,
Where are you? It feels like years since last we spent long nights together. There is an aching chasm in my heart that quakes and quivers for you to fill my darkest,deepest voids with your light. I long to see your name flash across my television. I long to feel those same chills that the mere mention of your name would send coursing down my spine. Most of all, I long for our adventures together: You had a knack to take me places that no one else could take me, a knack to whisper the sweetest music into my ear, and a knack to elevate mere play into exquisite art.
Remember when we first met? Sure, I had caught your glances at me across the local game store on more than one occasion. But I saw your name briefly on my television one day and I couldn’t forget you.
I fought and I begged until Christmas finally brought you to my doorstep. Perhaps it was simple chance that my parent’s brought us together or perhaps it was the fact that Final Fantasy VII was written a total of ten times on my Christmas list that year. Either way: it was destiny.
Our love flourished and blossomed. We survived the death of a loved one together and cried as the poignancy of her funeral, with her beloved carrying her into the water, brought us to tears. Yet even with tears in my eyes, I never took them off of you because I knew you would always keep your ‘Eyes on Me’.
I got to know you deeper. I learned of your love for the opera:
I remember the time you fought everything to take me to the moon:
I was even there for that weird phase where you wanted to be some sort of street fighter:
And after all of that, you began pulling away. Sure, we had a few adventures but it was obvious the love was dying out. I could see your passion fading with every hour you felt forced to spend with me.
When you left me, I was hurt. I get it. There was money and prestige to chase. Knock out a rival and all that … At least that’s what you argued to me. You said it would be okay, that things would get better. But they weren’t a rival to you! Not to me, at least. You were bigger and better and cooler and stronger and we had had so many memories together. Sure, I did have an evening or two chasing around dragons and warriors but that was meaningless compared to what we had!
Now your closest friends are talking about how bad a decision it was to leave me. It’s about time they wised up and its about time you listen to someone else. You were so special to me but I’ve finally moved on. I will always hold dear and cherish what we had together but you’ve changed and I’ve changed. I realized that when we hooked up again last summer. It was a mistake and from the very outset I knew that you can’t catch Lightning twice.
Which saddens me because I truly loved you.
delver 
Bravo, bravo!
I clapped at the Ehrgeiz bit, because I was there as well.
It feels like one of those magical periods of gaming. I empathise with your exact situation, because I started with VII as well, and it felt wonderful because you knew there were 6 games prior to seek out and play. Those other 6 games helped immensely when waiting for 8, 9 and 10 to be released.
I remember at the time how everyone hated 8, but it’s so funny how even 8 holds a special place in our hearts now, because it was only hated due to how brilliant the games around it were. It sitll had that spark and magic which has since been lost.
Really good post!
(PS, personal fav is 9)
After Final Fantasy 7 and Tactics, Final Fantasy 8 was never going to be good enough, honestly. I (and I assume you as well) hyped it up to be the Next Best Thing Ever. I even went as far as buying Brave Fencer Musashi just for the FF8 demo. I still love the game though and treat it with the respect it deserves (especially when you compare it to more recent Square Enix products).
Plus, I was of that age that I wanted action figures for it and I even bought the card game (I don’t have any of that stuff anymore though, which saddens me greatly). I even loved the soundtrack enough to buy a special collector’s edition complete set. Final Fantasy VIII was still a good Final Fantasy game.
I actually didn’t care for 9 that much. Outside of Vivi and some of the best FMVs ever done, I thought it was a really weak entry. Zidane was such a departure from any character I had ever liked that I found him really grating.
My favorite is Tactics, hands down, followed by Seven. After that, I’d have to say Five and Six are in a complete tie for me. I don’t know why I love Five so much, but there is a classic, simple beauty to it.
I also really loved Final Fantasy X, but only in retrospect. When I played through it, I hated it more than anything else. The story’s big reveal turned that around for me completely though. I think it is one of the more endearing Final Fantasy narratives.
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