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[M.T.S]

I made a tribute to my take on a FFXVI main character inspired by the style of FFIX like Zidane mixed with Squall meaning brown haired with a scar while being a bit short and thin with a tail. I named him Danton.

Danton - Tribute to FFXVI main character fan art by MathiasTS on DeviantArt

www.deviantart.com

I'm also considering making a new black mage inspired by ViVi except being more of a red mage with red eyes and a different look. A proper FFIX remake one day is a dream but the wait is too long for that now.

 

[base]

It's yotally different from 7 and 8 but it's my number 3. 7, 8, 9 and also 10 were great games.

 

[base]

The last actually good final fantasy game.

FFX was also good.

 

[PianistaMacabro]

FfIX best ff I've played by far and top game of my infancy, just amazing

 

[GymWolf]

FFX was also good.

It was decent at best.

 

[zelhawks37]

It was my first Final Fantasy and it is still my favorite. Zidane is just so likable.

 

[Ixion]

FFX was also good.

Both FFX and FFXII are great, and in different ways. For me it was FFXIII where the series fell off. But things have gradually gotten better since then.

 

[Blueghost]

Ffix was the last great ff game for me, the series took a severe nosedive from there, world building specially. The only one I liked afterwards it’s xii even though the game is plagued by many of the faults of modern ffs entries. Guess I liked the music and combat that much. The greatest mistake of the series was getting rid of prerendered backgrounds imo, they went full 3D and began using the same textures everywhere, excessive use of halls, unnecessary enormous environments, losing all of the charm and the credibility of the world. Haven’t played ffvii remake yet though, let’s hope the world is still as immersive as the original.

 

[Ozzie666]

It got overlooked at the time it was released due to the PS2 releasing in america. The main character is no where near as popular or done as well as Cloud or Squall. The supporting cast, at least to me, is much more memorable though. Nice mix of emotion and sadness from Vivi and Steiner's clunky humor. However, the ending of FF8 is still one of the best drop dropping PS1 moments of all time. So well done. I forget how FF9 ended..

 

[Ashraf’s Lioness]

Man I love Final Fantasy franchise so much

 

[Ixion]

The greatest mistake of the series was getting rid of prerendered backgrounds imo, they went full 3D and began using the same textures everywhere, excessive use of halls, unnecessary enormous environments, losing all of the charm and the credibility of the world.

I'd say that issue exists more with 12 than it does with 10, since 12 had all those big, repeating environments and no pre-rendered backgrounds anywhere. That's actually the one big flaw of the game for me, which is that some dungeons go on for too long and are too samey looking throughout (with the lame main character being another flaw).

10 on the other hand, while definitely having its share of "halls", definitely kept its environments and dungeons very efficient and well paced without repeating for too long with the sole purpose of keeping the player's immersion as you mentioned. Also, pre-rendered backgrounds were still used quite a lot in 10, which adds that extra charm. Some examples:

But yeah, FFXIII went even harder on the "halls" stuff, and FFXV had the overly big and tedious open world. FFVII Remake also has it's share of oversized/repeating environments to make room for the real-time action combat, but also a lot of cool, rich environments as well.

 

[Blueghost]

I'd say that issue exists more with 12 than it does with 10, since 12 had all those big, repeating environments and no pre-rendered backgrounds anywhere. That's actually the one big flaw of the game for me, which is that some dungeons go on for too long and are too samey looking throughout (with the lame main character being another flaw).

10 on the other hand, while definitely having its share of "halls", definitely kept its environments and dungeons very efficient and well paced without repeating for too long with the sole purpose of keeping the player's immersion as you mentioned. Also, pre-rendered backgrounds were still used quite a lot in 10, which adds that extra charm. Some examples:



But yeah, FFXIII went even harder on the "halls" stuff, and FFXV had the overly big and tedious open world. FFVII Remake also has it's share of oversized/repeating environments to make room for the real-time action combat, but also a lot of cool, rich environments as well.

It’s been a long time since I played X and yeah, I completely forgot the use of prerendered backgrounds, they do look nice. Still, X marks the end of the classics and the beginning of prioritizing “fighting arenas” over world building, I’m definitely getting ffvii remake after I’m done with tlou 2, the music alone is gonna make the playthrough worth it.

