So, my aunt gave me and my brother this game back in 2000 for Christmas and when I saw it, it looked like some novela crap. Of course I was young back then so I only liked things beating each other up. But now since I'm much older, I appreciate games for their story and I never played it when we got it. My brother did. So we're playing it after 10 years. 10!!! That's a very long time. The graphics are pretty good for it's time and I think it's a pretty solid game. 

I only played it for 4 hours. I should get around to finishing it sometime.

I'm very sure alot of people have played FFIX. It's a really great game for me, and my favourite FF. Though I have only played 7, 8, 9 and 12.

I have played this, and let me say this: it is pretty much the best PS1-intended FF game. (I added the "PS1-intended" thing to prevent FF6 from dominating the hell out of that.) Also, what the hell's going on with your glasses/head? It looks like your right eye sunk into the rest of your face by a few pixels :P.

I bought it on the PSN recently. Finished it back in the day on the PS1 - it was awesome and remains awesome.

Hell yeah.

I remember playing it when it first came out. Fantastic game. I can still hear the awesome music in my head. The game just truly felt epic to me at the time.

final fantasy ix is one of the best ff games. old games i need to beat: blood omen: legacy of kain. legacy of kain: soul reaver for PS1. 

One of the few JRPGs that, when it's trying to be funny or charming, actually still gets a smile out of me.

It's the worst one of the first ten.  The lack of Nomura was a major cause of it.

Its my favorite and I've played them all (except 11 and 14 of course).

" I remember playing it when it first came out. Fantastic game. I can still hear the awesome music in my head. The game just truly felt epic to me at the time. "

" I have played this, and let me say this: it is pretty much the best PS1-intended FF game. (I added the "PS1-intended" thing to prevent FF6 from dominating the hell out of that.) Also, what the hell's going on with your glasses/head? It looks like your right eye sunk into the rest of your face by a few pixels :P. "

FFIX is great. I don't remember if I ever finished the fourth disc, but I remember I really liked the music. Maybe I'll go back and play it again since you reminded me.

My favorite PS Final Fantasy title behind VIII (VI was better on the SNES). I still remember that it was the only post-2D FF to get better as it went on.

How do people like this crap? 
 
FF6, FF7, and FF8 were Sci-Fi and they went back to the medieval crap.  The character designs were shit, the end boss had no reasoning, the music was subpar compared to the last three games, and the talented staff didn't make it.

" How do people like this crap?  FF6, FF7, and FF8 were Sci-Fi and they went back to the medieval crap.  The character designs were shit, the end boss had no reasoning, the music was subpar compared to the last three games, and the talented staff didn't make it. "

I bought it on release and played about an hour, really disliked it because it wasn't like FF7 or FF8, I felt the return to the old style was disappointing. However I finally finished it this year and have to say it's now one of my favourites in the series, it's amazing how 10 years can make a difference to your taste in gaming.
 
Also you can't mention the music without this theme. 
  

" I remember playing it when it first came out. Fantastic game. I can still hear the awesome music in my head. The game just truly felt epic to me at the time. "

" One of the few JRPGs that, when it's trying to be funny or charming, actually still gets a smile out of me. "

" How do people like this crap?  FF6, FF7, and FF8 were Sci-Fi and they went back to the medieval crap.  The character designs were shit, the end boss had no reasoning, the music was subpar compared to the last three games, and the talented staff didn't make it. "

if you need a really good online guide, go here. This thread has a bunch of links to everything you could ever need to play a complete playthrough of FFIX.

" @Abyssfull: It's not even trolling.  Scores and sales show this.  The general opinion is that after FF6, FF7, and FF8...FF9 was a big step back.  The best music, plot, graphics, and battle system were all from those three games.  The most memorable games were those three.    Compared to the last three, FF9 disappointed.   "

" I bought it on release and played about an hour, really disliked it because it wasn't like FF7 or FF8, I felt the return to the old style was disappointing. However I finally finished it this year and have to say it's now one of my favourites in the series, it's amazing how 10 years can make a difference to your taste in gaming.
 
Also you can't mention the music without this theme. 
  

"

In my opinion it's the best FInal Fantasy. And before you ask, I've played all of them other than X-2 and XIII. I don't think either of those would be in the running for me though.

