You know what they say, right? Better late than never! So Final Fantasy IX finally (no pun intended) launched on a Nintendo console so that you can indulge in this fantasy released back in 2000 on the PS1. If you didn’t play the game back then, or on iOS, Android, PC or PS4, then here’s your chance! I had the chance to play it back in the original PlayStation days and it always struck me as one of the most visually impressive games at the time. I didn’t play the re-release version which packs new features like no encounter mode, a much needed auto-save and “high-definition movies and character models”. I also remember mostly bits and pieces of the plot from my first playthrough so the Nintendo Switch version presented itself as a good excuse to refresh my memory and invest some more time in gaming.

Final Fantasy IX begins with the Tantalus Theater Troupe’s plan to kidnap Princess Garnet, the heir of Alexandria, who was in fact simultaneously planning on escaping from the castle herself. The plot evolves to merge the paths of monkey-tailed Zidane, member of the Tantalus Theater Troupe, Princess Garnet, her personal guard Steiner, the shy but powerful black mage Vivi and other colorful characters who all share an unexpected journey filled with adventures, dangers and ultimately a threat to destroy the world. The story is original and interesting to say the least, and worthy of traditional Final Fantasy games.

The port is basically the same version that was released on previous platforms and works perfectly on the Nintendo Switch. Noticeably, it has enhanced sprites that starkly contrast with the pre-rendered environment throughout the game’s varying backdrop. In the original game, the models and environments blended almost naturally but with the HD upheaval, one cannot help but notice the discrepancy. Leaving the models untouched might have been a better option visually in this case.

However, at its core, Final Fantasy IX is still a classic Final Fantasy JRPG, what with managing your party, partaking in mini games and the ability to travel freely across vast and varied locations supplemented with those nagging random encounters coupled with the charm of those old school ATB-based battles. But this version of the game has a “Safe Travel” mode that actually allows you to prevent those random encounters while exploring. To help ease things even more there is the “Battle Assistance” mode that refills the health, MP, and Trance counts and can help you out in a particularly difficult fight. On top of that there is the “9999” mode that assigns this number to your damage points, level and money, should you come across even more difficult fights (or are just feeling especially lazy). All of these modes can be triggered in-battles and while you can dismiss them as plain cheat, they are still all optional.

One feature that will surely be welcome unanimously is the auto-save. I used to dread the save function in Final Fantasy games, having to look for a Moogle before saving and/or quitting. In this version though, once you enter a new area, the game automatically saves. This allows players to enjoy this immense game at their own pace, opening it up to a wider audience.

Final Fantasy IX is a fine port on the Switch. It is boasts new features, some of which enhance the experience while others can be divisive. However the experience is mostly the same at its core; that is an enjoyable one.

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Final Fantasy IX eShop Link

 

[sarkwalvein]

I don't want a game easy BTW, but more like balanced.
(Sorry for my bad english)

I played this game almost 20 years ago, so I don't remember very well.
But I remember it being easy, not challenging.
A great experience, but easy overall.
Sure you always have additional challenges, etc. like in any FF game.
But regarding the main game, it was easy as far as I recall.

In the other hand I played FF4/FF2 on the SNES even before, and I remember it being a good game but grindy as fuck. I also played the DS version and still seemed grindy to me. That's as much as I can say from my experience.