Video Game Virgin or how I never played a Final Fantasy game

There are a few video game titles with the legendary status the Final Fantasy series holds. A series with 28 titles to its' credit and the original Final Fantasy saving Square from bankruptcy. How can such a series go ignored from a gamer who has played from Mario to Soap? I have not avoided Final Fantasy or any J-RPG based on a cultural bias, as I have enjoyed fine works of Anime, Manga, and Movies. Up until 2008 with the release of Metal Gear Solid 4 I never played a Metal Gear Solid game. There is not one reason for my shunning of anything chocobo, moogle or bunny eared females, but a perfect storm of missed chances.

The first Final Fantasy was released at my tender age of ten, a time where I played Super Mario Bros., Double Dragon, a Sega Ninja game, SplatterHouse and Mike Tyson's Punchout religiously at home or at the local hobby shop. With all the local trips to the hobby show, and devouring any EGM, GameFan, or GamePro I could get my chubby little hands on, I never came across Final Fantasy. If I did, I may wrote it off as never played a demo or seen a friend playing one. Japan was very much ingrained in my head, my cousins and older brother would watch recorded cassette tapes of Robotech and its' sequels.

Final Fantasy 7 is one title that many of my video game contemporaries have played and loved, yet again, I missed the opportunity to jump on the chocobo. I can not play the ignorance card this time around, as I have heard of FF 7 being, as IGN's Jay Boor notes, ""light years beyond anything ever seen on the PlayStation." I never played the game, as I saw it being played by a friend of mine and remembering the world overall map being intimidating and not impressed by the 3D sprites. If anything, I was swayed by my love Zelda's Ocarina of Time, a game I still highly regard to this day.

Now at the mature age of 29, and writing for multiple gaming blogs I still have avoided anything Final Fantasy. There has been re-releases for the PSP and the PS3, but I continue to be apathetic to buying one. There has not been a J-RPG that has interested a non-partisan to drive down to a video game store of purchase and submit to one. I have played a galore of American RPGs, ranging from Knights of the Old Republic to Fallout 3. Role playing games is in my heart, but where does my virgin heart stand with FF 13? Chances to play the demo on the San Francisco bus tour was plentiful, even stopping by a five minute walk from my place of work. Waiting in line for 30 minutes to play a 30 minute demo was not appealing. There is a glimmer of hope of losing my virginity, the visuals and the over praise from the Japanese version by foreign press outlets has spurred my interest in Final Fantasy 13.
With the anticipated Final Fantasy 13 being released in two months, give or take, I will not be only person experiencing the FF series for the first time. FF 13 will be released stateside on the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3, and also the first entry to current generation cycle. I do relish the fact that I kept myself "pure" for so long, but I am counting down the days to be exposed to an event that my change the path to newcomers of the series. Will the Final Fantasy 13 be heralded in praise as Final Fantasy 7? I do hope so, since this will be first time...

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Paul Mullin

January 17, 2010

LMAO Dude i'm the same way. The first 6 flew right over my head but I had a Gamepro that had #7 on the cover (it was a walkthrough) and even then I was like 'meh'.

Til this day I have yet to play one. Don't get me wrong, I understand and appreciate the whole JRPG's but I just haven't played one. I almost made a Japanese account to try the demo but na.

Even 13 I'm gonna have to say no.

Bryan Glynn

January 18, 2010

We're in the same boat, Juan. I had no interest in RPG's during Nintendo's 2-D years, and I never owned a Sony console up until about two years ago; the opportunity never really presented itself. It really wasn't until FF13 was announced for the 360 that I began to consider jumping into the series.

I don't plan on FF13 being my inaugural Final Fantasy, however. I I've recently bought both FF7 and FF10, and plan to jump into the former shortly after I finish up Fallout 3.

Antonio L. Burch

None of you guys should feel bad,Final Fantasy,like any other games series of high caliber,is extremely good.I will say that depending on your stance with some of the non-praising retort regarding the series,you're not missing too much.There are many game series I have not had the chance to play,and it has been an increasing opportunity to change that with my entry into the workforce 5 years back,so I recommend give it a try,even if you don't end up liking it.It will be worth it regardless.