Support NeoGAF

[Werewolf Jones]

The swan song of the franchise, Sakaguchi's last game he was heavily involved with, the love letter to all games prior. A masterful blend of fantasy meets science fiction, it is still such a loving tribute to this day.



A game which the core theme is life and death itself. Each party member has their own philosophy and ambitions on how to live while certain others fear their own conclusion and what comes after. Vivi in particular the fan favourite is the narrator for the entire game even having a role which is more important than the protagonist, Zidane.



Hironobu Sakaguchi the series creator himself believes IX to perfectly encapsulate what Final Fantasy is, the purest form of what he had in mind since the series' inception.

When I first played the game when I was 10 or so I liked it but wasn't massive on it, when I replayed it 10 years later my stance on it changed completely. A game that was largely ignored for being different from what VII and VIII had presented prior despite having a large amount of passion behind it.

It deserves to be remembered and adored 20 years later and onward.

 

[TheContact]

When I first played the game when I was 10 or so I liked it but wasn't massive on it, when I replayed it 10 years later my stance on it changed completely.

I had the same exact feeling. Playing 7 and 8 and loving both of them very much, then playing 9 left me satisfied but somewhat disappointed at the time. Playing it now, I have a lot more appreciation for the game overall. I think a major reason for this is that the tone of 9 is much more mature and somber compared to how over-the-top and silly 7 can be at times, and how downright dumb 8 can be at others.

 

[ROMhack]

I liked it so I won't shit on it but it's certainly not my favourite FF game. The story is a bit cookie-cutter and the gameplay a bit too slow. Final boss just comes out of nowhere and the build-up to the fight is a little less satisfying than some other FF games.

Wonderful music though and great graphics for its day (phenomenal really). Certainly worth experiencing still.

Happy Birthday!

 

[sublimit]

They also released a part 1 interview with scenario writer Kazuhiko Aoki commemorating its 20th anniversary:

Final Fantasy IX 20th Anniversary Special Interview

https://na.finalfantasy.com/topics/191 FINAL FANTASY IX celebrates its 20th anniversary on July 7! As an FF Portal special commemorative feature, we interviewed creators involved with the original development of FFIX: Mr. Kazuhiko Aoki, Mr. Toshiyuki Itahana and Mr. Hiroyuki Ito. We bring you...

www.neogaf.com

 

[Nitty_Grimes]

Scary that I got this on release, showing my age

 

[sublimit]

Scary that I got this on release, showing my age

Me too.

 

[Rikoi]

My favorite Final Fantasy without any doubts.
I finished this game 5 or 6 times before I had enough with it and I still vividly remember it, went to play it again when they released it on steam.
An underrated masterpiece, the perfect "fantasy" game.

 

[The Shepard]

Scary that I got this on release, showing my age

Me to. It was a present for my birthday whilst I was still in school. 16th February 2001 was the UK release date so not quite 20 years yet. We used to have a long wait to play in Europe than the rest of the world, glad those days are over.

 

[Tschumi]

I have always struggled to like FF, but the recent steam sale (and similarity to FFTactics) behoved me to get FFXII and i am seriously loving it. More on that later; FFXII may be the title that gives me a squirt more motivation to try another one like FFIX. I've honestly tried and failed to love FFXIII, X, VII and IV. I'm quite excited about the simpatico I'm feeling to XII.

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

I’m replaying it at the moment (thanks Game Pass!).

I’d only played it to completion once at release, when FFIX kept me busy for more than 100 hours with subquests, so much that at one point I completely lost track of the plot. Replaying it now I can see that the story is much simpler and more straightforward that I remembered. I can also see that a not insignificant part of those 100+ hours in my first playthrough must have been loading times. The game is horribly slow in everything, and the speed-up function in the modern version is manna from heaven. The difference in airship navigation and in the chocobo game is staggering. The other new QoL features are also very welcome - while the game is pretty generous with Exp, mastering abilities is quite the grind. It’s also of very little actual usefulness, seeing that the game is rarely hard enough to warrant the use of most abilities and skills.

It’s a pretty simple game, very reminiscent of the earlier FFs. If you skip Chocobo Hot ‘n Cold and Tetra Master altogether, it’s possibly the shortest and most linear PlayStation FF. Characters are quite limited in what they can do, locations are much less complex than I remembered. Side characters are simply fantastic, which makes it all the most puzzling why Amarant is a mandatory character, he being barely there at all. He has less presence and impact than even FFVII’s optional characters.

The hi-res polygon models are lovely. It’s a pity that the pre-rendered backgrounds couldn’t be made in higher resolution (though I’m sure improvements in ESRGAN will solve that problem almost perfectly in the future, at least for PC users), but you can still see how beautiful FFIX looked for a PS1 game at the time. Locations like Ipsen’s Castle still look majestic, even when blown up on a 4K screen.