" if you need a really good online guide, go here. This thread has a bunch of links to everything you could ever need to play a complete playthrough of FFIX. "

" @AURON570 said:

" if you need a really good online guide, go here. This thread has a bunch of links to everything you could ever need to play a complete playthrough of FFIX. "

Thanks but my brother is already looking at a guide. We got to the second disc yesterday and when I got home from school an hour and a half ago, he said he started a new game because we missed a bunch of things. I gave a huge sigh but whatever. I'm only playing as two characters in the fights. He's the one walking around the world looking for everything and doing the 1 player parts. "

" @awesomeusername:  I was 15 when I first played it and felt the characters weren't cool enough like Vincent and Irvine, but now I realise the characters on FF9 were much better written and alot more interesting.  And yeah, I will take story and well written characters over gameplay every time these days. I also tried to replay FF12 and fuck Vaan, he's the only reason I can't get through that game. If I can find the International version I might give it another go. "

Favorite PS1 era FF! 
 
@hack745: I have that guide. It is the worst thing.

My wife and I played through FF IX together when we were first married.  It was an awesome way to introduce her to RPGs.

" My wife and I played through FF IX together when we were first married.  It was an awesome way to introduce her to RPGs. "

This is one of the few FF games that I have replayed more than once.  The leveling system is dumbed down to near pointlessness, unfortunately.  Additionally, the magic and summoning system are interesting for the first 10-15 minutes.  There is a bizarre, but again, pointless, limit break system as well. 
 
Also, the main character and his love interest/ heroine are quite possibly the two worst characters ever to grace a game.  Oh wait, we have a ne'er-do-well dude with a bad attitude but a strong character underneath?  Oh, and wait, don't tell me, a princess who is a reluctant hero? Seriously? And, of course, the story between these two is, again, about as run of the mill as it gets.
 
 
Having said all that, every single other character and storyline in the game is pure, unfiltered, genius.  Vivi's existential search for true meaning and self-identity makes you uncomfortable in a way that only a few of the best books and movies can.  Freya's story of sorrow and redemption is touching, grand, and human.  Ecko's brings in the joyful ignorance of youth, coupled with the heart wrenching knowledge that she, like Dagger, will never be just an ordinary girl.  Steiner's goofy battle between orders and duty, between his training and his sense of justice, the call to do what is right vs. what he thinks is right is one everyone can relate to. 
 
Even the "throwaway" characters are great.  Quina is some sort of bizarre ungendered creature, but it is his/her simplicity, and the way that other characters react to him/her, that speaks volumes about how we treat those with disabilities.  Beatrix even has some human qualities.  The Imperial Guard is even somewhat complex. 
 
On top of that, I really enjoyed all of the locations in this game.  I felt like each was believable in a fantasy sense, and each had a unique atmosphere.  
 
Finally, while the main storyline is pretty generic, the side stories are all interesting.  The entire game has this goofy caricatured humor, which keeps things light and moving, but underneath it are some complex and often heart wrenching themes.  But unlike FFVIII, or even FFVII, or even FFVI of FFV, there isn't a whole lot of emo drama.  The story unfolds quickly enough to keep you interested, but doesn't pull punches on the heavy issues.  You never feel bogged down in 1,000 lines of text, but you never feel like you are reading a children's picture book. 
 
Also, I felt like the card game in this one is what Triple Triad in FFVIII should have been.

" Also, I felt like the card game in this one is what Triple Triad in FFVIII should have been. "

No, I've played XI though.

I played it when it first came out and I wasn't that crazy about it (I as well was young and I was picky). I then played it again a little while back and I enjoyed it much more. It's a fairly good game.

It's actually one of the best in the series. Precisely because it didn't take itself too seriously. Which is why I fucking hated Final Fantasy VII. 
 
And it actually has a better score than VII-X on Metacritic, so I don't know why people are saying that critics didn't like it.

It's the easiest of the ps1 final fantasy games to return to, and overall it's a really great game. I should resume my replay of it at some point.

" IX is by far my favourite  Final Fantasy game.  I'm not 100% sure why though... probably Vivi. "

" It is the worst FF of them all in my opinion, the first 6 are masterpieces, then VII really got things going on PS1, VIII was just incredible and the series just seemed to be moving in brilliant new directions so I was unbelievably excited for IX and they go and make a fucking prissy ass disney version of Final Fantasy, for shame. Thankfully X redeemed them. Then XI-XIV fucked things up again...  Also, on a sidenote, are you fucking serious OP? Has anyone ever played FFIX? And posting a picture in case we didn't know what it looked like? Jesus.... "

Yea, I played a good chunk of it, and really liked it a lot. However, as with every Final Fantasy game I've ever played, I got like 2/3 of the way through and never finished it.

This is definitely my favorite Final Fantasy game, though I do have fond memories of 10 as well. Take that with a grain of salt, though, since I've only played the series from VII and on (not that latest one though, it looked terrible). I'm certainly no authority on all things FF.  
 
My friend and I actually played through this game together, taking turns actually being on the controller. We were young, so that was actually manageable then. Great memories with this game, truly.