Monday, August 12, 2013

The Crystal Challenge: The Heroes of Light Awaken

I've been “gaming” since three, when my father taught my brother and I how to use the Commodore 64 (C64). According to my parents, by a few months, It was second nature to my still developing brain. By modern technology standards, the C64 is a dinosaur; but in 1989 it was considered a decent piece of hardware. It also played some sweet games like Defender of The Crown, Lode Runner, and Zak McKraken. Adventure games were my first love, one that has yet to die, especially considering the recent splurge of Adventure Games on the market.
As I child I owned and/or played every system without regard to what constituted a 'good game.' As long as the graphics were colorful and you could jump, I was content. Mario and Sonic were my favorites, but I did have a pretty solid spot for both Flashback and Out of This World. I'm still patiently waiting for a proper reintroduction of the Platform genre to home consoles.
Despite my love of jumping, it wasn't until the original PlayStation console (PS1) that my gaming habits turned from small time hobby to full-blown past time. The only problem was that, after surviving Resident Evil and bouncing around with Crash, nothing was grabbing me like I needed it to. There was a desire for something deeper and more complex than zombies or anthropomorphic bandicoots. Then one day, a bastard friend brought over his PS1 and a game that would both establish and forever cement my love for the Japanese Role Playing Game (JRPG).
That night, without a memory card, because neither of our parents understood that you needed one, I had one of the most enthralling adventures of my gaming career. I leaped off a train, bumped into a mysterious flower carrying stranger, and climbed the foreboding Shinra Tower. The next morning I imagine my parents found me passed out on the floor with a wet towel to wipe the gross amount of sweat from my hands. The next thing I knew, I had a PS1 of my own, a memory card, and a habit that has since influenced my choice of career. Final Fantasy VII was the spark I had been waiting for.
Since then I've taken part in every numbered adventure in the FF series. As I've gotten older emulators helped when physical copies were impossible to find or when money was an issue. Despite playing them all, I've never completed a single one; The challenge was, apparently, too much for me at the time. This is why I'm taking part in a self-created challenge dubbed “The Crystal Challenge.” The goal: Complete every numbered game in the Franchise, excluding spin-offs and Massively Multiplayer RPG's (MMO's).
Along with each play through, I'll provide impressions of each title, referencing what makes them unique among the entire series as well as if they've managed to stand against the sands of time. In doing so I hope to educate gamer's unfamiliar with a franchise that arguably gave the genre the publicity it rightfully deserved. 
I've already managed to finish off the original via Dawn of Souls for the Game Boy Advance. I realize it's not the genuine article, but at this point it's all I've got. You can't even find a ROM of the thing. Once I do somehow get it, I'll replay it as well as FFII for a more authentic experience. 
I’m not playing them in any particular order, which is why I've already started playing 12. It was the last one I bought and one I’m particularly fond of because of it’s political story that didn't revolve around saving the world from ruin, for once. Check back later for some impressions on my Final Fantasy 1 Experience. 
While we are on the subject of JRPG’s, what’s your favorite? Do you have an opinion about Final Fantasy? Which one do you like the most? The least?

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