Well, it only took me 23 years but...

[EarlG]

I beat Emerald Weapon and Ruby Weapon today

My son and I have been playing the original Final Fantasy VII. We played the remake recently and he was intrigued by the story — after we finished, we started on the original and after his initial horror at the graphics quality and 4:3 aspect ratio, he really got into it.

He insisted that we try to beat Emerald Weapon and Ruby Weapon before heading to the final confrontation with Sephiroth. I knew we were in for a tough time because when I finished the game way back on PS1 in the late 90s, my friends and I never did manage to beat those last two optional endgame Weapons — they were just too strong.

Well today, after much grinding and materia juggling, we did it! Take that ya bastids!

[Moostache]

1. Congrats!

Nothing makes me mark the passing of time more wistfully than old games and the memories of them from waaay back...

I go all the way back to the rotating paddle PONG game and everything since...I STILL remember moments from classic games like Tomb Raider (the first Tiger attack, the T-Rex) and Syphon Filter (the DC subway crash and escape) and Deus Ex (pretty much the whole game!)...

[blm]

2. Hey EarlG, if you like Korean dramas and AR games

you would probably really love the Kdrama Memories of the Alhambra.

[mopinko]

3. ever play might & magic?

i was a widow to that game for 25 years.
from the first att pc.

sheesh.

grew some really, really big brains in my kids, tho.
i always trusted their hungers. fed them, and stood back and marveled.
they were all little cyborgs.
primo earned a phd in theoretical math on a full boat to u utah.

good on you. that's the only kind of dad my ex was. that and the money, and well, he hates me, but i thank him.

love all you lads.

[Beartracks]

4. "initial horror at the graphics quality and 4:3 aspect ratio"

But congrats!

=======

[mahina]

5. Got to celebrate the victories large and small.

Congrats mate! Super you two have that time together.

[Stuart G]

6. Earl...Your post which I came on by mistake...(no I don't know why) reminded me of playing

a video game for months and months...in the 90s....I think it was called...Real Star Wars. 1992....I found it on the internet, but I couldn't play it on the net...(that game is still hooked up on my TV...haven't played it in many years)
... I played it until I finally beat it moving up one level at a time, and starting over and over...I finally finished blowing up the planet, in the rocket sitting in the cockpit shooting at this and that...And when I won that after all those parts of the game, and I beat them all..(there must have been 10 or 11 or more, each moving up to a higher level) I really felt great..
...Yes, it is still hooked up, don't know how to play. May start again. But I will say this, playing those games (yes there were 2 or 3 others) took my mind off of everything. No association with the news, this problem or that problem..just getting to the next level of the game. When I finally beat the last part of the game, and blew up the death start, it was a terrific feeling.. I wonder if I could beat it again?..after many hours of playing..??starting all over??? oh well...I will see...thanks for reading this..
....Totally true..I spent dozens if not hundreds of hours playing a Star Wars game..I think it was "Real Star Wars".....oh well back to figuring out tomorrow..

....................................................Stuart G

[Collimator]

7. Nice bonding

experience for you and your filius.

[hobby10113]

8. I started playing the old one before the remake came out.

All I have to say is that I remember playing FFVII when it came out for the PC back in 98 and wow I thought that was the best one yet. I still remember crying when Aerith died trying to summon holy. I haven't finished the remake yet but I still get goosebumps playing the new one. the graphics are amazing and the soundtrack is just out of this world. I am glad they brought back Nobuo Uematsu to help with the soundtrack since it was his child.