So I played FINAL FANTASY IX For The First Time... 

Same. I've just introduced FF9 to my 11 year old daughter and now she's vivi's biggest fan lol

@@cptwaavy Something about introducing one of my all time favourites to someone that young in today's gaming landscape puts a smile on my face. I think I was even about 12 or 13 when I played it the first time, VII was my first one at just 8 (I put it down for a year because of a certain plank in the Sector 6 slums that I couldn't see to progress lol). I'm not sure who I'd say my favourite from IX is, apart from Beatrix being a badass, but I do have a soft spot for Vivi. I was also the philosophical sort, so it was hard not to empathise. Has she finished it yet? If she's able to look past the dated aspects, I suspect it'll stick with her for a while. I think it's one of those games that stood the test of time well.

7th grade man AND we had Pokemon

This was my first adventure at age 9, ever since then I've always wanted to go on an adventure, unfortunately tragedies came early and im now stuck in a life of work. How I wish I could go back to being a kid.

Played on release aged about 14 or 15. I'm now 37. Time does fly.

My problem is with how slow the combat is.

It highly deserves a remake.

I got into it until the fucker corrupted my entire save card because of a weird glitch.

@@Knives9 You have the speed up in the modern releases.

@@Knives9 as someone who has gone through the original ps1 version multiple times, I feel you so hard. But thankfully there are the modern pc and console versions that allow massive speedup to the entire game.

Nice fanfic.

@@Ukaran there are interview about that..

@@Ukaran just because you don't know doesn't mean it's fanfic. altho it's just the internet, try not to be a jerk.

I didn't make it there yet, i loved the lead up to Beatrix and Steiner, after that my data corrupted...i am almost at that point again though with a new memory card!

“You’re Not Alone” has got to be one of the best melodies that ever came from that game. The whole sequence of Zidane feeling lost, reflecting his time on Gaia, and trying to physically/verbally shut people out of his life only for them to say “screw that and listen to me!” was good story telling.

I love that scene too...

The scene that gets me every single time is Assault of the Silver Dragons. That's by far the greatest, most epic moment in all FF imo. The music that plays there is absolutely incredible. That's the climax of the entire game imo.

Yes thank you.. This scene literally has made such an impact on me and my life.. Beautiful and real

That scene with Vivi and the Black Mages is probably the most important and significant scene in the entire game.

And the bit where all those black mages on the ship die is devastating.

Quina is absolutely a fantastic character. Love their marriage to Vivi too. Rally-Ho!

Yes! Come here with that justice for Quina! Simple, yet elegant. Also, Quina's perspective is so different from other party members that I find him/her refreshing. A standout moment for me is how he/she was the last picked to go tackle a shrine. He/she doesn't bemoan their apparent low social standing with the other party members. The Qu believe that leftovers are a good thing (probably because someone thought to make more than enough food for any unexpected guests). So really maybe changing your perspective could make you much more satisfied in life. So overall, Retro Rebound is not wrong. Mechanically, Quina could be described as just made to complete the 4-party squad exactly when he/she is needed (and actually tends to get replaced pretty quickly by other party members more proximal to the story), but does that make him/her any less?

Thank you, everyone hates this character for no reason

Well said, Quina is actually useful than a lot people think. They have abilities come helpful at point of the game. And honestly who doesn't just listen to Quain's theme catJAM to their theme, I boosted volume listening to it for hours.

Quina is levity. FF9's cast is full of serious characters with sad stories. Quina is there a) to help keep the tone from getting too heavy (esp. when Steiner isn't around to be comically serious), and b) to give some perspective that while, yes, things can get sad and dark, you don't have to let it get to you and define you. While everyone is having existential crises, Quina is out there just living their best life, showing the player and the party what life is like when you don't let the bad things drive you.

This game has magic that most of the other FF titles don’t. It’s absolutely wonderful and unique.

I played FF3 to 13 (not in release order tho) in the past 2 years and I still really enjoyed em. In particular 8, 9 and 10, those 3 are the golden titles for me. And out of that top, I'd say 9 rises above if only slightly.

Just starting my first playthrough today, ive played every final fantasy except this one even though ive tried to get into it before. I really hope i like it

@@thaddeuskent8185 FF4-FFX have good atmosphere, so does Earthbound, Mother 3, Chrono Trigger.

Not necessarily a remake. I'd love a proper stylised remaster..... however I have heard some rumours about it getting an animated TV show following the plotline of the game. If this gets confirmation I would actually lose my shit.

