Final Fantasy IX
North American box art
Developer(s)	Square
Publisher(s)	JP Square NA Square Electronic Arts EU Infogrames UK Square Europe AUS Square Europe
Designer(s)	Hironobu Sakaguchi (producer, original concept) Shinji Hashimoto (producer) Hiroyuki Itō (director, designer) Toshiyuki Itahana (main character designer) Kazuhiko Aoki (scenario writer, event planner) Yoshitaka Amano (original character designer, image illustrator, title logo designer) Nobuo Uematsu (composer) Hideo Minaba (art director)
Series	Final Fantasy
Platform(s)	PlayStation
Release date	JP July 7, 2000[1] NA November 14, 2000[2] EU February 16, 2001[3] AUS February 22, 2001[4]
Genre(s)	Console role-playing game
Mode(s)	Single-player, limited multiplayer
Rating(s)	CERO: A (All Ages) ELSPA: 11+ ESRB: T (Teen) USK: 6+
Media	4 CD-ROMs
Input methods	Dual-Shock Controller

Final Fantasy IX (ファイナルファンタジーIX, Fainaru Fantajī Nain^?) is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix), and the ninth installment in the Final Fantasy series. A video game developer is a software developer (a business or an individual that creates Video games A developer may specialize in a certain video was a Japanese Video game company founded in September 1983 by Masafumi Miyamoto. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. was a Japanese Video game company founded in September 1983 by Masafumi Miyamoto. Infogrames Entertainment SA ( IESA) ( is an international Holding company headquartered in Villeurbanne, Lyon, France. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Australasia is a Region of Oceania: New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea, and neighbouring Islands in the Pacific A "game designer" is a person who designs Video games or one who designs traditional games such as Board games Video Games Designer A video game designer (born November 25, 1962) is a Japanese Game designer, Game director and Game producer. A game producer is the person in charge of overseeing development of a Video game. Shinji Hashimoto (born October 6, 1968 in Kyoto, Japan) is a Japanese Game producer. is a Japanese Game director, Scenario writer sound effects artist and Game designer for Square Enix, and is most known for his work in the A game director is a person who is in charge of significant creative aspects of a Video game. A "game designer" is a person who designs Video games or one who designs traditional games such as Board games Video Games Designer A video game designer Background Toshiyuki Itahana is a character designer for Square Enix. UserScottandrewhutchins: http//enwikipediaorg/w/indexphp?title=Characterization&diff=next&oldid=157919139 --> Characterization is a process of conveying Kazuhiko Aoki (青木 和彦 Aoki Kazuhiko) (born November 6, 1961) is a well renowned Japanese Video game creator and producer A scenario (from Italian, that which is pinned to the scenery) is a synthetic description of an event or series of actions and events (born July 28 1952) is a Japanese Artist known for his illustrations for Vampire Hunter D and for his character designs image illustrations is a Japanese Video game music Composer and Musician, best known for scoring numerous Final Fantasy titles A composer (literally meaning 'one who puts together' is a person who creates Music, usually in the medium of notation, for Interpretation and Performance The term art director is a blanket title for a variety of similar job functions in Advertising, Publishing, film and Television, the Internet In Computing, a platform describes some sort of Hardware architecture or Software framework (including Application frameworks, that allows The PlayStation (abbreviated PS, PSone, PS1, or informally as PSX) is a 32-bit fifth generation Video game console For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Events 1456 - A retrial verdict acquits Joan of Arc of heresy 25 years after her death 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Events 1533 - Conquistadors from Spain under the leadership of Francisco Pizarro arrive in Cajamarca, Inca 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Events 1249 - Andrew of Longjumeau is dispatched by Louis IX of France as his ambassador to meet with the Khan of the Mongols Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Australasia is a Region of Oceania: New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea, and neighbouring Islands in the Pacific Events 1495 - King Charles VIII of France enters Naples to claim the city's throne Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. See also [[Game classification]] Video games are categorized into Genres based on their Gameplay interaction A console role-playing game is a video game genre that has its origin rooted in Video game consoles and includes game mechanics and frequently settings derived In video gaming, single-player refers to the variant of a particular game where input from only one player is expected throughout the course of the gaming session A multiplayer video game is one which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time A video game content rating system is a system used for the classification of Video games into suitability-related groups The ( CERO) is the Organization that rates video games and Computer Software in Japan with levels of rating that informs the customer The Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association ( ELSPA) is an Organisation set up in 1989 by British Software publishers It The Entertainment Software Rating Board ( ESRB) is a self-regulatory organization that applies and enforces ratings, Advertising guidelines and USK redirects here For the Usinsk airport see Usinsk Airport. Digital media (as opposed to analog media) usually refers to Electronic media that work on digital Codes. CD-ROM (an initialism of "Compact Disc Read-Only Memory " is a pre-pressed Compact Disc that contains data accessible to but not writable A console role-playing game is a video game genre that has its origin rooted in Video game consoles and includes game mechanics and frequently settings derived was a Japanese Video game company founded in September 1983 by Masafumi Miyamoto. is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its Console role-playing game franchises which include the Final Fantasy series the Dragon It was released in 2000 and is the third and last numbered Final Fantasy game for Sony's PlayStation. Events May 11 - 13 &mdash 6th annual E³ (Electronic Entertainment Expo the 3rd annual Game Critics Awards for the Best of ( SCEI) is a Japanese Video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry mostly in Video game consoles and is a full The PlayStation (abbreviated PS, PSone, PS1, or informally as PSX) is a 32-bit fifth generation Video game console

