Well, trying to play FF7 in July was a complete failure. On to FF8, my wingman in life

Have you ever played this game before? If so, what versions?

ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A LITTLE GIRL WHO WORE RED AND HAD FLAAAAAMING EYEBROWS      had this friend back in elementary school who was her first gamer friend boy, and he would come over to her house to show his game stash on her Playstation.

Thankfully, he wasn't an asshole in retrospect, and that it was a good introduction for me into video games. AND THAT VIDEO GAME WAS FINAL FANTASY 8.

How I oooh-ed and ahhhh-ed at the game (I think I was in fifth grade, so that's 2000, and so it's pretty much a "new" game in that time), and I think it was the shit. I thought everyone in it was so cool and so amazing, and that I couldn't wait to one day own it and play it out. And I loved it. I eventually owned it in, what, four or five years later? When I saved up money and there was KB Toy Store and GameStop? Yeah, I totally went and hunted for old Final Fantasy games. I was gonna be cool  and totally like, catch up with the big kids about it. So I played FF8 on my own on my Playstation in the middle of junior high school and up to high school when I got my own PS2. I never beaten it, though. The closest I got was at Disc 4 at Ultimecia's castle. Then I went to play different games.

In short, FF8 was my first FF introduction ever, and I loved everybody in it and still do. It is my nostalgia candy.          
 

What version are you playing this time?

PSN version where I can play it on my Vita. I was playing it recently before thinking of committing to a Moogle U-esque playthrough, where I got to Disc 2, so I'm thinking of power running through Disc 1 so that I don't feel like cheating on the month to get to my most recent save file. Just need to, uh, resist the urge to get a whole bunch of magic drawing. That was addictive. THIS WAS PART OF WHY I ENJOYED IT WHEN I WAS LITTLE. I LIKE COLLECTING THINGS, IT FULFILLED THAT CHILD URGE TO COLLECT.
 

Do you have a fannish history with this game? If so, what?

First FF game to play and was introduced to, first one to get me into Fanfiction reading (well, probably not. The very first fandom was "X-men: Evolution"). And first what amounts to an OTP with Squall and Rinoa. 

What are your expectations for this playthrough? (Things you've heard from other fans you want to look for, things you want to prove/disprove, etc.)

To actually beat the game, :P. Also to reaffirm that everybody in this game is interesting, with all their flaws and misgivings, and that I shan't spiral down the usual collective of people who found some misgivings with the game. 

Nostalgia goggles are onnnnnnn.