Happy birthday, Final Fantasy IX! You’re 14 years old now, and still just as lovely as you were back in 2000, although you could stand to take it easier on the random encounters.
FFIX, a story about an interspecies romance and a wizard child who learns how to have feelings, first came out in Japan on July 7, 2000, back when video games actually came out in July. To celebrate, you should play it. The game is still excellent, and the writing is still a peak for Final Fantasy as a whole.
I was thumbing through the Reddit thread about FFIX’s 14th birthday and found this great quote, excerpted from the game’s script:
Zidane: “Hey, that’s Ipsen’s line.”
Dagger: “Ipsen? Who’s that?”
Zidane: “Ipsen is a character from a play, but he’s a real-life adventurer. I think the play is based on his adventures. It kind of goes like this… Ipsen and his good friend Colin worked at a tavern in Treno.
One day Ipsen got a letter. The letter was so wet from rain that most of the writing was illegible. The only part he could read said ‘Come back home.’ Nowadays, we have airships and stuff, but back then, it was really hard to travel. He didn’t know why he had to go back, but he got some time off, gathered his things, and set out on his journey home. He walked a thousand leagues through the Mist. Sometimes he was attacked by vicious monsters, but he made it, because his friend Colin was by his side. And then, after much time on the road… He had to ask Colin something. ‘Why did you come with me?’”
Dagger: “And? What was Colin’s answer?”
Zidane: “‘Only because I wanted to go with you.’”
That’s Final Fantasy IX. Happy birthday.
Comments
29 responses to “One Of The Best Final Fantasy Games Turns 14 Today”
I LOVE FF9!! that artstyle was fantastic!
Love this game, first Final Fantasy I passed
More ppl need to play this game!
I remember I was a broke high school kid when it came out, but I managed to find a second hand copy at “Electronics Boutique” (before it was ebgames lol) for 9.95! it was an obvious error cos the game had only been out for a week, but the guy working there felt sorry for me and let me have it for that price anyway.
Yep this ones amongst my faves too, probably first or second in the FF’s (competing with FFX for that one). Really great game.
Replying to myself, but I’m cool with that.
One of my fave things about it was the clearly defined characters roles, which was something that fell off a bit with the later FF’s (mainly 12 and 13 I guess, though of course by end game in FFX if you took the time, everyone had every skill/magic).
I really liked how Steiner was your tank, Zidane was your thief, Vivi was your mage, Garnet was your healer/summoner, et al.
I liked also that they all had their unique gear (to a large extent) to use and learn skills from.
I didn’t like in 12 and 13 that pretty much all characters are completely interchangeable, with everyone pretty much able to use any magic/summons/whatever.
Maybe it’s just old school of me of something (no, not trying to be hip), but yeah in RPGs I prefer specific characters for their specific roles in the team, rather than a whole group of ‘jack of all trades, just pick who you prefer’.
I found it a great ‘return to form’ after what I thought of as the disappointment of the ‘realism and teeny angst’ of FF8. Was a great return to the Fantasy part of the title I thought.
Thankfully, if or when they remaster FFXII in HD, it’ll be the Zodiac Job System. You pick a Job for your character and I believe they remain that Job for the rest of the game.
http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/License_Board#International_Zodiac_Job_System
hmmm interesting, had not heard anything about that thing. Thanks!
That sounds much more what I prefer in rpg’s
Loved the game. Oddly enough though all this reminds me of is that it released late where I was living so me and a mate went and got Star Ocean 2 instead. Never would have played one of the best rpgs ever made if not for ffix.
Originally, I didn’t think much of FFIX. 7 and 8 were my first exposures to FF and I found it disgustingly cute at first. As I delved deeper, I really appreciated the style and the world itself. It was a joy to explore.
Oh, and it had a chocobo sidequest that din’t completely suck. Shocking, I know.
It’s more shocking that you think that any of the FF chocobo side quests sucked. I pity the fool!
I stand by my statement. FFX, which is great, had annoying challenges in my opinion. And don’t get me started about breeding a Gold Chocobo in FF VII witout a guide. Tedious at best.
The best final fantasy games turns 14 today.
Fixed for you!