Set in the fantasy world of Gaia, Final Fantasy IX's plot centers on a war between several nations, sparked by an ambitious queen. Players follow a young thief named Zidane Tribal, who joins with several others to defeat the Queen. This is a list of characters in the PlayStation role-playing game Final Fantasy IX. The plot shifts, however, when the characters realize that the Queen is a puppet for an arms dealer named Kuja. This is a list of characters in the PlayStation role-playing game Final Fantasy IX.

Final Fantasy IX was developed alongside Final Fantasy VIII, but took a different path to return to the series' roots with a more traditional fantasy setting. is a Console role-playing game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix) for Sony 's PlayStation in 1999 as part of the Consequently, Final Fantasy IX was influenced heavily by the original Final Fantasy, and features allusions to other Final Fantasy games. is a Console role-playing game developed and published in Japan by Square (now Square Enix) in and published in North America by Nintendo Final Fantasy IX introduced new features to the series, such as the Active Time Event, Mognet, and a revamped equipment and skill system. ^[5] The game has been subject to generally positive reviews and some consider it one of the best games in the series. ^[6] However, the game received mixed reception for its return to the style of older Final Fantasy games. ^[5]

Gameplay

The field icon indicates that an object can be inspected, as is the case with this ticket booth.

In Final Fantasy IX, the player navigates a character throughout the game world, exploring areas and interacting with non-player characters. A non-player character, often shortened to NPC, is a character that is controlled by the Gamemaster in Role-playing games or one that is not Most of the game occurs in towns, dungeons, caves, and similar areas, which are referred to as "field screens". ^[7] To aid exploration on the field screen, Final Fantasy IX introduces the "field icon", an exclamation mark appearing over their lead character's head, signaling that an item or sign is nearby. ^[7][8] Players speak with moogles to record their progress, restore life energy with a tent, and purchase items^[9] — a deviation from previous installments, which used a save point to perform these functions. Though each Final Fantasy story is independent many themes and elements of gameplay recur throughout the series Moogles may request that the playable character deliver letters to other Moogles via "Mognet". ^[7]

Players journey between field screen locations via the world map, a three dimensional, downsized representation of Final Fantasy IX's world presented from a top-down perspective. Top-down perspective, also sometimes referred to as bird's-eye view, overhead view or helicopter view, ^[7] Players can freely navigate around the world map screen unless restricted by terrain, such as water or mountains. To overcome geographical limitations, players can ride emu-like chocobos, sail on a boat, or pilot airships. The Emu ( Dromaius novaehollandiae, is the largest Bird native to Australia and the only extant member of the Genus A is a fictional large and normally flightless galliforme / Ratite Bird capable of being ridden Though each Final Fantasy story is independent many themes and elements of gameplay recur throughout the series Like previous Final Fantasy installments, travel across the world map screen and hostile field screen locations is interrupted by random enemy encounters. A random encounter is a feature commonly used in Hack and slash Role-playing games and computer and video games whereby encounters with Non-player ^[6][7]

Final Fantasy IX offers a new approach to town exploration with Active Time Events (ATE), which provide character development, special items, and prompts for key story-altering decisions. ^[7] At specific points, the player may view events that are occurring simultaneously. ATE is occasionally used to simultaneously control two teams when the party is divided to solve puzzles and navigate mazes.

