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Open Mind

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: May 13, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Hey guys. I love this game, flat out. It has great characters, a good plot, a good system, and fantastic music. A lot of people think that the game is boring, or maybe they don't like the plot, but I think that those people need to just give it a chance. This was the 7th Final Fantasy I have beaten, and now I have finished 1-9, and this game is in my top four.

There are some problems with this game, but I don't think they are very critical. Most of them affect the first couple hours, but they are nothing toreally have too big a problem with. First of all, the begining is slow. There are about 4 battles in the first hour, and you finish only about 20-50 in the first few hours. Also it takes a little getting used to to get into the gameplay. Characters gain magic and abilities based on what equipment they have on.

Anyways, I put this in my top list of games, which are in order of which is most important to play

Final Fantasy VI
Chrono Trigger
Final Fantasy VII
Earthbound
Final Fantasy IX
Chrono Cross
Xenogears

Play those RPG's and you will have experienced the best games ever made.

THE BEST GAME EVER!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: July 18, 2002
Author: Amazon User

This game is absolutley a masterpiece. At first I only played small rpgs like "Zelda", but when I rented this game I COULD NOT STOP PLAYING! It is so much fun! First off, AMAZING STORY LINE! You get sooo wrapped into it you have dreams about it. *shudder*
The CG graphics are beutiful, it makes you wanna play it over and over again just to see the sequences! The Characters are very well thought up and now all my friends and I have nicknames from it! The music is so wonderful I even bought the soundrack which btw is amazing. Final Fantasy IX takes about 40 hours if you don't have a game guide your first time, but it is SO worth it! The ending is so cool. ^_^ If I could reccomend any game, This would definitly be it,kupo. Oh, and there is one side effect if you buy this game...YOU GET ADDICTED.
Overall I have to say this is the best game ever.

This game is without peers

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: January 12, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I have been playing Final Fantasy games since the first one came out. I have not been playing them because they were in the series. Anyone who has played more than one Final Fantasy game soon realizes that these are all stand-alone games that share some similar mechanics. These reviews that say 8 was good 9 is bad, or 9 was all right, but no 7, are really missing the point. Final Fantasy IX is a great game. Final Fantasy VII is a great game. Final Fantasy VIII is not even remotely fun. But these facts have nothing to do with each other.

Final Fantasy IX is a wonderful experience. The game play is excellent; the graphics are unique and rich. Every scene of the game is filled with so much detail that the scenes feel alive. The graphics are integral to the game as well. The whole feel of the game begins with the graphics and then extends into every action and every character and then throughout the plots. I would say that these graphics are astounding not just for their "quality" which is such an abstract term when applied to graphics, but because of how holistically right they seem to be in this game.

I have read reviews where people have complained about the character development and plot depth. I think these people are too used to characters being over-the-top and intensely deranged. The characters of FFIX act and react much more like real people would under the circumstances of this game. Furthermore, the time that passes in the game is not really relative to the time you spend playing any particular area. You may spend several hours playing a scene that is only a matter of minutes while several days may pass in half an hour. The point is that the characters are moving through events very rapidly and they adjust as they go along while basically still remaining the same because it is not as if they have gone through several years of events with time to reflect and change. They are living these events as you play them and trying to cope while doing what they must do. The plot of the game is something that I feel has achieved an excellent feat. The plot is engaging enough to keep you interested while being broad enough to let you wander while balancing its effectiveness to the game play. This is an incredible balancing act that so many game designers have failed to achieve and that FFIX makes look easy.

Now, as far as control goes, there are several levels to this and the game flaunts its greatness here if no where else. The ability system is simple enough to understand and use while being versatile enough to give you the opportunity to tailor the characters to your liking. You are given options in your characters' development. Beyond the ability system is the game play itself. You are lead along the path of the plot, but there are so many chances to lose yourself in side quests and mini-games. These quests and games alone are far better than a large number of other games of the genre. If this game were only the sum total of its parts, it would excel, but the game is more than that as it weaves all of these aspects together seamlessly.

