Line #187 VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/14a7714e_28a2_4d33_b088_585de0d85433_12173_000009daa19c651b_tmp.png]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:YouAreNotAlone.]]
3
4	->''"You don't need a reason to help people."''
5	-->-- '''Zidane Tribal'''
6
7	The ninth entry into the [[RunningGag tail-pullingly]] popular ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' series, released in 2000 in Japan and the US and 2001 in the European Union.
8
9	''Final Fantasy IX'' is [[RevisitingTheRoots a return to the series' roots]] and the classic MedievalEuropeanFantasy worlds, after the more futuristic approach of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' and ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII''. Both graphically and story-wise, it set a new standard for the games that followed it. Particularly, ''Final Fantasy IX'' is known for combining a sunny and light-hearted visual atmosphere with a very mature and thoughtful FromBadToWorse story. The game is additionally a celebration of Franchise/FinalFantasy's origins, and contains many, ''many'' references to Creator/SquareSoft's earliest few installments.
10
11	Zidane Tribal is a LoveableRogue and GentlemanThief with a dash of ChivalrousPervert thrown in. Along with the members of Tantalus, a troupe of thieves disguised as traveling entertainers, he plots to kidnap the princess of Alexandria and hold her for a nice hefty ransom. However, when she suddenly turns around and ''asks'' to be kidnapped to escape the clutches of her ([[FaceHeelTurn suddenly]]) evil mother, what kind of gentleman would say no?
12
13	As it turns out, Princess Garnet is holding more than a wish to see the world: she is harbouring powerful SummonMagic within her body, and the Queen will stop at nothing to extract it for the sake of [[TakeOverTheWorld world domination]]. Aiding the Queen is a mysterious ArmsDealer called Kuja, who is bolstering her armies with powerful [[ArtificialHuman artificial mages]].
14
15	Traveling along with Zidane are a cast of colourful characters: Vivi Ornitier, a young Black Mage who realises (to his horror) that Kuja's artificial mages look just like him; Adelbert Steiner, Garnet's incompetent but fiercely-loyal bodyguard; Eiko Carol, a BrattyHalfPint summoner with a major crush on Zidane; Freya Crescent, a Dragon Knight searching for her lost love; Quina Quen, a genderless chef thing looking for delicious things to eat; and Amarant Coral, a mercenary/monk with a strong grudge against Zidane.
16
17	The story focuses on the characters' efforts at self-discovery. Vivi must learn what he is and why he exists, as well as what this means for his life. Zidane must learn what he is as well, and how this has to do with TheManBehindTheMan, Kuja, and his friend Vivi. Garnet must learn the truth about her mother, her own origins, and the nature of the eidolons that are her birthright. Steiner must learn what honor and duty truly mean, when those he is loyal to stand opposed to one another, and his loyalty may be invoked to betray itself.
18
19	Freya must learn what's truly important in life, and what it means to lose a loved one, and most of all, how and why to go on fighting. Quina must learn about being a true gourmand, by sampling flavors from all over the world. Eiko must learn that TrueCompanions are more than just grabbing who you want for yourself, and that being on the losing end of a love triangle doesn't mean being alone. Amarant must learn that strength isn't the ability to crush one's foes, and that the [[ThePowerOfFriendship most elusive power of all]] is a thing he may never even understand.
20
21	----
22
23	Developed alongside ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'' with the intention of offering a retrospective look at the franchise as a whole, ''IX'' took a back-to-basics approach: you control up to four active party members again, everyone has a set role, and the game is challenging without being overwhelming. This was also the final ''Final Fantasy'' to include a traditional [[OverworldNotToScale overworld]]. Square didn't anticipate that ''VIII'' would be such a divisive entry, so ''IX'' seeming like a response to that mixed reception was purely accidental, though that's not to say that its official publicity wasn't at least partly inspired by fans' opinions on the direction of the series.
24
25	Though seemingly-hard on the surface, this game was designed with newcomers in mind: There is no penalty for leveling-up (unlike in ''VIII''), acquired skills can never be lost again, chocobos are easy to come by (along with [[WarpWhistle encounter-free travel]]), and optional events are just that: optional. The plot, too, is less opaque than that of ''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII VII]]'' and ''VIII'' (though the [[WizardsFromOuterSpace now-obligatory space aliens]] still make an appearance), while still including some wonderfully-surreal elements.
26
27	Series creator Hironobu Sakaguchi and Series composer Nobuo Uematsu have stated at one point that they consider this game to be their quintessential ''Final Fantasy'', with Sakaguchi stating that it was an amalgam of all the key elements he'd been shooting for.
28
29	Released not too long after the Platform/PlayStation2 hit shelves, this was the [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment final]] ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' game of the original [=PlayStation=] cycle, and of the 20th century, except in Europe where it was the first ''Final Fantasy'' game in the 21st century[[note]] [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Century#Start_and_end_of_centuries (thank the Romans for not knowing what a zero was)]] [[/note]]. The game saw an UpdatedRerelease on UsefulNotes/MicrosoftWindows, [[UsefulNotes/IOSGames iOS]], and UsefulNotes/{{Android\|Games}} in 2016. A Platform/PlayStation4 port was released in September 2017. It then made its way to the Platform/NintendoSwitch and Platform/XboxOne on February 13, 2019, making it the first new mainline ''Final Fantasy'' for Nintendo platforms since 1994's ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' on the Platform/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem.[[note]]This is ignoring the Pocket Edition version of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXV'' and the mainline sequel ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIVTheAfterYears''.[[/note]]
30
31	French children's animation studio Cyber Group Studios [[https://kidscreen.com/2021/06/21/cyber-group-lines-up-final-fantasy-ix-series/ has announced]] that it is in talks with Square Enix to produce an animated adaptation of the game aimed at a pre-teen audience, slated to begin production between late 2021 and early 2022.
32
33	In September 2021, in one of the biggest video game industry leaks, Nvidia's [=GeForce=] Now service leaked the existence of a ''Final Fantasy IX'' remake. Square Enix hasn't formally announced it yet as of 2023 but considering all other titles in the leak were eventually revealed,[[note]]including Square Enix's own ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIV'' and ''[[VideoGame/ChronoCross Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition]]''[[/note]] it's considered to be a matter of time.
34
35	There is a [[Characters/FinalFantasyIX character sheet]]. Feel free to contribute.
36
37	----
38	!!This game provides examples of:
39	[[index]]
40	* FinalFantasyIX/TropesAToH
41	* FinalFantasyIX/TropesIToP
42	* FinalFantasyIX/TropesQToZ
43	[[/index]]
44	----
45	->''C'mon, Princess. Let's ditch Sir Rustalot and get outta here!''

Context VideoGame / FinalFantasyIX