BY CLIFFORD REEDER: It is safe to say that we all have one thing from our childhood that means the world to us even many years, if not decades, later. Something with imperative emotional value that always holds a place in our hearts no matter how much time has gone by, and in this context, I’m sure many of us consider that special item to be a childhood video game. A video game that we could go to no matter what situation was troubling our lives. A video game that, regardless of where you were or what you were doing, you could pick it up and play it again and again; still enjoying the soundtrack, characters, and gameplay just as much as you had the first time around.
I was born in 1993 and my experience with gaming was varied. My grandfather owned an original NES and would help me play games like Legend of Zelda and Super Mario Bros., as well as allow me to watch him play his favorite game, Tetris. While experiencing these titles, both first and secondhand, helped ease me into a hobby that would eventually become a cornerstone in my life, it wasn’t until a few years later that I was introduced to a game that would shape me into who I am today. That game, released on July 7th, 2000 for the PlayStation, was Final Fantasy IX.
