118 views and ~1k subs...wtf. This is better than practically every other FF9 analysis on YT. Also, excellent choice to cover. FF9 was my favorite game for a good 15 years. These days I prefer FF8 but i enjoyed every moment of this. Will you continue covering FF titles?
@@GamingWithSpoons oh nice! haven't had the time to dig through your channel yet. I'll check it out. Did you play VIII back in the day or sometime later? before i ask more questions i'll just watch more of your videos since i'll probably ask things you've already addressed.
The most powerful scene in any final fantasy game is when Zidane finds out what he truly is and then thinks he is unworthy of his friends. Never cried when Aerith died in ff7 but ff9 got me for some reason.
I enjoyed Aerith as a character, but is it bad that it wasn't her death persay that upset me but the fact that I put so much work into leveling her and getting her limit breaks?
Wow, I can only imagine how long this video took to make. FF9 is one of my favorite games, the world is so nicely designed, the characters are memorable (Steiner noticing Garnet is melancholic during the canary performance in the intro), vivi slowly walking back after seeing the faded eyes of black mages, so many small details that add such beauty to the story telling. The darkness of existentialism portrayed by the childlike attitudes of vivi and the black mages is very interesting as it removes the bleakness but adds a layer of sadness, like trying to explain to a child that their parents one day will too die - this wouldn't work the same way in a realistic adult like ff game like 7 or 8. And of course the soundtrack (Nobuo's best). Thanks for making this video, hope your channel grows and grows, the quality and focus is there just a matter of time it seems :)
I finished my second playthrough of the game today only to come across this shortly after. It is honestly insane to me how underappreciated this video is given its quality. I'm hoping this comment does its part for the video to get picked up by the algorithm a bit.
@@GamingWithSpoons I think it easily falls into my top 3 Final Fantasy games. FF7 will always be my favorite but FF9 and FF4 are tied for the second spot, really like how both games start with a traditional fantasy setting and overtime develop into something more sci-fi, it's a pretty unique way to go about world building, although 9 is definitely more successful at how it writes its characters.
@Gaming With Spoons what happened to ur wild arms,retrospective? U said a year ago,be a full retrospective over the year and only got Wild Arms 1.even though 2 was the last good one next to the remake
That is the way I've always said it. In games with no pronunciation on how to say a name it's free game as far as I'm concerned. I do however pronounce Tidus as Tide-us lol.
FF IX was my first RPG, and is still one of my favorite games of all time. I still get chills when the Squaresoft logo pops up and the first few notes of the Main Menu theme kicks in. It takes me back to when I was first playing though it. Opening that epic 4- disc case felt like I was opening up some dusty ancient mystical tome. I think the Equipment/Abiliity system is perfect in FF IX. Reminds me a bit of the more simple approach of Dragon Quest.
I think that it is fine if some FF titles have a more realistic and futuristic setting, as long as the series doesn't completely forget about its roots. FF6 had a little bit of both of those styles, and then there was a temporary shift in FF7 and FF8 to the futuristic setting before finally returning to the roots in FF9 again; that seems like a perfect balance to me - and honestly, even the very first FF game had robots and an advanced space station during the later parts, so the FF series has always been a bit futuristic in some places.
It is criminal how under-appreciated your channel is!! Great FF IX retrospective…my all time favorite game…and you def did it justice. Would love to see FF X or XII next. Keep up the great content man!
I plan to eventually, especially XII it's the one Final Fantasy game I feel doesn't get enough love. For now I'm working on Tales of Symphonia after covering Final Fantasy IX and Final Fantasy XIII this year I need a break lol. Thanks for the kind words though I appreciate it.
I love this game like no one else. I think I've seen every FF IX video if it's either spanish or english, finding a new one (even if a little too late!) it's a gift to me. Thank you for putting the effort in this because it shows! On other note, I loooove this game. I don't joke when I say that it shaped me in the adult I am today. It gave me a reason to live when I didn't want to anymore, literally saved my life and keep me on this earth. You put into words many things I do feel about this story and its characters. It's an excellent retrospective.
Thank you for your comment glad I was able to entertain you for a couple of hours. It's always amazing to hear stories about how video games save someone's life thank you so much for sharing such a personal experience.
I never knew this was the last entry the creator of the series would work on. I always felt it was a special game. It was my introduction to JRPGs and the first FF entry I played. This analysis was was a great watch!
So happy there’s a video that actually drives home how important this series was/is. All things considered, this IS the best installment in the series. Graphics and battles systems do improve later in the series but the fantastical aesthetic and story of 9 on top of the music and the gameplay… this titles takes the cake; sales aside!
God this game is so special. I was in love with it instantly as a child, and it hasn’t left my mind or my heart since. Such wonderfully written characters (well… most of them lol), beautiful and thrilling music, fantastic art design… there’s nothing else like it. Great video!
Great video, absolutely loved it but good gods gravy how you kept saying Zidanes name wrong, and such an ugly way too just hurts me lol. Also it's not the Lifa tree, it's IIfa.
I would never argue with anyone that feels this is the best ff. Its personally third for me after 7 and 5. It overreaches a bit with the graphics engine. By far the best looking psx game but it cannot render more than one or two enemy types at once where ff7 rendered multiple types in different formations. Ff9 also suffers from loading times as the camera seems to pan around forever to load each battle.
as a non-native-speaking English Scandinavian, this game and FF8 were one of the major factors that improved my English, something English classes couldn't teach me in the late 90s and early 2000s.
Dude this is awesome, really nice job on this. You covered everything I would have wanted to hear about. Such a great game. I can’t help imagining what the series would be today if Sakaguci was still in charge.
