In all my years of gaming, There are only a handful of times where I have been truly moved by a video game moment. “You’re Not Alone” is first among equals in this category.
That's a stretch. It's meh at best. Worst ps1 Era final fantasy for sure. It's a decent starting point for people just breaking into the franchise, but 7,8, 10, 12, and most of the 2D Era games are much much better entries.
@darkenkil4416 I can except those games. Except for 8 & 12. 8 is the worst PS1 Final Fantasy game and worst Final Fantasy game in general. 12 is more meh at best.
@@jaretco6423 8 is a thousand times a better game than most of the rest of the franchise. The combat and junction system allow for the most precise tuning of your party out of any game in the entire genre, let alone just final fantasy, the graphics are the best on the system by far, and the story is probably the deepest, most thought out story of all the games besides X. 8 is one of those games that dumb people who hate reading the tutorials trash because they never actually learned how to play it. It is a masterpiece. 9 is some fairy tale romp through lala land with barney and pals.
@@darkenkil4416 7 was a bit overrated not well done translations in English. 8 was great indeed, remember seeing that intro cut scene it was mind-blowing. Game and story was great. But as a fantasy reader 9 hit everything for me. Story is deeper than 7 and 8 where. And yes the style was cartoonish but it worked really well for me. 12 is meh.
I played this game with my dad for the first time when I was around 12. My parents were divorced and I’d go to his house every other weekend, and always wanted to play FFIX, not just because I liked it, because my dad loved it. It has remained my favorite game of all time, in part due to the fact my dad voice acted everyone. FFIX is funny and charming and just so impactful, it will follow me my entire life and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
It was the least popular Final Fantasy at the time of its release because of the “ugly-looking” characters (in contrast to the “beautiful” characters of FF 7 and 8), because of the medieval/fantasy setting (in contrast to the futuristic/present-day settings of 7 and 8),and because the game released very close to the time of release of the PS2.
One thing I always thought would be fascinating is a co project between square and ghibli... Whether ghibli helped them develop a game or if ghibli adapted a FF to film
I think that the game's concept of dealing with your own mortality hits SO much harder because it's Vivi. Who for all intents and purpose is just a child. It makes us feel for him in a way that we don't want to see anything bad happen to him. That we want to comfort him, or we're upset alongside him when he's scared. Seeing people die in a cutscene in X doesn't hit the same the way it does for when we follow Vivi's story of learning about how short his people's lives are. And being scared not knowing how much time he has left of his own.
Final Fantasy 9 is an iconic game for me, it holds a perpetual place in my heart because of when I got it, what I had it through. I was in my freshman year of highschool 2001 when, after saving my babysitting money, I was able to buy this game for myself. School had just started up, it was September. I started my game a few hours before going to bed on September 10th. The next day was 9/11. Our classes were cancelled, students were allowed to leave if they were picked up by a parent, otherwise most of my class were watching it all unfold on TV. We were old enough to understand what we were seeing, young enough to still not understand how it could happen--and being 14 and watching the things we did, there's no denying it was traumatic. It's a day etched into my memory( a major theme in 9 without irony) and when I got home that day i spent a lot of it crying in my room and picked up my game. Because I really needed to escape. So you can imagine my emotional rollercoaster of 9, between the war between nations, the manipulations behind it, the rather deep story points of 9. It got me through the mix of fears and emotions I had then. When I beat the game I remember hearing prelude play at the end, and I just remember crying. The happy kind of tears and the sad all at once. I'd succeded. I beat the game, I finished the journey, the story had been so special to me about life, loss, growth, and memories. I beat it many more times after, more and more complete each time. It was my go to game. 18 years later, it was my escape and comfort again when my dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer and all I wanted to do on the bad days was vanish. I played 9 and not to just slip away and get a break from how I was feeling, but rather to let myself feel. Vivi's story of the limits of life and time, resonated all the more for me. Melodies of Life lifted my spirits with its message. Somehow, 9 has always been there for me at the worst times with the messages I needed on demand. Cheaper than therapy too--esp with the replay value. Joke aside. I will always treasure FFIX, no matter what other games come out, no matter how shiny or new, no matter how deep or moving, FFIX is 'home' to me. A place where I feel safe and know a good story is just a loading screen away.
This game is simply put; charming. There's no edge here, it's just an honest introspective viewing of what life is. And ofcourse there is Vivi, all I'm gonna say about that.
In 2000 I was such a big fan of Final Fantasy I told both my parents "I don't care what else I get for Christmas but I NEED THIS game" come Christmas day I got two copies of it, my mom did go "oh we have to see if we can return one" and I wish I told her no and just kept that one sealed because this game and ESPECIALLY the music have a very special place in my heart.
The part of the game I found to be most poetic is the theme of life and death. Each character has their own relationship with this theme, which is eluded to in the quotes in the pre-game reel. All major civilizations in the game are either destroyed or severely damaged. The team has death constantly looming over them at all times and two of them, Zidane and Vivi were made to be weapons, but choose to live. The main antagonist, Kuja is driven to destruction through fear of his own mortality. After killing the team (as I nterpretated it) they are faced with the embodiment of death, Necron. Who, albeit was a surprising final boss on my first play through, makes a lot of sense considering the characters existential deliemmas. Kuja choosing to revive the team as he came to terms with his fears created a full circle moment to close out the game. A masterful story.
The thing that never gets discussed about nine, and what distinguishes it well above the rest of the series, is how well the dialogue is written. It's one of the only games in the series where the characters talk like actual people and the sentences follow sensible, logical structure. When you combine that with the setting of a fantasy world, you have an irresistible charm that kicks the crap out of all of the other games in the series
Yes! I love it way more than ff7. It’s just I think they rushed the ending too much. It would have been better if we could have explored Terra more, Memoria, get more characters like mikoto, Beatrix or blank
Final Fantasy is my first entry to the series. I first watched my father playing it, and me and my sister really loved seeing him playing the game. And he still playing the game now and then. It really fills up with memory, just like the theme of the game. FFIX will always be near and dear to my heart, and I hope the remake can be done justice, as I will definitely playing this with my father. ❤
Final Fantasy IX is a very high concept game. Stylistically it's not fully fantasy, it's not fully steam punk. It has a very developed own style which shines bright in EVERYTHING. The characters, area design, gameplay, dialogue, story. Every detail is so carefully thought out, the world feels truly alive. There are rarely games with so much unique personality that make you fall in love. It tought me to value good concepts, and this is what I use in my work in marketing till this day.
