Christmas Gaming Traditions

[ItsThere]

Do you have any?

I always replay Castlevania: SotN - first on the PS1, then the PS2 and now the PSP!

I'll be starting today on the train and already I can't wait to get going!

Does anyone else have one of these habits?

[Number45]

My gaming traditions at Christmas are that I don't get to play any.

[wod]

just whatever i have bought that was out recently so i have lined up modern warfare 2, forza 3, gta liberty city stories which i will have a play through.

i've not really bothered with games for the last few months so have quite a lot to play through.

[Wools]

I always replay Castlevania: SotN - first on the PS1, then the PS2 and now the PSP!

I'll be starting today on the train and already I can't wait to get going!

Does anyone else have one of these habits?

That sounds like a pleasant way to spend a few days! I brought Symphony of the Night back on the PSone when I was a collector but being a collector, I never played the damn thing before I sold it. I've downloaded it on Live Arcade but have not ventured through it, it's on my pile of shame so I must get around to completing it one day.

I've got some games I associate with Christmas such as Shenmue and Tomb Raider but there're not game I go and play on a Christmas.

The games I think of that I've replayed over Christmas are Resident Evil 2, Ridge Racer Type 4 and Metal Gear Solid, oddly all PSone games. Over previous Christmas breaks, they're the games I've always gone back to as in Ridge Racer Type 4's case, they have a great atmosphere which reminded me of Christmas so I've levitated towards that. Resident Evil 2 & Metal Gear Solid drew me as once again, I like the atmosphere but have a great and short story that took me through so were great to play in short bursts.

Over these past few years though, I don't tend to have the time or inclination to play through an older classic all the way through on a specific date like Christmas, so aside from Type 4, I haven't gone back for a few years. Generally I'll play the game I've asked for Christmas, so this year it may be Borderlands and Assassins Creed, last year it was Tomb Raider Underworld. Great times.

[importaku]

I have no set games i play at xmas but this will be the first xmas with a 360 so i plan on playing quite a few music games online, my friends are going to get destroyed at the various rockband games.

At xmas i have massive marathon sessions of gaming there will be a huge mix of games been played.

[Brad]

My gaming traditions at Christmas are that I don't get to play any.

This. It's absolutely ridiculous. I get no 'Brad time' at all over the festive season!

I expect to play a lot of Singstar though. Especially as I got the Take That edition for the missus yesterday.

[Herbalizer]

I have a couple of traditions at Christmas, neither are gaming though.


Firstly, I Watch LOTR when I wrap presents. Secondly I watch Band of Brothers over two days.

[_y_]

I, like many others, like the idea of playing videogames over the Christmas break and the sense of nostalgia associated you get when you think back to winters past and the games that have consumed you over the festive period.

I'm at my parent's house for a week now and have decided to try and replay Little BigPlanet this Christmas. It's a game I've been a bit mean-spirited about in the past, unable to look past the floaty physics and lack of precision in the jumps. But now I want to get warpped up in the charm and presentation, and hope that the holiday period helps cultivate an atmosphere that allows me to allow the game to transcend its faults.

I'm also spending evenings on the laptop playing through Beyond Good & Evil which - with the resolution turned up - still manages to look absolutely fantastic. Few games give me the sense of joy that this does.

If that doesn't keep me busy I've brought Uncharted 2 with me to get immersed in again and see what the parents make of the modern production values, and Assassins Creed 2 to try and unravel that.

I hope that at least one of these games will ultimately brand Christmas 2009 in the same way that Shenmue, Super Mario 64, Grim Fandango and Knights of the Old Republic have in years gone by.

[gaz@manc]

When I had my N64 I was still at school and couldn't afford many releases, so Christmas Day was always highly anticipated - I remember The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and F-Zero X in 1998, Donkey Kong 64 and Jet Force Gemini in 1999 and The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask and Mario Tennis in 2000. From then on I've nearly always had games as gifts but nothing quite had the same magic. I guess SSX Tricky and Half-Life in 2001 came close, but from then on I could buy the things I was most excited about on release.

I'm not even getting any games this year! Although I'll be picking up The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks to play on DSi at my parents.

[cutmymilk]

I just started Super Paper Mario which I've had on the shelf for over a year. Seems a nice game for christmas, even though its not as funny or charming as previous Paper Mario games.

[112]

I tend to like to have atleast 1 or 2 Christmas games that i can get stuck into over the down time from work. Plus its always a great feeling to be totally engrossed in a game whist its freezing outdoors and I just live like a hermit playing games in my jim jams whilst eating left over food........ Its a like a once a year tradition.

This year, I tried to get at least 4-5 games to wade through, but figured I was being too ambitious, so Ive gone down to 2-3. Initially it was Assassins Creed 2, Demons Souls, Batman Arkham Asylum, Wipeout and Uncharted 2.

Having already got Wipeout HD and Uncharted 2 earlier in November and thouroughly enjoying them both, they are now out of the equation. I also couldn't help but dip into Demons Souls last weekend (I know, no patience) But my excuse is Christmas doesn't begin on Christmas Day, so ima stand by that!

So I am now looking forward to getting stuck into a lot more of Demons Souls, Arkham Asylum (which will be the game I play on Christmas Day ) and Valkaria Chronicles.......... Odds are I'll probably end up playing Batman Arkham Asylum, completing it, then returning to Demons Souls, whilst Valkaria Profile, stays unplayed will Demons Souls is done

112

[Darwock]

I used to set myself challenges to try and get done before the holidays ended. For example unlocking the AX tracks in F-Zero GX, or doing DMC on DMD. However with the introduction of trophies to this gen I've usually already done most of the hard challenges before I moved on from the game in the first place.

I can only think of one challenge I could do this year, and that would be to reach Commander rank in Warhawk. I won't be able to invest any time in that though, as my parents are visiting over new year.

[Barla Von]

I always play Zelda: A Link to the Past around this time of year. It's such a great game.

[Decider-VT]

Box of Toffifee and whatever game I get for Christmas. At my mum's house this year so I asked for portable stuff. Hopefully I'll be munching my way to diabetes with Kenka Bancho or something.

[Matt]

I like to have a game some friends and I buy to play online; this year it's going to be Borderlands, last year L4D; can't remember the 2007 game, and 2006 was R6V.

I also play some Xmas Unreal maps, this year I'll be playing UT3 with some fun Mutators on