Great video but I majorly disagree with your thoughts on Quina. Quina doesn't have an arc of their own, yes, but it is the perspective they provide on the themes of the game that earns them their spot in the party. Every character is defined in some way by what they are "supposed" to do. Garnet is supposed to be princess and then queen. Vivi was supposed to be another robotic soldier with a short shelf life. Zidane had his own predetermined role in the grand cosmic events we find out by the end. But then there's Quina. Quina's portrait literally has them saying "I do what I want." And they do. Every time we find a new village, Quina goes off on their own. When Quina is left behind, they usually leave because that's what they're called to do. While the characters around them struggle with their predetermined roles and what comes next when they shirk them, Quina has incredibly simple answers. On several occasions, characters like Freya or Garnet will comment on Quina's activities as displaying a level of freedom they wish they could have. That's why there's that scene where we see Quale yelling at Quina, only for her own mentor and Vivi's "grandfather" Quan to praise Quina for their creativity and imagination. That is the game directly telling us that Quina doing what they want is the ultimate answer to the themes of the game. Why get caught up in performing a role you were assigned? Why spend your short time stressing over either taking on that role or letting someone down by avoiding it? Do as Quina does and form your own path.
Someone else said something similar about this and shined light on a different perspective. I kinda changed what I thought of Quina. That's what makes these videos so cool thanks for the comment and different perspective.
**ADDENDUM TO DEVELOPMENT HISTORY** For the record just because I received a comment about it. My intent was not to put Sakaguchi on a pedestal, I'm well aware there were many people who had a hand in helping develop the games and trust me when we get to those games we will talk about them. My intent was to demonstrate Sakaguchi's leadership qualities and how modern square lacks those leadership skills, which leads to rushed content, cut content for DLC, and a lack of genuine passion or desire from the higher-ups. He listened to his employees and it isn't hard to see both the respect, frustration, and rivalry he had from those who worked with him. Do you really think today we would have got Xenogears, Parasite Eve, Vagrant Story, or Chrono Cross. It was how he believed in his teams and his leadership qualities that brought magic to a team. His faith in his teams to branch out and do something of their own. He cared about them being happy. It's also been shown through multiple interviews he had a direction he wanted the games to go on and often butted heads with his team when it came to his stories. He stated in an interview people used to say to him "is Final Fantasy the only thing this company would let me make." Replying " he used to think about that alot." It was his genuine care for his employees to make their own games he greenlit so many projects in his tenure. Takahashi, Kitase, Nomura, and Matsuno all got to work on games they wanted because he had faith in them that is more than we can say for the current leadership at square. I'll be honest Squares current business model is terrible and typing the quote "Is Final Fantasy the only thing that this company will let me make" hits hard because I think there is genuine talent at Square talent that given the chance could make something amazing that wasn't Final Fantasy. Hope this clears some things up and makes better sense of what I was trying to get across. In short he had passion about the games he worked on while people like Wada and Matsuda do not since they are just business men who didn't rise from the trenches. Ive recived a great deal of comments regarding the pronunciation of Zidane. I dont really care how to say it but I've been calling him that (alongside of my friends at the time) since middle school. These games came out at a time when voice acting wasnt a thing and many of us had to guess how to say these names. Please stop bringing it up. We dont have linguist proffesors available on call to validate ever pronunciation. I wont block the comments obviously as i dont believe in that, but im obviously not going to respond either or at least to the ones that come off as really negative or condescending. Thank you:)
I enjoyed Final Fantasy VIII I think it is better than most of the haters make it out to be. I actually covered it earlier and plan to cover it again in the future taking a more in depth look like I did in this video.
I've already covered Final Fantasy VIII on the channel it's one of my favorite Final Fantasy games. I've actually been thinking about redoing the Retrospective on Final Fantasy VIII. I even used footage of FF8 in this video, I wasn't "actively" trying to avoid it.
I find that people who really love FF9 have FF9 as their first FF game. Every few years I’d play FF7, FF8 and FF9 (and prior to that FF4-FF6) back to back to back. Just to have as objective an opinion as possible. FF9 never stood out for me. It felt like a step backwards. For all the flaw of FF8, they attempted something bold and different. FF9 just feels like an homage to FF4. Even a lot of the music reflects FF4’s style. The game is boring at times to me because the system is so slow and simple and the story doesn’t really pick up until the second act. I think if FF9 were to be judged as its own game and not in comparison to other FF’s it would be better for me, but even as a good game, it’s definitely behind FF7. Heck, I personally liked FF4 better. Especially the remade FF4 for the Nintendo DS.
I loved this game but can I honestly say its story is up there with 7 and 10. Hard to say, its hard to pick specific moments for it as its just very good the entire game. It’s hard to pick things out
FF9 my faves too. They really need to make another original aesthetic FF game. Please. Just one more. Oh and thank you for the history lesson in the beginning. Learned something new today.
I never had a problem with Necron I just felt like he should have been foreshadowed as the mystery beyond the void of existence perhaps Garland knew and wanted to avoid for Terra.
I beat this game for the first time last year and really enjoyed it. I just played it again and enjoyed it even more because I actually took the time to do side content, learn all the abilities/supports and get the best gear. It’s an exceptional game.
hey, constructive criticism, but the rough cuts makes it so I feel like i-ve missed something or that an error happened on the reproduction of the content. Its too jarring. :) great video
What's not the meaning of life than death? If so Kuja are seeking in existence something outside of existence which doesn't exist. What is the meaning of existence is existence itself, not something outside of it. If you see existence teleologically (purpose or destiny) you fail to see existence as it is.
@@GamingWithSpoons yeah back in the day when the internet wasn't really a thing you had to just hope one of your friends had the answer. I remember being stuck in the deku tree in Zelda and my dad asked his coworkers for help. They gave him the hint that deku sticks burn. Got me out of a bind. Thanks for the quality video!
Ya know, I've been due for a FF9 replay. I think I played 7 and 8 way more but when I think of FF "nostalgia", you're right. It's always 9 that comes to mind.
