Recently I was browsing through the Playstation 3 online store, checking the retro games section for something nostalgic. New games look amazing and and play very well but are often too short or don’t provide as good a storyline as older games managed to do. What I wanted was a PS1 or PS2 classic that would bring back some childhood memories and allow me to lose myself in another world.

What I found was Squaresoft’s classic RPG, Final Fantasy VIII (8). On its release back in 1999/2000 it was met with critical acclaim, gaining mostly positive reviews and ratings. It had big boots to fill coming out after the very popular Final Fantasy VII (7) and it did so rather successfully in my opinion. It was the first Final Fantasy to use real life human proportions for its characters, abandoning the rather cartoonish look of its predecessors.

This made the game a more grown up Final Fantasy, as did its rather complicated Junction systems, which as a boy, took me a long time to get to grips with. I have to admit, now I am older, and a little more intelligent (at least I would hope so), the Junction system is a lot more fun to play around with. Final Fantasy fans will know exactly what I am talking about. The overly complicated nature of some of the game’s elements was its only downfall in my opinion and even that did not stop me playing this game several times in my youth.

Once I had downloaded it and that instantly recognisable music started up, I became ten years old again. The story that gripped me so much in my youth has done so again and so off I go, once more, to battle the evil sorceress, Ultimecia with Squall, Zell, Selphie and co.One last thing, I have been offered to set up the stand for my work at the commerce convention this friday. Any suggestions on where I can get some good roller banners at short notice?