I think I will finish the game by the end of this week. It’s a slow burner, but from Cleyra onwards it’s a fun ride and I’m finding it more captivating than a lot of recent games. But yeah, those QoL features are basically essential in 2020.

 

[Fuz]

Second best Final Fantasy ever.

 

[teezzy]

Amazing game. Alongside 6 and 10, this one is a top three for sure. If 'Final Fantasy' were an adjective, then FF9 would be the most 'Final Fantasy' of the lot. Game oozes with charm from beginning to end.

Best of the PS1 titles due to strong characters, it's inarguable sense of whimsy, fantastic combat, and overall attention to detail.

 

[megreotsugua]

It's my favorite game of all time.

The game was full of melancholic undertones that my childhood mind couldn't help but cry about.

I cried when I finished the game because it felt like I was saying goodbye to my friends and I will never see them again.

 

[mortal]

 

[Peroroncino]

True dat.

It's my favorite one by far.

 

[GenericUser]

Worst game of the ps1 trilogy. The story falls apart in the second half of the game and the battle system had horrendous loading times. Still a serviceable final fantasy and MUCH MUCH better then the crap that was 13 and 15.

 

[dwish]

Just finished my xxx'th playthrough. Amazing game. I remember my neighbour getting this in japanese before it released in europe. We played, unsuccessfully trying to understand what was going on. Damn I feel old now.

 

[Aion002]

Amazing game! One week after the release my PS1 broke, I was like 10 hours in the game..... As a 13 years old I annoyed so much my parents to buy a new PS1.... That they gave in and I finished the game so fast afraid of the new ps1 breaking it. FFIX is soooo good!

Also... To this day the PS1 still works.

 

[SilentUser]

I just finished my replay. The graphics were really gorgeous at that time, I absolutely adore the character design (Vivi and Freya being my favs), but I dare to see this is isn't as good as FFVII or FVIII The soundtrack is great, but not the best, and I really don't like the somewhat lack of building up to the final boss, like someone said here.

Nonetheless, it is an epic JRPG of the golden era of the genre, though.

Congrats, FFIX!

 

[Eliciel]

A very very good RPG indeed!

 

[Rikoi]

Amazing game! One week after the release my PS1 broke, I was like 10 hours in the game..... As a 13 years old I annoyed so much my parents to buy a new PS1.... That they gave in and I finished the game so fast afraid of the new ps1 breaking it. FFIX is soooo good!

Also... To this day the PS1 still works.

This made me remember that it took me ages to fully finish this game the first time because my save state would delete itself randomly multiple times. Disk 2, disk 3, disk 1.... until I understood that if I didn't buy a new memory card I would never finish this game, I always enjoyed restarting it for some reason though, so I didn't mind much.

 

[Aion002]

This made me remember that it took me ages to fully finish this game the first time because my save state would delete itself randomly multiple times. Disk 2, disk 3, disk 1.... until I understood that if I didn't buy a new memory card I would never finish this game, I always enjoyed restarting it for some reason though, so I didn't mind much.

Memory cards were a pain.... My mom bought me the PS1 on the first time, but she didn't get a memory card.... So I couldn't save anything.


So many games that I played the first 4 hours and had to restart. Until eventualy I got an MC... But it took a while, because every time we went to the store I would choose new games.

 

[Spukc]

my dog pissed on my psone killing my console and my savegame i never went back

 

[Peroroncino]

 

[Astral Dog]

I played it for the first time a few months ago on mobile, its magical,best of the PS1 Final Fantasies, graphics look gorgeous, battle systems function well and soundtrack is very memorable, i liked the characters though the constant themes of life get annoying and repeated so much i was tired by the end.

Still i would give it a 9/10 and it has been hard to go back to FFVII (the PS1 version) and VIII after playing IX

 

[Myths]

Will XVI have a similar setting? Will we get a remake of this?

 

[Rikoi]

Will XVI have a similar setting? Will we get a remake of this?

If Hiroyuki Ito is behind FF16, which he might be since it's supposed to be a a multiple of 3 (15 should have been a spinoff, so that breaks the cycle, and he worked on 6-9-12), it might have a similar settings, considering the recent Naoki Yoshida statements that FF16 should have less technology and no mechas.

 

[Aggressive Carrot]

I recently finished Final Fantasy IX (40+ hours) for the first time in a long time. I got the game at launch, finished it, then put the game on a shelf next to VII and VIII. It was a nice trip down memory lane. FFIX had some serious tones and lighthearted moments as well. Back in the day when we got a look at X I wished we got something closer to IX. I still wouldn't mind seeing a game set in a similar world.

And I still suck at jump rope with Vivi.

 

[GymWolf]

The last actually good final fantasy game.

 

[wolywood]

I'm playing through the PS4 version via Remote Play/Kishi and it absolutely still holds up.