 

[Ixion]

X marks the end of the classics and the beginning of prioritizing “fighting arenas” over world building

I would definitely recommend giving it another shot, especially since there's a great PS4 remaster available. And I say that because the world-building is arguably my favorite thing about FFX. Yeah, it may not be an open-world game in terms of gameplay, but the storytelling spends a lot of time on building up the world of Spira, especially since Tidus is a fish out of water like Dorothy in Wizard of Oz or Neo in the Matrix (the Hero's Journey), so you as the player learn a lot about the world and its history as you play. And combine that with the vibrant and unique art-style of the game, and it results in a really rich and memorable game world.

And keep in mind that once you get the airship 2/3 through the story, you're able to instantly hop around to any area in the world. You may not be able to fly the airship, but you're still able to freely explore the whole world and take up side-quests (most of which are cool, and some of which are sadistic like the Chocobo racing).

I’m definitely getting ffvii remake after I’m done with tlou 2, the music alone is gonna make the playthrough worth it.

Yeah, the music is top-notch in FFVII Remake. You won't be disappointed there.

 

[ZZZZ]

I'm not sure if NeoGaf likes fan art.

Here's a good one from the anniversary.

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

Aaaand finished!

I had forgotten basically everything from the later portion of the game. It’s a bit rushed (and what happens to the world map at one point makes late-game exploring a big no-no, essentially streamlining the final act of the story), but wonderfully executed. I shed some tears during the ending, even if I’ve rewatched the final FMV more than one time in the last 20 years. It’s just so sweet

FF9 has by far the most likeable main character of the PS FFs. While Cloud and Squall have a good story, Zidane is also a good, lively character. The cast, while very likeable, is a bit underused though. Freya’s character arc is essentially completed before the end of Disc 2, and Amarant never really gels with the party to the point that the story would be pretty much the same without him. The others are lovely characters, but it may be argued that it’s by far the most “Japanese” cast of the PS games, with the long-haired babe, the noisy trundere-ish brat and the cute chibi black mage. It’s a nice group, though, and the story is simple but enjoyable. The most “Japanese” characters, for once, aren’t annoying or creepy - rather, Vivi and Eiko steal the scene every time they open their mouth.

I’m planning to replay the game with cheats, with no random battles and no side quests, to play it in English this time. Actually I’ve already started my run in English, but I am a bit disappointed. The Italian translation, loudly criticised at the time for its use of dialects and for some heavy liberties in localization, blows the English one out of the water as a matter of fact. The use of dialects makes everything more interesting and lively right from the start, with the Tantalus crew members each speaking in a different accent that makes each character immediately recognizable. Also Vivi’s stutter is much stronger in Italian, and I think it defines the character much better. The English version is very plain by comparison.

The main problem of FF9 is that it’s. so. effing. slow. I can’t stress the usefulness of the QoL “cheats” enough, they’re a game changer.

 

[Ozzie666]

Aaaand finished!

I had forgotten basically everything from the later portion of the game. It’s a bit rushed (and what happens to the world map at one point makes late-game exploring a big no-no, essentially streamlining the final act of the story), but wonderfully executed. I shed some tears during the ending, even if I’ve rewatched the final FMV more than one time in the last 20 years. It’s just so sweet

FF9 has by far the most likeable main character of the PS FFs. While Cloud and Squall have a good story, Zidane is also a good, lively character. The cast, while very likeable, is a bit underused though. Freya’s character arc is essentially completed before the end of Disc 2, and Amarant never really gels with the party to the point that the story would be pretty much the same without him. The others are lovely characters, but it may be argued that it’s by far the most “Japanese” cast of the PS games, with the long-haired babe, the noisy trundere-ish brat and the cute chibi black mage. It’s a nice group, though, and the story is simple but enjoyable. The most “Japanese” characters, for once, aren’t annoying or creepy - rather, Vivi and Eiko steal the scene every time they open their mouth.

I’m planning to replay the game with cheats, with no random battles and no side quests, to play it in English this time. Actually I’ve already started my run in English, but I am a bit disappointed. The Italian translation, loudly criticised at the time for its use of dialects and for some heavy liberties in localization, blows the English one out of the water as a matter of fact. The use of dialects makes everything more interesting and lively right from the start, with the Tantalus crew members each speaking in a different accent that makes each character immediately recognizable. Also Vivi’s stutter is much stronger in Italian, and I think it defines the character much better. The English version is very plain by comparison.

