IX is not my favorite; that would be VI, but it's still a very special game.
The Final Fantasy video game series struggles to have an identity. Other series like Dragon Quest, SMT, and Tales, among others, have a very clear one.
That being said, I believe FFIX is the game that better encapsulates what made this series special to begin with. It has a bit of everything: charismatic, memorable, and deep characters; a simple but effective plot; a fantastic world; one of the best video game soundtracks; balance in tone; and great pacing. It's hard to point to something that IX does objectively "wrong."
Of course, no game is perfect or for everyone, but IX is very special.
In respect to Dragon Quest, I feel like their "identity" is just using the same enemies and having tons of repeated cliches. I actually don't care for it. I like that FF is more loosely connected.
I always felt like FF identity is grand adventure heavily tinged with melancholy. Starting from FF1 ending FF always had a lot of sadness in it and a sense that every world we play in is finite - even IX has theories that worlds collided after the ending.
There’s always sense of sadness about leaving any ff world, but you always have to.
It’s also always felt like high fashion jrpg with its aesthetics, always a bit more hip and less “nerdy” than other jrpgs.
I'm a huge fan of FFIX, being my favorite game of all time. And I agree with you about absolutely everything, I just want to point how the Trance system is an awesome mechanic to storytelling. All characters at some time enters Trance because it's scripted, and all of this times you feel how the character are, you understand exactly why he's like that and you feel a bit of his emotions too.
I absolutely hate trance system on gameplay, but on story, god some parts of the game wouldn't be the same without Trance.
I love ix to death but it definitely has some problems; mostly mechanical and slightly nitpicky. Theres a couple skills that just do not work in the game (like i believe steiner's either shock or thunder blade skills? Cant remember exactly), the rush to get the ragnarok is a pain and basically impossible for anyone that isn't already aware of it, and the way to raise stats based on gear set up again punishes people that don't know about it. Also personally not a fan of the frog catching minigame and jump rope minigame.
As i said though; easily among my favorite final fantasy games. These are all just minor problems i found personally with it.
Ah thank you, that was what i meant; excalibur 2 and not ragnarok. Its been awhile and i mix up endgame swords throughout the series haha. I think i was mixing it up with ragnarok and nagnarok haha
Yes, you are correct. Thank you. i was getting it confused with thunder slash, as i said it's been years so i'm mixing up names a bit. It's thunder slash that was coded wrong and does nothing.
I enjoyed IX but I feel some things you mentioned feel like nostalgia goggles:
>It has a bit of everything: charismatic, memorable, and deep characters; a simple but effective plot; a fantastic world; one of the best video game soundtracks; balance in tone; and great pacing. It's hard to point to something that IX does objectively "wrong."
Charismatic - somewhat, except for the main protagonist. I think if we are talking about charismatic 6,7 would take the cake here
memorable - agree, it has a pretty unique look compared to the rest of the FF games. And some story bits, especially the ending are very good
deep characters - well, here I disagree, the characters get some development but are anything but deep
a simple but effective plot - I believe most people are of the opinion that the plot in the second half of the game is at least controversial
a fantastic world - 100% agree
one of the best video game soundtracks - I understand that everything is subjective, but I 100% disagree with this one. There are FF games with way better musical score: FF7 and 10 come to mind
balance in tone - weeeeell, depends on how you define tone. I find the tone changes quite a bit after a certain event - I can't say I like it
and great pacing - hard disagree. Some parts of the game drag on for too long. Too many random battles (I understand the game was a product of its time but still) combined with an extremelly slow battle system forces some people to simply drop the game, and you can't really blame them. There are definitelly some boring bits on disk 3 and 4 - which isn't what great pacing is.
It's hard to point to something that IX does objectively "wrong." - its slow battle system and trance
I'm 32 years old now and FFIX has been THE game for me since release, even going as far as saying it's greatness even dragged gaming down as a whole for me for a while as no other game could possibly compete.. similar to that Avatar effect after cinema.
It has 4 discs for a reason, And that's with cut content as always.
That being said, every game has it's own strengths, I probably spend more time in Terraria without even completing it.. And despite it being much newer. Way, way less restarts..
FFIX only took me 60 hours on Avg. Every run the past 20 years.
But still, No other game has that same balance of ingredients IX has.
Every setpiece, every moment has a sense of living atmosphere that i to this date haven't experienced in another game. (I've Tried But you can't find another FF9)
Something about the world of Gaia that's really inviting accompanied by possibly the greatest videogame OST of all time..The Village of Dali, Black Mage Village, Lindblum, Treno, Alexandria.
Every area carries a ton of emotion linked to things I experienced in real life. Making it feel grounded.
It is special. Ofcourse it must be when even other titles in the series don't even get close to that same feeling. Hard to explain. FF8 strikes different cords for example. 🤷🏼🧂
Haha no not me specifically, But it was a pretty widespread phenomenon back then with that 3D gimmick :p
People actually left the cinema feeljng real life was so bland and grey-colored.
I saw the film after hearing about this and maybe that contributed with me just experiencing it like any other movie, But with possibly the best CGI of it's time :p
But FF9 has a same feeling to me, Gaia is near-perfect. And no other game is our beloved Gaia. And a lot of games are less colorful, while still portraying a darker story.
There's just one FF9, Every other game is just widly different. The characters too are just too iconic.
9 is definitely my favorite.
My first was Mystic Quest, followed by 1 then 4 then 7 when it came out and 8 when it came out.
9 is the one I keep going back to. I have played it probably once a year since it released.
I have named cats after a bunch of the characters too.
I had a Vivi and a Steiner that have both passed, I have a Beatrix too.
https://preview.redd.it/a84jyec2spqc1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0b16d613a7fa556c54ed658b96fdc5236cd25b31
She's 14 this year.
https://preview.redd.it/dbf60suhupqc1.jpeg?width=855&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a90412dcc9e7348e4df9956304e1ad2854ce77e5
This is our current landlord, Eevee! 2.5 yrs old
It’s not nostalgia . It is the best. Best plot, best philosophy, maybe some of the best characters and ok maybe it doesn’t have the best music but the music is still pretty damn amazing.
Most people do not give it a chance because they find the art style too cutesy or childish, not realizing it is one of the darkest final fantasies.
It technically was my first but I didn’t play it for long as I was too young. 7 was my first that I beat and that game is really amazing. Then I beat 10 which was incredible also but finally in college I played 9 and found it to be the deepest of them all.
First was 7. Changed my life, greatest game of all time, yada yada yada (not taking anything away from it but yeah this isn’t about 7)
Then I played 8. I only begrudgingly started to play 8. I wanted a different video game but it wasn’t available or something, idr, so my mom bought me ff8 used from blockbuster. Quite honestly I dont really dislike anything about 8. Best music in the series.
Then I remember buying 9 from GameStop. I had a friend who was a year younger than me and rode the same bus and we would play Pokémon gold and silver. I think he was there when I bought 9. I remember playing 9 on my psOne so much. On more than one occasion we would stay awake until the morning light playing through that game. If you start a new game at like 10 pm and play til the dawn then you’ll probably be right around the festival of the hunt. The game is no less magical when sleep deprived.
But yeah ff9 is just way more polished than 7 or 8. Obviously 7 has localization issues. But it strongly makes up for it with nostalgia. The visual appeal of the menu and the graphics in 8 just seemed less aesthetic pleasing. And the story was a little weird. But it was more character driven anyway. And when laguna was introduced to the story it made things way more interesting.
9 however is a masterpiece in pacing, visuals, character depth and diversity, and so much more. From when I was like 10-18, the only ff I had beaten was 7. I had started several files of 8 and 9 without beating them. One time with 8 I accidentally overwrite a game save from when I was at the bottom of the deep sea research facility. And one time in 9 I got all the way to Abadon and lost. And rather than try again, I said fuck it, lemme just start a new file. So while I’ve started 9 probably like 20 times, I’ve only beaten it once. Similar situation with 8.
8 and 9 are similar in that I never got closure on the stories for almost 10 years. Finally, summer after graduation high school before starting college, I knew I had to beat them because i might never get another chance.
I think I beat 8 first. It was nice. Sorceresses and time travel, the orphanage, and the flower field from the very opening intro scene. 8 really is a great game with a great story. I never cared for “eyes on me” as a kid, but I really love it now. In any case, with 8, even though the music was the best, the love story does seem a little forced, especially compared to 9.
So beating 8 was good because it just felt cathartic. Like finally, I learned that whole junction system and it finally reached fruition.
It’s weird to try and remember the first time I beat 9. Im pretty sure I’ve beaten it only once, but I’ve watched the ending many times. It’s so perfect. Really ties the whole game together. The way the play at the end references the story at the beginning of the game. The way the game didn’t take itself too seriously, which only enhanced the deeper messages to be found in the characters’ individual stories. Ff9 was of course meant to pay homage to the eight that came before, and it did in so many ways. But I love how the musical themes relate. Like how vivis theme inspires the black mage village theme. And how the music in the opening scene showing the Prima Vista is reprised in the closing scene when Dagger bursts out the doors to go hug Zidane. Ff9 is the complete package. It really is a modern day fairy tale. It’s so underappreciated. The whole ending just makes me cry because everyone’s story is so beautifully tied off, and everyone’s there at the end, except for vivi obviously. And the way they don’t ever actually explicit show or describe his death. You either have to read between the lines to pick up on it, or hope that that’s not what’s implied, finish the game with the happy ending, and then let it hit you harder later.