Dont forget the magic music!! ;)

Yeah but modern square would ruin it like they ruined FF 7

@@leargamma4912 they didn't ruin FF7, they made a new game inspired by FF7. FF7 still exists and you can go and play it whenever you want. I think it's far more interesting to make something else entirely new than to just rehash an already great game that already exists.

@Lear Gamma They didn't.

Such a good story. These games are special for so many people.

Yeah same here

This 😭💖

Casts a total spell over me

In-game card games often add to the immersiveness to a game. This game also boasts the best in-game card game for a Final Fantasy game. I actually wanted to collect the cards and challenge NPCs.

Same my guy, people saying its just a game feels wrong man 😄 its a fair part of my childhood with so many messages

Exactly,9 it has something magical that the others don't, maybe the children's cover but with a totally deep and adult plot, maybe the charisma of the characters, maybe the soundtrack, which for me is the best

FF7 and FF9 deservs remake. =) Best love story.

Closest to IX is V. Two my favs.

Quina was also a great manifestation of living in the moment and enjoying the little things in life. They like what they like and they don't change who they are. They simply exist to enjoy the experience that is life.. and food

But remember quina would eat the monsters & acquire abilities

Funny, I had a similar experience. When the PS2 got a bit more affordable for a 13 year old in 2002, there was a bundle with Kingdom Hearts in my country. I bought it and was instantly attracted by the FF characters. That’s what made me buy FFX next. So FFX will always have this special place in my heart, though it’s not my all time favorite of the series anymore.

@@Livingtree32 im considering trying it myself. My first experience with Final Fantasy was XV, and now jm trying the turn based ones. Thing is i only wanna choose one to get into because their so long, is 9 a good choice

@@chaosimpulse5123 9 is an absolutely great choice. Great story, great adventure, nice battle and skills system. Try that and for the 2D ones you can try 6 then, 4 and 5 are also great, but with 6 you’d have a little different setting when you already know 9, which makes it more interesting.

Yooooooo! Me too! I was teeeerribke. This game came out and only months later my teachers were super impressed with my literary skills lol.

Agreed, wholeheartedly. At this point, I’m not sure anything will ever overtake it in my heart.

crazy how this game had a short development span compare to current FF like 15 yet 9 felt complete while 15 literally release incomplete

Why do people complain about the combat? Because it was slow?

@@Jose-se9pu yeap. FF IX is my favorite game, but its combat is really outdated. It was fine for the time it was released, but it didnt age well.

​@Jose Thing is, the battle system itself was solid enough. Aside from the Trance system being automatic. I didn't like that. But the combat is solid. It's just the limitation of the games hardware is what causes it to slow down once an while. Had it been more patch up, it would be alot faster. There is an option that can makes the battles goes faster though.

I feel you this was my first one too and my favorite of all time

Definitely warrants a remake, the characters are already incredibly well done, fleshing out more would be fantastic. Especially Kuja and Zidane's relationship, lots of complexity, would really allow that part of the ending to punch harder.

i remember playing ff9 while at college and remember the hot and cold chocobo game, i used to love that, i really like ff12 aswel as that reminds me of ff9 at times throughout the game. i always thought ff9 stayed true to the older games ff4, ff5 ff6 etc.. i used to play those on ps1.

This has to be the best looking PS1 game

I love the gameplay, story, music and characters but you gotta be on top of yourself in battles. Maybe we just different huh

BGE (best game ever!)

Fun fact about that particular part of the game, if you were not aware, but if you pick that option enough times (I think it's like 60 something but I don't remember), Ruby will actually burst into the room and make her first appearance in the game to tell you to stop messing around.

I enjoyed this game the most of all FF games, it was magic in all aspects. 2000-2002 best years. Miss it deeply. I am really happy this video exists, this game never got the respect it deserves.

Please go play Dragon Quest VIII or XI or hell anyone of them. They all have amazing endings.

@@miguelbranquinho7235 I've tried to play some of them but they just drag on for far too long. And the grind tends to be a little over the top for me.

@@syntheticsleep What grind? Which ones did you play?

@@miguelbranquinho7235 the endless random encounter grind. And I tried 8, 9 or 11 can't remember, and a couple of older ones on emulation, uh 4 & 5 maybe? It's been a while I can't really remember.

I only sped up when Grinding skills, but during actual progression, it was always at standard speed. And I only do that much because I have played this game like 8-9 times... Final Fantasy 9 is my second favorite FF with my favorite being FF6. That being said I feel like FF9 stands the test of time better.

