The 9 Greatest Videogame Drinking Buddies By AdamThomas  [19 more lists]

Despite several years of drinking and debauchery passing, I still somehow have memories of Harvest Moon 64. I'm not sure if that was what I was trying to forget or not. Maybe I'm just trying to forget Karen.

You see kiddies, back before there was the pop-hit sensation Farmville causing everyone to pull udders and plant their seed all over the internets, there were these little black boxes called Nintendo 64s that you could stick small gray boxes into. One of the gray boxes contained a the prototype version of what you, your Mom, your cousin and all of your city-dwelling friends (since I'm pretty sure people who actually work on a farm could care less) are worrying about on Facebook right now: Harvest Moon.

It had the crops, it had the animals, it had the ability to upgrade your farm, all of it. But it also wasn't solely about the farming; it's also about: the power of love.

Oh and elves and Goddesses or something. I'm not sure.

But that's where Karen comes into play for me.

Karen was one of several available single women in Harvest Moon 64, and as far as I was concerned, the only one worth marrying. Maria was shy and liked bugs, so yeah... I avoided her. Elli was nice, but you could tell her sweet-tooth was going to get her fat one day, Popuri was too much of a ""girly"" girl, and Ann was alright, but also seemed to swing the sheep shears the other way, if you catch my drift.

But Karen, she was just right - and she could party!

Karen worked at the local bar as a waitress and unlike most of the other women who proved to be materialistic, always wanting you to give them specific gifts over and over and over, Karen would fall in love with you as long as you spent time in the bar with her (while getting blitzed of course). She was especially impressed when I proved I could out-drink her on New Year's Eve. Though she had some trust issues, we worked through them together (as well as many bottles of Mountain Berry Wine). She had a tough-cool demeanor and loved to laugh. Soon enough, we were wed.

But then the problems started. I kept going to the bar at night while she took care of little Trunks (yeah I was into Dragonball Z while playing Harvest Moon 64, I was like 12 OK?!). Eventually, she got fed up and left me, and I was heartbroken, forever seeking solace in the bottle . . .

That was many years ago, and though I keep telling myself it was ""only a video game"", it does explain why I somehow keep expecting that getting incredibly drunk with cocktail waitresses will result in us falling in love and working the farm together.

So in a nutshell, yeah you can drink with her, just don't let her go breaking your heart.

Sometimes bad stuff happens in life and you just need to pound a few in order to get by. In these cases it's always good to have a friend to commiserate with over your respective problems. Ideally, their problems are worse than yours so you'll feel better about yourself. It's also always good to have a friend who can pick up the tab. Ideally one not afraid to throw money away.

Setzer Gabbiani is all of these things wrapped up into one!

At least in the 2nd half of FF6 (it was 3 to me dammit!). In the first half he's an aloof p***k who knows he's only of any interest to the rest of the heroes in the game because he's got an airship that works. The aloofness hides the fact that he won't let himself get attached after losing his his friend and lover, Darryl (dudes name, I know, but totally a chick, I think). But your plucky crew of misfits wins over his icy heart with a fiery song (in this case, an opera) and soon enough he's willing to help in the cause of justice.

But then you and your team TOTALLY BLOW IT, and the world's pretty much destroyed while a totally bat-s**t insane clown becomes a god.

So what does Setzer do? He finds a small town that's still standing, and he drinks. He tries to forget that he's a scarred up albino that's a failure as a hero. He tries to forget that he's lost everyone he actually cared about. It's sad, but it's understandable.

And he keeps drinking until Celes busts in the door to snap him out of it a year later. He cleans up his act and you go off to save the world, yadda yadda yadda.

But man, if you had some problems and wanted to drown your sorrows. For an entire year, that bar would be the best place to be!

Also, I'm pretty sure only Setzer being on a year long bender would explain this.