Combat

Whenever the playable character encounters an enemy, the map changes to the "battle screen". On the battle screen, the enemy appears on the opposite side of the characters; each battle uses the familiar Active Time Battle system that was first featured in Final Fantasy IV. is a Console role-playing game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix) in as a part of the Final Fantasy series ^[6] The character's command list is presented in a window opposite the ATB gauge list; while all characters can physically attack the enemy or use an item from the player's inventory, they also possess unique abilities. In Computing, a window is a visual area usually rectangular in shape containing some kind of User interface, displaying the output of and allowing input for one For instance, the thief Zidane can steal items from the enemy, Eiko and Garnet can summon "eidolons" to aid the party, and Vivi can use black magic to damage the opposition. ^[7]

In this early boss battle, Steiner attacks the enemy while Zidane awaits the player's input. A boss is a computer-controlled opponent which is found in Video games Their purpose is to test the skills that the player has accumulated over the course of a game

These character-specific commands change when the player goes into "Trance mode", which is activated for a short duration when an uncontrollable gauge fills as character sustains damage in a style similar to the Limit Breaks used in Final Fantasy VII. Though each Final Fantasy story is independent many themes and elements of gameplay recur throughout the series When the gauge is full, the character's strength is amplified, and the player can select special attack commands. ^[5] Zidane's "Skill" command list, for example, changes to "Dyne", allowing him to execute powerful attacks; Vivi's "Black Magic" command evolves into "Double Black", allowing him to cast two magic spells simultaneously. ^[7] Through the Configuration screen, the player can change the Battle Style from Normal to Custom, which allows two players to control two characters during battle. However, two controllers must be plugged into the PlayStation. ^[5]

A character's performance in battle is determined by numerical values ("statistics") for categories such as speed, strength, and magical power. Character statistics are driven by experience; when players win battles, they are awarded "experience points", which accumulate until characters gain "experience levels". When characters "level up", the statistics for their attributes permanently increase, which may also be amplified by the types of equipment the character is wearing. Winning battles also awards the player money (Gil), Tetra Master playing cards, and ability points (AP). Though each Final Fantasy story is independent many themes and elements of gameplay recur throughout the series The popular Video game franchise has become known for its inclusion of one or more Minigames as part of its core gameplay beginning mainly with Final Fantasy ^[7]

Equipment and abilities

Final Fantasy IX deviates from the style of customizable characters featured in the last two titles by reviving the character class concept, which designates a character to a certain role in battle. ^[10][11] For instance, Vivi is designated as a black mage and is the only character who can use black magic, and Steiner is a knight and is the only character who can use sword skills. ^[5][7]

The basic function of equipment in Final Fantasy games is to increase character attributes; arming Zidane with a Mythril Vest, for example, increases his base defense statistic. In Final Fantasy IX, weapons and armor include special character abilities, which the character may use once the item is equipped (permitting that the ability matches their class). Once the character accumulates enough ability points in battle, the ability becomes usable without having to keep the item equipped. ^[7]

Abilities are classified into action and support categories. Action abilities consume magic points (MP) and include magic spells and special moves that are used in battle. Magic points ( MP; also called mana) are units of magical power that are used in many role-playing, computer role-playing and similar games Support abilities provide functions that remain in effect indefinitely (e. g. , the support ability "Antibody" nullifies poisonous attacks), and must be equipped with magic stones to be functional. The maximum number of these stones increases as the characters level up. ^[7][5]

Plot

Setting

A geographical map of Gaia

Final Fantasy IX takes place primarily on the four continents of a world named Gaia (homonymous with Final Fantasy VII's Gaia, but not the same world). Gaia is the fictional world in the 1997 Console role-playing game Final Fantasy VII. Most of Gaia's population resides on the Mist Continent, named so because the entire continent is blanketed in thick mist. is a Console role-playing game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix) and the ninth installment in the Final Fantasy series Lands outside the Mist Continent — the Outer, Lost and Forgotten continents — are uncharted territories not explored until midway through the game. Several locations on the parallel world of Terra and the dream land of Memoria round out the game's areas. The Mist Continent features four factions: Alexandria, Lindblum, Burmecia, and Cleyra. Each country is separated by mountain ranges; the isolated Cleyran civilization, nestled in a giant tree in the desert, is protected by a sandstorm summoned by the village elders.