@@jaretco6423 I feel that the problem isn't that it's slow - the problem is that what happens on the battlefield is almost always late compared to the commands you or the enemies input. And if you play on "Wait" mode (I've always played FFIV to FFXII on Wait Mode, I like to take my time to choose my next action), what is even more aggravating is that what happens on screen completely halts when you're in a menu, even though something should happen because some characters' or enemies' commands were already selected. You have to allow the time to flow again by getting out of the menu for one or two seconds, for the next queued action to perform. Basically, you're always kinda watching the distant past, which might make you select wrong actions (ie you're in the menu to select a white mage's action, absolutely nothing is happening on the battlefield so you decide not to heal because everyone is healthy, but little do you know that an enemy already chose to perform an attack on the whole party... That attack will occur before your white mage's action, effectively making you lose a turn. Infuriating at times). Oh, and when you enter a command, your character will always take a second or two to get into a "ready" stance before doing what you asked them to do, which makes for a completely useless and unpleasant delay. It's the only FF with those faulty behaviors, it's a shame they were too lazy to fix them in this Remaster. Battles being such an important part of an RPG, because of these issues I just cannot rate FF9 higher than FF6, FF7 or FF10.

@@jaretco6423 yeah i didnt ive still got my old ps1 replayed it like 3 months ago idk theres just some magic to it so dont even wanna speed up stuff

Exactly 💯 my thoughts... July 7, 2000

At the time, you really could only compare it to other games in the 90s since it did come out in 2000 after all, at the start of the new milliniuem

I actually just recently know about that from some other video uploaded, and ended up crying when I realized what happened to him. Sad to know that he stopped before everyone was about to reunite once again.

Best winter break ever. Hard to beat that Christmas. Cheers!

Same! I was like "Wait, he hasn't played FF 8?" 👀

This is actually hilarious 😂

Renzokuken... oh yeah! That made FF VIII SO much fun! The one thing I disliked about FF IX was the simple battle system... Fighting was so much more fun in FF VII and VIII... Not only could you do all sorts of cool multi-hit attacks... you could build your own characters pretty much anyway you wanted! Especially in VII! If you wanted to, you could make Cloud a Paladin, a summoner, a red mage... and change him anytime you wanted! VIII kept that... to a small extend, but IX? Zidane is a typical thief, period. Never, ever, nothing more, nothing less, nothing else.

One of the best little things about 9 is that you can farm stealing from bosses.. and since it has a speed up option now, it’s actually a conceivable style of play. It also makes the game more difficult. I do feel like 6 has a better story, 7 has better characters, and 8 is more fun because of its gameplay systems. Fourth place is still high praise for this series in my book.

@@knleonhart I hear you. Being able to build your own character is great, but I think the locked class system in 9 serves the story more than anything. It's a part of their character. What makes each character who they are. Strategic fun to be had on both sides of the coin! Like using Dagger to cast reflect on your whole party and grind on level 99 green dragons haha. My favorite gameplay loop is one where I beat the odds and break the game and become way too OP for the rest of the game to be challenging. :P

I just love FF8 for the card game song :D friggen LOVE that song. couldn't get the battle system at the time and now I see it as the RPG collectathon it is and I don't have time for that! Just like games with alchemy I just don't play them any more.

@@mariobenedicto3582 Chrono cross is getting a remake, can't wait for it to some out

VIII just isnt good. It was rushed, aimed at a very especific audience, and the combat system was a mess... VI, VII, IX, and X are *the* Final Fantasy games, especially IX.

This mirrors my thoughts very accurately.

You dropped this👑

IV, VI, VII, IX, X*

@@jaretco6423 I played 4 on the ds, which is the version of the game which is regarded as a lot more difficult. I found it had a decent story, it has very tactical combat, some interesting characters but it's very standard as far as how the older final fantasy's play (1-6).

