Author Topic: Final Fantasy IX  (Read 2123 times)

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Offline ThePerm

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Final Fantasy IX
« on: February 13, 2019, 06:20:47 PM »
Downloadable today.

That was a surprise. I really liked the characters in this one. Why most everyone was begging for FFVII I always never liked that game much. FFIX though always appealed to me.
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Offline kaijugamer

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Re: Final Fantasy IX
« Reply #1 on: February 13, 2019, 09:14:35 PM »
I didn't expect this one in today's Nintendo Direct.

Offline nickmitch

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Re: Final Fantasy IX
« Reply #2 on: February 13, 2019, 09:25:58 PM »
I really liked the way it was announced. "Remember when we said FFVII was coming? Yeah, that's still coming. We also got one of the side games coming too. Also, we have FFIX coming RIGHT NOW!"
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Offline pokepal148

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Re: Final Fantasy IX
« Reply #3 on: February 13, 2019, 11:08:27 PM »
I guess this is as good an excuse as any to start this up on Vita.

Offline lolmonade

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Re: Final Fantasy IX
« Reply #4 on: February 13, 2019, 11:23:28 PM »
I expected the surprise "available today!" announcement to be VII, was pleasantly surprised that it was IX, an entry I played halfway through and dropped off as a teenager, but have always wanted to go back to.

$21 was a little steep asking price, but given the switch is probably one of the few consoles I can regularly feel comfortable dumping a lot of hours into anymore, I bit the bullet on it.

Offline pokepal148

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Re: Final Fantasy IX
« Reply #5 on: February 14, 2019, 01:14:35 AM »
I got it for $3 on PSN back in November.

Apparently you play as a furry. Whatever, let's kidnap the princess.
« Last Edit: February 14, 2019, 01:27:09 AM by pokepal148 »

Offline Order.RSS

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Re: Final Fantasy IX
« Reply #6 on: February 14, 2019, 10:44:46 AM »
Still have this in my PS1 backlog.
(Seriously I still have multiple unfinished PS1 games around.)

It begins pretty decent, I liked Vivi's (the black mage) character  design a lot, and Steiner the knight is useful too. The animations to start battles take a long time if I recall correctly, it felt like a slower game than Final Fantasy 8.

Offline pokepal148

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Re: Final Fantasy IX
« Reply #7 on: February 14, 2019, 04:53:42 PM »
I strongly recommend going into settings to speed up the battle speed.

Offline lolmonade

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Re: Final Fantasy IX
« Reply #8 on: February 15, 2019, 08:26:52 AM »
I've gotten past the initial intro sequence and where the game seems to give a little more full control.  I forgot how cartoonish/exaggerated some of the characters' expressions and motions were in FMV sequences here.  Was this an overcorrection from how stiff/lifeless the characters seemed in the FMV for FF VII/VIII, or a choice to coincide with the more lighthearted/fantasy tone?

I also forgot these used to have the characters speak-out their ulterior motives or true intentions as dialogue in-game rather than unfolding naturally as part of the story like it's an old cartoon bad guy.  I might find that grating depending on how frequently it occurs.

Offline ThePerm

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Re: Final Fantasy IX
« Reply #9 on: February 18, 2019, 04:16:56 AM »
If I had a Switch I'd definitely get this game. I really enjoyed the music.
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Offline lolmonade

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Re: Final Fantasy IX
« Reply #10 on: February 18, 2019, 10:19:46 AM »
I got past the Ice Caverns last night and to the first town where the Princess renames herself "Dagger".

Gameplay is still scratching the older RPG itch for me, I wish the Trance abilities were something that popped-off at choice rather than whenever the meter happens to fill.  Of the two times it's happened, one was fortunately during a boss battle, but it feels like a big waste to have this power/ability boost when you're just pushing-off garbage enemies.  Like most older Final Fantasy titles, I'm finding boss battles a bit tedious in that you're often having to spend twice as much time going through rounds of defensive healing, reviving, removing status effects.  In that way, Final Fantasy IX is showing its age, or maybe it's because now i've given something like Persona a shot where success is entirely dependent on being able to keep the offensive chain going by exploiting enemy weaknesses that grant you additional turns before the enemy gets a chance to strike.

Narratively, I like the story so far, but the dialogue, oh man.  I'm sorry, but either my standards have changed or there's been such a drastic improvement in video game writing generally that some of the dialogue seems amateurish or the conversation is so casual between people that technically barely know each other that it would be nagging at me if I didn't already come into this expecting something relatively aged. 

