Agreed -- the games before Final Fantasy 7 were the golden age of final fantasy games. I really tried to like Final Fantasy 7, but I just couldn't enjoy it. The kiddie / high school aged love triangle was too much garbage for me to swallow and the game play and fantasy just weren't as good.
Final Fantasy 2 (4 in Japan) was fantastic as well. The SNES age was definitely the best time for Final Fantasy.