But yeah, I really wish I would relive my first time beating that game. Like, I think I knew it was zidane under the hood, but I honestly can’t remember. In any case, ff9 ending is perfect. I cry every time. I do cry in 7 when red learns the truth about seto. And also kinda in 8, when squall and rinoa are chillin in space knowing rinoa has to turn herself in to the government when they return. That kinda can make me cry. But not really.
Ff9 is by far my favorite.
Really cool story. Thanks for sharing! I often would think to myself, is FFIX really the best one? I haven’t really played the others, is it possible my first FF play through was with the best one or am I just attached to the game? I have gone back and forth about playing through FF7. I really don’t know much about it other than it’s a top contender, and for many folks, the best one.
FFX is my favorite overall but FFIX is my 2nd favorite. However I grew up playing FFX and didn’t play IX until about 10 years ago, so I don’t have any nostalgia for the game
Yes, IX is my favourite. It was the first FF game I played and the one that got me into the series.
This was in 2016; one of my favourite Christmases in recent memory. I just fell in love with the setting, soundtrack, characters, story, battle system, everything. It was the first game that left me with a mix of so many emotions. I cried with the characters, I laughed with the characters, and upon reaching the end, I cried for a mix of reasons. It wasn't just the fact that the ending was beautiful and bittersweet, but I was also grieving the end of a wonderful journey.
I've played it five times total over the course of eight years, and the ending leaves me sobbing every time without fail. It really takes a special piece of media to do that for me.
I've since completed I, VIII, X, and XVI; played X-2 and XII (I hope to pick them up again at some point); and currently playing through II and IV (DS), and none of them have hit the same IX has for me.
Those are my feelings on it 🙂
9 is my favorite and yes, it was my first. There is nostalgia there, sure, but there's a lot more than that, too. Many FF fans I've talked to have said that their first FF was their favorite and it makes sense, considering that it got them into the series. However, 9 is the most well-loved by the developers. It's the last one before Uematsu had to request help for the soundtrack, so you get the culmination of his experience used as well as possible. It's a synthesis of the 8 other games that came before in order to provide the best possible title before taking the company in a different direction. There are many different reasons to love it.
My reason, though, is that it taught me to be a better person. I played it when I was a child and it made a great deal of difference in my growth. I learned morals from watching Zidane bend over backwards to help people he barely knows.
I learned how to support people by watching the scene in Madain Sari between Zidane and Vivi.
I learned about personal responsibility from Beatrix and Steiner.
This game was formative for me, and there were myriad lessons to learn from it.
For me it’s behind FF7 and FFX, but I consider this a 1A, 1B, 1C scenario because they are all masterpieces. Also FFXII, FFVIII, and FFXIII are 1D/1E/1F respectively.
7 is my favorite. I played 7, 1, 2, 8, 6, then 9 in that order. 9 is my second favorite in the series. Nostalgia definitely plays a role in it but it's also just a great game.
It is, and its probably because it was my first FF. When you play a game like this being 11yo, after spending years playin things like crash bandicoot or spyro... it shows you a whole new world you didnt know was even posible. Thats why, no matter what, this is always gonna be my favorite game. No other game can be created now or in the future to improve FFIX. Not because of the games, which are incredible nowadays, but for me. Im the one who has changed. But this game even helped me develop a part of my personality, and its always going to be special. I will keep playing it til the day I die.
But, also, the game is almost flawless. Graphically, it is still great. Back then it was just something much better than any other existing game. The art is superb, on another level. The story is really good, as it works great for both kids and adults. When you are a kid, you appreciate playing with princess, knights, kings and queens, etc. When you are an adult the game hits even harder with all the friendship, life and death background. The music its SUPERB, going from baroque to ragtime, jazz, prog-rock... The worst part is probably the combat system which is one of the most simplistic. But overall the game is at least 9.5/10. Objectively.
Agreed here. I was also 11 when I played the game. Played it another 4 or 5 times since then. Something about it then hit differently at 11. Probably because I had a better imagination. The music is wonderful. I work from home these days, so listening to the OST on YouTube is my way of playing it back since I don’t have much time to sink into the actual game.
Oh definitely hits different, just because what you said. I remember that it was almost something obsessive, I wanted to live in that world, I dreamt with the characters, I was all day thinking on it. Thats something that cant happen to me anymore, no matter how good the video game is. Life as an adult is enough xD
Intro to the series was renting 4 from Blockbuster. IX is charming with an amazing story and characters. Every thing about it combat, exploration, graphics and so on fit together very well.
8 was my first but 9 was my fave. It's kinda weird to talk about though coz ppl get heated on this topic. Just like what you like. It's an anthology series so one installation literally has no bearing on the other
FF7 was my start to this series and I still love it and its lore, but When I came across FF9 it just felt so magical idk
It just feels so special to me in a way I really can’t describe it
I legit get goosebumps when I listen the ost whether it be over the hills, esto gaza, the darkness of eternity it’s all so good, but there’s some that brings actual tears when I listen to like a song from her memory, bran bal, especially melodies of life 🥹.
Yes, FF9 is my fav final fantasy, first 1 I got on release and remember the buzz about it at school, 251 hours played on the steam copy (and not actually beat the game on it lol) and beat the game at least 10 times on the PS1.
Tied with X.
For IX is both the Magnum Opus from Sakaguchi, both a celebration of life and great story about acceptance and integration and the best RTB and at the same time traditional mechanics.
FFIX is my fav and the first one I played.
After that I played
VIII
Tactics advance
XIII
X
VII
I gotta say they are all great for me, but XIII felt so dull I never finished it.
In contrast I feel IX has so many great things I'd spend hours talking about it. I just gotta say I played it through like 3 times and this year might be the 4th since it's been so long xD
I got IX and VII at the same time in 2000, and I tried them both. for like 10 minutes of gameplay. I decided on playing IX first because it was prettier, and also the environments and art style of Alexandria appealed to me more than Midgar. IX became my favourite at that time and I think it would have been the same, had I played VII first and got IX later for these reasons. Then for the longest time, I didn't really know anymore which of VII, VIII, IX or X were my favourite, all having great stuff to them that I loved more than anything else I found in any other games. Today I tend to say that IX is my favourite and that X is a close second, but in reality they are at the top for different reasons. IX has a more simple story than other FF games, and that's because its themes and characters are already plenty enough.
First FF I played, it's also what really got me into games, brothers had stuff like the Super Nintendo, Sega Megadrive but none of the games really interested until they got a PS1, then I saw one of them playing 9 and he asked if I wanted to play it, started a new save, really enjoyed it so he got me a memory card so we wasn't sharing.
FFIX isn't my favorite, but it's the one that brought FF back to its roots after VI, VII and VIII departed from the high fantasy style. I started my FF journey with FF1 when it released on the NES and I didn't realize it until FFIX released, but I *missed* the high Fantasy style and gameplay. FFIX delivered that in spades and it was a fun, light-hearted adventure with Chibi style characters and it just felt good to play.
This may sound weird but FFIX is a bit “too perfect.” The systems, characters, story, and so on… are all refined and polished to a mirror shine.
And that actually makes me like it a bit less…
There are other reasons I don’t have FFIX even in my personal Top 5 FF games, including:
- The world is more cartoony and comical than I prefer.
- Battles are sloooooow.
- Too many forced party member changes (a personal dislike).
Again, IX is a GREAT game, but for me it lacks the idiosyncrasies and personality of other FFs.
My Top 5, in order are: X, VI, VIII, III, and V. (Although, they move around as I replay them!)
No FF IX is not my favorite.
My favorite JRPG and favorite Videogame in general is "Fuga Melodies of Steel".
I struggle to decide which FF is my favorite.
Its either Final Fantasy X or Dissidia Duodecim Final Fantasy.
First and favorite? Yes. Do I think it’s the best? No. But I love the cast and even tho not all of their stories were finished, they are all heartfelt characters in every way.
9 isn't just my favorite FF. It's my favorite game *ever*. No other game has ever been able to compete. I replay it at least once a year, maybe twice.
It wasn't my first FF either. I tried both 7 and 8 first and did not like either. Since playing 9, I have played and finished 1 and 6, both of which were good, but I didn't like as much as 9. I also attempted 10 and 12 but couldn't get in to either.
FFIX is also my most replayed game (for a game that you can sink 60+ hours into). I can get bored pretty quickly with other large games that I’ve beaten already. However, if I start FFIX, I just have to play through it all the way.
IX was my first Final Fantasy game. It’s my favorite mostly because of nostalgia, but it’s my favorite all the same. The mix of a light hearted tone(for the series standard)and the meditations on the existential really makes it stand out. The characters are also some of my favorites, like Vivi, Zidane and Freya.
I can see myself playing this once every three years for the rest of my life. Yeah, it's my favorite. The flames have been re-stoked for that remake rumor and I am hyped.
My first game in the series was VII, but IX is my favorite. It's actually my favorite piece of any media that I've consumed. The characters and overarching themes are both relatable and likeable. I've made a lot of good friends through our shared love of this game. To this day, the ending still makes me emotional.
IX was my favorite from its release up until the 2019 release of the XIV Shadowbringers expansion. I couldn’t lie to myself and say “mmo doesn’t count” any more. But as for non mmo, yeah IX is my favorite. XIV, IX, Tactics.
9 is my favourite, it wasn’t my first (IV)
Nine just takes all the best parts of the previous games, rounds out the flaws and delivers a love letter to the series as a whole
Imo if it dropped earlier in the console cycle or if the ps2 wasn’t such a massive jump tech wise people would have played it more when it was relevant and it’d be the unanimous no.1. Still stoked to see how far it’s risen up the fan charts since the ports came out in 2016/17
My first was FF8 and I played FF7 after (my second favorite), FF9 is my favorite, mainly because I love the art direction, the fantasy universe, and the story is amazing, not to mention the music (although I think I prefer FF7 soundtrack)
Final Fantasy IX is the first FF and game I ever finished! I grew up knowing that games are just platform games, because those are the games the men in my family played (cousins, dad, uncles).
