If he did die at disc one then you could say nothing after actuallly happened, but that would be pretty naff. I guess fragments did happen at least, like growing up in the orphanage. Maybe them all having turn out to have grown up together there was part of his wishing for a family? That would explain why Rinoa wasn't there (if the theory was right) since she is his love interest.
I would have thought that if Irvine did remember them all (as he said he did stright away later in the game) he would have acted differently when he saw them again for the first time.
That probably has something to do with it
FFVIII has the most crazy turns in it by far. The vast majority of FF fans liked VIII so I would be suprised if none of them thought it was cool the way that it is.
I never saw VS, they just compaired the theory to it is all.