This game is still my favorite RPG of all time. If I wanted a techno-slum setting , the niche already existed before FF7. In my opinion, never before has a game benefited from a sudden technological leap than FF7. And honestly? Shit doesn’t hold up. Story-wise. Combat-wise. Character-wise. Graphically? It looks like the RPG version of Virtua Fighter 1. Not to say I hate FF7. It’s a great game. But it doesn’t have nearly the amount of heart or meaning of FF9 to me.
I think both have meaning and tackle very different ideas while tackling the same thing. I'll analyze Final Fantasy VII at some point but it's more of a critique on the world while rising up against corruption, while Final Fantasy IX is more finding one's place. Appreciate the comment thank you for watching :)
I'm laid up with a broken rib at the moment. I don't know what its is about this video, but it took 4 attempts to actually finish it. I kept falling asleep after 20 or 30 minutes and, more importantly, managed to stay asleep longer than 45 minutes. (That's a compliment, not a critique, btw.) Despite taking heavy medications, I haven't gotten much sleep for the past 3 days. To make matters worse, sleep deprivation triggers a movement disorder. After finally seeing the end, I rewound and "watched" it again. At any rate, I've been contemplating buying the FF9 and FF10 remasters for the Switch. I like things that explore concepts like "destiny" or "God's will" as well as spirituality and what it means to be human or alive in general. TL;DR Great video and exploration of meaning/themes in the subtext woven throughout the narrative.
I appreciate the compliment glad to know I'm not the only one who enjoys falling asleep to long reviews lol. Sorry to hear about the broken rib sounds really painful. Hope you have a speedy recovery.
As someone who's struggled with reading comprehension and depression most of my life, nothing in this world means more to me than Final Fantasy IX, the game that inspired and challenged me. This game's unique ability to keep my head above water is unmatched by anything else. If all other books, games, and shows disappeared, if I could only choose one piece of art and entertainment, I'd choose FFIX and it wouldn't even be close. I can't disagree with you more about FF7 and 8 having better stories, but that's just me. FFIX hit me so hard that nothing else can. Maybe that's what something being your favorite is all about.
Personally I think Final Fantasy 8 has a weakest story. Final Fantasy X and 7 have a complexity that's more up front and make it easier to engage for most people. But Final Fantasy 9 has a truly amazing story that goes unnoticed. It's a truly deep story. I implore you to at least watch the deeper meaning part because it's just as deep if not deeper than the aforementioned two.
My child is around the same age as vivi's perceived age. Vivi talking about his grandpa stings right now because I lost my dad this year. My child speaks fondly of her grandpa. It's true..life is precious, and it's our job to carry those precious memories forward. In that way, we are immortal. This game helps me through my grief.
FF IX is one of the best, IV is my favorite but IX is a very close second. I just wish FF would go back to games like this and stop doing whatever it is they are doing because IMO it’s not FF anymore
1:15:49 I never realized what that "cycle" was in that it implies Gaian souls cease to be. For however long the Iifa Tree existed that's tens of thousands, maybe millions of Gaian souls just gone. That's metal.
Amazing Analysis, very reflective thoughts. I was holding out on watching this until I finished the game, you really did bring me answers to a lot of questions I had, specially at the end. Thank you!
Soul Cage: I have seen the end of my thousand-year life, and it is not now. You cannot defeat me, it is futile to even try. Eiko: *Life* Soul Cage: *pwned*
I’d love to see FF delve into a more stylized art direction like this again. 🙂 gritty more realistic art sensibility is industry standard in USA and I’d like to see a departure, at least for one game
I always named Garnet, Sarah since it's her true name. I was excited when I found that out, and did you know if you have the nameaway card, you can rename your characters as many times as you want so I took advantage and renamed her
I should've known when 6 was all the way down the list. Those who love 7. Try their hardest to make 6 an afterthought. The only thing better about 7 over 6 Is the CGI cut scenes. Only sony ponies hold 7 in such high regards. Square couldn't even market it as an RPG being scared that might hurt sells. They basically tricked its way into extra sells.
Ff9 has always been my favorite and I foresee always will be. When I was a child it was my first final fantasy and provided me an escape from some of the bad parts of my childhood. Replaying this as an adult some 20 years later I was able to appreciate the story and it's message so much more. I share a deep connection with zidane and who he is as a character as there was a point in my life I had lost myself and it was the friends I had who helped me remember the person who I was. As his character card says in the title screen " you don't need a reason to help people" I carry those words close to my heart
Zidane is such a great protagonist. Thank you for sharing such a deeply personal story. I always love how video games can help us out of the darkest of times.
Phenomenal video. Thank you very much for putting it together. Very thoughtful and interesting throughout. I look forward to checking out your other work! :)
Maybe the were released in the same or at the very least crossed development of each other year so it's possible. Cort is a crazy scientist kinda like Hojo too. So there is that.
Loved the video, the philosophic (help, spelling) view on it and just the overall video. I hope you will continue to make videos and you're the first who I ever out the bell notification on, at 😝
@@manoukirishanning Yes. I want to branch out a bit and do many in depth reviews of all types of games, but next up on my list is Final Fantasy X. I've got a lot to say about this title so it should be fun.
One thing I loved about this game was the artwork and atmosphere, it felt extremely cozy while I was laying in bed with my blankets on in the middle of the night.
FF9 was what I was given in 8th grade when I couldn’t afford persona 5, a family friend game shared with me, Ziddane is still a legendary protagonist to me, even if others are better written he still hits different then almost anyone
It’s been really been sad for me really where Final Fantasy is heading. It’s losing more and more of the essence that truly makes this series great. Although the FF7 remake is doing well. I honestly don’t care for better graphics if the combat system is going the direction of a hack and slash😢
There is the combat and it also just lost something else along the way. I feel like Final Fantasy was a product of its time. It's a series that doesn't have the same charm it once did. It is evident they have pushed for graphics more than anything else and its combat and storytelling feels lacking. I'll be honest I don't have a desire to play remake part 2 I didn't care much for the first part.