Gaia is inhabited by humans and various non-human races. Alexandria and Lindblum are both populated by a mix of humans and anthropomorphic animals. The Burmecians are anthropomorphic rats who live in both Burmecia and Cleyra. Anthropomorphism is the attribution of uniquely Human characteristics to non-human creatures and beings natural and supernatural phenomena material states and objects Rats are various medium sized long-tailed Rodents of the superfamily Muroidea The Cleyrans, who value dance, split from the Burmecians when the latter started to appreciate "the art of war". The dwarves are short humanoid creatures who appear as inhabitants of the village of Conde Petie on the Outer Continent. There is also a village of Black Mages that have gain sentient thought which reside in the Outer Continent as well. Then there are Genomes which are soulless vessels who exist in Terra to wait for the restoration of Terra when it takes over Gaia; when this occurs, the Terran souls will enter the Genome bodies. Summoners are similar to other humans, but with a horn on their forehead. Do not add any speculative information to this page List characters and/or games ONLY if the character is explicitly defined as a specific character class in its In the story, only two summoners remain (Garnet and Eiko); the others were exterminated during the Terran warship Invincible's destruction of their homeland of Madain Sari. Lastly, the Qu are large, seemingly androgynous humanoids,^[12] who are recognized as fine gourmands. Androgyny is a term derived from the Greek words ανήρ ( anér, meaning man and γυνή ( gyné, meaning woman that can refer to either of two They inhabit marshlands throughout the world where they catch their main source of nutrition: frogs.

In Final Fantasy IX, the game's developers sought to make the game's environment more "fantasy-oriented" than its PlayStation predecessors. Since the creators wanted to prevent the series from following a redundant setting, Final Fantasy IX distinctly breaks from the futuristic styles of Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VIII by reintroducing a medieval setting. is a Console role-playing game developed by Square (now Square Enix) and published by Sony Computer Entertainment as the seventh installment in the is a Console role-playing game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix) for Sony 's PlayStation in 1999 as part of the ^[6] In the game, the advent of steam technology is just beginning to rise; the population relies on hydropower or wind power for energy sources, but sometimes harness Mist or steam to power more advanced engines. Hydropower, hydraulic power or water power is power that is derived from the Force or Energy of moving water which may Wind Power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form such as electricity using Wind turbines At the end of 2007 worldwide capacity of wind-powered generators was ^[13] Continuing with the medieval theme, the game's setting is inspired by Norse and Northern European mythology. Norse mythology comprises the indigenous pre-Christian religion, beliefs and Legends of the Scandinavian peoples including those who settled on Iceland Northern Europe is a term for the northern part of Europe. The United Nations defines Northern Europe as (Finland According to director Hiroyuki Itō, "[The development team is] attracted to European history and mythology because of its depth and its drama". is a Japanese Game director, Scenario writer sound effects artist and Game designer for Square Enix, and is most known for his work in the ^[14] The main Final Fantasy IX website says the development of the game's world serves as a culmination of the series by blending the "successful elements of the past, such as a return to the fantasy roots," with newer elements. ^[12]

Characters

The main playable characters of Final Fantasy IX, from left: Quina, Freya, Eiko, Garnet, Zidane, Steiner, Vivi, and Amarant

Main article: Characters of Final Fantasy IX

The eight main playable characters in Final Fantasy IX are Zidane Tribal, a member of a group of bandits called Tantalus and a womanizer; Garnet Til Alexandros XVII (alias Dagger) the Princess of Alexandria who has a strange connection to "Eidolons"; Vivi Orunitia, a young, timid, and kind Black Mage; Adelbert Steiner, the Captain of the Knights of Pluto and loyal servant of Alexandria and Princess Garnet; Freya Crescent, a Dragon Knight from the city of Burmecia; Quina Quen, a genderless Qu whose master wants him/her to travel the world so that s/he will learn about cuisine; Eiko Carol, a six-year-old girl living in Madain Sari, the lost village of the Eidolon summoners, and also one of the last two remaining summoners; and Amarant Coral, a bounty hunter framed for a crime committed by Zidane that he tried to prevent. This is a list of characters in the PlayStation role-playing game Final Fantasy IX. Cuisine (from French cuisine, "cooking culinary art kitchen" ultimately from Latin coquere, "to cook" is a specific set ^[12] Other main characters include Regent Cid Fabool, the charismatic leader of the Lindblum kingdom; Queen Brahne, Garnet's mother and the power-hungry Queen of Alexandria; General Beatrix, the powerful leader of the female knights of Alexandria; and antagonist Kuja, an enemy of Gaia. Other minor characters and groups also appear; their significance and back-stories are revealed as the game progresses.