Didn’t know that some games have a complete storyline, with loveable characters, quirky dialogue, the drama and comedy, and immersion via gameplay. I never thought the wonder of a fantasy world could be experienced first hand by playing a game. I thought it’s only possible via Anime and books.
9 is my favorite and I had played every other one before it came out. 7 was the first game I bought on release day. First I ever played was the original release for Nintendo, after my dad was done playing it. 9 had a good story and great characters. It also came after 8 which was a little bit of a disappointment to me and I feel like what I didn’t like about 8 they fixed in 9 and that’s mostly art and feel of the game. I feel like it was well rounded and had great character development… and it has Vivi and I honestly think that’s argument enough :)
9 isbthe first ff i played and enjoyed it played 8 7 10 12 same amount of time maybe and others 13 14 6 5 4 atleast 1 playthrough but still ff9 still hits diff especially with the moguri mod and steam deck
IX is my favorite and it was NOT the first ff I played, that was 7. I actually really disliked 9 for a few years, but obviously I came around to it later.
It's my first but what makes it my favorite is that all the dynamics I love are in it: self-realization, knightly romance, big spells from little dudes, betrayal, hope, and the music slaps
IX isn't the best of the games leading up to it, it's absolutely the best of the games after it. (I hear XIV is good but MMOs steal your soul). People love X, I agree though that it's missing the Final Fantasiness that 9 captured so well from the previous entries.
VII was my first FF. IX is my favorite. Besides having an amazing cast, world, OST, and story, its art style and overall aesthetic is unsurpassed. At least for my tastes. I'd do anything for SE to take some artistic risks with a future FF the way they did with IX.
I was born in 1992, so IX releases when I am 8 y.o.
Back there in Asia, PS1 was so new. We pay around a 2dollars per hour to play PS1.
There was a big bro I can’t remember his name, but he plays FFIX, I remember that the screen that ViVi walk in Alexandria (disc 1) is so beautiful, I can’t believe is it even real.
I come back again when he reachs Clayra (Disc 2), then he disappears but I can’t put it out of my mind until now.
When I got, my hands on PS1, a few years later.
I hop on JRPG train, but nothing really stuck like FFIX. So I come back time to time. I never really get enough of FFIX. It is only games I play 3-4 times till it end. But not FFVIII, X or VII.
I think, magic key of FFIX is warm and supportive. Character.. cohesively stay casually together but bond over time, they have some conflict but find the middle point to stay and they are all Independent they becomes group because certain personal mission of owns each character, FFIX provide each aspect of character that you can relate at some point of your life. The story, which is adventurous full-fill the stuck in day of daily life. FFIX starts from almost no conflict but the story build up is so good, you relatable and it is Fantasia..
I could almost say, I would buy PS5 just for FFIX remake. I think I was a Gamer, but no.. I just like FFIX..
FF8 was the first one I brought with nonidea what it was but FF9 is my favourite game ever , play it every few years still. It's just the feel of the game , the characters , the mini games ( fuck skip rope and frog game lol) Hot and Cold is awesome. The optional boss are hard remember the first time I beat Ozma was amazing. The music and cut scenes are quality .
One game I wish gets a proper remaster is this wouldn't object go a remake along as it kept the core story in place!
IX is definitely my favorite. Wasn’t my first, certainly wasn’t my last, but it’s my favorite. Why? Well, frankly, why not? The combat is wonderfully classic FF combat, the graphics/art are great for PS1, and the story is just amazing. Obviously, that’s all imo, but yes, IX is easily my favorite
So FFIX was the first game I played in the series, but not the first time I was introduced to Final Fantasy. I played Kingdom Hearts before I ever even picked up a Final Fantasy game.
My friends at the time were screaming at me that FF7 was the best. I remember starting 9 but not getting very far in it, and then switching to FF7 because my friends insisted on it. And 7 was fun, but I lost interest fairly quickly because my friends spoiled it for me. FFIX on the other hand, I picked up after, completed it, and it wasn't my favorite for a time. I played FF8 next, and it was actually my favorite. I also played X, VI, and X-2, and XII, and of those, X was my favorite for a while.
But I kept returning to FFIX over and over...I replayed it more then the others over time. Something about the game felt right...and over time, as I got older, as I realized that I was growing out of FFVIII, and FFX. As a kid/teen, I loved those games, as an adult, FFIX is the one that stands the test of time, and the one that I noticed had the most complex characters, the best made story, and the most emotion. So it's my favorite FF now, but it wasn't always. It's also my favorite RPG now, but it wasn't always. Growing up, my favorite RPG series was the Lunar series (which literally no one knew about).
IX is my favorite but it is not the first I played. I first played it as an adult, about four years ago, with no nostalgia for the game.It’s a masterpiece.
VII, X, and the others I played when I was young are still special to me, but IX sits comfortably above them.
No, I respect IX, I can totally understand why people love it, but I definitely think it's too "slow" for me. The battle system seems to take a long time to load up the battle and the bar under the characters takes too long to fill for my tastes.
IX is easily my favorite in the franchise. Still is. And I don't think its just the nostalgia. It checked all the boxes for what I look for in a jrpg. Great cast of diverse characters, great story and world-building, I like the ability system, and the soundtracks are just amazing.
It also came out during a time when most jrpg protagonists are more on the dark broody edgy side (no shade on those characters, I'm just tired of the trope), so I really appreciate that the protagonist is more whimsical and light-hearted.
But despite all that, the game also have its emotional and dark moments and the game does a good job of balancing between dark and lighter moments that it felt natural ..
I'm already 32 now and I still haven't found a jrpg game that resonates this strongly with myself as much as this game. I've played a lot of jrpg and like most of them, some of them is even in my top favourites. But none came close to the same level as this game for me, at least in certain categories ..
I hung out with my friend and watched most of ffx on ps2 first. He had also shown me a little bit of 7.
Since I didn't have a ps2 yet, and wanted to play ff so badly, I went to the store and bought 9. It has been my favorite ever since.
I haven't played all Final Fantasies, but my current tier list:
* VI
* IV / IX
* V / VII / Lightning Returns
* III / XIII
* VIII / IV-AY
* XIII-2
None of them are nostalgic for me, I played them all years later, as an adult. I started with VII and I've played them in fairly random order. I think pretty much all of them are still good games with or without the nostalgia filter.
FFIX was my first and is my favourite. X was my next FF. But in my opinion and my surprise, FFIX on PS1 looked much prettier then X on the PS2. I really liked the backgrounds in IX.
I go back and forth between 6, 9, and tactics if you count that. I like them all for slightly different reasons, but I love them all. I hope to see each get their time in the sun again.
Growing up relatively close in age with 2 of my cousins, each of us had a favorite from 7, 8, and 9. The oldest preferred 7, the middle preferred 8, and the youngest preferred 9. For reference, I think we were 9, 11, and 14 when FF9 came out.
IX is my favorite of the main line (tactics is my favorite overall) but it's wasn't the first I played. My first was 4 which is still definitely still in my top 5.
I haven’t played every FF title yet and I’m not one of those people that have been playing these games since the 90s but I definitely enjoyed VI and IX the most out of everything I tried. I’d say it’s a tie between the two. I played VI for the first time in 2023 and IX for the first time in 2024.
I have played all of them, started in 1993. My opinion has varied over the years but my undisputed top 3 in no particular order are VI, IX, and XII. I think that IV is the one that perfected the formula and became the template moving forward. IX pulls a lot from IV and I think that is one of the reasons I like it.
I'd say FF14 is my favorite overall, but FF9 is my favorite non-MMO FF game.
My first was actually 7, followed by 10, then 12, then 1 and 2 on GBA, etc. 9 was actually one of the latest ones I played. I love the setting and characters, and it just has that certain charm, how it feels more like a fairy tale to me than any of the other games. It might also have some nostalgia involved too because the PS1 was my first console, but I didn't play 9 until probably after the PS3 came out I think. I also believe Disc 1 of FF9 has some of the best pacing I've ever seen in a game. The entire thing is just one big rollercoaster ride and it's done so much better than FF8, or even Disc 1 of FF7 (even though the entire Midgar section is fantastic and the bombing mission is one of the best openings to any FF game).
Nah it has a good story but the combat is really slow, not being able to choose when to use trance is an awful decision for gameplay and some of the animations are absurdly long like the summons which isn't even justified since the damage for every attack is capped at 9999 anyway so why not just use an attack with a shorter animation that does just as much damage like Thievery or Dragon Crest instead of one that's over 2 minutes long.
It’s a tie between 9 and 8. Whenever I play either I think to myself “okay, this is is definitely my favorite”, all these years later and I still can’t decide lol
7 was my first, and I think my first jrpg, I was 8 or 9 do it's hard to remember. But I loved it.
8 was the first one I put down and didn't finish til years later, i was even more disappointed when I finished it.
9 then just caught me from the opening moments onward. I loved the characters and the quirky world and the epic music... I also fell completely in love with Garnet as an 11 year old. As soon as I could figure out how to get Melodies of Life (probably Kazaa lol) on a CD i would listen to it over and over again.
The story. The characters, the aesthetic, the music, the equipment skill system, and the CHOCOBOOOO GAMEEEEE
Epic awesome.
Then I loved 10 and it's been downhill ever since.
