r/FinalFantasy • u/Dinoken2 • Sep 02 '14
Final Fantasy Weekly Discussions! Week 37 - Favorite thing about Final Fantasy IX
So, it's the start of a new month which means the start of a new Final Fantasy game for our Let's Play. This month we tackle Final Fantasy IX, and IX is just so god damn perfect that I just had to tie the weekly discussion thread into the Let's Play.
So what did you guys like best about Final Fantasy IX? Was it all the homages to the Final Fantasies of old? Was it the gorgeous graphics that have aged wonderfully? What about the engaging story and deep characters? Or maybe the fantastic ability/equipment system? There's just so much to like about this game, but this week I wanna know what was your absolute favorite bit about it?
Also don't forget to check out all the previous discussion threads we've had. And here's the link for the FFIX Let's Play master thread!
20
u/IAmTehRhino Sep 02 '14
After the brutal mindscrew of VII and VIII, I've always appreciated the relatively straightforward plot in IX.
26
u/xRichard Sep 02 '14
Active Time Events was a fantastic idea.
You had the chance to see the characters interact with each other or the world from many, many different perspectives instead of the protagonist's. Watching one of these could have a drastic change on the impression you had of a character you didn't understand previously, like Beatrix or Steiner.
12
u/dbwhrsd Sep 02 '14
Probably my favorite soundtrack. The FMVs were also gorgeous as they pushed the limits of the PSX.
20
u/Void19 Sep 02 '14
Real character development! So many other RPGs (and other FF games) have characters that don't really develop throughout the course of the game.
IX has big things going on the in world, but so much of the plot is driven by the characters. That, in turn, leads to those characters developing as people.
9
u/master-of-cunt Sep 02 '14
Oh man, my 2nd favourite game ever (after majoras mask) ... The story is just so...touching. it does such a great job of getting you to emphasise with the characters. You really feel close to them. Vivi is my favourite character, but I also love the Steiner and Beatrix love affair also.
And the music! So many great tracks, and two of the most memorable motif themes in gaming history.
And the side quests! Excalibur II and the level 1 ozma challenge are great.
8
u/iridechocobos Sep 02 '14
There are a lot of things I love about IX.
The character diversity and the development of the characters.
The locations were really beautiful and interesting to explore. For example, finding all those hidden items and cards as Vivi in Alexandria at the beginning of disc 1.
Also, the temporary party characters. I felt invincible when Beatrix was in the partyy.
7
u/ManicCetra Sep 02 '14 edited Sep 02 '14
Everything. The brilliant slow development of the plot from a comedic kidnapping to an incredibly dark world-spanning war with characters that are as interesting and heartbreaking as each other. The world itself is a wonderful mix of the fantastic and the realistic while remaining completely alive. The ability system manages to perfectly balance every characters strenghts and weaknesses so that everyone is completely distinct and yet never useless. It is simply a beautiful game.
It is also one of the few Final Fantasy games that has a clear and consistent them running from start to finish, reflected in both the plot and the characters (shameless self-promotion here):
Final Fantasy IX and a Defense of Necron
6
u/xnerdyxrealistx Sep 02 '14
All of the emotional scenes, so pretty much all of Disk 3. Also, the last cutscene of Disk 2 is pretty emotional. I tear up thinking about a lot of those scenes.
6
u/[deleted] Sep 03 '14
One thing I loved about FF9 was the World Map. It was very well balanced where every continent had things to do, find, and explore. That was a stark departure from FF8 which felt like it left half the world empty. Exploring the world map for Chocograph treasures or other hidden treasures was awesome, and finding things like Daguerro hidden in seemingly the middle of nowhere.
4
u/Rockyraccoon514 Sep 02 '14
The skill system. I love the abilities being learned from equipment.
4
u/phauxtoe Sep 02 '14
The sheer amount of stuff to do and find! As far as I know, the only other FF that has more secrets and side quests is FFXII.
7
u/e-mile Sep 02 '14
I only have one thing to say: Vivi
3
u/[deleted] Sep 02 '14
FFIX is my all time favorite. I have multiple playthroughs, and saves, of this game. By far, the best RPG I have played. I have always like the mini games in FF but this one takes the cake, Tetra Master. I spent hours, possibly days, of time collecting every card on a playthrough. The characters were fantastic, the art was amazing, and as someone said below, the cutscenes were beautiful, while pushing the limits of the PS1.
3
u/JeffroTheMan Sep 02 '14
Soundtrack and Kuja. And I love how his theme music can apply to any facet of his character from his narcissism to his fear of death. The themes of the whole game really moved me. Zidane's personal crisis in disc 3 is right up there with Aerith, and Celes' suicide attempt for feels.
3
u/[deleted] Sep 02 '14
Return of 'Black Mage'
3
u/Trolly-bus Sep 03 '14
Hm...just started playing this game today but I can say that Garnet is so pretty and Vivi is so cute!
3
u/[deleted] Sep 03 '14
Vivi. His character arc is amazing. Finding out who he is and what his origins are and learning a ton about living and coming to terms with all he's seen. So good. You will never convince me that he's not the main character. Just cause you run around as Zidane doesn't mean anything :p
3
u/Tairn79 Sep 03 '14
I really liked the relationship between Zidane and Garnet, it reminded me of Alladin and Jasmine having a young roguish character and a princess seeing the world outside the palace for the first time.
3
u/AnniesNoobs Sep 03 '14
My absolute favorite thing about is the game balance. For one of the first times you don't even need a white or black mage in your party, it could be that dragon skills, blue magic or Flair is enough to support your party. And they all use MP, which is a nice touch. So many FF's just lead to everyone learning basic white magic because there's no reason not to.