The main problem of FF9 is that it’s. so. effing. slow. I can’t stress the usefulness of the QoL “cheats” enough, they’re a game changer.

This is the one ff game where I felt a background character like Vivi, stole the entire show. To me Zidane was very forgettable and generic, compared to Cloud and Squall. I mentioned above somewhere, even Steiner is more easily remembered as the clumsy knight.

I know this is simplistic but, Buster Sword and Gun blade have transcended generations, what did Zidane use? But FF9's setting is fantastic and was a nice change from the two previous games.

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

This is the one ff game where I felt a background character like Vivi, stole the entire show. To me Zidane was very forgettable and generic, compared to Cloud and Squall. I mentioned above somewhere, even Steiner is more easily remembered as the clumsy knight.

I know this is simplistic but, Buster Sword and Gun blade have transcended generations, what did Zidane use? But FF9's setting is fantastic and was a nice change from the two previous games.

I get where you’re coming from, but... yeah, Cloud and Squall DO a lot of things and their design is iconic, but in all the things that they do and that happen to them, there’s not much of a character shining through imo. They’re the supposed leaders of their respective parties, but they mostly seem to get dragged along and to not really want anything to do with what’s going on a lot of times. Zidane on the other hand, is always getting people to follow him somehow. He’s very charismatic and proactive, and there’s barely a time when he doesn’t know where to go and what to do.

While Cloud and Squall do become more defined characters by the end of their travels, they spend a lot of time in development. Any other main party character easily steals their show for most of the game.

 

[Rikoi]

I'd like to add this here to make FFIX fans dream some more:

Final Fantasy 9 Sequel Hopes Sparked By Dev Interview

Some Final Fantasy devs really love FF9.

screenrant.com

"Final Fantasy 9 is loved by the fans, but it's also very loved by us, the development team. I would be delighted if, respecting the wishes of the original development team, there could one day be the opportunity to continue the story of Final Fantasy 9, which meant so much to all of us."

 

[JORMBO]

I fired this up on the Switch. Even with battle speed cranked up it feels like everything moves super slow.

 

[Kuro Shiragami]

Long time happy bday ff ix

 

[M.T.S]

I'd like to add this here to make FFIX fans dream some more:

Final Fantasy 9 Sequel Hopes Sparked By Dev Interview

Some Final Fantasy devs really love FF9.

screenrant.com

"Final Fantasy 9 is loved by the fans, but it's also very loved by us, the development team. I would be delighted if, respecting the wishes of the original development team, there could one day be the opportunity to continue the story of Final Fantasy 9, which meant so much to all of us."

Thank you so much for linking this. Now I have some hope to cling on to.

 

[UltimaKilo]

I was so hyped for this game. I remember posting on FF:WA the day I got it. It was the last FF to really live up to the hype for me (although I loved FFXI).

 

[DogofWar]

No love for the chocobo sidequest? Everytime I replay FF9 it is because I get the music from the Chocobo minigame in my head and want to run around and dig for treasure.

Aaaand it started again... Dammit!

 

[Rikoi]

No love for the chocobo sidequest? Everytime I replay FF9 it is because I get the music from the Chocobo minigame in my head and want to run around and dig for treasure.

Aaaand it started again... Dammit!

Yes! I spent countless hours to find the chocographs and unlocking every chocobo colors, and everytime I replay it I can't miss it.
This is the music from the minigame that can be heard in other sections of the game too:

 

[Aggressive Carrot]

I'd like to add this here to make FFIX fans dream some more:

Final Fantasy 9 Sequel Hopes Sparked By Dev Interview

Some Final Fantasy devs really love FF9.

screenrant.com

"Final Fantasy 9 is loved by the fans, but it's also very loved by us, the development team. I would be delighted if, respecting the wishes of the original development team, there could one day be the opportunity to continue the story of Final Fantasy 9, which meant so much to all of us."

I wanted this for almost 20 years. I'd be down if the continuation maintained the feel, looks and charm of Final Fantasy IX. And not for mobile.

 

[Aggressive Carrot]

No love for the chocobo sidequest? Everytime I replay FF9 it is because I get the music from the Chocobo minigame in my head and want to run around and dig for treasure.

Aaaand it started again... Dammit!