@@GamingWithSpoonsya i wasn’t even hyped when i got to play the demo so i didn’t get it. I got 15 and thought it was just a kingdom hearts battle system with better graphics. The story and world was lacking so much it was a disappointment for me. Especially that you never can choose when you can see your summons. I have never had a fight where my summon came out like wtf.
Back in the early Internet days, i made a Freya fansite like literally from scratch learning web development with Microsoft frontpage 2000. the rest is history. I love ff9 and will continue to talk about it 20 years from now.
@@GamingWithSpoons Really? That means a lot, thanks for the praise. FF9 meant a lot to me too. It was the 2nd FF I played after 7. It was the first one I showed my wife, too, and it's still her favorite as well.
FFIX was my introduction into the series. It is very misunderstood by fans, and poorly underrated. I continue to play this game to the day without getting bored with it. 9 is basically the Dark Crystal of the franchise with the deepest story, and memorable soundtrack.
118 views and ~1k subs...wtf. This is better than practically every other FF9 analysis on YT. Also, excellent choice to cover. FF9 was my favorite game for a good 15 years. These days I prefer FF8 but i enjoyed every moment of this. Will you continue covering FF titles?
Yeah, I plan to do something similar for most of them 1-3 might prove complicated. The next entry I really want to cover is Final Fantasy XII.
@@GamingWithSpoons sounds good. i'll keep an eye out for them. especially any coverage of VIII
I did a retrospective for 8 but I'd like to redo it sometime soon I don't think I did it justice. Lol
@@GamingWithSpoons oh nice! haven't had the time to dig through your channel yet. I'll check it out. Did you play VIII back in the day or sometime later? before i ask more questions i'll just watch more of your videos since i'll probably ask things you've already addressed.
Lol I. did I've reviewed all the canon Ys games.
The most powerful scene in any final fantasy game is when Zidane finds out what he truly is and then thinks he is unworthy of his friends. Never cried when Aerith died in ff7 but ff9 got me for some reason.
That is a really powerful scene. One of my favorites.
Rivaled but Tidus’s revelation of his being. The impact really depends on which one you experience first.
I enjoyed Aerith as a character, but is it bad that it wasn't her death persay that upset me but the fact that I put so much work into leveling her and getting her limit breaks?
ff9 was too "cartoon for kids" for me
@@vonborgahwhat cartoons for literal children deal with existential dread?
Wow, I can only imagine how long this video took to make. FF9 is one of my favorite games, the world is so nicely designed, the characters are memorable (Steiner noticing Garnet is melancholic during the canary performance in the intro), vivi slowly walking back after seeing the faded eyes of black mages, so many small details that add such beauty to the story telling. The darkness of existentialism portrayed by the childlike attitudes of vivi and the black mages is very interesting as it removes the bleakness but adds a layer of sadness, like trying to explain to a child that their parents one day will too die - this wouldn't work the same way in a realistic adult like ff game like 7 or 8. And of course the soundtrack (Nobuo's best). Thanks for making this video, hope your channel grows and grows, the quality and focus is there just a matter of time it seems :)
Thank you. High five for agreement in the soundtrack.
I finished my second playthrough of the game today only to come across this shortly after. It is honestly insane to me how underappreciated this video is given its quality. I'm hoping this comment does its part for the video to get picked up by the algorithm a bit.
I appreciate it thank you for the kind words. What was your thoughts on Final Fantasy IX?
@@GamingWithSpoons I think it easily falls into my top 3 Final Fantasy games. FF7 will always be my favorite but FF9 and FF4 are tied for the second spot, really like how both games start with a traditional fantasy setting and overtime develop into something more sci-fi, it's a pretty unique way to go about world building, although 9 is definitely more successful at how it writes its characters.
Regarding Zorn and Thorn, they're most definitely related to the moons, as even their theme song is called Jesters of the Moons.
Yeah there is that. It's just weird that was never mentioned. Were they Terran? And where did they come from I'd love to know.
Amazing retrospective. What I love is many go into depth about gameplay. Few actually analyse the themes/lore/story in the way this video does.
I appreciate the kind words. There was a lot more to analysis with this game than I thought there was going to be. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
@Gaming With Spoons what happened to ur wild arms,retrospective? U said a year ago,be a full retrospective over the year and only got Wild Arms 1.even though 2 was the last good one next to the remake
Zy-dane? It’s not Zih-dane? C’mon, next somebody will try to convince me Tide-us is Teedus.
That is the way I've always said it. In games with no pronunciation on how to say a name it's free game as far as I'm concerned. I do however pronounce Tidus as Tide-us lol.
FF IX was my first RPG, and is still one of my favorite games of all time. I still get chills when the Squaresoft logo pops up and the first few notes of the Main Menu theme kicks in. It takes me back to when I was first playing though it. Opening that epic 4- disc case felt like I was opening up some dusty ancient mystical tome. I think the Equipment/Abiliity system is perfect in FF IX. Reminds me a bit of the more simple approach of Dragon Quest.
That opening music is so good.
I think that it is fine if some FF titles have a more realistic and futuristic setting, as long as the series doesn't completely forget about its roots.
FF6 had a little bit of both of those styles, and then there was a temporary shift in FF7 and FF8 to the futuristic setting before finally returning to the roots in FF9 again;
that seems like a perfect balance to me - and honestly, even the very first FF game had robots and an advanced space station during the later parts, so the FF series has always been a bit futuristic in some places.
It's true. I think Sakaguchi just really wanted something that felt close to home.