There is another very major issue that always needs to be addressed in any game. You go through the game, you win, and it's over, what now? With FFIX, there are so many reasons to want to do it again. Unless you destroy the game with a strategy guide and waste your time letting yourself be told which nook and cranny to search in, you'll want to go back and get things that you missed. You'll want to fight bosses again, see cut scenes again, try new strategies, develop different skills sooner, play the card game, chocobo hot and cold, see if you can actually win at the jump rope, and so on and so on. Does this game have re-playability? Before I am a quarter of the way through, I'm already thinking about the next time I'm going to play it over.

This game is without peer. No other game does what this game does, no in the Final Fantasy series, not in the world of RPG's. This game is a gem and an experience that I recommend to anyone no matter what other Final Fantasy games they liked or didn't like.

A throwback to classics

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: July 31, 2004
Author: Amazon User

For many long-time Final Fantasy fans, the wait for another classic game is over.

Final Fantasy IX goes back to the traditions of the original games in the series while introducing new and fun mini-games, abilities, and characters.

For players who have followed every progression of Final Fantasy from the first 8 bit cartridge on the NES through the PlayStation (and now PlayStation 2) enhanced graphical cd's and dvd's, this game should be a part of your collection.

I have read many reviews from people who have only started their Final Fantasy experience with Final Fantasy VII or VIII. While these games, in their own ways, are fantastic, brilliantly created entertainment, they do not embrace all of Final Fantasy's history.

Final Fantasy IX goes back to original roots of RPG's. Characters who are believable, but still fantasy-based, swords, magic, mysticism. While Final Fantasy VII and VIII also carried fabulous stories and beautifully rendered worlds, the simple break from FANTASY into SCI-FI was, for me, a definite turn-off.

Don't get me wrong, I am, and always will be, a huge fan of VII and VIII, but even as early as Final Fantasy VI (III U.S.), every playable character could wield every possible piece of equipment or use every possible spell. This created a lack of originality in the characters that kept the player from alternating PC's due to lack of need.

Final Fantsy IX, on the other hand, goes back to each character having a specific role and set of abilities and, while some abilities are useable by every character, there is only one Black Mage and one Thief and one Dragon Knight, and the Thief cannot learn the Black Mage's spells, etc.

This alone is enough to earn a respected place amongst RPG's inasmuch as simply making you choose which characters to take into battle with you. The Blue Magic system, a longtime nemesis of mine in other Final Fantasy titles, is well added into this title and quite enjoyable.

All in all, the beautifully rendered world, the unique and often hilarious characters and their antics, the throwback to roots of Final Fantasy history, and the return to a FANTASY world as opposed to a SCI-FI world create what is, all in all, a true gold medal winner of Role Playing Games.

This game is not describable in words...!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: October 27, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This is the greatest final fantasy, no the best rpg ever made!!! The cinematique iimages the great story plot! This game is awesome. You get great story length, great powers! This is a game you cannot miss! Compared to this final fantasy's the others are a joke. You will not regret buying especially for its fmv sequences! I was amazed and the characters are awesome. You see dragons and this is the only final fantasy were you see more than 4 aeons in cinematique sequences...wow!

Great Game, despite all other opinions

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: April 19, 2005
Author: Amazon User

First of all, I'd like to point out that I haven't played many other Final Fantasy Games, so I'm not going to compare them.

On to my thoughts about FFIX. It was the first real RPG Playstation game that I ever bought and it's the one that got made me love the genre.
Plot: 4/5 Great plot, however they fail to really explain some crucial details (for example: why does Zidane sees Garnet's memory?). A little more explanations would be nice for my lack of brain cells.
Characters: 5/5 You really do get attached to Zidane and Garnet, you laugh at Amarant's oblivious and cynical nature, and just want to shoot Thorn and Zorn. The point is, the characters are interesting and have a personality.
Gameplay: 4/5 At first it's hard to understand how to train the characters and use different accessories to learn attacks. However, once that is settled, the gameplay is great. Also, it took me forever to realize that pressing Select on the world screen brings up a map: VERY USEFUL! You'll get lost if you don't use it. Other than that, good gameplay.
Graphics: 6/5 :) Gotta love the grahics. Squaresoft created different cultures/architectures for each different country. Gaia is absolutely gorgeous. The FMVs are amazing. Two thumbs way way up for the graphics.

Overall: Though it required a lot of time training to beat Kuja and the final bosses, the game is really fun. The minigames range from "fun-for-two-seconds" (Jumprope Vivi) and "takes-forever-but-gotta-love-it" (Chocobo Hot and Cold) and the game itself is great, long and never boring. Five stars out of five it is, then. Great way to get yourself in the world of Final Fantasy.