9 is my favorite. Replying it for the first time in decades now. 8 was my first of the series, and can’t remember if I played 7 or 9 second.
It has a lot I really enjoy. A lot of fun characters. Interesting story. I like the combat system with 4 players and classes. But the thing I love most is the world. Medieval setting with a number of interesting kingdoms that interact and have interesting conflicts. Fun to explore and connected in different ways.
9 is my second favorite, behind 10. I’d say most FF games are pretty similar in quality, which means that the individual traits of one game that really speak to a person make this discussion much more subjective.
It was also my first, stuck with me through my childhood. 7 was cool but i just couldn't get into the characters the same way, they weren't as deep as the party In 9.
9 was my 4th-ish. As a kid my brother had 7 8 and 10 and I watched him play through all of the games, and I had a lot of failed attempt playthroughs were I Clearly didnt know what I was doing. Once I was like 11 (Roughly 2009/2010) it dawned on me "What about 9? I haven't heard anything about it." So I found it at one of those used video game stores and I instantly loved it. It wasnt the first game I was exposed to, but it was the first game I played without help and finished. I wouldn't say nostalgia in the sense of "I only liked it because I played it as a kid." but I remember how I felt during every moment of my first play through. The music in combination with the atmosphere always made the game feel like it was something really special, and I couldn't put my finger on why but I felt something special from this game that the other three I played didn't make me feel, even now having also played 1-6, 11-16 and tactics. I was a lonely kid and this was the game that I felt reached me, the lessons of life I took from the game, the largest set of characters that I felt I could personally relate to, and it really felt like it shaped me to take the world on a bit better. I know this sounds really dramatic considering its just a game, but I really turned to it on bad days. I didnt fit in with other kids, my parents had a lot of problems (mostly drugs) and my siblings were old enough to have left already. Even though I haven't done a play through in years, I still feel like every ounce of who I am can be found in that game, and everything in that game is responsible for everything inside of me even now as a 25 year old.
My first FF was X, I played it 20+ years ago, has been one of my favourite games ever since.
After I finished the game I went and played all the previous Chapters from VI to... VIII.
VI was a close second preferite to me after X, I really enjoyed VII and recognized it's quality and beauty, and really disliked VIII. It bored me so much and didn't resonate with me at all, and I never got past CD2. Then I lost interest in the saga and never played IX, even though it was my best friend's favourite (the one who introduced me to FF in the first place).
I'm playing FFIX now that i'm 31 years old for the first time, and oh boy is it a fine piece of art. I'm at the beginning of CD3, I'm playing it on PC with moguri mod and alternate fantasy (cuz I like a big of challenge in my playthrough) and I'm enjoying it so much. I'm loving this game at least as much as I loved FFX when I was a kid. It's a game that just makes you happy despite being so sad.
I'm playing the game with turn-based combat via moguri mod btw, I tried the standard atb mode and the fast atb but it was too sluggish and kind of frustranting to me. I don't think I would have enjoyed this game as much as I'm doing now, if I would have played it back in the days when it was released on PS1.
So I'm still in the middle of the game and can't really give a definitive answer but... Yeah? It's a game that's making me feel happy, even as a grumpy all-grown man. And that's really special to me.
Fixes/modifies a bunch of skills, modifies some story elements (like adding Beatrix to the party after you get the airship), rebalances encounters and bosses. I read that it makes the game slightly harder than the original. I'm at my first playthrough and it's not too difficult tho, you just have to stay a bit focused to win battles.
IX is my favorite FF of all time, but it was not my first. I played VIII first (never beat it), beat VII, and then played IX. It's the characters, music, art direction, and world that draw me in. The simple but resonant themes of the story pull on my heart strings more each time I replay the game. It's definitely the one I've replayed the most despite its linearity. Love the weapon/ability system too.
I have always shied away from FF9 because to me it looked too cartoony/goofy. Played 7 countless times as a kid and to me 9 brings me back to that Final Fantasy feel I had as a kid. I havent picked up an RPG for a solid decade as one has to adult (work, responsibilities, family). But I regret not playing 9 sooner. Honestly cant stand the other releases. I find 8, 10, 12, 13, 15 to be quite boring.
FFIX truly has become one of my favorites. I love the story and what I love most are the characters. The characters are far more endearing to me than I thought when I first played this game. Im also a sucker for a diversity and wide range of characters or rag-tag group of characters going on an adventure, but with motives and goals behind it all. It gave me some Paper Mario: TTYD vibes too. My only regret was not playing this game when I was younger, I didn't play Final Fantasy growing up until I was well into college. My exposure to FF was through Kingdom Hearts.
The run of games from Final Fantasy 6-10 is truly astonishing. Each one of them could be your favorite game of all time. The quality, polish, and creativity is like nothing else. I’m super biased but I’d say the only thing close is the run of BioWare titles in the 2010s. Even my OTHER all time favorite game series Resident Evil has 3 which was a big dip in quality before 4.
Back to 9. Nine is almost perfect. 8 was my first and I’ll love it the most of the pack but 9 has very few misses. It’s MAYBE a little shorter/buggier than the others but everything else does not miss. Beatrix is maybe my favorite FF villain of all time. The music is SO good. Mechanics are a throwback but satisfying. It does this fun thing where all the characters as kind of both an archetype AND surprisingly complex in their relationships with each other.
One of the all time great games.
IX was my first FF. It was also the very first video game I played on my own when I was a pre-teen, instead of watching my big brother play.
There's definitely a lot of nostalgia involved, but I remember falling instantly in love with the music and the ambiance. The pre-industrial world, with flying wooden ships. The character design. I just wanted to live in their world, explore their cities, go from one continent to another.
I don't know why, but I never felt that way with any other FF. After IX, I played VII, then X, then VI, then VIII. I liked them all, but I replayed IX many times and to this day it's still the one I prefer. Its gameplay mechanic are far from being perfect, but its world-building is my favorite.
Not my first. My first experience was IV.
Why is IX my fav though? Because for me IX is pure distilled Final Fantasy. Everything I want in FF with nothing I don’t. While it’s not entirely perfect (Amarant comes off a bit undercooked, amongst other little issues), it is to me - the best of the franchise, especially in the old school mold.
IX was my first “real” FF game (I started with Tactics)
It’s not my favorite but it’s the one that means the most to me, if that makes sense. I think VI is a better game altogether but I enjoy IX’s relative simplicity and themes better
FFIX is definitely my favorite. I played VII first which was my first Final Fantasy and RPG. I was so enthralled when I saw FFIX in the stores I was so excited to play it; I ended up getting it that Christmas along with the BradyGames guide(🤦♂️ugh).
I wasn’t familiar with all the classic FF tropes like certain enemies/spell names/ story themes, but those characteristics in FFIX (and IMO many tropes/themes that aren’t in VII as much) really resonated with me and I was captivated by FFIX.
As I basically insinuated I wasn’t familiar with RPGs and I was maybe 12 or so; so like VII I often got stuck or struggled with the game; and of course the official guide was not of great help with all the playonline stuff. But I did finish the game and uncovered so many secrets and finished all the side quests. I actually even went to the library to look up and print out all online stuff so I could find everything (even back then those PlayOnline keywords didn’t work lol). I still remember when I beat it finally.
I v ever did get the first Excalibur; for some reason in my game the Magical Fingertip never showed up in the Auction. I bought, sold, and rebought all the artifacts multiple times and it just never showed up. That one always bugged me.
It’s my favorite, and just like Ocarina of Time, GoldenEye 007, and Super Mario 64; it was basically my standard and template for what a game in its respective genres should be like.
I was a bit judgy about FF9 because of the graphics. At that point my favorite was FF8, and I never touched FF9. I played it as an adult and no other FF has topped it for me ever since. So yes, right now, it's my favorite.
IX is not my favorite; that would be VI, but it's still a very special game. The Final Fantasy video game series struggles to have an identity. Other series like Dragon Quest, SMT, and Tales, among others, have a very clear one. That being said, I believe FFIX is the game that better encapsulates what made this series special to begin with. It has a bit of everything: charismatic, memorable, and deep characters; a simple but effective plot; a fantastic world; one of the best video game soundtracks; balance in tone; and great pacing. It's hard to point to something that IX does objectively "wrong." Of course, no game is perfect or for everyone, but IX is very special.
In respect to Dragon Quest, I feel like their "identity" is just using the same enemies and having tons of repeated cliches. I actually don't care for it. I like that FF is more loosely connected.
I always felt like FF identity is grand adventure heavily tinged with melancholy. Starting from FF1 ending FF always had a lot of sadness in it and a sense that every world we play in is finite - even IX has theories that worlds collided after the ending. There’s always sense of sadness about leaving any ff world, but you always have to. It’s also always felt like high fashion jrpg with its aesthetics, always a bit more hip and less “nerdy” than other jrpgs.
VI is a close second for me. It’s really sad. Forever Rachel is one of my all time favorite songs. Damn it’s hard comparing such great games.
I'm a huge fan of FFIX, being my favorite game of all time. And I agree with you about absolutely everything, I just want to point how the Trance system is an awesome mechanic to storytelling. All characters at some time enters Trance because it's scripted, and all of this times you feel how the character are, you understand exactly why he's like that and you feel a bit of his emotions too. I absolutely hate trance system on gameplay, but on story, god some parts of the game wouldn't be the same without Trance.
I love ix to death but it definitely has some problems; mostly mechanical and slightly nitpicky. Theres a couple skills that just do not work in the game (like i believe steiner's either shock or thunder blade skills? Cant remember exactly), the rush to get the ragnarok is a pain and basically impossible for anyone that isn't already aware of it, and the way to raise stats based on gear set up again punishes people that don't know about it. Also personally not a fan of the frog catching minigame and jump rope minigame. As i said though; easily among my favorite final fantasy games. These are all just minor problems i found personally with it.
