Posting as an excuse for a story.
Nine years ago I picked up the new GBA port of FFVI, having heard for a while that this was one of the best of the series or something and curious to check it out. Ended up picking up one of my favorite games. It wasn't the one that started my love affair with JRPGs, but it was the one that solidified it. I loved the atmosphere, the story, the music -- here was a game nearly as old as I was, and it was as good as anything recent I'd played.
I played it throughout middle and high school, until in my sophomore year I loaned it to a friend in exchange for Golden Sun. Envelope back ripped and my FFVI cart got lost in the mail. I didn't blame my friend, but every so often I would get an itching to play the game again on handheld and mourn what I'd lost.
Two days ago we're going to a concert. Friend leans over in the car and gives me a new copy of FFVI GBA that he bought now that he has an income, saying that he'd felt bad about it for half a decade and had been wanting to make it up. I honestly couldn't believe /he'd/ remembered.
Probably the best fucking Christmas gift I'll get this year.
