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Just Beat Final Fantasy IX for the First Time! (So y'know, spoilers)

F

Fou-Lu

Member
I've always loved FF9, I played it on release day way back when but it turned out my copies second disc was messed up, later on I bought another copy and that copies third disc was messed up.

Still I have enjoyed the time I've spent with the game in the past and as I have been doing a play through of every game in the series I finally came up to IX. After beating it I'd say it's my favorite mainline game in the series. By far.

Why? For lots of reasons. The cast is amazing, they all grow and learn through out the story, Zidane is probably my favorite main character in the series, Vivi is the best black mage to ever exist, Steiner is such an amusing jerk until he becomes a lovable jerk, Freya is a badass, Quina amuses the hell out of me, Garnet is an actually good love interest, etc. And damn if Kuja isn't an awesome villain with amazing theme music. Which brings me intot he music, which is fucking awesome, best in class. Not a single song in the game I didn't enjoy and that didn't fit the moment. The battle system, while slow and a little too easy is a huge improvement over 7 and 8, especially 8. I love the skill customization. It also had my favorite chocobo mini game, largely because chocobo lagoon is damn beautiful, an extension of the amazing art direction, every area in the game looks so damn good.

The only moment in the game I can say is a bit of a disappointment is Necron, Kuja really should've been the final boss. Tossing in what basically amounts to the final boss from Persona 4 for no reason weakens the rest of the game. Still, it was a helluva ride!

Edit: And I forgot to mention, I love how the enemy and world designs in Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles (My other favorite FF game) were taken from FF9, I think I'll go replay FFCC now.
 
S

squall211

Member
I really loved FF IX back in the day. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

I could still play through it again today, but man the battles take way too long.
 
P

pixlexic

Banned
I agree that is the art style I wished became main stream in FF games. not the beauty school hairstylist style they have now.

FFIX_Character_Height_Comparisons_1.jpg
 
A

AjNimajwalHansel

Member
I agree with you on all counts. This will always be one of my favorite games ever. I would love for this game to be updated without changing anything important.
 
J

Jarnet87

Member
IX is the GOAT. The only thing that I didn't like about 9 was the Chocobo hot and cold (which I was awful at) and the infamous strategy guide lol.
 
S

SoraanTribal

Member
Yup, FFIX is definitely amazing. My favorite in the series. It's not perfect, but what it does well makes up for everything else. Vivi = best Final Fantasy character ever! Zidane is probably my favorite FF protag as well. Although personally, I consider Vivi and Zidane to kind of be dual-protagonists (the game is very focused on Vivi's story for the first 75% of the game, then Zidane gradually comes into focus in the last bit).

I still think it has the best ending in the series (although FFX might be tied with it). FFIX's ending gives me so many feels.

Ending spoilers:

It still kind of amuses me that a lot of people have no idea Vivi was dead by the time the ending took place. It's kind of subtle about it with the way the text is done and is made a bit more obvious in the JP version.
 
B

blanco21

Member
I liked the Necron part. He seemed like a final boss to the series before it went in the direction it has taken today. I don't remember the details, but didn't the Trance Kuja fight mess with that crystal somehow? I was hooked until the title screen came up again and was surprised to see people bitch about it online. If anything I wish there was more after Necron.
 
W

wintermute0

Banned
Final Fantasy IX is probably my favorite in the series, and I agree with your points. I love the ending, and Kuja is my favorite villain from the entire series.

The only gripe I have with FF9 is the final boss. It is so random and comes out of nowhere... seemed lazy to me, but other Final Fantasy games are guilty of this too so it's not a big issue.
 
D

Deified Data

Banned
Despite a couple of aesthetic missteps I strongly feel this game reads as a blueprint to how to craft the perfect JRPG. Frankly I don't remember the battles being sluggish, but I was a lot more tolerant of random encounters when I was younger.
 
C

Cheddahz

Banned
I love Final Fantasy IX, it's not my favorite Final Fantasy in the world, but I love the charm that the game has. The only thing I don't like about the game (and it's kinda personal) is that my dog used to sit next to me on the couch whenever I would play it and he would always open up his ears whenever this song would play and he would just listen to it and he lost the battle to cancer last year and I haven't had the willpower to start up the game yet because of it.

Sorry for my rambling, it's an amazing game and it's my second favorite Final Fantasy from the PS1 era (right behind FF8)
 
M

mjontrix

Member
FF9 was to me the last complex Final Fantasy game. (liked it the most out of all of them).

FFX didn't have the same complexity in terms of story.

And after that well... Lighting strook...
 
B

BumperLips

Member
Loved the game. Been a while since I've played it. Seen a few streams of it as well and love hearing about people talk about what they love about the game etc..

This game has some damn great characters, with Vivi probably being the best out of all of them for me.

The only thing I never really understood was Amarant. Just... ugh idk... he seemed sort of out of place. Maybe because he was a character that came in "late" but he just felt off. for me compared to the rest of the cast.
 
L

Lulubop

Member
Addiotnally I agree with all the statements made in the OP.

The best developed cast in the series, including the villain. The combat while slow is an improvement over its predecessors and one of the better systems in the series. My favorite plot in the series, one in which the villain actually succeed in his goals even more so than Kefka. I don't mind Necron as much as others do. The ending is perfect, music is great, mini games are fun, etc, etc, etc.
 
F

Fou-Lu

Member
The ending scene really is incredible. Very bitter sweet until Zidane returns, at which point you know everything is going to be good. Well except Vivi being gone, that's pure sadness.

Soriku said:
If Necron wasn't the final boss we wouldn't have gotten his awesome battle theme, so...

Love the drums. Uematsu at his peak IMO.
Click to expand...