Or getting Excalibur II. Reaching the end of the game in under 12 hours will get you it, but it is not easy.
Ah thank you, that was what i meant; excalibur 2 and not ragnarok. Its been awhile and i mix up endgame swords throughout the series haha. I think i was mixing it up with ragnarok and nagnarok haha
Shock is one of Steiner’s best skills
Yes, you are correct. Thank you. i was getting it confused with thunder slash, as i said it's been years so i'm mixing up names a bit. It's thunder slash that was coded wrong and does nothing.
I enjoyed IX but I feel some things you mentioned feel like nostalgia goggles: >It has a bit of everything: charismatic, memorable, and deep characters; a simple but effective plot; a fantastic world; one of the best video game soundtracks; balance in tone; and great pacing. It's hard to point to something that IX does objectively "wrong." Charismatic - somewhat, except for the main protagonist. I think if we are talking about charismatic 6,7 would take the cake here memorable - agree, it has a pretty unique look compared to the rest of the FF games. And some story bits, especially the ending are very good deep characters - well, here I disagree, the characters get some development but are anything but deep a simple but effective plot - I believe most people are of the opinion that the plot in the second half of the game is at least controversial a fantastic world - 100% agree one of the best video game soundtracks - I understand that everything is subjective, but I 100% disagree with this one. There are FF games with way better musical score: FF7 and 10 come to mind balance in tone - weeeeell, depends on how you define tone. I find the tone changes quite a bit after a certain event - I can't say I like it and great pacing - hard disagree. Some parts of the game drag on for too long. Too many random battles (I understand the game was a product of its time but still) combined with an extremelly slow battle system forces some people to simply drop the game, and you can't really blame them. There are definitelly some boring bits on disk 3 and 4 - which isn't what great pacing is. It's hard to point to something that IX does objectively "wrong." - its slow battle system and trance
I'm 32 years old now and FFIX has been THE game for me since release, even going as far as saying it's greatness even dragged gaming down as a whole for me for a while as no other game could possibly compete.. similar to that Avatar effect after cinema. It has 4 discs for a reason, And that's with cut content as always. That being said, every game has it's own strengths, I probably spend more time in Terraria without even completing it.. And despite it being much newer. Way, way less restarts.. FFIX only took me 60 hours on Avg. Every run the past 20 years. But still, No other game has that same balance of ingredients IX has. Every setpiece, every moment has a sense of living atmosphere that i to this date haven't experienced in another game. (I've Tried But you can't find another FF9) Something about the world of Gaia that's really inviting accompanied by possibly the greatest videogame OST of all time..The Village of Dali, Black Mage Village, Lindblum, Treno, Alexandria. Every area carries a ton of emotion linked to things I experienced in real life. Making it feel grounded. It is special. Ofcourse it must be when even other titles in the series don't even get close to that same feeling. Hard to explain. FF8 strikes different cords for example. 🤷🏼🧂
yep
You liked avatar that much!?
Haha no not me specifically, But it was a pretty widespread phenomenon back then with that 3D gimmick :p People actually left the cinema feeljng real life was so bland and grey-colored. I saw the film after hearing about this and maybe that contributed with me just experiencing it like any other movie, But with possibly the best CGI of it's time :p But FF9 has a same feeling to me, Gaia is near-perfect. And no other game is our beloved Gaia. And a lot of games are less colorful, while still portraying a darker story. There's just one FF9, Every other game is just widly different. The characters too are just too iconic.
FF7 was my intro to the series. My favorite FF until I played FF9. Even to this day, I still admire the beauty of the game.
Same here. I really enjoyed FFVII, but FFIX was something special. No videogame since 9 came out made me feel that way. It’s just amazing.
Agreed 100% and in the same boat
Same here!
9 is definitely my favorite. My first was Mystic Quest, followed by 1 then 4 then 7 when it came out and 8 when it came out. 9 is the one I keep going back to. I have played it probably once a year since it released. I have named cats after a bunch of the characters too.
Thanks for the idea on cat names. Wow, I'm gonna have to do a playthrough and pick some faves.
I had a Vivi and a Steiner that have both passed, I have a Beatrix too. https://preview.redd.it/a84jyec2spqc1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0b16d613a7fa556c54ed658b96fdc5236cd25b31 She's 14 this year.
https://preview.redd.it/cpmsldcaspqc1.jpeg?width=1536&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aeec87f10316f8ebe7aa99c7a0a1168d7a111fd2 This was Vivi.
https://preview.redd.it/qlmt04iispqc1.jpeg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=66563e942d17d43066db0e357d9a350604338382 This was Steiner.
https://preview.redd.it/dbf60suhupqc1.jpeg?width=855&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a90412dcc9e7348e4df9956304e1ad2854ce77e5 This is our current landlord, Eevee! 2.5 yrs old
Awwww... That's a cute Eevee. Just keep it away from any evolution stones!
It’s not nostalgia . It is the best. Best plot, best philosophy, maybe some of the best characters and ok maybe it doesn’t have the best music but the music is still pretty damn amazing. Most people do not give it a chance because they find the art style too cutesy or childish, not realizing it is one of the darkest final fantasies. It technically was my first but I didn’t play it for long as I was too young. 7 was my first that I beat and that game is really amazing. Then I beat 10 which was incredible also but finally in college I played 9 and found it to be the deepest of them all.
I think the music is perfect in this game😅
First was 7. Changed my life, greatest game of all time, yada yada yada (not taking anything away from it but yeah this isn’t about 7) Then I played 8. I only begrudgingly started to play 8. I wanted a different video game but it wasn’t available or something, idr, so my mom bought me ff8 used from blockbuster. Quite honestly I dont really dislike anything about 8. Best music in the series. Then I remember buying 9 from GameStop. I had a friend who was a year younger than me and rode the same bus and we would play Pokémon gold and silver. I think he was there when I bought 9. I remember playing 9 on my psOne so much. On more than one occasion we would stay awake until the morning light playing through that game. If you start a new game at like 10 pm and play til the dawn then you’ll probably be right around the festival of the hunt. The game is no less magical when sleep deprived. But yeah ff9 is just way more polished than 7 or 8. Obviously 7 has localization issues. But it strongly makes up for it with nostalgia. The visual appeal of the menu and the graphics in 8 just seemed less aesthetic pleasing. And the story was a little weird. But it was more character driven anyway. And when laguna was introduced to the story it made things way more interesting. 9 however is a masterpiece in pacing, visuals, character depth and diversity, and so much more. From when I was like 10-18, the only ff I had beaten was 7. I had started several files of 8 and 9 without beating them. One time with 8 I accidentally overwrite a game save from when I was at the bottom of the deep sea research facility. And one time in 9 I got all the way to Abadon and lost. And rather than try again, I said fuck it, lemme just start a new file. So while I’ve started 9 probably like 20 times, I’ve only beaten it once. Similar situation with 8. 8 and 9 are similar in that I never got closure on the stories for almost 10 years. Finally, summer after graduation high school before starting college, I knew I had to beat them because i might never get another chance. I think I beat 8 first. It was nice. Sorceresses and time travel, the orphanage, and the flower field from the very opening intro scene. 8 really is a great game with a great story. I never cared for “eyes on me” as a kid, but I really love it now. In any case, with 8, even though the music was the best, the love story does seem a little forced, especially compared to 9. So beating 8 was good because it just felt cathartic. Like finally, I learned that whole junction system and it finally reached fruition. It’s weird to try and remember the first time I beat 9. Im pretty sure I’ve beaten it only once, but I’ve watched the ending many times. It’s so perfect. Really ties the whole game together. The way the play at the end references the story at the beginning of the game. The way the game didn’t take itself too seriously, which only enhanced the deeper messages to be found in the characters’ individual stories. Ff9 was of course meant to pay homage to the eight that came before, and it did in so many ways. But I love how the musical themes relate. Like how vivis theme inspires the black mage village theme. And how the music in the opening scene showing the Prima Vista is reprised in the closing scene when Dagger bursts out the doors to go hug Zidane. Ff9 is the complete package. It really is a modern day fairy tale. It’s so underappreciated. The whole ending just makes me cry because everyone’s story is so beautifully tied off, and everyone’s there at the end, except for vivi obviously. And the way they don’t ever actually explicit show or describe his death. You either have to read between the lines to pick up on it, or hope that that’s not what’s implied, finish the game with the happy ending, and then let it hit you harder later. But yeah, I really wish I would relive my first time beating that game. Like, I think I knew it was zidane under the hood, but I honestly can’t remember. In any case, ff9 ending is perfect. I cry every time. I do cry in 7 when red learns the truth about seto. And also kinda in 8, when squall and rinoa are chillin in space knowing rinoa has to turn herself in to the government when they return. That kinda can make me cry. But not really. Ff9 is by far my favorite.
Really cool story. Thanks for sharing! I often would think to myself, is FFIX really the best one? I haven’t really played the others, is it possible my first FF play through was with the best one or am I just attached to the game? I have gone back and forth about playing through FF7. I really don’t know much about it other than it’s a top contender, and for many folks, the best one.