Yes! I spent countless hours to find the chocographs and unlocking every chocobo colors, and everytime I replay it I can't miss it.
This is the music from the minigame that can be heard in other sections of the game too:

I spent tons of hours on this. The music is unforgettable. During my recent play through I skipped Chocograph and treasure hunting. Didn't feel like getting sucked in the extremely long side quest again.

 

[DogofWar]

I spent tons of hours on this. The music is unforgettable. During my recent play through I skipped Chocograph and treasure hunting. Didn't feel like getting sucked in the extremely long side quest again.

Yea that side quest with Zidane, Garnet and pals who go and fight Kuja is quite time consuming and frankly takes up too much time from chocograph hunting.

Or wait...

 

[Trogdor1123]

Second best FF after 6. Awesome game.

 

[Silvawuff]

I really enjoyed this FF. Hell, I still have a Freya Crescent wallscroll on my bedroom wall.

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

No love for the chocobo sidequest? Everytime I replay FF9 it is because I get the music from the Chocobo minigame in my head and want to run around and dig for treasure.

It’s one of the best things about the game. Unfortunately, like everything in the game, it’s horribly slow if you don’t speed it up. I think Chocobo Hot ‘n Cold alone could take 20+ hours to complete at normal game speed. Even with the speed cranked up, those darned Chocographs like to take their sweet time to show up. It’s so satisfying, so many years after the original version, to blaze through the game and pick up so many treasures. It was basically impossible to find 8 treasures in a single turn in the original.

 

[DogofWar]

It’s one of the best things about the game. Unfortunately, like everything in the game, it’s horribly slow if you don’t speed it up. I think Chocobo Hot ‘n Cold alone could take 20+ hours to complete at normal game speed. Even with the speed cranked up, those darned Chocographs like to take their sweet time to show up. It’s so satisfying, so many years after the original version, to blaze through the game and pick up so many treasures. It was basically impossible to find 8 treasures in a single turn in the original.

Yes I played it on the original playstation the first few times and it was very rare to get 8 treasures. Now on emulator I manage to get it more often than not after getting the hang of it somehow. I remember there were a lot of very slow parts, such as the intro to every battle taking several seconds in the original as well. Was a bitch to farm things.

 

[VidKid369]

I beat this for the first time a couple months ago and I had a blast with it! I can't believe it's already 20 years old. I remember when I first played it as a young kid I hated the characters because I was so used to FFVII and FFVIII. Now obviously I don't care as much, but I just thought that was weird and a downgrade.

I still have to replay the PlayStation FF's but this game is definitely one of my favorites from that era. I still sorta like FFIV and FFVI on SNES more, by comparison I just grew up with those games and they're really memorable to me, lol.

I like that Zidane actually talks. I remember I hated Garnet and Amarant back when I originally played but now they're my two favorites along with Quina. I just thought Amarant using claws was such a throwback.

The ending was ok I liked their message. I - It definitely makes me want to re-play the series.

 

[bumleforce]

im trying to get my 8 year old to play it so she can play a game and be forced to read at the same time. Such a fantastic game. I agree with a lot of people here. When I played it a long time ago wasnt a big deal now years later it is better.

 

[H4ze]

20 years already.. I still remember fondly how I read a game guide for FF IX until I finally got my Dad to rent the game from a video store for me.
My 8 years old self was blown away buy the visuals and how it played, have love for the ATB system since the first minute.

 

[Dark Rider]

An absolute gem and a must play for any jrpg fan. 20 years later and I still love it, aged as one of the best for sure.

 

[Paltheos]

I never got the love for this one. I played it when it came out and when I was just devouring anything I could get my hands on. Maybe it was the slow, slow game speed on the PS1, maybe it was the limited customization you could do to your team (compared to the last entries anyway) and relative scaling of power. It could have been the slapstick and character designs which went... a little too far imo? Nothing about this game ever grabbed me. So many other entries in the series I can look back fondly on, but this one always fell flat to me. It was never bad. I enjoyed it, but I always find myself ranking 9 somewhere near the bottom of my rankings of these games.

 

[Komatsu]

I vastly prefer X to IX, which I believe tends to be massively overrated - the fandom loves the fact that it's kinda retro, though the plot is astonishingly, mindbogglingly stupid, with one of the most incredible asspulls/deux ex machinas ever inflicted upon the franchise towards the very end (you know, after Kuja). It was originally designed as a Gaiden title and it shows.

 

[German Hops]

Great game, but having four party members in a Final Fantasy game really bothered me.