But seriously damn I love that that game, the graphic style was amazing, the main protagonists were a change of pace from its last few predecessors and the bad guy was FAB-UUU-LOOOOUS. I spent so many hours just flying around making sure that I had completed each area and fought every card battle, such good times.
IX is my favourite FF and second favourite JRPG right behind Vagrant Story (Square were awesome in 2000). I detested (still do) the characters in VIII and the job system was refreshing for someone who joined the series with VII. The story is amazing, the art style was unique and bold and tbh, by and large the graphics still hold up today. The main character isn’t a boy/man struggling to accept his place in the world and being socially inept and the support characters are mostly fully fleshed out and not forgettable (Eiko and Amarant possible exceptions). The main villian is also a proper villian and you can see he’s evil. Basically, for a JRPG everything is perfect (Tetra Master aside)
All in all, I absolutely love this game and it’s frustrating as hell at how it’s the highest rating FF on meta-critic but Square-Enix ignore all of that and force steampunk next gen interactive movie games instead of visiting back why their earlier games are so loved
Yeah Vagrant Story was great, really cool and unique combat system, real shame they chose not to continue that.
… side note, I did notice that one of the hunt guild ranks in FF12 was Riskbreaker which I thought was a nice nod to Vagrant story 😛
That’s sweet. I never went far in the guild ranks in FFXII to find that out although it was supposedly the spiritual successor to Vagrant Story. Shame it didn’t have the same setting and atmosphere though as the whole European gothic vibe of the whole game is partly why I love VS so much
If your still checking this, I can also highly recommend Shadow Hearts 2 (Convenant) that is a great RPG as well, if it slipped past your radar back in the PS2 days.
Kinda of set in Europe during the second world war, full oh whacky characters, great music and locales, and interesting combat system. Some heavyish themes (for a ps2 video game), but even more genuinely laughing out loud moments.
(Especially between Yuri and the Ring Spirit/Soul lol)
I just thought of it given the ‘gothic vibe’ bit of your post.
Shadow Hearts 1 was OK as well, but 2 was much more polished and enjoyable I thought.
Theres a 3 as well, but I’ve not played it.
Yeah my PS2 RPG days didn’t go far beyond FFX so one to check out for sure. I’ve been meaning to get The Last Story for ages now but ozgameshop always seems to be out of stock and the price just doesn’t go down anywhere in Aus 🙁
I have fond memories of Final Fantasy Tactics. Wonder how it holds up today? Would make a good Wii U game on the gamepad
Vivi – nothing more need be said about FF9 than that really 🙂
But a longer answer, I just finished replaying it for about the 4th time and it’s still as great as it once was. The best thing (apart from Vivi’s arc) is how timeless this piece of work is, you can’t help but notice all the rough edges of earlier final fantasies when playing them on modern systems and while this one has a few still (Excalibur 2 sidequest on PAL, that weird crystal final boss that pops up out of nowhere and Eiko), the art style overwrites them completely.
Such a great game. Remember I rented it for several weeks – as nowhere in town sold it – then when they called and asked for it back I got all indignant and said I already returned it. They shut down shortly afterward.
FFIX is so good I TURNED TO A LIFE OF CRIME!
As long as you don’t kidnap anyone. Next we’ll find out you’re a cyborg or something!
14 year old game… still better than Final Fantasy 14.
I’ll agree with that, though FFXIV is definitely better than some previous FF games.
Wow. Same bday as one of the better ffs. the things you learn.
My favourite as well!
To add icing to the cake, Hironobu Sakaguchi himself said that FFIX is his ‘perfect vision’ of what a Final Fantasy should be like. It’s also his favourite game!
Awwwwww that reading that scene again gave me chills, this game is so dang good. SO dang good.
FF on PS1 was the golden era of gaming
I wish they would come back to these origins
Golden era of gaming was SNES / MegaDrive days : )
Vivi <3
Great game only held back by the worlds slowest ATB gauge.
Whoa, wtf. Fourteen already? That means the classic FFVII and FFVIII that I played back in the day are going to be 17 and 15, respectively. Crazy.
I remember having done everything on this game as a 10 year old except from Chocobo’s Paradise. Then I had a dream and oddly enough I was on my Chocobo flying towards the location. Woke up at night just to see if it was there and BAM. Happiest 10 year old in the world – After passing Kuja’s palace that is.
My son’s middle name might be Zidane…