One of my fondest memories was almost missing school because I got to Necron and was trying to beat the game before school. And I lost. Bad. The younger me didn't fully understand the mechanics of the battle. I was around level 70 when I got to Necron the first time. After coming home from school, I booted up FF7 to try to beat Necron again. When I booted it up, my characters were mysteriously level 90. I asked about it and my parents told me they leveled my characters while I was at school and even specified they didn't use any items or change any setups. And I beat Necron. Thats love! 😊 Even though Vivi is just the hooded mage with glowing eyes to them.
Level 81 but I did understand the game mechanics and I walked through him and Ozma first time round. Game was awesome. That's such a cool memory that they helped in your journey.. As Zidane friends and adopted family helped him at the end of the game it's kinda poetic really.. Cool story man.
Something I love about ff9 is that it isn’t afraid of changing character for story telling. I love that. Still my favorite FF game. It also has the best story pacing as well.
"The greater the system limitations, the more creative you had to be..." Which speaks volumes about the era we live in now where video games can do ANYTHING, and the industry has been in a decade-long creative stagnation.
It's peak fiction. It and 10 are the only FFs I cried at, while I cried at 10 because of what happens to Tidus, I cried at 9 because the ending genuinely moved me. Also has such great moments like "You're Not Alone", and this is the one Final Fantasy game where they nail character development for almost every character involved (excluding Amarant lmfao) The only thing FF9 needs is a remake to fix the slow nature of the combat and fix some stuff like limit breaks and we have the definitive best Final Fantasy game in the series Also wtf is up with all the dislikes??
Yeah, 10 isn't my 2nd favorite, but I'd say mine goes 9, 7, 6, 10. Those are my favorites for sure. 10 is just definitely more emotional. I'm just so ready for a remake at this point. Praying they don't fumble @@AndysCritique
FF9 not just my favorite Final Fantasy but also my favorite video game!! This game is the reason I got into speed runs and this is about the only game I've speed through lol!! Love the Excalibur 2 challenge as well as the frustrating E2PG!! Love the music and the characters!!
A game where I cried and laughed. It is a game where you can feel all the towns, places very precise with great soundtracks, bringing them alive. The whole world is full of secrets and treasures. And you have the role of an Robin Hood like character.... saving the world, caring for your people but at same time a clever tief.
My first final fantasy and forever my favourite. I remember my friend playing 7 and starting me on 9 when it came out. I was dreadful at it and remember never grinding and never being able to beat anything. Coming back to the game years later and delving into it brought back all those memories. Vivi will forever be my favourite final fantasy character. I hope that the developers know how much this game means to its fans and what an amazing experience they gave all of us
I have only played this once, my sophomore year of high school back in the fall of 2004. Crazy to think that was 20 years ago. But I literally just posted my piano version of “Melodies of Life” on piano a couple months ago. This game has my favorite colllection of music from a Final Fantasy game, even though X is my all time favorite. This game’s feeling and aura it presents is quite special. And as I make my way through all of the main title entries (except XI), I will very much enjoy getting the chance to play through the main story and getting the Platinum for this one (besides that awful jump rope trophy😂😂). Final Fantasy IX is definitely a masterpiece and a truly unforgettable experience that lives on through the ages❤.
Thank you for the comment, I personally have a hard time deciding which game is truly best between X and IX, they're just so damn good. But I think X's rawness wins out, even though IX might be more endearing as a loveable fairytale :)
Man, excellent commentary and review! I was old enough to play this game at launch when it came out, I remember the hype even. You did an excellent job of explaining why it has held up so uniquely over the years!
I was browsing youtube on videos to remind me of one of my fav games of all time, FF9. Found your video by chance and I'm glad I did. You highlighted points which I haven't come across in other videos on similar topic, your analysis in on point and your narration is engaging, even for someone like me who has a very short attention span. I'm a fan. Looking forward to more videos from your channel.
IMO FF9 really lived up to the Fantasy part in what I expect Final Fantasy to be. It had so many combination of elements in it that just isn't based in reality like other final fantasy games. Most other Final Fantasy games had mostly human characters but 9 had so many different types of weird unique characters.
FF9 is and forever will be my favorite. The story, the characters, the music and the world is just wonderful. I love how it can be funny and light hearted but also dark and serious in moments when it needs to be.
Final Fantasy 9 is still my favourite game in the series. Zidane is my favourite protagonist and Kuja is my favourite villain. Theres other villains I like including Kefka, Sephiroth, Genesis, Caius, Ardyn but i still would put Kuja in my top spot. I would like to see a trailervsoon for the remake ive been hearing about for the last few years
9 is like the epitome of FF. Final fantasy began ad a D&D in digital form. It’s like throughout the years, Square has been experimenting and learning game design and mechanics to create that perfect D&D simulator with great story and character. 9 was to be the swan song on the PS1, the first machine they felt could really handle the game they envisioned in their hearts so you can see how much love and effort went into everything.
Since 2000, when I played this game, it comes with my all the time!! Y just can't put out of my mind the animated scenes of this game, all the game play and sound and music!! Since then, every time I remember this game I feel nostalgic!! It was the best game on PSone
Ambientace, sound design and soundtrack, story, easy to play gameplay, Charm, deepness, characters design. All so damn good! A masterpiece till now and for a long time to come. ❤
FF VII and IX have always been my favorites. I just started a new run on IX. Just to see how the mobile port flows. In the beginning, with my tablet and A50, both 7 years old, movies lagged (at first). Later on cut scenes flowed very well.
I first played FF9 when it came out when I was 10 or 11. It quickly became my favorite. It may be corny but I made it a ritual to play it every year when school got out to start my summer off right.
"No cloud no squall shall hinder us”... with this, FF9 declares its superiority to its predecessors.. this line was exclusive to the english version, the japanese version had a different line.
