Woke up to snow-covered ground. Around noon, primary school students were playing during what I assume to be their lunch hour, having a snowball fight. It reminded me of this game.

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance was my first tactical rpg. That was around two decades ago if I remember correctly, and I myself was in primary school. An emulator for the Game Boy Advance was popular at my school - or at least with my friends - at that time for playing the third generation of Pokémon games. In the compressed file containing the emulator and Pokémon, there were a bunch of other GBA games included. This games was there.

I did not know what an emulator was or that that was an emulator and how this thing that was shared with me works, and I was just randomly opening files to see what happens. When I first played this game, it didn't really click with me, because I just can't fathom how my character's movement in the game are so restricted. I can only move characters during battle in fixed grid spaces, and outside battle, I'm limited to go around and spend time in a pub or saloon of sorts. I pushed through playing because I liked how it looked and from distant hearsay, I got enamoured with the Final Fantasy brand.

After a short while, I discovered that I loved it. I don't think I finished the game, and I don't remember the story, but those aren't really what I look for in games, when I think about it. I think I still got pretty far though. I so enjoyed battling, the class system, and how you learn skills from equipment. Up until now I still long for such gameplay, but I've kinda given up that I'll ever feel that much wonder again. Perhaps some part of it stems from youth as well.

I'd like to think that these files are still in the old PC back in my mother's house, and maybe they are. I don't think it would even be hard to find these on the internet. If I weren't so stubborn, I would do that and probably have a grand time.