Now Playing: Final Fantasy VIII

 I shouldn't be having this much fun with it.

 Let's go back in time, back to when I was younger and Final Fantasy VIII was announced. Final Fantasy VII was my favorite game, and back then, when graphic leaps still meant something, I would salivate over screenshots from the game. And when it came out? I loved every second of it. I actually finished it, unlike VII. While my first experiences with both VII and VIII were on the PC, I did play the PS1 version of VII, but not VIII's, so this is kinda new for me.

 The core combat gimmick is terrible. While I can see how drawing magic and using it against the enemy that possesses it is amusing, having to stock on magic is a terribly dull time consuming experience, and each character has its own magic pool! Back when I was a kid, I didn't mind this system, but now that I'm older, I can see just how terrible it is, specially considering that this game came after the fantastic Materia system. There's no mana, now only your current HP is displayed, instead of getting both the max and the current HP, which is odd, and Limit Breaks can only be used when your HP drops to a certain point, instead of filling a gauge. Weapons are now made instead of bought(Though you can only "make" them at certain stores), money is earned through an allowance and not battling, and enemies level alongside you. Basically, every change was for the worst.

 And despite it all... I'm having fun. A lot has to do with me smiling at all the little things that I remember or am reminded of, but I'm still having fun.