Also, I'm not connecting to this "FF" as much as I'd like to. Still doesn't beat "FF 8" for me (I'll die on this hill, and my ashes will fertilize it to make a point). Can't wait for Dagger to cut her hair in the game. Her long hair, quite frankly, is unbecoming of her. And Zidane babies her a little too much. Squall may have had his personality issues, but he didn't baby Rinoa, the latter being quite competent for someone whose main summoning was her pet dog. And Cloud accepted Aerith's habilities quickly. Dang it ! The onion ninjas came !
This is the reason why i keep coming back to FF IX even thought i beat the game so many times (including Excalibur II run, on PC of course due to fast forward option)
The world of Final Fantasy IX is fantastically written. There are so many details to it that it just comes alive. The main characters are all likeable and interesting, they have great designs and each of them is strong in their own way, and the NPCs are the most well written I have ever seen in a game. The charaters from every main city all have names and a story to them, and you can even see their stories progressing throughout the game. A small example of this is the grandma from Alexandria who is constantly sewing a dress for her granddaughter Illia, who is the girl who lives next to the bell tower, and after Alexandria is destroyed, you can see Illia with her grandparents next to their destroyed house, with the grandmother lamenting that she was almost done with the dress. It's such a cute and funny moment that really makes you feel like these characters are real. There are many more examples to this, and talking to every NPC feels really worth it just to find hidden jewels like this.
FF9 is the best FF because of its setting. The materia system is cool, but just because FF7 was the first to a lot of people do not mean it's the best. FF7 was my first but 9 is my favourite.
Final Fantasy IX, to this day, remains my favourite game of all time. I absolutely adore this game from it's story, world, characters, music, and themes. I actually wonder sometimes if it wasn't for this game would I even still be here as the times I was playing this game was when I was going through some pretty hard experiences but I always reminded myself that when things got too much, I could pull out my copy of this game and just let the enjoyment wash away all those worries and anxieties. There would even be times when I would wish I could go to sleep and wake up in the world of Gaia. Somehow I convinced myself that the world I was seeing on the screen was real and I just needed to work out how to get there. Of course, as an adult, I now know how foolish this line of thinking is but I at least can take solace knowing this game helped me through those times. Thank you for making this video, it really delights me seeing I am not alone on my love for this game.
When storytelling was the core of the game. Battle system was great as well and very traditional in terms of turn-based RPG. They don't make games like they used to anymore. FF9 has this unique charm that I still come back to even after years.
I’m late to this party, but I’m happy that this is one of two games I can thank for me being alive. If not for this game, I would have unalived myself. I can say that for sure now, that I’m in a much better place.
I'd say objectively they didn't ditch turn based after X-2. 12 was turned based, but you could still move the character around (only ditching random encounters; which isn't unique to TB). 13 was also turn based.
I would actually classify FF7 Remake and Rebirth as turn based also, because you still require the ATB to build up to a character's turn, its just the way you build the ATB guage is by attacking, blocking and dodging the enemy in real time as opposed to holding the controller and waiting for the guage to charge automatically. Its simply a genius system.
I’ve played FFIX a few times over throughout the years. My absolute favorite. Never gets old. Characters, storyline, music *chef’s kiss* I cried like a baby at the end the first time I experienced it. I was like, Me too girl, me too! Zidane always reminded me of David Bowie 😅❤ Anyhoo, I’ve played other FF games. Not one has had the same feel as FFIX.
Truly on my top ten list of not just favourite rpgs, but favourite games of all time, the characters, the music, the setting, and a battle system that's easy to follow while still requiring thought to master. While ff7 still is one of the best in the series, this one remains special to me for it's uniqueness in the series
This was my first FF game and to this day still the best in my opinion. Also, I swear to God the moogles in this game are the cutest and most huggable little cuties ever!
Good points about many aspects being distinct and memorable like locations and the characters. I agree that the sense of progression and game systems in IX are underrated. One thing I feel I want to express is that regarding the Moguri mod, I think there are some problems it presents that people ignore just because it looks crisper. The widescreen setting messes up off-screen models and camera panning, the upped frame rate of cut scenes makes the sound go out of sync, and let's not forget the crash before the final cut scenes. Basically I don't think it's quite as be-all and end-all as people make out, lol
Lol. Not even mentioning 12 at all. I just started a play through of IX. I’m pretty early on, but the word of mouth is very positive and the tone hits just right for me.
I'm playing this right now for the first time but I have played a bunch of titles! I have an affinity for the pre rendered backgrounds of the ps1 era so I warmed up to this pretty quickly. Seeing Vivi walk up the street and trip over for the first time yeahhhhh I pretty much knew I would like this game no matter what!
Haha that's great! Yeah those prerendered backgrounds, I think it's such a great trick. Wonder what modern games could do with that if they chose to go for like a PS1 RPG-style vision if you know what I mean, like an Octopath Traveler but PS1 instead of 2.5D or whatever they call it
@@AndysCritique there is a certain warmth to those graphics I really apriciate artistic value, and I think that's where 9 really draws its strength because the chibi style characters with the fairytale style settings are exactuted damn near perfect in my eyes. I've been dragging this game out because I dont want it to end! This game feels like a warm hug from a stranger but somehow ive known them my whole life......Even an adult man can fall in love with Vivi I guess that's just how good this game is.
FFVII is my favourite game, but i still remember when my dad bought us ( me and my brother ) FFIX for christmas, i was a 8 yo kid and the game felt so unique and magical, good times.
Final Fantasy IX is the first game of the series I have ever played, I just finished another run a couple of days ago and can't wait for the remaster!! This game has always felt like a lucid dream... Good luck to all the oldschool FF fans out there, kupo!
personally think every other release of ffix is visually impaired vs the original. when i get the itch to replay, i emulate; a few tweaks, pgxp, crt filter (mattias). *it's beautiful this way, for me.* rereleases audio levels are broken, cutscene audio desyncs, regular tracks glitch. the ui design is messed with in battles, and the field map interaction adds exclamation marks over 'speakables'... character model changes / resolution mismatch, and the artwork was crafted for crt displays. load/cache times and lack of crt is why i choose emulation over original. great point about the fixed camera for locations, but you miss the intent by forcing widescreen, these shots were framed for 4:3, there was care, sometimes even punchlines delivered with these angles which at best are lost but in some instances are broken by the widescreen hack. sorry to rant, it just eats at me when people recommend such a mess as the "best" version, honestly i am glad it exists as a gateway for newcomers to experience the journey, i just wish it was done justice. as to your videos main point, i 100% agree; it's the humanity and soul that drips from this game and it's characters that becomes unforgettable. and i enjoyed your take on it. one last point about the games good writing; it has deliberate timing! it communicates through it's text speed _(minus the early theatre performance which is rushed to music sync),_ and for someone's first playthrough i **strongly suggest not changing the text message speed** or mashing to full reveal it, at least for story scenes. (ps: you can play battles co-op on original / emulated)
thank you for the comment, and you're absolutely right! You do lose some of the original intent behind forcing widescreen. And I love that you mention text speed, since they definitely make use of timing here to create more impact!
