I'm not gonna write my usual multipage analysis of things I really like, but I agree with Rocket Edge, Dreddz, and others that it was an amazing time. I fell in love with video games before that, but games like Final Fantasy VII and Metal Gear Solid showed me how far that could go. I nearly had a physical/chemical reaction the first time playing Final Fantasy Tactics, from the art to the music to the words.

I wouldn't say the feeling's gone though. While it's not that same magic from childhood, I can now enjoy games at night with a glass of brandy (and something else), as I did at night the dates that MGS4 and GTA IV launched last year. With that, HDTV's and surround sound systems, we now got big boy (or girl) toys to enjoy these things with.