Memorializing Moments In Time

Adapted from content originally posted to Instagram on February 23, 2022.

On February 23, 2022, Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster was released. To commemorate the occasion, I decided to make a post on Instagram to share a moment that happened when I was younger. Here's how it went...

"[In] 10th grade English class, me and my friend were talking about Final Fantasy III when our teacher, who was sitting near us, commented “You guys are talking about Final Fantasy III? I’ve played Final Fantasy III!”

The thing is, *our* FF III was different than *his* FF III…which was actually Final Fantasy VI, but localized as FF III when it first released in North America. I tried explaining this, but still remember him looking kinda confused afterwards 😅 (he was an awesome teacher btw)

FF VI was actually the first Final Fantasy I ever played, but I never actually beat it…sorry FF VI fans. Every now and then though, I think back to that time and smile inside a bit. Plenty of people who originally played the game on the SNES/Super Famicom moved on from gaming ages ago. & since Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster is so readily accessible on today’s mobile devices, I wonder if some of those people (like my old teacher) might get the urge to revisit their younger years through it. If mobile versions of old games are good for anything, it’s for that."

. . .

After I posted that story, a friend saw it and shared with me another public story of mine that he had taken a screenshot of. I had posted it as a comment on a Metal Gear Solid 2 video a few years ago, and I guess it had gained some traction since my initial posting:

(I feel like I could have written this comment a little more tastefully...)

The fact that he found it amused me, but it also had me think about these two stories I shared. They certainly aren't the best recollections, and I'll always feel slightly sad that I don't remember the finer details of the man's story about Carla White. But I'm glad that I was able to share them before I forget them entirely. Hopefully that never happens!

And I suppose this is part of why I make little posts about my experiences with and memories of video games: to record what comes to my mind for future reference. To be perfectly clear, I'm not trying to make a social media influencer's career out of doing so, and I have to admit that my content isn't really the most appealing to the "Instagram algorithm" (even if I've tried to improve things like readability and visuals to reach a possible wider audience).

At the end of the day though, it's primarily for myself, and it's a bonus if people can derive something emotionally beneficial out of it. Maybe it helps them grow closer with the games they've played, or think differently about a game they haven't played. One shared story adds to the collective experience that is a game, and I'm glad to be able to contribute to that alongside others.

Of course, let's look onward to the future, but we still...