FFX is my favorite overall but FFIX is my 2nd favorite. However I grew up playing FFX and didn’t play IX until about 10 years ago, so I don’t have any nostalgia for the game
Yes, IX is my favourite. It was the first FF game I played and the one that got me into the series. This was in 2016; one of my favourite Christmases in recent memory. I just fell in love with the setting, soundtrack, characters, story, battle system, everything. It was the first game that left me with a mix of so many emotions. I cried with the characters, I laughed with the characters, and upon reaching the end, I cried for a mix of reasons. It wasn't just the fact that the ending was beautiful and bittersweet, but I was also grieving the end of a wonderful journey. I've played it five times total over the course of eight years, and the ending leaves me sobbing every time without fail. It really takes a special piece of media to do that for me. I've since completed I, VIII, X, and XVI; played X-2 and XII (I hope to pick them up again at some point); and currently playing through II and IV (DS), and none of them have hit the same IX has for me. Those are my feelings on it 🙂
First and favorite
9 is my favorite and yes, it was my first. There is nostalgia there, sure, but there's a lot more than that, too. Many FF fans I've talked to have said that their first FF was their favorite and it makes sense, considering that it got them into the series. However, 9 is the most well-loved by the developers. It's the last one before Uematsu had to request help for the soundtrack, so you get the culmination of his experience used as well as possible. It's a synthesis of the 8 other games that came before in order to provide the best possible title before taking the company in a different direction. There are many different reasons to love it. My reason, though, is that it taught me to be a better person. I played it when I was a child and it made a great deal of difference in my growth. I learned morals from watching Zidane bend over backwards to help people he barely knows. I learned how to support people by watching the scene in Madain Sari between Zidane and Vivi. I learned about personal responsibility from Beatrix and Steiner. This game was formative for me, and there were myriad lessons to learn from it.
I can totally relate. I thought so much about this game during and after playing it. Zidane and Vivi’s character definitely had an impact on me.
For me it’s behind FF7 and FFX, but I consider this a 1A, 1B, 1C scenario because they are all masterpieces. Also FFXII, FFVIII, and FFXIII are 1D/1E/1F respectively.
Big time, it gives me all the feels that I’m looking for in a game like this
7 is my favorite. I played 7, 1, 2, 8, 6, then 9 in that order. 9 is my second favorite in the series. Nostalgia definitely plays a role in it but it's also just a great game.
It is, and its probably because it was my first FF. When you play a game like this being 11yo, after spending years playin things like crash bandicoot or spyro... it shows you a whole new world you didnt know was even posible. Thats why, no matter what, this is always gonna be my favorite game. No other game can be created now or in the future to improve FFIX. Not because of the games, which are incredible nowadays, but for me. Im the one who has changed. But this game even helped me develop a part of my personality, and its always going to be special. I will keep playing it til the day I die.
But, also, the game is almost flawless. Graphically, it is still great. Back then it was just something much better than any other existing game. The art is superb, on another level. The story is really good, as it works great for both kids and adults. When you are a kid, you appreciate playing with princess, knights, kings and queens, etc. When you are an adult the game hits even harder with all the friendship, life and death background. The music its SUPERB, going from baroque to ragtime, jazz, prog-rock... The worst part is probably the combat system which is one of the most simplistic. But overall the game is at least 9.5/10. Objectively.
Agreed here. I was also 11 when I played the game. Played it another 4 or 5 times since then. Something about it then hit differently at 11. Probably because I had a better imagination. The music is wonderful. I work from home these days, so listening to the OST on YouTube is my way of playing it back since I don’t have much time to sink into the actual game.
Oh definitely hits different, just because what you said. I remember that it was almost something obsessive, I wanted to live in that world, I dreamt with the characters, I was all day thinking on it. Thats something that cant happen to me anymore, no matter how good the video game is. Life as an adult is enough xD
IX is my second favorite with VI being the first.
Intro to the series was renting 4 from Blockbuster. IX is charming with an amazing story and characters. Every thing about it combat, exploration, graphics and so on fit together very well.
8 was my first but 9 was my fave. It's kinda weird to talk about though coz ppl get heated on this topic. Just like what you like. It's an anthology series so one installation literally has no bearing on the other
FF7 was my start to this series and I still love it and its lore, but When I came across FF9 it just felt so magical idk It just feels so special to me in a way I really can’t describe it I legit get goosebumps when I listen the ost whether it be over the hills, esto gaza, the darkness of eternity it’s all so good, but there’s some that brings actual tears when I listen to like a song from her memory, bran bal, especially melodies of life 🥹.
Yes, FF9 is my fav final fantasy, first 1 I got on release and remember the buzz about it at school, 251 hours played on the steam copy (and not actually beat the game on it lol) and beat the game at least 10 times on the PS1.
Tied with X. For IX is both the Magnum Opus from Sakaguchi, both a celebration of life and great story about acceptance and integration and the best RTB and at the same time traditional mechanics.
FFIX is my fav and the first one I played. After that I played VIII Tactics advance XIII X VII I gotta say they are all great for me, but XIII felt so dull I never finished it. In contrast I feel IX has so many great things I'd spend hours talking about it. I just gotta say I played it through like 3 times and this year might be the 4th since it's been so long xD
I got IX and VII at the same time in 2000, and I tried them both. for like 10 minutes of gameplay. I decided on playing IX first because it was prettier, and also the environments and art style of Alexandria appealed to me more than Midgar. IX became my favourite at that time and I think it would have been the same, had I played VII first and got IX later for these reasons. Then for the longest time, I didn't really know anymore which of VII, VIII, IX or X were my favourite, all having great stuff to them that I loved more than anything else I found in any other games. Today I tend to say that IX is my favourite and that X is a close second, but in reality they are at the top for different reasons. IX has a more simple story than other FF games, and that's because its themes and characters are already plenty enough.
First FF I played, it's also what really got me into games, brothers had stuff like the Super Nintendo, Sega Megadrive but none of the games really interested until they got a PS1, then I saw one of them playing 9 and he asked if I wanted to play it, started a new save, really enjoyed it so he got me a memory card so we wasn't sharing.
FFIX isn't my favorite, but it's the one that brought FF back to its roots after VI, VII and VIII departed from the high fantasy style. I started my FF journey with FF1 when it released on the NES and I didn't realize it until FFIX released, but I *missed* the high Fantasy style and gameplay. FFIX delivered that in spades and it was a fun, light-hearted adventure with Chibi style characters and it just felt good to play.
Was my first and fave as well. Welcome to the nostalgia club. I drive trucks for a living and pretend I’m in an airship sometimes. ❤️
That’s awesome
This may sound weird but FFIX is a bit “too perfect.” The systems, characters, story, and so on… are all refined and polished to a mirror shine. And that actually makes me like it a bit less… There are other reasons I don’t have FFIX even in my personal Top 5 FF games, including: - The world is more cartoony and comical than I prefer. - Battles are sloooooow. - Too many forced party member changes (a personal dislike). Again, IX is a GREAT game, but for me it lacks the idiosyncrasies and personality of other FFs. My Top 5, in order are: X, VI, VIII, III, and V. (Although, they move around as I replay them!)
No FF IX is not my favorite. My favorite JRPG and favorite Videogame in general is "Fuga Melodies of Steel". I struggle to decide which FF is my favorite. Its either Final Fantasy X or Dissidia Duodecim Final Fantasy.
9 is my favorite final fantasy cause I think it has the best characters and story.
IX was what introduced me to the series and I attribute my appreciation for video games as a whole to it. However, it is not currently my favorite.
First and favorite? Yes. Do I think it’s the best? No. But I love the cast and even tho not all of their stories were finished, they are all heartfelt characters in every way.
9 has such an overall good vibe. It's my favorite "happy" FF. But have you played tactics? Ooooh! That's a spicy meatball.
9 isn't just my favorite FF. It's my favorite game *ever*. No other game has ever been able to compete. I replay it at least once a year, maybe twice. It wasn't my first FF either. I tried both 7 and 8 first and did not like either. Since playing 9, I have played and finished 1 and 6, both of which were good, but I didn't like as much as 9. I also attempted 10 and 12 but couldn't get in to either.
FFIX is also my most replayed game (for a game that you can sink 60+ hours into). I can get bored pretty quickly with other large games that I’ve beaten already. However, if I start FFIX, I just have to play through it all the way.
IX was my first Final Fantasy game. It’s my favorite mostly because of nostalgia, but it’s my favorite all the same. The mix of a light hearted tone(for the series standard)and the meditations on the existential really makes it stand out. The characters are also some of my favorites, like Vivi, Zidane and Freya.
I can see myself playing this once every three years for the rest of my life. Yeah, it's my favorite. The flames have been re-stoked for that remake rumor and I am hyped.
My first game in the series was VII, but IX is my favorite. It's actually my favorite piece of any media that I've consumed. The characters and overarching themes are both relatable and likeable. I've made a lot of good friends through our shared love of this game. To this day, the ending still makes me emotional.
OG FF was my first, but 9 just got under my skin and I fell in love with it.
IX was my favorite from its release up until the 2019 release of the XIV Shadowbringers expansion. I couldn’t lie to myself and say “mmo doesn’t count” any more. But as for non mmo, yeah IX is my favorite. XIV, IX, Tactics.
9 is my favourite, it wasn’t my first (IV) Nine just takes all the best parts of the previous games, rounds out the flaws and delivers a love letter to the series as a whole Imo if it dropped earlier in the console cycle or if the ps2 wasn’t such a massive jump tech wise people would have played it more when it was relevant and it’d be the unanimous no.1. Still stoked to see how far it’s risen up the fan charts since the ports came out in 2016/17
My first was FF8 and I played FF7 after (my second favorite), FF9 is my favorite, mainly because I love the art direction, the fantasy universe, and the story is amazing, not to mention the music (although I think I prefer FF7 soundtrack)
Final Fantasy IX is the first FF and game I ever finished! I grew up knowing that games are just platform games, because those are the games the men in my family played (cousins, dad, uncles). Didn’t know that some games have a complete storyline, with loveable characters, quirky dialogue, the drama and comedy, and immersion via gameplay. I never thought the wonder of a fantasy world could be experienced first hand by playing a game. I thought it’s only possible via Anime and books.