Good point! I didn't really mind him that much either, I just wish there had been some kind of build up rather than the moment you defeat Kuja. Also, Kuja should've totally been in the play as the evil king, would've been great. Of course who knows if he lived.
 
J

Jailer of Hope

Member
I like Zidane, Garnet, and Vivi. Music is great also. Otherwise I don't particularly enjoy playing the battles and the third half of the game. It's been maybe 3-4 years since I last played it.
 
C

CornDogg

Member
I played it at release and I loved it. I actually just started playing it again yesterday. I think it's the first time picking it back up (I bought it for Vita when it was on sale a couple months or so ago but hadn't gotten around to it) since I played through it back on the PS1.

I haven't made it very far, but the nostalgia is hitting me hard. I literally had chills when the Final Fantasy IX logo appeared with the airship docking at the Alexandria castle.

I'm taking a break from jumping rope with Vivi at the moment. So far I've maxed out at 176 (Edit: 202) jumps, but I want those cards!

Everything about this game is so good, though. Why can't SE return to this level of greatness....
 
B

bigbaldwolf86

Banned
While IX isn't one of my favourites I really loved the character design for Beatrix. I always wanted her in my party and I remember when I played it that I was hoping she was going to join you when she becomes an ally. It's like the game teases you when she fights alongside Steiner and then just destroys your dream. Still, it's a great game even with the slowest battles in any game ever created lol
 
F

Fusebox

Banned
IX is my equal favourite FF with VII.

Necron gave me the shits the first time too, but in hindsight it's pretty standard FF fare unsuspected last boss.

Amazing cast, music, art and story and the Vita OLED really breathes fresh life into it.
 
B

B.K.

Member
Ichor said:
The only moment in the game I can say is a bit of a disappointment is Necron, Kuja really should've been the final boss. Tossing in what basically amounts to the final boss from Persona 4 for no reason weakens the rest of the game. Still, it was a helluva ride!
Click to expand...

People always complain about Necron, but I never had a problem with it. It's a fitting final boss. Necron is a personification of death that's released after Kuja destroys the crystal, the source of all life. Destroying Necron restores the crystal.
 
B

Blackthorn

"hello?" "this is vagina"
The entire story of Vivi and the black mages in general is heartbreaking. Makes me sad just thinking about it. Even his adoptee father just wanted to eat him :(

Also, who else only realised years later that Vivi stands for 66?

mindblown.gif
 
Lactose_Intolerant

Lactose_Intolerant

Member
wintermute0 said:
I know what roms are, thank you.

So the patch is unofficial then, yes? Also, it requires a lot of know-how on the player's part to do something like this.
Click to expand...

no, you just need a ppf patcher, like PPF-o_Matic http://www.romhacking.net/utilities/356/

And no, you don't need to download an iso, you can burn the game yourself. You can even play it on the psx if you have the right things. I believe there are cheat devices that allow you to do it legally. Or you can just use a paperclip

there isn't anything illegal in what I'm talking about
 
F

Fusebox

Banned
Blackthorn said:
The entire story of Vivi and the black mages in general is heartbreaking. Makes me sad just thinking about it. Even his adoptee father just wanted to eat him :(

Also, who else only realised years later that Vivi stands for 66?

mindblown.gif
Click to expand...

Years later? Try right now! Mind blown lol.

And yeah the black Mage story is such a bitter-sweet arc.
 
Cert.in.Death

Cert.in.Death

Member
Ah yes, another FFIX circlejerk thread.

Count me in (not only my favorite FF game, but one of my - if not the - favorite games of all time)
 
H

Hyunashi

Member
mjontrix said:
FF9 was to me the last complex Final Fantasy game. (liked it the most out of all of them).

FFX didn't have the same complexity in terms of story.

And after that well... Lighting strook...
Click to expand...

Yea I agree. It was a great but complex story. Quina scenes were great.
 
Terra_Ex

Terra_Ex

Member
It's not among my favourite FFs but I enjoyed it. I never replayed it as much as I did with VI, VII and VIII. It had a really strong opening but then dumps you into that forest area and its a while till things pick up again. I felt IX was far too easy throughout and even the superboss (Ozma?) didn't take much of a beating. It always annoyed me that Beatrix was one of those unbeatable bosses, even on the third fight when you can pretty much one shot her she still pulled out those cheap moves and killed your party. Really nice ending though, I loved that.

The battles are just too slow for me slog through it again nowadays though, for some reason Square thought it would be a good idea to make all the animations take forever... I'll have a look at this patch mentioned above though.
 
F

Fou-Lu

Member
Honestly, while the battles are slow I don't find them THAT much slower than VII or VIII, and it's certainly not any easier than either of those games. (VIII being the easiest in the entire series and VII being pretty close).

I found the pacing worked really well too, but opinions.
 
W

wintermute0

Banned
Ichor said:
Honestly, while the battles are slow I don't find them THAT much slower than VII or VIII, and it's certainly not any easier than either of those games. (VIII being the easiest in the entire series and VII being pretty close).

I found the pacing worked really well too, but opinions.
Click to expand...

I personally didn't have a problem with the speed of the battles. Everything felt fine to me. I don't understand what people are complaining about. It seems like they are just trying to find something wrong with an otherwise close to perfect jrpg.
 
I

Izayoi

Banned
The last great mainline FF game... My favorite in the series, and arguably the best JRPG ever made.

I fucking love it! So much charm, all of the characters were lovable in their own way... The art just oozes style, and the story was so fucking good.

Remember when Final Fantasy was awesome? ;_;

topplehat said:
Playing Bravely Default now and the style is very similar
Click to expand...
Yup. The first thing I do after beating BD will be going back and replaying FFIX (again, for the umpteenth time).
 
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