I never bought into the original ffvii hype but played mostly all the final fantasy games. 9 and 10 are still my 2 top rpg games of all with funny and romantic scene and memorable soundtracks. Can't be beat
I was here for FF1, a game with no real story because there wasn't room for one. I didn't get access to II, III, and V until I started emulating. It seems everyone figured out why these games were so great finally with VII to the point of overhyping it. (It's a good game, to be sure!) VIII I didn't really connect to. It felt as grindy as II, but the story didn't keep me engaged enough. And then there was IX. IX was always special to me, for all the reasons you cited and more. And the music… It's unimaginable that all of that music was composed for one game by one LEGEND. No wonder he came back from that and said he couldn't do it again. He put his heart and soul into it, so many people did … There'll never be another Final Fantasy like IX. Just as there's never going to be another Chrono Trigger. I'm a big fan of X and X-2 as well, though the mainline FF games start to lose me after that a bit, I'll admit.
The game you go for comfort even if you know you won´t beat necron today. It is recomforting to know that you could. If Vivi could go on living a day longer knowing with undeniable precision what his expiration date was, and that in the end nothing would matter.... well, so can you! wait is that truly motivational?... Do it for Quina! yeaH! that´s it! do it for the food you´ll get to eat tomorrow.
![[TH] RNT vs SPG - VCT Ascension Pacific - Day 1](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/RUTkf8Detj8/mqdefault.jpg)
In all my years of gaming, There are only a handful of times where I have been truly moved by a video game moment. “You’re Not Alone” is first among equals in this category.
Hell yes bro
for me , vamo alla flaminco whenever i heard this ost , it just replenish my mind and make me laugh for just no reason
love FF9
Protect my devotion is amazing as well!
FF9 is one of those few games with a true soul ... a magical masterpiece ❤
Wow didn’t expect to hear that from a FF7/Cloud fan
That's a stretch. It's meh at best. Worst ps1 Era final fantasy for sure. It's a decent starting point for people just breaking into the franchise, but 7,8, 10, 12, and most of the 2D Era games are much much better entries.
@darkenkil4416 I can except those games. Except for 8 & 12. 8 is the worst PS1 Final Fantasy game and worst Final Fantasy game in general. 12 is more meh at best.
@@jaretco6423 8 is a thousand times a better game than most of the rest of the franchise. The combat and junction system allow for the most precise tuning of your party out of any game in the entire genre, let alone just final fantasy, the graphics are the best on the system by far, and the story is probably the deepest, most thought out story of all the games besides X. 8 is one of those games that dumb people who hate reading the tutorials trash because they never actually learned how to play it. It is a masterpiece. 9 is some fairy tale romp through lala land with barney and pals.
@@darkenkil4416 7 was a bit overrated not well done translations in English. 8 was great indeed, remember seeing that intro cut scene it was mind-blowing. Game and story was great. But as a fantasy reader 9 hit everything for me. Story is deeper than 7 and 8 where. And yes the style was cartoonish but it worked really well for me. 12 is meh.
I played this game with my dad for the first time when I was around 12. My parents were divorced and I’d go to his house every other weekend, and always wanted to play FFIX, not just because I liked it, because my dad loved it. It has remained my favorite game of all time, in part due to the fact my dad voice acted everyone. FFIX is funny and charming and just so impactful, it will follow me my entire life and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Zidane goes back and risks his life just so that Kuja doesn't have to be alone when he dies. That's Final Fantasy IX, and it's god damn beautiful.
FF 9 is the most "fantasy" of Final Fantasy and it is my favourite.
Have a good day everyone.
I'd say the same, although "fairytale" might be another word to describe it too :)
@@AndysCritiqueI think it’s too dark to truly be “fairytale”
no way, fairytales can absolutely be dark, much darker than this even@@badmeetsevil6163
@@AndysCritique like the old school European fairy tales?
It was the least popular Final Fantasy at the time of its release because of the “ugly-looking” characters (in contrast to the “beautiful” characters of FF 7 and 8), because of the medieval/fantasy setting (in contrast to the futuristic/present-day settings of 7 and 8),and because the game released very close to the time of release of the PS2.
The Studio Ghibli of Final Fantasy games, I love it 🥰💚
absolutely :)
One thing I always thought would be fascinating is a co project between square and ghibli... Whether ghibli helped them develop a game or if ghibli adapted a FF to film
I think that the game's concept of dealing with your own mortality hits SO much harder because it's Vivi. Who for all intents and purpose is just a child. It makes us feel for him in a way that we don't want to see anything bad happen to him. That we want to comfort him, or we're upset alongside him when he's scared. Seeing people die in a cutscene in X doesn't hit the same the way it does for when we follow Vivi's story of learning about how short his people's lives are. And being scared not knowing how much time he has left of his own.
It's a big theme for Vivi, the summoner village, Garnet herself, the Burmecians, and Zidane's race of people as well.
Final Fantasy 9 is an iconic game for me, it holds a perpetual place in my heart because of when I got it, what I had it through. I was in my freshman year of highschool 2001 when, after saving my babysitting money, I was able to buy this game for myself. School had just started up, it was September. I started my game a few hours before going to bed on September 10th. The next day was 9/11. Our classes were cancelled, students were allowed to leave if they were picked up by a parent, otherwise most of my class were watching it all unfold on TV. We were old enough to understand what we were seeing, young enough to still not understand how it could happen--and being 14 and watching the things we did, there's no denying it was traumatic. It's a day etched into my memory( a major theme in 9 without irony) and when I got home that day i spent a lot of it crying in my room and picked up my game. Because I really needed to escape. So you can imagine my emotional rollercoaster of 9, between the war between nations, the manipulations behind it, the rather deep story points of 9. It got me through the mix of fears and emotions I had then.