Also, my greatest moment in all Final Fantasy franchise is... Garnet's cutting of her hair. It was marvelous and really want to put her in my party every time. It was a payback after the time she went "silenced". I suggest playing Final Fantasy Tactics if you got the chance. Also I played a "canonical" party set up whenever I play FF9 if you want to replay the game. for example: Disc 1: Evil Forest - Zidane at 3/Vivi at 1/Steiner at 1 Ice Cavern - Zidane at 6/Vivi at 5/Steiner at 5/Garnet at 4 Village of Dali - Zidane at 9/Vivi at 8/Steiner at 8/Dagger at 7 Lindblum - Zidane at 12/Vivi at 10/Steiner at 10/Dagger at 9 Gizamaluke's Grotto - Zidane at 15/Vivi at 14/Freya at 15/Quina at 14 Burmecia - Zidane at 18/Vivi at 18/Freya at 18/Quina at 18 Disc 2: South Border - Steiner at 10/Dagger at 9/Marcus at 10 Treno - Steiner at 15/Dagger at 14/Marcus at 15 Gargan Roo - Steiner at 20/Dagger at 19/Marcus at 20 Cleyra - Zidane at 20/Vivi at 20/Freya at 20/Quinna at 20 Alexandria - Zidane at 21/Vivi at 21/Freya at 21/Steiner at 21 Lindblum - Zidane at 24/Vivi at 23/Dagger at 21 Lost Continent - Zidane at 25/Vivi at 24/Dagger at 23/Quinna at 23 etc etc.. you know what I'm talking about hehehe.. :D

I also played it with the Moguri mod last year, gorgeous high res pre-rendered backgrounds

I'm playing for the 2nd time & first time in 20 years, FF7 & FF Tactics are my 10 + playthrough games

Same. I am going to try and get as many of the trophies as possible. Such an amazing game.

@@chrisrankine1478 that jump rope game....I don't think I'm going to get it. Had to record the Genero Bros in slow-mo on my phone to get that one.

@@Badenhawk i am not going to bother going for the silly pointless ones, just the gameplay trophies. Special weapons, level 99, Ozma etc.

@@chrisrankine1478 there's also kill 10,000 enemies. Ive heard that one takes like 10 hours after finishing the game, even with speed up mode.

Vivi is probably the best side character of any game imo

Court scene? Are you talking about Chrono Trigger?

@@s-wo8781 OMG lol yeah I was. I watched both of his RPG vids back to back and commented on the wrong one X))

Amarant and he was awesome.

Yessss. FFVI is great.

What gets me is his Chrono Trigger video where he praises ATB but suddenly in this he trashes it.

@@DotHacker99 To be fair, very few games utilize the ATB system quite like Chrono Trigger. In static battles where enemies don't have movements and counterattacks, it's kind of pointless. Not bad, just pointless. It might as well be standard turn-based, just going slightly faster.

I wouldn't say VII Remake's combat is "better", it's very different. That said it also isn't without its flaws, like the sort of poor AI and the aerial combat on flying enemies is pretty terrible, very mashy, etc. VII Remake's combat got me more annoyed on Normal mode at times than it did satisfy me. Especially towards the end.

@@FurryWulfz I mean the AI is actually kind of ok. You aren’t supposed to “main” a character, you’re supposed to swap between everyone to build up ATB and unleash your abilities or some magic. Whoever you aren’t controlling generally plays defensively until you swap control to them and build up ATB with them. It took me a while to understand that, but the game became a lot more fun that way. That being said, I agree about aerial combat. The camera fights against you during aerial combat, and the fact the game has no dedicated jump button is irritating to say the least. At the end of the day, I prefer Remake’s battle system, bc the og game didn’t do much to differentiate between characters, and it felt like other FF games just complimented the ATB system better. Such as this game. I still love ATB in og FFVII, but somehow other FF games from the time made it feel more fun imo.

My thoughts exactly- I just really prefer steampunk over sci-Fi, so maybe that’s part of it, too

Nah its definitely too old. Games like SMT V and Octopath Traveler are turn based but they're way more fun and have more strategy. Turn based combat isn't bad but most Final Fantasy games have boring combat.

I mostly agree with this. The only thing I would say is that 9 felt a bit slower and stodgier than 7, which felt faster and more fluent. Both turn-based, but 7 just felt more exciting

The gameplay is pretty dang slow even for turn based though. Turn based isn’t bad hell I enjoy it but the gameplay has aged not so great(still my fav FF game) I think the speed up option helped this game especially for new fans to go back and try some of the older games without getting turned off.

@Kevin List - Then be offended. Lol. Also, action-based games have been around since the Atari and NES, so I’m not sure why you’re acting like they didn’t exist back when these FF games were made. That’s the point - If you think turn-based is “too slow”, that’s a matter of preference, not because turn-based is “too old”.

If you compare the gameplay to Trails, persona 5 or SMTV, the gameplay is outdated. Not all turn based combat are the same quality. Unfortunately for FF9, it’s the weakest part of the game.

Ff bosses can get pretty challenging but ff x is where the turnbased combat peaked

WAIT IT'S ON SWITCH? OH NO. OFF TO AMAZON I GO