Introduction
As previously mentioned, my introduction to the RPG genre, came in the PlayStation era, with the release of the highly anticipated Final Fantasy VIII. With that wonderful game acting as an entry point, I was propelled into a decade-long journey of exploring innumerable JRPGs. My first venture outside of Square’s vaunted Final Fantasy series was catalyzed by a recurring advertisement in GamePro magazine, a full page spread featuring gorgeous anime-style art of a picturesque azure-haired women and a young man adorned with green battle paint, defying his otherwise gentle gaze.
The game being so prominently featured was Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete for the PlayStation. I remember wanting the game for almost a year and repeatedly staring at the ad in an effort to satisfy my appetite for the what seemed to be an incredibly unique experience in a polygon dominated 32-bit era.
Needless to say, this only made matters worse. Knowing almost nothing about the game, my imagination ran wild; my young mind creating a number of possible stories behind the characters. I spent months perseverating on the image, with hopes that I would eventually add the game to my collection.
Then of course came the day. Having just finished my Cheesy Gordita Crunch, a rare treat, from the mall food court’s Taco Bell, I finally convinced my mom to buy the most extravagantly packaged game we had ever seen. The box was seemingly ten times larger than a conventional PlayStation game, my young mind certainly exaggerated its grandiosity, and it was made of cardboard rather than the standard plastic.
The nuance of the packaging was only outweighed by the contents: a hardbound instruction manual that included a walkthrough for the games opening, a reversible map/poster, stand-up cardboard characters, and a large gold-plated medallion that matched the necklace worn by the game’s apparent heroine.
The instruction manual helped me endure the remainder of my mother’s shopping trip while I was nearly trembling with anticipation. When I finally made it home to my room and popped in the disk, I was treated to something truly astounding.
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