When I beat the game I remember hearing prelude play at the end, and I just remember crying. The happy kind of tears and the sad all at once. I'd succeded. I beat the game, I finished the journey, the story had been so special to me about life, loss, growth, and memories. I beat it many more times after, more and more complete each time. It was my go to game.
18 years later, it was my escape and comfort again when my dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer and all I wanted to do on the bad days was vanish. I played 9 and not to just slip away and get a break from how I was feeling, but rather to let myself feel. Vivi's story of the limits of life and time, resonated all the more for me. Melodies of Life lifted my spirits with its message. Somehow, 9 has always been there for me at the worst times with the messages I needed on demand.
Cheaper than therapy too--esp with the replay value. Joke aside. I will always treasure FFIX, no matter what other games come out, no matter how shiny or new, no matter how deep or moving, FFIX is 'home' to me. A place where I feel safe and know a good story is just a loading screen away.
This game is simply put; charming. There's no edge here, it's just an honest introspective viewing of what life is. And ofcourse there is Vivi, all I'm gonna say about that.
exactly :)
In 2000 I was such a big fan of Final Fantasy I told both my parents "I don't care what else I get for Christmas but I NEED THIS game" come Christmas day I got two copies of it, my mom did go "oh we have to see if we can return one" and I wish I told her no and just kept that one sealed because this game and ESPECIALLY the music have a very special place in my heart.
The part of the game I found to be most poetic is the theme of life and death. Each character has their own relationship with this theme, which is eluded to in the quotes in the pre-game reel. All major civilizations in the game are either destroyed or severely damaged. The team has death constantly looming over them at all times and two of them, Zidane and Vivi were made to be weapons, but choose to live. The main antagonist, Kuja is driven to destruction through fear of his own mortality. After killing the team (as I nterpretated it) they are faced with the embodiment of death, Necron. Who, albeit was a surprising final boss on my first play through, makes a lot of sense considering the characters existential deliemmas. Kuja choosing to revive the team as he came to terms with his fears created a full circle moment to close out the game. A masterful story.
It still looks beautiful to me. My favorite game ever.
it IS beautiful :)
Wow, you really wanna convince me to play this game with this video man!
Fine fine gonna give it a shot! 👍
Haha! THAT's what I wanna hear!
I'd highly recommend Final Fantasy 6. Story and gameplay are both up at the top of the list for all FF main title series games.
I know this comment is rather old but if you try it look for the moguri mod. It is practically a HD remaster of the game and it’s awesome
The thing that never gets discussed about nine, and what distinguishes it well above the rest of the series, is how well the dialogue is written. It's one of the only games in the series where the characters talk like actual people and the sentences follow sensible, logical structure. When you combine that with the setting of a fantasy world, you have an irresistible charm that kicks the crap out of all of the other games in the series
It would be even better if they didn't change many original dialogue from the original japanese.
Final fantasy XIV is the only other game where the characters actually talk like normal human beings and not aliens pretending to be people
FF9 is one of those games that seems to be overshadowed by 7. So I'm really happy to see it get shown some love online.
9 aged way better as a PS1 game. 7 looks wonky as hell without mods.
Yes! I love it way more than ff7. It’s just I think they rushed the ending too much. It would have been better if we could have explored Terra more, Memoria, get more characters like mikoto, Beatrix or blank
Overshadowed by 7 only in popularity. Overshadows 7 in pretty much every other aspect.
Same as FF6. If that had come out on PSX instead of SNES, it would rival 7
@@SaberRexZealot it still looks wonky with mods x) even with the added voices its sounds terrible.
Final Fantasy is my first entry to the series. I first watched my father playing it, and me and my sister really loved seeing him playing the game. And he still playing the game now and then. It really fills up with memory, just like the theme of the game. FFIX will always be near and dear to my heart, and I hope the remake can be done justice, as I will definitely playing this with my father. ❤
Final Fantasy IX is a very high concept game. Stylistically it's not fully fantasy, it's not fully steam punk. It has a very developed own style which shines bright in EVERYTHING. The characters, area design, gameplay, dialogue, story. Every detail is so carefully thought out, the world feels truly alive. There are rarely games with so much unique personality that make you fall in love.
It tought me to value good concepts, and this is what I use in my work in marketing till this day.
Exactly! That's awesome to hear, hope you're doing well!
"A twink on a dragon" was not a phrase i expected to hear today
But it made your day better right?
@@AndysCritique LMAO it made my day something
I'll take it @@travisleabeck2572
i play FFIX every year and still cry over the same moments, truly a special game
One of my fondest memories was almost missing school because I got to Necron and was trying to beat the game before school. And I lost. Bad.
The younger me didn't fully understand the mechanics of the battle. I was around level 70 when I got to Necron the first time.
After coming home from school, I booted up FF7 to try to beat Necron again. When I booted it up, my characters were mysteriously level 90.
I asked about it and my parents told me they leveled my characters while I was at school and even specified they didn't use any items or change any setups. And I beat Necron.
Thats love! 😊 Even though Vivi is just the hooded mage with glowing eyes to them.
Wow, that's how you make cherished childhood memories! So wholesome, thank you for sharing!
Level 81 but I did understand the game mechanics and I walked through him and Ozma first time round. Game was awesome. That's such a cool memory that they helped in your journey.. As Zidane friends and adopted family helped him at the end of the game it's kinda poetic really.. Cool story man.
my Gosh how did they level it up thats fast lol. thats some serious grinding!
@@urekmazino5125 Not sure really. I'm just guessing, but probably decimated the Grand Dragon population lol.
@@stephenyates4271 maybe lol. awesome. you had a wonderful childhood
FF IX is my roman empire.. I'm not joking
"how often does bayrocktoolong think about the roman empire?"
Mine too
This game was wholesome, innocent, advrnturous, and it packed it's own unique sense of soul!