It is criminal how under-appreciated your channel is!! Great FF IX retrospective…my all time favorite game…and you def did it justice. Would love to see FF X or XII next. Keep up the great content man!
I plan to eventually, especially XII it's the one Final Fantasy game I feel doesn't get enough love. For now I'm working on Tales of Symphonia after covering Final Fantasy IX and Final Fantasy XIII this year I need a break lol. Thanks for the kind words though I appreciate it.
@@GamingWithSpoons Great content indeed!
I love this game like no one else. I think I've seen every FF IX video if it's either spanish or english, finding a new one (even if a little too late!) it's a gift to me. Thank you for putting the effort in this because it shows!
On other note, I loooove this game. I don't joke when I say that it shaped me in the adult I am today. It gave me a reason to live when I didn't want to anymore, literally saved my life and keep me on this earth.
You put into words many things I do feel about this story and its characters. It's an excellent retrospective.
Thank you for your comment glad I was able to entertain you for a couple of hours. It's always amazing to hear stories about how video games save someone's life thank you so much for sharing such a personal experience.
I never knew this was the last entry the creator of the series would work on. I always felt it was a special game. It was my introduction to JRPGs and the first FF entry I played. This analysis was was a great watch!
Thank you!! It really was a special game.
It's kind of The Final Fantasy
This video was awesome!
Thank you. I'm honored. I've been watching you guys for years.
Ff9 is my favorite as well. Awesome job man.
Thank you I appreciate it. I enjoyed making it.
So happy there’s a video that actually drives home how important this series was/is. All things considered, this IS the best installment in the series. Graphics and battles systems do improve later in the series but the fantastical aesthetic and story of 9 on top of the music and the gameplay… this titles takes the cake; sales aside!
I had a fun making this video. I always enjoyed IX but it made me realize how truly special Final Fantasy IX is
This is probably the most in-depth video about FF9 on TH-cam, you deserve so many more views.
Thank you. I appreciate the kind words.
God this game is so special. I was in love with it instantly as a child, and it hasn’t left my mind or my heart since. Such wonderfully written characters (well… most of them lol), beautiful and thrilling music, fantastic art design… there’s nothing else like it.
Great video!
Thank you. Looking back at it really has given me an appreciation for it.
@@GamingWithSpoons I swear that scenes will hit me differently every time I play. It’s truly a game that gets better with age.
Agreed nice name btw love the FF9 reference
@@GamingWithSpoons thank you 😁
I Cried During ViVi’s Letter Still Thinking Zidane Was Dead Was Balling By The Time The Credits Rolled Lol 😅 Game Changed My Life
Damn I never put that together. I don't know how I missed it but you're right Vivi died not knowing his friend was still alive
Great video, absolutely loved it but good gods gravy how you kept saying Zidanes name wrong, and such an ugly way too just hurts me lol.
Also it's not the Lifa tree, it's IIfa.
That's how my friends and I have always pronounced it ever since middle school.
FF9 and 12 are the only final fantasy games I have played through multiple times each. Actually they are the only ones I ever bothered finishing.
Looking back, this was probably my favourite PlayStation game.
Seven will always be my favorite Final Fantasy. But Nine? Nine is the best.
I like Final Fantasy VII too. I think it's got the best story.
I would never argue with anyone that feels this is the best ff. Its personally third for me after 7 and 5. It overreaches a bit with the graphics engine. By far the best looking psx game but it cannot render more than one or two enemy types at once where ff7 rendered multiple types in different formations. Ff9 also suffers from loading times as the camera seems to pan around forever to load each battle.
I've never beat five it's a game I need to finish at some point. I think I got halfway through it.
Who is 'zai-dene'??
The main character dummy
I hope that through some miracle, we get another Sakaguchi Final Fantasy. Until then, I'll keep my eye on Mistwalker; Fantasian is pretty great!
I want to play Fantasian I'm really hoping it's Apple Arcade exclusivity ends soon and it at least comes to PC or switch.
Audio seems really low.
Your not the first to say that some says it's okay some says it's not. It's something I'm addressing though for future videos.
Wonderful video!
as a non-native-speaking English Scandinavian, this game and FF8 were one of the major factors that improved my English, something English classes couldn't teach me in the late 90s and early 2000s.
Dude this is awesome, really nice job on this. You covered everything I would have wanted to hear about. Such a great game. I can’t help imagining what the series would be today if Sakaguci was still in charge.
I've thought about this a lot recently..
Great video but I majorly disagree with your thoughts on Quina. Quina doesn't have an arc of their own, yes, but it is the perspective they provide on the themes of the game that earns them their spot in the party. Every character is defined in some way by what they are "supposed" to do. Garnet is supposed to be princess and then queen. Vivi was supposed to be another robotic soldier with a short shelf life. Zidane had his own predetermined role in the grand cosmic events we find out by the end. But then there's Quina. Quina's portrait literally has them saying "I do what I want." And they do. Every time we find a new village, Quina goes off on their own. When Quina is left behind, they usually leave because that's what they're called to do.
While the characters around them struggle with their predetermined roles and what comes next when they shirk them, Quina has incredibly simple answers. On several occasions, characters like Freya or Garnet will comment on Quina's activities as displaying a level of freedom they wish they could have. That's why there's that scene where we see Quale yelling at Quina, only for her own mentor and Vivi's "grandfather" Quan to praise Quina for their creativity and imagination. That is the game directly telling us that Quina doing what they want is the ultimate answer to the themes of the game. Why get caught up in performing a role you were assigned? Why spend your short time stressing over either taking on that role or letting someone down by avoiding it? Do as Quina does and form your own path.
Someone else said something similar about this and shined light on a different perspective. I kinda changed what I thought of Quina. That's what makes these videos so cool thanks for the comment and different perspective.
@@GamingWithSpoons well thank you for making this video! I just had to stand up for my favorite frog hunter.
