I was a shy teen. The few good friends I had did not know I played rpgs. Well, one did, and he gave me a little @#$% for it from time to time, but was cool in every other way.
Maybe it was my way of escaping. My friend moved away, I lost a few others, and rpgs were my world to go into. I think much like the OP, I can remember nights going on till 4 am playing..of all games.. Final Fantasy 8. I do not even know why as I can think of dozens and dozens of more memorable games, personally, that I liked much more. But it kept me up for whatever reason and I recall falling asleep in first period history class (and even 2nd period science class) all the time during that time frame. It was not pretty and I got a (bad) reputation for it amongst my peers.
I would say from around 12 until around 18 or 19 (1997 or so till 2003/4 or so) I just got any rpg I could, snes or ps. Slowly at first..zelda, secret of mana, but more and more as time went on. Action rpgs were my forte at first but slowly got more and more into jrpgs and even a few srpgs.
I left rpgs behind, 19-23, slowly but surly when I went to college. I picked up an snes when I had my own place, around 21-22 but more "friends over" friendly games like Donkey Kong, Mega Man, Mario world, mario kart, NBA Jam etc. (all amazing games in their own right). I think between 20-23, as far as rpgs, I maybe played and beat Star Ocean and Secret of Mana 2 (SD3) and that is it? could be forgetting some though.
Then I went to China for two years, did not even play a single video game
End of 2010: Got really sick, battled a beast a lot of us, in some way, are all to familiar with and had 7 or 8 months of treatment where I was just laid up in bed and ... within a month suddenly got the urge to play some classics I had missed from 12-18: Lufia 1 and 2, Treasure Hunter G, Breath of Fire 2 (had beaten 1, 3 and 4 years ago). also, emerald dragon, dual orb and wozz. Not to mention that amazing Star ocean ... lennus 2, tales of phantasia, dark law, dragon quest 6, tenchi muyo, adventures of hourai high, villgust, Montsania thanks to various translatiors..oh and evo and paladins quest.. and even replayed some old favorites like ff5, ff6 (even ff:mq), lunar: sssc wild arms and even a new games right after release, radiant historia which was really good.
So sickness did bring one good thing, rekindling of my love for the classic snes/ps rpg! And made those C---- (ugh don't wanna spell it) a little more bearable. Lufia 1 and 2 hold a special place for me as being the first games to get me to this point. (just like breath of fire 3 back in, like, 1999, was my first ps rpg).
Thanks various translators, for making a young mans recovery a little better! KUDOS! (my screen names pays homage to one such group
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