Something I love about ff9 is that it isn’t afraid of changing character for story telling. I love that. Still my favorite FF game. It also has the best story pacing as well.
"The greater the system limitations, the more creative you had to be..."
Which speaks volumes about the era we live in now where video games can do ANYTHING, and the industry has been in a decade-long creative stagnation.
It's peak fiction. It and 10 are the only FFs I cried at, while I cried at 10 because of what happens to Tidus, I cried at 9 because the ending genuinely moved me. Also has such great moments like "You're Not Alone", and this is the one Final Fantasy game where they nail character development for almost every character involved (excluding Amarant lmfao)
The only thing FF9 needs is a remake to fix the slow nature of the combat and fix some stuff like limit breaks and we have the definitive best Final Fantasy game in the series
Also wtf is up with all the dislikes??
Thank you so much! It was FFX and 9 for me as well, and for the same reasons! Amazingly moving games.
Yeah, 10 isn't my 2nd favorite, but I'd say mine goes 9, 7, 6, 10. Those are my favorites for sure. 10 is just definitely more emotional. I'm just so ready for a remake at this point. Praying they don't fumble @@AndysCritique
9 and 10 are the only games in the series where I felt fully immersed because of how well designed the worlds are.
heck yeah, a man of my own style. Although 7 also was fantastic imo
FF9 not just my favorite Final Fantasy but also my favorite video game!! This game is the reason I got into speed runs and this is about the only game I've speed through lol!! Love the Excalibur 2 challenge as well as the frustrating E2PG!! Love the music and the characters!!
It's the ultimate FF game. Not just because Sakaguchi and Uematsu supposedly say it is their favourite, it just seems to sum it all up even now.
A game where I cried and laughed. It is a game where you can feel all the towns, places very precise with great soundtracks, bringing them alive. The whole world is full of secrets and treasures. And you have the role of an Robin Hood like character.... saving the world, caring for your people but at same time a clever tief.
My first final fantasy and forever my favourite. I remember my friend playing 7 and starting me on 9 when it came out. I was dreadful at it and remember never grinding and never being able to beat anything. Coming back to the game years later and delving into it brought back all those memories. Vivi will forever be my favourite final fantasy character. I hope that the developers know how much this game means to its fans and what an amazing experience they gave all of us
I have only played this once, my sophomore year of high school back in the fall of 2004. Crazy to think that was 20 years ago. But I literally just posted my piano version of “Melodies of Life” on piano a couple months ago. This game has my favorite colllection of music from a Final Fantasy game, even though X is my all time favorite. This game’s feeling and aura it presents is quite special. And as I make my way through all of the main title entries (except XI), I will very much enjoy getting the chance to play through the main story and getting the Platinum for this one (besides that awful jump rope trophy😂😂). Final Fantasy IX is definitely a masterpiece and a truly unforgettable experience that lives on through the ages❤.
Thank you for the comment, I personally have a hard time deciding which game is truly best between X and IX, they're just so damn good. But I think X's rawness wins out, even though IX might be more endearing as a loveable fairytale :)
Excellent video, great points throughout. Unforgettable game with so much soul.
This game really put me in another world when i played it as a teenager.
Thank you very much for this video!
Growing up is realizing that Final Fantasy 9 is the best Final Fantasy.
0:16 I WAS NOT EXPECTING YOU TO SAY THIS I LITERALLY SCREAMED
Did it warrant a sub? ;)
@@AndysCritique no not at all lmao
@@xhelan131 nooo whyy
"A grat war and a twink on a dragon"
"FF used to be long and arduous, requiring 40 hours or more" meanwhile my first casual playthrough of FF7 Rebirth was somewhere north of 120 hours...
I know, Rebirth is GOATed, definitely one of the longer ever FFs!
Man, excellent commentary and review! I was old enough to play this game at launch when it came out, I remember the hype even. You did an excellent job of explaining why it has held up so uniquely over the years!
I was browsing youtube on videos to remind me of one of my fav games of all time, FF9. Found your video by chance and I'm glad I did. You highlighted points which I haven't come across in other videos on similar topic, your analysis in on point and your narration is engaging, even for someone like me who has a very short attention span. I'm a fan. Looking forward to more videos from your channel.
Thank you so much, very happy to hear you enjoyed the video :)
You are so true dude, those pre rendered background PS1 era make places in game memorable. I play this modern FF, rarely remember anything.
I just beat it after playing it on and off for years. I cried it was such a journey and wholesome.
IMO FF9 really lived up to the Fantasy part in what I expect Final Fantasy to be. It had so many combination of elements in it that just isn't based in reality like other final fantasy games. Most other Final Fantasy games had mostly human characters but 9 had so many different types of weird unique characters.
FF9 is and forever will be my favorite. The story, the characters, the music and the world is just wonderful. I love how it can be funny and light hearted but also dark and serious in moments when it needs to be.
My fav FF game. Love the cities, the airships, the music, the magic, the map, everithing. I would love to get a remake
When I first played FF I played FF7,8, and 9. 9 became my favorite game of all time, and no other game ever managed to steal that throne.
I played FFX, 9 and 7 in that order I believe, and both X and 9 still vie for the top spot, although 7 is right up there as well :)
For me FF9 is the swansong of the series. Final Fantasy 9 - Final Fantasy 7 - Final Fantasy 6 in that order!
Thank you for this video - its good to know "I am not alone" in what I feel for this game
Final Fantasy 9 is still my favourite game in the series. Zidane is my favourite protagonist and Kuja is my favourite villain. Theres other villains I like including Kefka, Sephiroth, Genesis, Caius, Ardyn but i still would put Kuja in my top spot. I would like to see a trailervsoon for the remake ive been hearing about for the last few years
Kuja is such a good villain, and I love that we only see him *briefly* for the first time after like... 6-10 hours of game time, pure genius.
9 is like the epitome of FF. Final fantasy began ad a D&D in digital form. It’s like throughout the years, Square has been experimenting and learning game design and mechanics to create that perfect D&D simulator with great story and character. 9 was to be the swan song on the PS1, the first machine they felt could really handle the game they envisioned in their hearts so you can see how much love and effort went into everything.