Your all good. I appreciate you watching :)
**ADDENDUM TO DEVELOPMENT HISTORY**
For the record just because I received a comment about it. My intent was not to put Sakaguchi on a pedestal, I'm well aware there were many people who had a hand in helping develop the games and trust me when we get to those games we will talk about them.
My intent was to demonstrate Sakaguchi's leadership qualities and how modern square lacks those leadership skills, which leads to rushed content, cut content for DLC, and a lack of genuine passion or desire from the higher-ups. He listened to his employees and it isn't hard to see both the respect, frustration, and rivalry he had from those who worked with him.
Do you really think today we would have got Xenogears, Parasite Eve, Vagrant Story, or Chrono Cross. It was how he believed in his teams and his leadership qualities that brought magic to a team. His faith in his teams to branch out and do something of their own. He cared about them being happy.
It's also been shown through multiple interviews he had a direction he wanted the games to go on and often butted heads with his team when it came to his stories.
He stated in an interview people used to say to him "is Final Fantasy the only thing this company would let me make." Replying " he used to think about that alot." It was his genuine care for his employees to make their own games he greenlit so many projects in his tenure. Takahashi, Kitase, Nomura, and Matsuno all got to work on games they wanted because he had faith in them that is more than we can say for the current leadership at square. I'll be honest Squares current business model is terrible and typing the quote "Is Final Fantasy the only thing that this company will let me make" hits hard because I think there is genuine talent at Square talent that given the chance could make something amazing that wasn't Final Fantasy.
Hope this clears some things up and makes better sense of what I was trying to get across. In short he had passion about the games he worked on while people like Wada and Matsuda do not since they are just business men who didn't rise from the trenches.
Ive recived a great deal of comments regarding the pronunciation of Zidane. I dont really care how to say it but I've been calling him that (alongside of my friends at the time) since middle school. These games came out at a time when voice acting wasnt a thing and many of us had to guess how to say these names. Please stop bringing it up. We dont have linguist proffesors available on call to validate ever pronunciation. I wont block the comments obviously as i dont believe in that, but im obviously not going to respond either or at least to the ones that come off as really negative or condescending. Thank you:)
Seeing a distinct lack of ff8 mention for shame. The game was more loved than people gave it credit for.
I enjoyed Final Fantasy VIII I think it is better than most of the haters make it out to be. I actually covered it earlier and plan to cover it again in the future taking a more in depth look like I did in this video.
love it how you actively tried to avoid mention one of the best they did in that era. the ff8
I've already covered Final Fantasy VIII on the channel it's one of my favorite Final Fantasy games. I've actually been thinking about redoing the Retrospective on Final Fantasy VIII. I even used footage of FF8 in this video, I wasn't "actively" trying to avoid it.
@@GamingWithSpoons it was mostly when talking about gold age you skipped the best one 🥹 went 7 to 9
I find that people who really love FF9 have FF9 as their first FF game.
Every few years I’d play FF7, FF8 and FF9 (and prior to that FF4-FF6) back to back to back. Just to have as objective an opinion as possible. FF9 never stood out for me. It felt like a step backwards. For all the flaw of FF8, they attempted something bold and different. FF9 just feels like an homage to FF4. Even a lot of the music reflects FF4’s style. The game is boring at times to me because the system is so slow and simple and the story doesn’t really pick up until the second act.
I think if FF9 were to be judged as its own game and not in comparison to other FF’s it would be better for me, but even as a good game, it’s definitely behind FF7. Heck, I personally liked FF4 better. Especially the remade FF4 for the Nintendo DS.
I loved this game but can I honestly say its story is up there with 7 and 10. Hard to say, its hard to pick specific moments for it as its just very good the entire game. It’s hard to pick things out
FF9 my faves too. They really need to make another original aesthetic FF game. Please. Just one more. Oh and thank you for the history lesson in the beginning. Learned something new today.
I'd love to see them return to the pre rendered backgrounds. Thanks for watching :)
Dagger is more of a summoner and Eiko is more of a white mage. You won't be casting Holy with Dagger and you won't be summoning Bahamut with Eiko.
I named Garnet/Dagger "Sarah". First of all, that is her actual name and secondly, it's more common.
Finally someone else who keeps the Garnet. I always felt dagger was a dumb name when i was 8, and changed it our of tradition
I never had a problem with Necron I just felt like he should have been foreshadowed as the mystery beyond the void of existence perhaps Garland knew and wanted to avoid for Terra.
I beat this game for the first time last year and really enjoyed it. I just played it again and enjoyed it even more because I actually took the time to do side content, learn all the abilities/supports and get the best gear.
It’s an exceptional game.
My favorite by far! 8 and 10 bored me so I couldnt even finish them. 7 is a good second place.
Dude you already know its gonna be a banger of a retrospective when the youtuber has between 1k and 10k subs
hey, constructive criticism, but the rough cuts makes it so I feel like i-ve missed something or that an error happened on the reproduction of the content. Its too jarring. :) great video
For some reason I could always replay this game, but not FF7 which tells me that I like this one a lot more.
What's not the meaning of life than death? If so Kuja are seeking in existence something outside of existence which doesn't exist. What is the meaning of existence is existence itself, not something outside of it. If you see existence teleologically (purpose or destiny) you fail to see existence as it is.
I was never a fan of the chibi kidlike artwork. That's why X and VIII are my favorite.
I’ve played this game hundreds of times. Ready for the remake!
10 year old me playing seeing Vivi for the first time "I would die for him"
Did you use the Moguri mod? The graphics look awesome.
I did.
@@GamingWithSpoons Great, its the best. Thanks for the video, man. This game is the best I've ever played.
It is so good, I really love Final Fantasy IX.
Fantastic video. Well structured and your narration is great. I was contemplating playing FF9 again and this is making me want to do that even more!