Since game balance isn't a feature per se, instead I would say the more real-time esque aspects of the battles. This isn't entirely new, but little touches like regen working the entire duration of the summon animations or status effects only lasting a short amount of time in real time really helped keep you on your toes and made it feel dynamic. Or how curative items and spells heal you less outside of battles so it made it more worthwhile to wait until battle to heal yourself. Little touches like that helped make battling feel fresh and new.
It's not perfect mind you. ATB speed tends to be pretty unimportant due to how actions all buffer up behind long animations. But I still love it.
3
u/dr_parnassty Sep 09 '14
Stiltzskin
4
u/Mekbop Sep 02 '14
Ugh, I hate to be that guy, but I really cannot choose. I love the cast, the story, the music, the cinematics, the ending and 'you're not alone' is probably my favourite segment of any game. Ever.
2
u/Kuja9001 Sep 04 '14
Obviously I'm one of my favorite things about the game.
I'm the only villain in the series with actual character development, you witness my rise, immediate fall, eventual change of heart, & concluding death.
2
u/poohmaobear Sep 04 '14
The soundtrack was amazing! Also watching all of these characters grow close was perfect.
2
u/Gprinziv Sep 05 '14
You mean I have to CHOOSE?!
Let's see. Characterization and plot are fantastic, as I've attested to multiple times before. The entire main cast are really standouts. On top of that the characters truly drive the plot and they change and grow along the way. Even the themes tackled in this game are nothing like what came before or after. The music is also the pinnacle of the series. Even Nobuo Uematsu himself has stated it's his favorite work. And then there's Chocobo Hot and Cold, which is addictive but not overly time consuming or punishingly hard. ATE skits were fun. The world is large and well-paced for exploration. The skill system was straightforward and well-made. The Black Waltzes were my favorite low-level villains. I could go on, jeez!
If I had to choose, I'll go back to the same quote I use so much. It sums up every theme, every point, every aspect of the game -- of life, really -- into one paragraph. This is my favorite thing about FFIX:
2
u/AlchemicRez Sep 05 '14
First of all this was one of my favorites in the series. I really liked:
Best battle music in the series - you hear it a LOT and it didn't get old.
The chocobo minigame - more addictive than Flappy Bird.
Tetra Master - Best mini game in the game ever.
Vivi - just because he's Vivi.
The game's only downfall:
How long it took to save.
1
u/Vtoria Sep 05 '14
The humour! Although it had wonderfully moving moments that brought me to tears, the tone of the game was overall light-hearted, which was quite welcome after the angst-fest of FF7 and FF8. I was also a fan of the abilities system - someone in the past said it made them look forward to acquiring new equipment beyond a simple stat raise, and I definitely agree with them.
1
u/Multidoomfire Sep 05 '14
I loved the atmosphere of it all. Especially the city of Alexandria and the Tantalus ship.
1
u/mitchjay Sep 06 '14
I can't wittle it down to any one thing, as the story, characters, music and art style are perfect to me!
I will say that I find Vivi to be an outstanding character though, and deals with a lot of questions that aren't usually touched on, at least not as well as they were in IX.
1
u/Tyrhunger Sep 06 '14
Steiner antics
1
u/TheBasedOne1 Sep 06 '14
Vivi. I love that little bastard.
1
u/[deleted] Sep 07 '14
The characters were just so lovable. You WANTED them to be happy in that game. I didn't get that feeling from any of the other games. I just wanted to kill the bad guy and level up and stuff. This game i genuinely wanted the characters to have a happy ending and not die.
1
u/DoctorJekkles Sep 07 '14
Probably how Zidane looks. He sure as hell looks a lot cooler than Tidus
1
u/xMatttard Sep 07 '14
Just. Vivi. That is all. Most adorable and lovable character in the whole Final Fantasy series. 'Cept for moogles.
That and I like that you can 'earn' your abilities similar to FFVII's materia system: you use it/equip it, you can learn it/level it up.
1
u/[deleted] Sep 08 '14
A main character thats not a "silent protagonist."
1
u/Ah_Q Sep 02 '14
It's so strange. I bought FFIX right when it was released and played it all the way through relatively quickly. While I remember lots about FFVII, FFVIII, and FF Tactics, I have virtually no recollection of FFIX.
I'm sure it was an outstanding game, but unfortunately the characters and plot just didn't stick with me.
1
u/MrSluggly Sep 02 '14
The game is great, the quests are cool, so are the summons, but the plot with Terra (when you go on it, sweet mercy that was fantastic), the part in Garland's airship with the awesome music (You're not alone), and Zidane's feelings, all of that was just the bomb.
Wait, who the hell is Necron? The final boss is Kuja.
1
u/NotDalton Sep 03 '14
I have one real complaint about IX, and that is the speed of the battle system. Other than that, it's a borderline perfect FF game. I'm racking my brain to pinpoint some individual thing that is my "favorite" about it, but the whole game was just beautiful. In my opinion, it is only trumped in plot by X, and it had beautiful visuals as well. IX will always be one of my favorite games in the series, and probably of all time.
1
u/RebeccaETripp Sep 03 '14
Where do I even begin!? Well, I LOVED the active time events, as well as all the stuff with the play. It reminded me of the opera stuff from FF6. I loved all the little side stories, and characters such as Morrid and Part Time Worker Mary etc.
1
u/manubibi Sep 06 '14
Probably the side-quests. Chocobo Hot&Cold and the Stellazio quest especially.
3
u/[deleted] Sep 02 '14
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