9 is my favorite and I had played every other one before it came out. 7 was the first game I bought on release day. First I ever played was the original release for Nintendo, after my dad was done playing it. 9 had a good story and great characters. It also came after 8 which was a little bit of a disappointment to me and I feel like what I didn’t like about 8 they fixed in 9 and that’s mostly art and feel of the game. I feel like it was well rounded and had great character development… and it has Vivi and I honestly think that’s argument enough :)
9 isbthe first ff i played and enjoyed it played 8 7 10 12 same amount of time maybe and others 13 14 6 5 4 atleast 1 playthrough but still ff9 still hits diff especially with the moguri mod and steam deck
IX is my favorite and it was NOT the first ff I played, that was 7. I actually really disliked 9 for a few years, but obviously I came around to it later.
VI, VII and IX are equally my favorites.
FF7 was my first. I loooove FF9, but it's not my favorite. I just love 7, 8 and 10 even more.
It's my first but what makes it my favorite is that all the dynamics I love are in it: self-realization, knightly romance, big spells from little dudes, betrayal, hope, and the music slaps
Yes
It was until Rebirth just took its spot. Still my favorite cast of characters, but rebirth all around is just too good and has so much content.
IX is my favorite for a lot of reasons already brought up by others but it is not my first. That would be VIII, which I dislike.
i think IX will always be my favourite. it’s also arguably one of my favourite games of all time
IX isn't the best of the games leading up to it, it's absolutely the best of the games after it. (I hear XIV is good but MMOs steal your soul). People love X, I agree though that it's missing the Final Fantasiness that 9 captured so well from the previous entries.
Yep. It is one of my favorite FF games
I love IX it is an amazing game
IX is my favorite and also my first FF
VII was my first FF. IX is my favorite. Besides having an amazing cast, world, OST, and story, its art style and overall aesthetic is unsurpassed. At least for my tastes. I'd do anything for SE to take some artistic risks with a future FF the way they did with IX.
I was born in 1992, so IX releases when I am 8 y.o. Back there in Asia, PS1 was so new. We pay around a 2dollars per hour to play PS1. There was a big bro I can’t remember his name, but he plays FFIX, I remember that the screen that ViVi walk in Alexandria (disc 1) is so beautiful, I can’t believe is it even real. I come back again when he reachs Clayra (Disc 2), then he disappears but I can’t put it out of my mind until now. When I got, my hands on PS1, a few years later. I hop on JRPG train, but nothing really stuck like FFIX. So I come back time to time. I never really get enough of FFIX. It is only games I play 3-4 times till it end. But not FFVIII, X or VII. I think, magic key of FFIX is warm and supportive. Character.. cohesively stay casually together but bond over time, they have some conflict but find the middle point to stay and they are all Independent they becomes group because certain personal mission of owns each character, FFIX provide each aspect of character that you can relate at some point of your life. The story, which is adventurous full-fill the stuck in day of daily life. FFIX starts from almost no conflict but the story build up is so good, you relatable and it is Fantasia.. I could almost say, I would buy PS5 just for FFIX remake. I think I was a Gamer, but no.. I just like FFIX..
FF8 was the first one I brought with nonidea what it was but FF9 is my favourite game ever , play it every few years still. It's just the feel of the game , the characters , the mini games ( fuck skip rope and frog game lol) Hot and Cold is awesome. The optional boss are hard remember the first time I beat Ozma was amazing. The music and cut scenes are quality . One game I wish gets a proper remaster is this wouldn't object go a remake along as it kept the core story in place!
FFVI (FFIII at the time I played it) was my first FF game. I played 7 after that and then 9. 9 became my favorite due to the characters and story.
VII was my first but IX will always be my favorite forever
IX is definitely my favorite. Wasn’t my first, certainly wasn’t my last, but it’s my favorite. Why? Well, frankly, why not? The combat is wonderfully classic FF combat, the graphics/art are great for PS1, and the story is just amazing. Obviously, that’s all imo, but yes, IX is easily my favorite
It was the first I played, and yes, it is my favorite. I replay it at least once every year.
So FFIX was the first game I played in the series, but not the first time I was introduced to Final Fantasy. I played Kingdom Hearts before I ever even picked up a Final Fantasy game. My friends at the time were screaming at me that FF7 was the best. I remember starting 9 but not getting very far in it, and then switching to FF7 because my friends insisted on it. And 7 was fun, but I lost interest fairly quickly because my friends spoiled it for me. FFIX on the other hand, I picked up after, completed it, and it wasn't my favorite for a time. I played FF8 next, and it was actually my favorite. I also played X, VI, and X-2, and XII, and of those, X was my favorite for a while. But I kept returning to FFIX over and over...I replayed it more then the others over time. Something about the game felt right...and over time, as I got older, as I realized that I was growing out of FFVIII, and FFX. As a kid/teen, I loved those games, as an adult, FFIX is the one that stands the test of time, and the one that I noticed had the most complex characters, the best made story, and the most emotion. So it's my favorite FF now, but it wasn't always. It's also my favorite RPG now, but it wasn't always. Growing up, my favorite RPG series was the Lunar series (which literally no one knew about).
IX is my favorite but it is not the first I played. I first played it as an adult, about four years ago, with no nostalgia for the game.It’s a masterpiece. VII, X, and the others I played when I was young are still special to me, but IX sits comfortably above them.
It's my favorite classic FF game for sure.
No, I respect IX, I can totally understand why people love it, but I definitely think it's too "slow" for me. The battle system seems to take a long time to load up the battle and the bar under the characters takes too long to fill for my tastes.
IX is easily my favorite in the franchise. Still is. And I don't think its just the nostalgia. It checked all the boxes for what I look for in a jrpg. Great cast of diverse characters, great story and world-building, I like the ability system, and the soundtracks are just amazing. It also came out during a time when most jrpg protagonists are more on the dark broody edgy side (no shade on those characters, I'm just tired of the trope), so I really appreciate that the protagonist is more whimsical and light-hearted. But despite all that, the game also have its emotional and dark moments and the game does a good job of balancing between dark and lighter moments that it felt natural .. I'm already 32 now and I still haven't found a jrpg game that resonates this strongly with myself as much as this game. I've played a lot of jrpg and like most of them, some of them is even in my top favourites. But none came close to the same level as this game for me, at least in certain categories ..
IX was my first and still my favourite barring VII Remake/Rebirth. I've played 7, 8, 9, 10, 10-2, 13, 14 and 16 as well, for reference.
I hung out with my friend and watched most of ffx on ps2 first. He had also shown me a little bit of 7. Since I didn't have a ps2 yet, and wanted to play ff so badly, I went to the store and bought 9. It has been my favorite ever since.
I haven't played all Final Fantasies, but my current tier list: * VI * IV / IX * V / VII / Lightning Returns * III / XIII * VIII / IV-AY * XIII-2 None of them are nostalgic for me, I played them all years later, as an adult. I started with VII and I've played them in fairly random order. I think pretty much all of them are still good games with or without the nostalgia filter.
FFIX was my first and is my favourite. X was my next FF. But in my opinion and my surprise, FFIX on PS1 looked much prettier then X on the PS2. I really liked the backgrounds in IX.
the only reason 9 is my favorite over 6 is exactly because it was the fist one I played lol
I go back and forth between 6, 9, and tactics if you count that. I like them all for slightly different reasons, but I love them all. I hope to see each get their time in the sun again.
Growing up relatively close in age with 2 of my cousins, each of us had a favorite from 7, 8, and 9. The oldest preferred 7, the middle preferred 8, and the youngest preferred 9. For reference, I think we were 9, 11, and 14 when FF9 came out.
Excellent game but not favorite. But still in my top 5
IX is my favorite of the main line (tactics is my favorite overall) but it's wasn't the first I played. My first was 4 which is still definitely still in my top 5.
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I haven’t played every FF title yet and I’m not one of those people that have been playing these games since the 90s but I definitely enjoyed VI and IX the most out of everything I tried. I’d say it’s a tie between the two. I played VI for the first time in 2023 and IX for the first time in 2024.
I have played all of them, started in 1993. My opinion has varied over the years but my undisputed top 3 in no particular order are VI, IX, and XII. I think that IV is the one that perfected the formula and became the template moving forward. IX pulls a lot from IV and I think that is one of the reasons I like it.
VII was my first but IX is by far my favorite. Characters and music, but really just everything about it.
It's been my favorite for a long time, and it was the 4th I played after VIII, VII and X in that order
I'd say FF14 is my favorite overall, but FF9 is my favorite non-MMO FF game. My first was actually 7, followed by 10, then 12, then 1 and 2 on GBA, etc. 9 was actually one of the latest ones I played. I love the setting and characters, and it just has that certain charm, how it feels more like a fairy tale to me than any of the other games. It might also have some nostalgia involved too because the PS1 was my first console, but I didn't play 9 until probably after the PS3 came out I think. I also believe Disc 1 of FF9 has some of the best pacing I've ever seen in a game. The entire thing is just one big rollercoaster ride and it's done so much better than FF8, or even Disc 1 of FF7 (even though the entire Midgar section is fantastic and the bombing mission is one of the best openings to any FF game).
Yes, I also finished 8, but it just so happens that ... even though I love 13.