Thank you I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Ive been obssesed with Final Fantasy games recently lol.
i never managed to get to the ending. now i finaly know how the story ends.
Lowest volume on TH-cam, but overall nice.
I was stuck on soul cage for months.... Didn't know you could just cast life on him
Lol life or phoenix down does the job. I actually found that out thanks to an employee at a game store.
@@GamingWithSpoons yeah back in the day when the internet wasn't really a thing you had to just hope one of your friends had the answer. I remember being stuck in the deku tree in Zelda and my dad asked his coworkers for help. They gave him the hint that deku sticks burn. Got me out of a bind.
Thanks for the quality video!
Dem speedrun strats haha
Ya know, I've been due for a FF9 replay. I think I played 7 and 8 way more but when I think of FF "nostalgia", you're right. It's always 9 that comes to mind.
It's weird the older I get the more this rings true.
This game is still my favorite RPG of all time. If I wanted a techno-slum setting , the niche already existed before FF7. In my opinion, never before has a game benefited from a sudden technological leap than FF7. And honestly? Shit doesn’t hold up. Story-wise. Combat-wise. Character-wise. Graphically? It looks like the RPG version of Virtua Fighter 1.
Not to say I hate FF7. It’s a great game. But it doesn’t have nearly the amount of heart or meaning of FF9 to me.
I think both have meaning and tackle very different ideas while tackling the same thing. I'll analyze Final Fantasy VII at some point but it's more of a critique on the world while rising up against corruption, while Final Fantasy IX is more finding one's place. Appreciate the comment thank you for watching :)
I'm laid up with a broken rib at the moment. I don't know what its is about this video, but it took 4 attempts to actually finish it. I kept falling asleep after 20 or 30 minutes and, more importantly, managed to stay asleep longer than 45 minutes. (That's a compliment, not a critique, btw.) Despite taking heavy medications, I haven't gotten much sleep for the past 3 days. To make matters worse, sleep deprivation triggers a movement disorder. After finally seeing the end, I rewound and "watched" it again.
At any rate, I've been contemplating buying the FF9 and FF10 remasters for the Switch. I like things that explore concepts like "destiny" or "God's will" as well as spirituality and what it means to be human or alive in general.
TL;DR Great video and exploration of meaning/themes in the subtext woven throughout the narrative.
I appreciate the compliment glad to know I'm not the only one who enjoys falling asleep to long reviews lol. Sorry to hear about the broken rib sounds really painful. Hope you have a speedy recovery.
As someone who's struggled with reading comprehension and depression most of my life, nothing in this world means more to me than Final Fantasy IX, the game that inspired and challenged me. This game's unique ability to keep my head above water is unmatched by anything else. If all other books, games, and shows disappeared, if I could only choose one piece of art and entertainment, I'd choose FFIX and it wouldn't even be close. I can't disagree with you more about FF7 and 8 having better stories, but that's just me. FFIX hit me so hard that nothing else can. Maybe that's what something being your favorite is all about.
Personally I think Final Fantasy 8 has a weakest story. Final Fantasy X and 7 have a complexity that's more up front and make it easier to engage for most people. But Final Fantasy 9 has a truly amazing story that goes unnoticed. It's a truly deep story. I implore you to at least watch the deeper meaning part because it's just as deep if not deeper than the aforementioned two.
My child is around the same age as vivi's perceived age. Vivi talking about his grandpa stings right now because I lost my dad this year. My child speaks fondly of her grandpa. It's true..life is precious, and it's our job to carry those precious memories forward. In that way, we are immortal. This game helps me through my grief.
Sorry for your loss :(
FF IX is one of the best, IV is my favorite but IX is a very close second. I just wish FF would go back to games like this and stop doing whatever it is they are doing because IMO it’s not FF anymore
Agreed
1:15:49 I never realized what that "cycle" was in that it implies Gaian souls cease to be. For however long the Iifa Tree existed that's tens of thousands, maybe millions of Gaian souls just gone. That's metal.
I expanded a bit more on it further into video but it's become one of my favorite things about Final Fantasy IX stories
Amazing Analysis, very reflective thoughts. I was holding out on watching this until I finished the game, you really did bring me answers to a lot of questions I had, specially at the end. Thank you!
Thank you for watching.
Interesting video! This game deserves a remake.
Soul Cage: I have seen the end of my thousand-year life, and it is not now. You cannot defeat me, it is futile to even try.
Eiko: *Life*
Soul Cage: *pwned*
Lol. To be fair Soulcage was much bigger than the tree enemy we fought. Soulcage was that entire device and likely connected to gaia's crystal.
Quina is the real main character.
Such a good game. Many RPGs have come and gone from my top 5 but FF9 has remained my number one since playing it in the ps1 era.
It's one of my favorites too.
For me what made this game so special to me was the hidden things.
I’d love to see FF delve into a more stylized art direction like this again. 🙂 gritty more realistic art sensibility is industry standard in USA and I’d like to see a departure, at least for one game
Agreed.
Final fantasy 6 and 9 where my favourite. Also as said at the beginning of the video, FF6 help me to enjoy reading.
Final Fantasy VI is also one of my personal favorites. Thank you for sharing a personal story.
Huh I thought my brothers and I were the only people who left Garnet's name. I never liked Dagger, but I love the name Garnet.
Same lol.
I always named Garnet, Sarah since it's her true name. I was excited when I found that out, and did you know if you have the nameaway card, you can rename your characters as many times as you want so I took advantage and renamed her
I've gotten pretty much everything Final Fantasy IX has to offer.... except for the Jump King. That was a really cool secret to add to Eidolon Wall
Well done documentary on one of my favorites, thank you very much. God bless. Jesus loves you!
Thank you for watching :)
After years of playing it on and off I finally beat it and I think it's my favorite game now. Thank you this was nice
Thank you for watching and congrats on beating it.