Since 2000, when I played this game, it comes with my all the time!! Y just can't put out of my mind the animated scenes of this game, all the game play and sound and music!! Since then, every time I remember this game I feel nostalgic!! It was the best game on PSone
When i first got to control Vivi i remember my 10 year old self thinking "I would die for this guy"
This made me laugh pretty hard. My 11 yr old self's first thought was something like "Fuck you rat! You watch watch where YOUR goin!"
Ambientace, sound design and soundtrack, story, easy to play gameplay, Charm, deepness, characters design. All so damn good! A masterpiece till now and for a long time to come. ❤
Final Fantasy 9 feels like a declaration of love to old school true fantasy stories with knights and wizards/ cloak and dagger but in the form of FF
absolutely, it feels like a TRUE fairytale!
FF VII and IX have always been my favorites. I just started a new run on IX. Just to see how the mobile port flows. In the beginning, with my tablet and A50, both 7 years old, movies lagged (at first).
Later on cut scenes flowed very well.
The actual gaming, no problem!!
I'm going to continue on and test a few older mobile...I am on a mission to make an emulator from a Dell Optiplex. These are my tests.
My favourite game as well. I like all the points that you mentioned.
I first played FF9 when it came out when I was 10 or 11. It quickly became my favorite. It may be corny but I made it a ritual to play it every year when school got out to start my summer off right.
"No cloud no squall shall hinder us”... with this, FF9 declares its superiority to its predecessors.. this line was exclusive to the english version, the japanese version had a different line.
What was the JP line ?
Also, I'm not connecting to this "FF" as much as I'd like to. Still doesn't beat "FF 8" for me (I'll die on this hill, and my ashes will fertilize it to make a point).
Can't wait for Dagger to cut her hair in the game. Her long hair, quite frankly, is unbecoming of her. And Zidane babies her a little too much.
Squall may have had his personality issues, but he didn't baby Rinoa, the latter being quite competent for someone whose main summoning was her pet dog. And Cloud accepted Aerith's habilities quickly. Dang it ! The onion ninjas came !
This is the reason why i keep coming back to FF IX even thought i beat the game so many times (including Excalibur II run, on PC of course due to fast forward option)
The world of Final Fantasy IX is fantastically written. There are so many details to it that it just comes alive. The main characters are all likeable and interesting, they have great designs and each of them is strong in their own way, and the NPCs are the most well written I have ever seen in a game. The charaters from every main city all have names and a story to them, and you can even see their stories progressing throughout the game. A small example of this is the grandma from Alexandria who is constantly sewing a dress for her granddaughter Illia, who is the girl who lives next to the bell tower, and after Alexandria is destroyed, you can see Illia with her grandparents next to their destroyed house, with the grandmother lamenting that she was almost done with the dress. It's such a cute and funny moment that really makes you feel like these characters are real. There are many more examples to this, and talking to every NPC feels really worth it just to find hidden jewels like this.
I enjoy your take on the perspective / camera angle! Interesting to think about
Thank you, I appreciate that! Might make a bigger video on that some day!
Commenting for the algorithm. Great job, man. Keep it up.
FF9 is the best FF because of its setting. The materia system is cool, but just because FF7 was the first to a lot of people do not mean it's the best. FF7 was my first but 9 is my favourite.
I never *Laughed* so hard in my life when Vivi and Quina got married. For me that part if the story is *priceless*
Final Fantasy IX, to this day, remains my favourite game of all time.
I absolutely adore this game from it's story, world, characters, music, and themes. I actually wonder sometimes if it wasn't for this game would I even still be here as the times I was playing this game was when I was going through some pretty hard experiences but I always reminded myself that when things got too much, I could pull out my copy of this game and just let the enjoyment wash away all those worries and anxieties.
There would even be times when I would wish I could go to sleep and wake up in the world of Gaia. Somehow I convinced myself that the world I was seeing on the screen was real and I just needed to work out how to get there. Of course, as an adult, I now know how foolish this line of thinking is but I at least can take solace knowing this game helped me through those times.
Thank you for making this video, it really delights me seeing I am not alone on my love for this game.
I’m like this for VII, VIII & X. Need to discover that love for IX
That's the most well rounded game of the last ps1 main titles.
FF9 hit me like a truck, this was a very powerful story that felt so special and mature. Sakaguchi went all out on writing this story.
Yeah man, same here, just thinking about the conclusion of the game and the feelings came flowing back, it is a masterpiece
"A story is only as strong as its writing."
Fascinating
FFX is my favorite FF game of all time! 9 was great too
Glad I found this video since I'm playing 9 for the first time now!
Replayed on switch. Was awesome to experience again. And this time with the speed options made it less of a grind not that it is much of one anyways.
Love it, played it on virtually every platform where it's available haha
When storytelling was the core of the game. Battle system was great as well and very traditional in terms of turn-based RPG. They don't make games like they used to anymore. FF9 has this unique charm that I still come back to even after years.
I’m late to this party, but I’m happy that this is one of two games I can thank for me being alive.
If not for this game, I would have unalived myself.
I can say that for sure now, that I’m in a much better place.
Most special game ever made. Nothing comes even close imo
I'd say objectively they didn't ditch turn based after X-2. 12 was turned based, but you could still move the character around (only ditching random encounters; which isn't unique to TB). 13 was also turn based.
yeah they didn't truly ditch it until FF15 technically, of course that's like 8 years ago now
The problem was that XII made it incredibly convoluted to control each character turn, as the game wanted you to put them on auto-pilot.
@@54raynor Nope.
I would actually classify FF7 Remake and Rebirth as turn based also, because you still require the ATB to build up to a character's turn, its just the way you build the ATB guage is by attacking, blocking and dodging the enemy in real time as opposed to holding the controller and waiting for the guage to charge automatically.
Its simply a genius system.
By far the best Final Fantasy ever made.
Thank you for this!! FF9 is and will forever be my favourite game of all time ❤️
thank YOU so much for watching and leaving your thoughts! it's one of my absolute favorites too :)
I’ve played FFIX a few times over throughout the years. My absolute favorite. Never gets old. Characters, storyline, music *chef’s kiss* I cried like a baby at the end the first time I experienced it. I was like, Me too girl, me too! Zidane always reminded me of David Bowie 😅❤ Anyhoo, I’ve played other FF games. Not one has had the same feel as FFIX.
it's an amazing game, thank you so much for leaving your thoughts :)
FF9 is the most cohesive. From art direction to music to story. Gameplay, however, is very standard rpg.