 

[ValiantTraveler]

I can’t decide if this or FFVII is my favorite PS1 FF, but either way it’s a top-tier FF for sure. The “You’re not alone” sequence is one of my favorite moments in all of gaming.

It’s depressing how many talented people left Square around that time period. Sakaguchi, Takahashi, Uematsu, Mitsuda... and Matsuno years later.

I also wish an indie dev would come along to make games of the same caliber as PS1 JRPGs, but it seems that level is too high for anyone to reach. Most are stuck making lame Earthbound/Undertale knock-offs.

 

[JORMBO]

The only mainline FF game I haven't played and I have 4 copies of it. I need to get around to playing it.

 

[Mobile Suit Gooch]

I have 4 copies of it

You too?

 

[SLoWMoTIoN]

WoFF was FF's swan song. They are all going to be crap after it. Or ARPGs.

 

[-MD-]

IX is my favorite for sure

 

[ValiantTraveler]

The only mainline FF game I haven't played and I have 4 copies of it. I need to get around to playing it.

One disc from each copy? Lol

I envy that you’ll discover FFIX for the first time.

 

[jigglet]

I've never played this game. But, I do remember thinking "how the fuck can Square pump out 7, 8 and 9 - all AAA quality games - so quickly?". It blew my mind.

 

[Starlight Lotice]

Beat it with all the Zodiac Items and all Magic mastered. (and Chocobo Hunts done)

Loved the game, but the Battle System is so slow. Would I go back to do the Trophies? Mmmmm....maybe?

 

[Rikoi]

I've never played this game. But, I do remember thinking "how the fuck can Square pump out 7, 8 and 9 - all AAA quality games - so quickly?". It blew my mind.

That was the golden era for gaming, developers created impressive games one after another in no time.
FF7-8-9-10, chrono cross, chrono trigger, xenogears, xenosaga 1-2-3....and that was just square enix.
Today we celebrate if we get a sequel after 5+ years.

 

[jigglet]

That was the golden era for gaming, developers created impressive games one after another in no time.
FF7-8-9-10, chrono cross, chrono trigger, xenogears, xenosaga 1-2-3....and that was just square enix.
Today we celebrate if we get a sequel after 5+ years.

As an N64 owner I remember looking at these rapid fire AAA releases just thinking wtf is this shit, how is it even possible??

 

[Graciaus]

I plan on replaying it on PC once Moguri/Scale UI/Alternate Fantasy are all compatible with one another.

 

[Myths]

If Hiroyuki Ito is behind FF16, which he might be since it's supposed to be a a multiple of 3 (15 should have been a spinoff, so that breaks the cycle, and he worked on 6-9-12), it might have a similar settings, considering the recent Naoki Yoshida statements that FF16 should have less technology and no mechas.

Which is interesting because those multiples of 3 (including 3 DS itself) have ranked in my top tier for the longest time. I’d like something between 3 and 9 ideally.

 

[Nymphae]

Definitely one of the more love/hate games in the series for me. For everything I love about it there's something I absolutely hate. The battle system was fun and I liked several of the music tracks but ultimately it's my least favourite of the PS1 games.

 

[DogofWar]

Final Fantasy IX is 20 years old? But I remember when me older brother and me read about it before it was released in the Playstation magazine and went and bought it.

 

[Setzer]

I still put IV and VI above IX but it was my favorite FF of the PS1 era. Memorable characters and a great story.

 

[Evangelion Unit-01]

https://www.wikihow.com/Deal-With-Getting-Older

 

[Ixion]

I only played IX once about 10 years ago, and I recall thinking it was just a very, very solid Final Fantasy game. Somewhere around an 8/10. I would put VII, X, and XII over it, while I would put VIII, XIII, and XV below it. So it sits right in the middle of pack for me (I haven't played the pre-3D games).

As other have said, IX has a lot of charm, great characters, and of course very good music. I remember not liking the sluggish battles, and I also felt the story took a while to really become gripping since it spent the entire first half of the game focusing on the characters, which are great characters, but a strong plot was missing until halfway through the game. VII and X on the other hand really draw you in right from the beginning with an interesting, mysterious plot that you want to keep following.

 

[Velius]

You forgot the Coca Cola commercial!
"Smitta, nieah! Tsu na ga ru! Coca Cora!!!"

 

[NahaNago]

One of the best final fantasy games. It switches from being the best at times with FF7 simply because I like FF9's world a lot more.

 

[EverythingsOverrated]

My second favorite FF after 6.

This game kicks ass. It was a great blend of new and old school (at the time) Final Fantasy. I was massively disappointed by 8 - didn't like the gameplay, the characters, or really anything outside of the music. FF9 was basically the anti 8.

Almost all the main characters are great which to me even FF7 suffered from some mediocre characters (but more than makes up for it in other places). I remember when this came out I had enough money to get either this or Majora's Mask and holy shit did I make the right decision by getting this game. I think I played 40 hours in the first three days over Christmas vacation