Breath of Fresh Air

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: May 02, 2007
Author: Amazon User

...Possibly my favorite of all that I have played (VII through X-2) so far...

Final Fantasy IX gets rid of a lot of the futuristic elements that are laden in VII, VIII and X. Its story is rich, entertaining, and most of all... FUN! All of the characters are easy to follow and fall in love with. Each one having his or her own story within the story of the game as a whole. Vivi is my favorite character. He is adventuring with Zidane hoping to find a reason to life and why he was created. Vivi basically wants to "prove" his existence. Along the way he meets many people that are a lot different than him. Some he becomes friends with while others are enemies. Heh, even some enemies in the beginning of the game end up becoming allies. You'll find out as you progress through all four discs.

Final Fantasy VII and VIII didn't capture my heart like IX has. I personally love the castles and airships that you'll find so much of in this masterpiece of a game. Even the characters have left a big impression on me. It is quite difficult to grasp at how much a videogame can affect the way a person feels and thinks. Final Fantasy IX has changed me not only as a gamer but as a person.

There aren't any guns here, folks. It's all about swords, spears, daggers, wands and flutes in. Leave all of the fancy future-style weapons out and bring in the vintage goodies! There are a vast array of weapons you can use. Each character having his or her own 'type'. For example: Garnet can use either a Wand OR Racket. Wands aren't meant for attacking an enemy physically, but Rackets are. Although I do not know why you'd seek to do physical damage to an enemy with Garnet. She is a Summoner and her power focuses mainly on Eidolons, the likes of Bahamut and crew.

There isn't anything bad that I find about this game. I guess if I /have/ to absolutely pick one thing, it's that some of the dialogue can be cheesy at certain times. With that said, I enjoy everything about FF IX; a very rare thing to experience in my eyes. Rarely does a game come along that its players can enjoy everything about it. If you're alive and reading this review, and are deciding whether or not you want to buy FF IX or not, do yourself a favor and buy it. This is a game that no RPG fan should miss!

Possibly the best game i have ever played

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: March 22, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This game is great and was my first in the series, I played it non stop for the whole school holidays it was that good. It is an easy game to just pick up and start playing. After I played this game I went bak and completed ff7 and then after that i completed ff10. These were both great games with ff10 providing you with more hours of gameplay( those dark aeons take a while to beat) and fianl fantasy 7 my second fav game on the ps1 but neither provide you the depth of story and character that ff9 does. Both battling ,storyline, graphics and lifespan are great.

To sum this game up in one is to call it the FINAL fantasy.

Eh......

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 12 / 30
Date: November 17, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Well I must say I had my expectations too high for this one. In games like FF8 you are pumped and excited right from the opening. This one takes awhile to get going and once it does it is very enjoyable. The story is good, but nothing along the lines of Chrono Cross. The battle systems is very familiar from past Fantasies but again, Chrono Cross's was more involving. Now the ATB bar takes almost twice as long to charge. Be sure to buy a lot of poitions! I love this game to death, but to put it in perspective...I liked Final Fantasy 8 a lot better. Partly becasue the swords and sorcery was never my thing. Do not let that turn you off to this game because it truley is a great game.

It's ok

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 5 / 8
Date: January 03, 2001
Author: Amazon User

There are some benefits to the new version of this game as well as some drawbacks.

To me, the pros are that the graphics are better and there are interesting new things in the game.

The cons are that the story isn't that great, the main character is whiny and immature, the card game isn't explained very well, it's harder to summon the guardians or eidolons and the villain is so lame and is always laughing maniacally.

Many people are mentioning that this game is set in the medeival period, though there's nothing medeival about it. There are castles and "knights" but that's where the similarity ends.

I always find it somewhat confusing going from version to the next because they're always changing how you deal with weapons and learning abilities. In 7 you had materia, in 8 you had junctioning and in 9 you have abilities.

The "official" strategy guide for this game is highly annoying. Instead of telling you information, they say: Go to our online website to find out more. The website is free, so there's no point in buying the guide. Plus, who wants to run to their computer every time you want the answer to a question.

Overall, I think this game is ok, but not great.

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