Truly on my top ten list of not just favourite rpgs, but favourite games of all time, the characters, the music, the setting, and a battle system that's easy to follow while still requiring thought to master.
While ff7 still is one of the best in the series, this one remains special to me for it's uniqueness in the series
absolutely, a truly fantastic game!
This was my first FF game and to this day still the best in my opinion. Also, I swear to God the moogles in this game are the cutest and most huggable little cuties ever!
Great video, distinctive voice, no notes
thank you so much :)
Good points about many aspects being distinct and memorable like locations and the characters. I agree that the sense of progression and game systems in IX are underrated.
One thing I feel I want to express is that regarding the Moguri mod, I think there are some problems it presents that people ignore just because it looks crisper. The widescreen setting messes up off-screen models and camera panning, the upped frame rate of cut scenes makes the sound go out of sync, and let's not forget the crash before the final cut scenes. Basically I don't think it's quite as be-all and end-all as people make out, lol
Lol. Not even mentioning 12 at all. I just started a play through of IX. I’m pretty early on, but the word of mouth is very positive and the tone hits just right for me.
2:13 Lol I think FF15 is better than 13. That said, FF9 is my very favourite. Magical game.
I'm playing this right now for the first time but I have played a bunch of titles! I have an affinity for the pre rendered backgrounds of the ps1 era so I warmed up to this pretty quickly. Seeing Vivi walk up the street and trip over for the first time yeahhhhh I pretty much knew I would like this game no matter what!
Haha that's great! Yeah those prerendered backgrounds, I think it's such a great trick. Wonder what modern games could do with that if they chose to go for like a PS1 RPG-style vision if you know what I mean, like an Octopath Traveler but PS1 instead of 2.5D or whatever they call it
@@AndysCritique there is a certain warmth to those graphics I really apriciate artistic value, and I think that's where 9 really draws its strength because the chibi style characters with the fairytale style settings are exactuted damn near perfect in my eyes. I've been dragging this game out because I dont want it to end! This game feels like a warm hug from a stranger but somehow ive known them my whole life......Even an adult man can fall in love with Vivi I guess that's just how good this game is.
FFVII is my favourite game, but i still remember when my dad bought us ( me and my brother ) FFIX for christmas, i was a 8 yo kid and the game felt so unique and magical, good times.
sounds awesome man, good times!
"active event" something that just hits different that other games
Final Fantasy IX is the first game of the series I have ever played, I just finished another run a couple of days ago and can't wait for the remaster!! This game has always felt like a lucid dream... Good luck to all the oldschool FF fans out there, kupo!
awesome to hear you finished again a few days ago, amazing title!
I love FFIX so much I got a vivi tattoo. Great video btw 😊
So, ff9 is my favorite. And I was around and played 6&7.
8,10 and 12 are my 4th 5th and 6th placed
I wanted to play this again 😭😭😢
When im done with rebirth and 16dlc im going back to 9 and then ether x or 13 haven’t decided yet but haven’t played these for years
personally think every other release of ffix is visually impaired vs the original. when i get the itch to replay, i emulate; a few tweaks, pgxp, crt filter (mattias). *it's beautiful this way, for me.*
rereleases audio levels are broken, cutscene audio desyncs, regular tracks glitch. the ui design is messed with in battles, and the field map interaction adds exclamation marks over 'speakables'... character model changes / resolution mismatch, and the artwork was crafted for crt displays. load/cache times and lack of crt is why i choose emulation over original.
great point about the fixed camera for locations, but you miss the intent by forcing widescreen, these shots were framed for 4:3, there was care, sometimes even punchlines delivered with these angles which at best are lost but in some instances are broken by the widescreen hack. sorry to rant, it just eats at me when people recommend such a mess as the "best" version, honestly i am glad it exists as a gateway for newcomers to experience the journey, i just wish it was done justice.
as to your videos main point, i 100% agree; it's the humanity and soul that drips from this game and it's characters that becomes unforgettable. and i enjoyed your take on it.
one last point about the games good writing; it has deliberate timing! it communicates through it's text speed _(minus the early theatre performance which is rushed to music sync),_ and for someone's first playthrough i **strongly suggest not changing the text message speed** or mashing to full reveal it, at least for story scenes.
(ps: you can play battles co-op on original / emulated)
thank you for the comment, and you're absolutely right! You do lose some of the original intent behind forcing widescreen. And I love that you mention text speed, since they definitely make use of timing here to create more impact!
This video is a love letter to the greatest final fantasy ever made.
I agree in everything here. ❤
I never bought into the original ffvii hype but played mostly all the final fantasy games. 9 and 10 are still my 2 top rpg games of all with funny and romantic scene and memorable soundtracks. Can't be beat
Favorite FF of all time for me til this day. The charm is simply memorable, and the characters are deep yet relatable.
exactly :)
I hope they do a remake like they did with FF7!
I was here for FF1, a game with no real story because there wasn't room for one. I didn't get access to II, III, and V until I started emulating. It seems everyone figured out why these games were so great finally with VII to the point of overhyping it. (It's a good game, to be sure!) VIII I didn't really connect to. It felt as grindy as II, but the story didn't keep me engaged enough.
And then there was IX. IX was always special to me, for all the reasons you cited and more. And the music… It's unimaginable that all of that music was composed for one game by one LEGEND. No wonder he came back from that and said he couldn't do it again. He put his heart and soul into it, so many people did … There'll never be another Final Fantasy like IX. Just as there's never going to be another Chrono Trigger.
I'm a big fan of X and X-2 as well, though the mainline FF games start to lose me after that a bit, I'll admit.
The game you go for comfort even if you know you won´t beat necron today. It is recomforting to know that you could. If Vivi could go on living a day longer knowing with undeniable precision what his expiration date was, and that in the end nothing would matter.... well, so can you! wait is that truly motivational?... Do it for Quina! yeaH! that´s it! do it for the food you´ll get to eat tomorrow.