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[Dark_castle]

This was one of the hardest games I've ever played. I've gone through the first disc without finding a good way to heal (very few potions, no Healing spell) so boss fights were very irritating.

Were you sleeping through the game? FF9 is up there with 6 and 7 as the easiest instalments in the franchise.

 

[TangibleDream]

Never finished this game. Played it until Disc 3, don't even remember why. It was nothing especial, to be honest. X, XII and even VIII are better. This is all subjective of course...

 

[Lumpy Onion]

Were you sleeping through the game? FF9 is up there with 6 and 7 as the easiest instalments in the franchise.

One thing about these games is that there are a lot if variables to take into account concerning how people played the game. Your journey and how you experienced it might have been totally different than another's challenge wise. To say someone was sleeping through the game because they didn't notice how (supposedly) easy it was just sounds elitist.

And I've found the final boss to be challenging on all my playthroughs.

 

[Nocturnal]

My favourite. This game is fucking awesome.

If there was a remake, they should keep the art style, the pre-rendered backgrounds (maybe enhanced, but optional), story and everything else but at 1080p with AA.
Tweak the battle-system, add more optional content and side-quests.

Game of the Eternity.

 

[On Demand]

I've been playing the game for about the past week and a half and I've been itching to talk to someone about it the entire time because I just love it so much. The entire game just feels like it was made by people who loved making it, and who loved Final Fantasy. So many classic themes are baked into the game, and not just as afterthoughts. The pacing is so well done, it feels like you spend just the right amount of time in any given place and always seem to understand your motivation for heading to the next one.

The battle speed does indeed feel slow at first but I feel like I've acclimated and it doesn't bother me at all now. Though it strikes me as humorous that the battle speed is famously slow and yet status abnormalities are real-time. If you have regen or poison or doom, and someone casts a long summon, you'll see numbers pop up through the entire duration which feels almost anachronistic.

The only blemishes I've encountered are the Desert Palace and Fossil Roo. The former because I was absolutely not prepared for those kinds of enemies with that kind of party, and both of them had super confusing and convoluted solutions. Thankfully there are plenty of FAQs to deal with that crap but there's no way I would have figured that out on my own. But I can't stay mad

I'm towards end of disc 3 and am looking forward to finishing the game soon and counting it as one of my favorites. Great stuff

This was definitely an important part. Somebody from Square mentioned something similar in an interview. They were talking about Squaresoft and what it was like working for them back when they were such a powerful company. I'm not able to find the interview. Somebody posted it in one of those SquareEnix threads talking about what was going on behind the scenes with Wada in charge.

But the main point of what was said was that the teams that developed Final Fantasy in those days didn't really do it for money. They did it because the loved making the game. Yes of course the needed money, they're a company. But that wasn't the focus. They really enjoyed what they were doing. And you could tell as you said.

 

[watershed]

The amazing prerendered backgrounds reached an all time high water mark for the series.

 

[Wazzy]

I really like this game. While it's my least favourite of the PS1 era, there's so much charm to it.

I do wish we could have gotten Amano's designs more realized with the exception of Vivi but otherwise the game is great. Wonderful soundtrack.

 

[Silvawuff]

To be forgotten is worse than death.

I'm glad this game wasn't forgotten! It's easily one of my personal favorites. I think it was way ahead of its time and really showcased a golden era of PS RPGs, and Final Fantasy as a franchise in general. Happy birthday, FFIX!

For those of you saying this game was too easy: this game allowed you to play it as hard or easy as you liked. There are so many secrets and variables you have to meet to unlock certain things, it's insane. I remember there's an optional tough-as-nails boss you can fight in the library during a timed event early in the game. It's not impossible, but it's certainly not easy by any stretch.

 

[deadeye]

One of my favorite Final Fantasy games to play, and I'm mad at myself because I've never finished it. I have it on my PS3, and played it to the last disc, but the hard drive failed and I lost my save file. I plan to start it up again, but I just need to dedicate the time to it. I've played through the beginning so many times, but never felt bored or annoyed. The story is great.

Spoiler

Dare I say better than FFVII?

I can't believe it's been 14 years already. This game came out when I was a freshman in college. Damn, I'm getting old, LOL.

 

[edotlee]

I don't get the people who say IX is underrated. I mean just take a look in this thread. The so-called video game critics adored the game too. Unless you're saying it should be #1 and not #2..

Anyway, it's certainly in my top 5 FFs. The perfect swan song for the PS1 and Sakaguchi at SE.

 

[To Far Away Times]

Final Fantasy IX is tremendous, I've been meaning to go back and replay it at some point.