I've read a few places online that there are audio glitches/issues present in this port as it's based on a mobile port, but I haven't noticed them - it might be more apparent to those of you who have played this on the PS1 version.  I also don't find the menu changes as offensive as some online have.

Offline Order.RSS

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Re: Final Fantasy IX
« Reply #11 on: February 18, 2019, 01:14:11 PM »
I've read a few places online that there are audio glitches/issues present in this port as it's based on a mobile port, but I haven't noticed them - it might be more apparent to those of you who have played this on the PS1 version.  I also don't find the menu changes as offensive as some online have.

Believe the audio complaints are more about the fact that music starts over again after every loading transition or something like that, meaning you simply don't get to hear a portion of the soundtrack (Final Fantasy is historically lauded for good soundtracks). Could be misunderstanding though. I'll start this game back up this year, I think I left it just after tha Ice Cavern portion you mention.

Offline lolmonade

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Re: Final Fantasy IX
« Reply #12 on: February 21, 2019, 09:12:33 AM »
I don't know how spoiler sensitive I should be in a game this old, but I'll tread lightly in case.

I've gotten to what seems to be the next set of big story beats 5 hours in, and while I'm enjoying the general thrust of the story, the dialogue and some of the characters are just awful.  Zidane comes off as particularly awful at times, especially when something fairly serious happens in the story like when Vivi comes across all the dolls and the Black Waltz #3 obliterates them all in front of him, and Zidane basically walks up and tells him to cheer up.  Princess Garnet (or Dagger, I guess) has a more interesting story arc, but is kind of bland (and apparently has a singing voice of a 30 year old when she's 16), Steiner is funny in a way a clown is, and Vivi is interesting solely because of the questions that have arisen by virtue of the story.  Everyone feels awfully underdeveloped as a character, which is grating against the contrast of an interesting world and the things set in motion in the background.

Maybe I'm just too early in, but I'm thinking the reason the game is lauded as one of the best is because a lot of us were pre-teens when this came out and the nostalgia is strong with the 7,8,9s of the series.  I'm going to keep going and complete it because I'm interested in the overall narrative, just having some gripes with what's going on right now. 

Offline Order.RSS

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Re: Final Fantasy IX
« Reply #13 on: February 21, 2019, 11:57:17 AM »
Maybe I'm just too early in, but I'm thinking the reason the game is lauded as one of the best is because a lot of us were pre-teens when this came out and the nostalgia is strong with the 7,8,9s of the series.  I'm going to keep going and complete it because I'm interested in the overall narrative, just having some gripes with what's going on right now.

I think IX is one of those games which underperformed financially, compared to the juggernauts of VII, VIII, and X afterwards. (Partially due to release date - IX shipped with a playable demo of X, Zone of the Enders style). It also kinda stands out in the series; it's the last one to deal with an actual magical/medieval fantasy setting, and is the only 3D entry to do so.

Thus, if anything, I would suspect the people who hold IX in high regard will be slightly older fans, who have nostalgia for FF I/IV/VI. While VI definitely began including some steampunk style aesthetics, they wouldn't go overboard with the whole techno-magic setting until VII.
While I haven't played VII, I did sink close to 100 hours into VIII and frankly - it's a disaster of a game in terms of writing, plot, dialogue, and has a real void of likable characters unless you're a mopey teenager.

I guess what I'm saying is that I personally suspect IX appealed to a different audience than the one who bought into VII/VIII/X and beyond. So it's definitely possible that audience is being more forgiving to the writing/story/dialogue, because it's the last time Final Fantasy felt tuned into their sensibilities?

Offline lolmonade

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Re: Final Fantasy IX
« Reply #14 on: February 21, 2019, 12:10:08 PM »
Really, the world, the more "fantasy" setting is probably the best part of IX so far.  I love the towns/cities/wilderness I've been to so far, probably the main reason why i'll pursue finishing it.

And probably why I'll push to the end to see how things (if things) improve for me.  I'm still interested to see how the larger mysteries uncover, just in a spot where I'm frustrated with how developed I (don't) think the characters are, and how bad the dialogue is written at this point. 

Yeah, I dropped off of VIII fairly early way back into the day, Squall was mopey in a way that's like the negative Zidane.