Yeah, I got into emulation in 1997-98 at the same time Tabernacles did. NESticle, KGen and ZSNES were the emulators I used. Yes, Tabs is correct, the translated FF5 was a BIG deal in that community. And when you went searching for sites with ROMs, there was a site that always claimed to have 700+ games that was ALWAYS at the top and was constantly changing its server/URL. The one I ended up using was called “Irsangla” and God knows where that fucking place is today. It got shut down. I think FF5 was glorious but have only played through it once.

The guy who developed NESticle was named “Icer Addis.” What a 90s hacker name if there ever was one, that’s like finding out El Duce’s real name was “Eldon Wayne Hoke” which is such a total white supremacist separatist name.

The first attempt to translate the first Mother for the NES was called EarthBound ZERO and had an altered title screen. Apparently they got ahold of the ROM in some really bizarre fashion at the time but I can’t remember what it was. The game was also IMPOSSIBLE to play, you’d barely get to the end of the first town and there would be random enemy encounters every three steps. That and the NES game LifeForce (the Gradius sequel) were the two games I couldn’t play for reasons like that.

Later this year I will finally play the first two Final Fantasy games, on a PS1 disc set. I have no idea how much I’ll like them.