It got me hooked on the FF franchise, and this has taken a significant chunk out of the last 7 years of my life. And, (as a relatively naive gaming 9 year old) I learned that anyone can die on a game - I was probably one of the few people who didn't see it coming.
I also learned the most valuble lessons of all. Never trust big cats. And never expect them to hold up any kind of decent storyline- "Hi, I'm Cait Sith II"