Page 25 - Old School Gamer Magazine Issue #43 FREE Edition

was practically vibrating with excitement as I hooked up the rented console, untangling the cords with care and slipping in
the first cartridge: Pilotwings. The screen flashed to life, and I played. It was fun, don't get me wrong, but I didn't feel connected to the game. I lost interest in less than half an hour and moved on.
The instant the title screen appeared, everything else fell away. The music, that simple, haunting melody that I've loved ever since that moment, wrapped around me like a spell. It was understated but filled with an emotion that I could hardly put into words. Something clicked in my brain as I pressed the button on my controller and
things. I knew right then and there that I was done with the other games. For the rest of Spring Break, I was all in on this world of heroes, betrayal, and magic.
I remember settling deeper into the couch, feeling the sweaty cushions embrace me as the story of Cecil, Kain, Rosa, and Rydia unfolded. The characters had a depth I wasn't used to in games, their struggles and triumphs feeling unexpectedly real, despite the not-quite-perfect English translation. The music shifted from somber to uplifting, matching the twists in the story, and I was utterly captivated. I didn't just play the game; I felt like I lived in it. I wanted to stay there forever.
Time began to blur. Hours turned into days. I would wake up on that couch, sometimes without even realizing I had fallen asleep, the controller still within reach. I barely ate, just snacking on whatever I could grab without having to leave the room for too long. The world outside the window ceased to matter. My only focus was saving this incredible, fragile world within the game. I fought battles, found treasures, and explored castles and dungeons. Every character’s victory became my own, and every loss felt
Next up was F-Zero. This was more like it. Fast-paced and exciting with fun and upbeat synth music, I had a blast with this game. After a few hours, though, I decided to move
on and check out the other games. After all, I needed to try each game for a little while so that I knew what I was dealing with, right?
So, Super Mario World or Final Fantasy II? I figured I knew, at least to a certain degree, what
I was getting with Mario, and I didn't quite understand what I was getting with Final Fantasy II. I had brought it home from Blockbuster because the cover art looked interesting, and the selection of games was pretty low, as lots of other folks had already rented out most of the stock. I'd never played a JRPG or even heard that term before, so I really was at a loss regarding what the gameplay was like. So I popped open the plastic Blockbuster case and slipped the cartridge into my rented SNES.
a squadron of airships appeared, flying in formation. The first thing I learned was that the crew of the airship was being forced to steal
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