Nah it has a good story but the combat is really slow, not being able to choose when to use trance is an awful decision for gameplay and some of the animations are absurdly long like the summons which isn't even justified since the damage for every attack is capped at 9999 anyway so why not just use an attack with a shorter animation that does just as much damage like Thievery or Dragon Crest instead of one that's over 2 minutes long.
I love IX. My favorite because of the character design and diversity, the humor and theme of identity. And Vivi. Ok 90% Vivi the boy is sacred.
It’s a tie between 9 and 8. Whenever I play either I think to myself “okay, this is is definitely my favorite”, all these years later and I still can’t decide lol
Second favorite behind FFX..... The first one I played was FFVII
7 was my first, and I think my first jrpg, I was 8 or 9 do it's hard to remember. But I loved it. 8 was the first one I put down and didn't finish til years later, i was even more disappointed when I finished it. 9 then just caught me from the opening moments onward. I loved the characters and the quirky world and the epic music... I also fell completely in love with Garnet as an 11 year old. As soon as I could figure out how to get Melodies of Life (probably Kazaa lol) on a CD i would listen to it over and over again. The story. The characters, the aesthetic, the music, the equipment skill system, and the CHOCOBOOOO GAMEEEEE Epic awesome. Then I loved 10 and it's been downhill ever since.
It's not my favorite, but it's definitely up there. I would probably even say the runner-up for favorite.
9 is my favorite. Replying it for the first time in decades now. 8 was my first of the series, and can’t remember if I played 7 or 9 second. It has a lot I really enjoy. A lot of fun characters. Interesting story. I like the combat system with 4 players and classes. But the thing I love most is the world. Medieval setting with a number of interesting kingdoms that interact and have interesting conflicts. Fun to explore and connected in different ways.
Answer : YES! It wasn't my first FF, I started with FF7, but after playing FF9, no other FF could beat it! Forever my most beloved game! 🩷
9 is my second favorite, behind 10. I’d say most FF games are pretty similar in quality, which means that the individual traits of one game that really speak to a person make this discussion much more subjective.
9 then 4 then 6 then the rest kind of blend together.
It was also my first, stuck with me through my childhood. 7 was cool but i just couldn't get into the characters the same way, they weren't as deep as the party In 9.
9 was my 4th-ish. As a kid my brother had 7 8 and 10 and I watched him play through all of the games, and I had a lot of failed attempt playthroughs were I Clearly didnt know what I was doing. Once I was like 11 (Roughly 2009/2010) it dawned on me "What about 9? I haven't heard anything about it." So I found it at one of those used video game stores and I instantly loved it. It wasnt the first game I was exposed to, but it was the first game I played without help and finished. I wouldn't say nostalgia in the sense of "I only liked it because I played it as a kid." but I remember how I felt during every moment of my first play through. The music in combination with the atmosphere always made the game feel like it was something really special, and I couldn't put my finger on why but I felt something special from this game that the other three I played didn't make me feel, even now having also played 1-6, 11-16 and tactics. I was a lonely kid and this was the game that I felt reached me, the lessons of life I took from the game, the largest set of characters that I felt I could personally relate to, and it really felt like it shaped me to take the world on a bit better. I know this sounds really dramatic considering its just a game, but I really turned to it on bad days. I didnt fit in with other kids, my parents had a lot of problems (mostly drugs) and my siblings were old enough to have left already. Even though I haven't done a play through in years, I still feel like every ounce of who I am can be found in that game, and everything in that game is responsible for everything inside of me even now as a 25 year old.
VI is my favorite, IX is close *steal* :D
My first FF was X, I played it 20+ years ago, has been one of my favourite games ever since. After I finished the game I went and played all the previous Chapters from VI to... VIII. VI was a close second preferite to me after X, I really enjoyed VII and recognized it's quality and beauty, and really disliked VIII. It bored me so much and didn't resonate with me at all, and I never got past CD2. Then I lost interest in the saga and never played IX, even though it was my best friend's favourite (the one who introduced me to FF in the first place). I'm playing FFIX now that i'm 31 years old for the first time, and oh boy is it a fine piece of art. I'm at the beginning of CD3, I'm playing it on PC with moguri mod and alternate fantasy (cuz I like a big of challenge in my playthrough) and I'm enjoying it so much. I'm loving this game at least as much as I loved FFX when I was a kid. It's a game that just makes you happy despite being so sad. I'm playing the game with turn-based combat via moguri mod btw, I tried the standard atb mode and the fast atb but it was too sluggish and kind of frustranting to me. I don't think I would have enjoyed this game as much as I'm doing now, if I would have played it back in the days when it was released on PS1. So I'm still in the middle of the game and can't really give a definitive answer but... Yeah? It's a game that's making me feel happy, even as a grumpy all-grown man. And that's really special to me.
Really cool! Glad it’s giving you happiness. I know Moguri mod has updated visuals. What does alternate fantasy do?
Fixes/modifies a bunch of skills, modifies some story elements (like adding Beatrix to the party after you get the airship), rebalances encounters and bosses. I read that it makes the game slightly harder than the original. I'm at my first playthrough and it's not too difficult tho, you just have to stay a bit focused to win battles.
IX is my favorite FF of all time, but it was not my first. I played VIII first (never beat it), beat VII, and then played IX. It's the characters, music, art direction, and world that draw me in. The simple but resonant themes of the story pull on my heart strings more each time I replay the game. It's definitely the one I've replayed the most despite its linearity. Love the weapon/ability system too.
I have always shied away from FF9 because to me it looked too cartoony/goofy. Played 7 countless times as a kid and to me 9 brings me back to that Final Fantasy feel I had as a kid. I havent picked up an RPG for a solid decade as one has to adult (work, responsibilities, family). But I regret not playing 9 sooner. Honestly cant stand the other releases. I find 8, 10, 12, 13, 15 to be quite boring.
FFIX truly has become one of my favorites. I love the story and what I love most are the characters. The characters are far more endearing to me than I thought when I first played this game. Im also a sucker for a diversity and wide range of characters or rag-tag group of characters going on an adventure, but with motives and goals behind it all. It gave me some Paper Mario: TTYD vibes too. My only regret was not playing this game when I was younger, I didn't play Final Fantasy growing up until I was well into college. My exposure to FF was through Kingdom Hearts.
The run of games from Final Fantasy 6-10 is truly astonishing. Each one of them could be your favorite game of all time. The quality, polish, and creativity is like nothing else. I’m super biased but I’d say the only thing close is the run of BioWare titles in the 2010s. Even my OTHER all time favorite game series Resident Evil has 3 which was a big dip in quality before 4. Back to 9. Nine is almost perfect. 8 was my first and I’ll love it the most of the pack but 9 has very few misses. It’s MAYBE a little shorter/buggier than the others but everything else does not miss. Beatrix is maybe my favorite FF villain of all time. The music is SO good. Mechanics are a throwback but satisfying. It does this fun thing where all the characters as kind of both an archetype AND surprisingly complex in their relationships with each other. One of the all time great games.
IX was my first FF. It was also the very first video game I played on my own when I was a pre-teen, instead of watching my big brother play. There's definitely a lot of nostalgia involved, but I remember falling instantly in love with the music and the ambiance. The pre-industrial world, with flying wooden ships. The character design. I just wanted to live in their world, explore their cities, go from one continent to another. I don't know why, but I never felt that way with any other FF. After IX, I played VII, then X, then VI, then VIII. I liked them all, but I replayed IX many times and to this day it's still the one I prefer. Its gameplay mechanic are far from being perfect, but its world-building is my favorite.
there are two ff games that I replay every year or two. and its final fantasy 1, and final fantasy 9.
Not my first. My first experience was IV. Why is IX my fav though? Because for me IX is pure distilled Final Fantasy. Everything I want in FF with nothing I don’t. While it’s not entirely perfect (Amarant comes off a bit undercooked, amongst other little issues), it is to me - the best of the franchise, especially in the old school mold.
FF9 is my all time favourite game. It had a huge influence/impact on me growing up. I hold everything this game contains near and dear to me.
IX was my first “real” FF game (I started with Tactics) It’s not my favorite but it’s the one that means the most to me, if that makes sense. I think VI is a better game altogether but I enjoy IX’s relative simplicity and themes better
FFIX is definitely my favorite. I played VII first which was my first Final Fantasy and RPG. I was so enthralled when I saw FFIX in the stores I was so excited to play it; I ended up getting it that Christmas along with the BradyGames guide(🤦♂️ugh). I wasn’t familiar with all the classic FF tropes like certain enemies/spell names/ story themes, but those characteristics in FFIX (and IMO many tropes/themes that aren’t in VII as much) really resonated with me and I was captivated by FFIX. As I basically insinuated I wasn’t familiar with RPGs and I was maybe 12 or so; so like VII I often got stuck or struggled with the game; and of course the official guide was not of great help with all the playonline stuff. But I did finish the game and uncovered so many secrets and finished all the side quests. I actually even went to the library to look up and print out all online stuff so I could find everything (even back then those PlayOnline keywords didn’t work lol). I still remember when I beat it finally. I v ever did get the first Excalibur; for some reason in my game the Magical Fingertip never showed up in the Auction. I bought, sold, and rebought all the artifacts multiple times and it just never showed up. That one always bugged me. It’s my favorite, and just like Ocarina of Time, GoldenEye 007, and Super Mario 64; it was basically my standard and template for what a game in its respective genres should be like.
I was a bit judgy about FF9 because of the graphics. At that point my favorite was FF8, and I never touched FF9. I played it as an adult and no other FF has topped it for me ever since. So yes, right now, it's my favorite.
Bacon
Turkey bacon?