty extensive collection. The closest I ever got was Mega Man X thanks to the PS2 collection and remake on psp so I was most likely playing that every year for a few years.

@hunter5024: Thanks for the feedback! What made it take a while to get into, if you don't mind me asking?

Zelda: A Link to the Past is a big one, though I might actually end up skipping it this year, as I think A Link Between Worlds has sated me for a while.

I also play through either Paper Mario or Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door about once a year.

I play through Tales of Symphonia once every few years, too.

Mario's 1-3 and World are also played pretty regularly (maybe even more often then once a year, though not usually quite to completion.)

GTA San Andreas, some game from the Tony Hawk franchise, and usually either Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, or Wind Waker.

@mightyduck: I suppose it was taking the time to get acquainted with the environment, get used to the combat, get some weapons I liked and so on. I found the beginning of the game strangely difficult the first time through.

I play God of War 1,2, and 3 pretty much annually, though I don't have a certain time for any of them. I usually just want to play the second one and feel like I should play the other along with it.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, like clockwork. I tend to lag in enthusiasm by the time I get to the Grodus/Bowser fight, but the end of the game was always a little lackluster to me anyway.

I inevitably go back to Persona 4/P3P, Ace Attorney, and the Professor Layton games, too.

It used to be Fire Emblem 7, but I fell off the wagon last year. Still never finished Hector Hard Mode. If I recall, I stopped at the first Dragon's Gate chapter. That place is a bitch.

Persona 4 (Golden now that I have a Vita to do so) generally multiple time a year. I generally start a playthrough around 4/11. I've played through every Mass Effect that was out at the time every year since each one has come out. That now includes the entire series. Currently half way through Mass Effect 3 after having bought the trilogy for PS3.

My annuals are usually sonic 2, punch out and more recently dark souls. All 3 have a charm about them that sucks me back in effortlessly.

mario 3 st least once a year. no level skips or p wings.

half life 1 used to be every year but i fell of a few years back.

None, playing a game when it's still relatively fresh in my mind is a big no for me, I can just remember everything too well and get bored an hour or so in. I have a few games I play about every 5 years or so though.

Diablo 2. Gotta love that necromancer.