I should've known when 6 was all the way down the list. Those who love 7. Try their hardest to make 6 an afterthought. The only thing better about 7 over 6 Is the CGI cut scenes. Only sony ponies hold 7 in such high regards. Square couldn't even market it as an RPG being scared that might hurt sells. They basically tricked its way into extra sells.
Ff9 has always been my favorite and I foresee always will be. When I was a child it was my first final fantasy and provided me an escape from some of the bad parts of my childhood. Replaying this as an adult some 20 years later I was able to appreciate the story and it's message so much more. I share a deep connection with zidane and who he is as a character as there was a point in my life I had lost myself and it was the friends I had who helped me remember the person who I was. As his character card says in the title screen " you don't need a reason to help people" I carry those words close to my heart
Zidane is such a great protagonist. Thank you for sharing such a deeply personal story. I always love how video games can help us out of the darkest of times.
Phenomenal video. Thank you very much for putting it together. Very thoughtful and interesting throughout. I look forward to checking out your other work! :)
Thank you I appreciate the kind words. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
FFVII, X, and IX are my top three titles. The cartoony art style hides how deep the story and themes are. I think it's the deepest Final Fantasy.
I have to agree I just got off of play 7 which I'm working on a video of and 9 goes hard on certain themes.
Great videos brother, thank you for your contributions and creations
Thank you for watching glad you enjoyed it.
This was masterful. I loved it. Can’t wait to look at more of your work. Bravo.
Thank you.
There seems to be a fair bit of similarities in FFIX to the story of Legend of Legaia. Coincidence?
Maybe the were released in the same or at the very least crossed development of each other year so it's possible. Cort is a crazy scientist kinda like Hojo too. So there is that.
I loved the story and characters and how you gained abilities however i hated the trance system. Id trance on a random mob and it was irritating
Yup. i mentioned that how I tranced twice during the end of a Beatrix fight wasting it.
Best final fantasy by a landscape.
For my taste, this was the best post Famicom FF. 7 doesn't even come close and don't @ me.
It definitely felt like it was an expansion on those earlier days
Loved the video, the philosophic (help, spelling) view on it and just the overall video. I hope you will continue to make videos and you're the first who I ever out the bell notification on, at 😝
Well thank you I appreciate it I've got quite a few games I'd love to take a look at.
Cool! Will you be making more in-depth videos of Final Fantasy games as well?
@@manoukirishanning Yes. I want to branch out a bit and do many in depth reviews of all types of games, but next up on my list is Final Fantasy X. I've got a lot to say about this title so it should be fun.
Tant-tellus? You messed up
Tan-tulh-us
Its not how you say it at all man not Zi-dane its Zuh-Daan.
Geez.
@ Hiroyuki ito ATB was a mistake
One thing I loved about this game was the artwork and atmosphere, it felt extremely cozy while I was laying in bed with my blankets on in the middle of the night.
The artwork really stands out imo.
I've never heard his name pronounced as Zy-Dayne before.
Everyone I knew in middle school from my friend group pronounced it that way I thought it was normal. 😂 Thanks for being at least nice about it.
Vivi is my favorite mage character in video games.
Agreed, he is easily one of the best written video game characters.
FF9 was what I was given in 8th grade when I couldn’t afford persona 5, a family friend game shared with me, Ziddane is still a legendary protagonist to me, even if others are better written he still hits different then almost anyone
I think Zidane is one of the best characters in the franchise.
@@GamingWithSpoons exactly, even if he isn’t the best written he’s still up there and awesome
Hoping we get more videos soon ! Just binged your Channel at work
Thank you working on one right now
I would still consider this to be the best FF game
It holds up so well.
It’s been really been sad for me really where Final Fantasy is heading. It’s losing more and more of the essence that truly makes this series great. Although the FF7 remake is doing well. I honestly don’t care for better graphics if the combat system is going the direction of a hack and slash😢
There is the combat and it also just lost something else along the way. I feel like Final Fantasy was a product of its time. It's a series that doesn't have the same charm it once did. It is evident they have pushed for graphics more than anything else and its combat and storytelling feels lacking. I'll be honest I don't have a desire to play remake part 2 I didn't care much for the first part.
@@GamingWithSpoonsya i wasn’t even hyped when i got to play the demo so i didn’t get it. I got 15 and thought it was just a kingdom hearts battle system with better graphics. The story and world was lacking so much it was a disappointment for me. Especially that you never can choose when you can see your summons. I have never had a fight where my summon came out like wtf.
Ur audio Mic too low
Its pretty loud lol
@iwanttolearnguitar not for me. I can barely hear him. I got headphones on and it sounds like hes whispering
Amazing video… wow
Zy-dayne? No way
Back in the early Internet days, i made a Freya fansite like literally from scratch learning web development with Microsoft frontpage 2000. the rest is history. I love ff9 and will continue to talk about it 20 years from now.
AWESOME RETROSPECTIVE!! Please make more of these videos!!
Will do I'm playing through Final Fantasy X right now :)
This was great! I only watched the end "deeper meaning" section but I'll catch the rest soon. Great work!
Thank you! I'm quite honored not sure what to say, you and Mike have inspired me to take a look into video game stories.
@@GamingWithSpoons Really? That means a lot, thanks for the praise. FF9 meant a lot to me too. It was the 2nd FF I played after 7. It was the first one I showed my wife, too, and it's still her favorite as well.
alg
FFIX was my introduction into the series. It is very misunderstood by fans, and poorly underrated. I continue to play this game to the day without getting bored with it. 9 is basically the Dark Crystal of the franchise with the deepest story, and memorable soundtrack.
Dark Crystal is an interesting comparison.
@@GamingWithSpoons Creators at Square were inspired by the film.
Really? That's pretty interesting actually but the comparisons are not hard to see.