FINAL FANTA-ZZZZs
Growing up there was no video game series that had as big of an influence on me than Final Fantasy. Adventures with unforgettable characters, fantastic worlds and swirling soundtracks left an impression on me that still resonates to this day. My favorite of the series has always been the iconic Final Fantasy VI. I can remember staying up for hours levelling up my characters, studying the map that came bundled with the Super Nintendo cartridge, and even saving up my money to buy my very first video game soundtrack which had a mail-in insert with the game as well.
I’ve played Final Fantasy VI countless times over the years and the experience has always been one of rekindling fond memories and embarking on grand adventures. But recently I’ve been playing Final Fantasy VI in an entirely new way, and it may be my favorite way yet. With the recent release of the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series, I once again purchased my favorite JRPG only this time on my PC (The thing that sealed the deal was the Ultrawide support). I was immediately impressed with the enhanced graphics, the quality-of-life improvements and above all the amazingly recreated soundtrack. This game is a work of art through-and-through. But that’s not why this is my favorite playthrough.
The reason I am enjoying my time with Final Fantasy VI so much now is because this game has become the new bedtime routine for me and my 7 year old son, Elliott. In place of a bedtime story, Elliott and I will come down to my office and he takes the controller to embark on his quest to stop the Empire and the maniacal villain Kefka from destroying the world. Each game session I sit back and offer words of advice, tips and praise as Elliott makes his own way through one of my favorite video games of all time.
This is a moment that I had been waiting years for. The conditions had to be just right because with this being an older game from the Super Nintendo era, modern conveniences that make gaming today so accessible are not present for the player and therefore this game requires more patience as well as a reading skill level that my son was previously not able to meet. Elliott is in the second grade and reading has been something he struggles with in school, so to watch him not only read the text prompts from the game, but to act out the character dialogue sequences brings me incredible joy on multiple levels.
Our Final Fanta-ZZZs adventures before bed are not just father-son bonding moments we’ll treasure forever, not just a playthrough of a fantastic game, but it’s also helping my son improve his reading and comprehension skills. I am watching him grow in so many ways and it is a wonderful feeling.
I often look back on the days that I first played through this game as a young boy living at home in my mother’s house. The memories are potent and forever tied to my thoughts on this game, but now, having this new experience is going to instill in the both of us brand new memories that we will carry forward forever. These bedtime adventures mean the world to me, and I know one day far from now when Elliott is sitting down to play a game with his own child, he will look back on our Final Fantasy adventure and cherish it always.