During development, the creators made the characters a high priority. ^[14] The return to the series' roots also affected the characters' designs, which resulted in characters with "comic-like looks". ^[14] Uematsu commented that the design staff attempted to give the characters realism while still appearing comic-like. ^[14] To accomplish this, and to satisfy fans who had become used to the realistic designs of Final Fantasy VIII, the designers stressed creating characters with whom the player could easily relate. ^[14]

Story

Tantalus' airship, the Prima Vista, approaches Alexandria.

Final Fantasy IX begins with Zidane and the Tantalus Theater Troupe kidnapping Princess Garnet during her sixteenth birthday celebration. The group learns that Garnet, who is concerned about Queen Brahne's increasingly erratic behavior, actually wanted to escape to Lindblum to meet with Regent Cid,^[15] and had planned to stow away on the theater ship. The Troupe's airship, Prima Vista, is attacked by the royal guards, and damaged during the escape; it crashes in the Evil Forest, prompting Zidane to continue the trek to Lindblum without the rest of Tantalus. ^[16] Zidane and Garnet are accompanied by Vivi and Steiner, who became entangled with Tantalus during their escape from Alexandria. During their journey, Garnet adopts the alias "Dagger" and struggles to mingle with the locals. ^[17] The group learns of a factory that is manufacturing soulless Black Mage warriors for Alexandria's use. Three powerful ones called Black Waltzes are sent by Brahne to retrieve Garnet by force, but in vain.

In Lindblum, Zidane meets Freya and joins in Lindblum's Festival of the Hunt. Regent Cid has been turned into a bug-like oglop by his wife Hilda, for his womanizing behavior. ^[18] Wishing to protect Garnet from Brahne's newfound aggression, he had ordered Tantalus to kidnap her. ^[19] When the group learns that Alexandria has invaded Burmecia, Freya investigates the situation with Zidane and Vivi, while Dagger and Steiner head to Alexandria to ask Brahne to stop the war. ^[20] Both parties are powerless to stop her, and Dagger has her eidolons forcibly extracted from her body. ^[21] Brahne uses Dagger's eidolons to destroy Cleyra, after which she attacks Lindblum, forcing Cid to surrender. ^[22] Zidane, Freya, and Vivi, after witnessing the assault on Cleyra, rescue Dagger, befriend General Beatrix, and return to Lindblum.

Bahamut approaches the Iifa Tree

Afterward, Cid tells the party about Brahne's arms dealer, Kuja. ^[23] The party travels to the Outer Continent, the location of Kuja's headquarters, through an underground tunnel with the help of Quina. ^[24] There, the party meets a young summoner named Eiko, who assumes herself to be the last survivor of Madain Sari. They also discover a village inhabited by self-aware Black Mages. Their pursuit of Kuja leads them to the nearby Iifa Tree, an entity that emits fighting-stimulant Mist. ^[25] They also learn that Kuja uses Mist to create the Black Mages. ^[26] The party defeats the Iifa Tree's core and stops the Mist from flowing. When the party returns to Madain Sari, they confront Amarant, who was hired by Brahne to apprehend Dagger. Dagger slowly realizes that she is also a Summoner from Madain Sari. Amarant joins the party for his own reasons. At the Iifa Tree, Brahne turns against Kuja and intends to kill him with the eidolon Bahamut. ^[27] However, Kuja uses the airship Invincible to gain control of Bahamut, killing Brahne and defeating her army. ^[28]

The party returns to Alexandria, and Garnet is crowned Queen. Afterward, Kuja assaults Alexandria with Bahamut. Eiko and Garnet summon the legendary eidolon Alexander, who happens to dwell within the royal castle of Alexandria. Alexander spreads his wings out of the very foundation of the castle and protects the castle from Bahamuts powerful Mega Flare attacks. Eventually Alexander overpowers Bahamut. Kuja attempts to control Alexander using the Invincible, but is foiled by a mysterious old man named Garland, who destroys Alexander and parts of Alexandria. ^[29] Kuja, still intent on mastering a powerful eidolon to defeat Garland, shifts his attention to Eiko. ^[30] The party learns of Kuja's Desert Palace and attempts an assault. However, Kuja imprisons the party and escapes with Eiko to extract her eidolons. During the extraction attempt, Eiko's guardian moogle Mog uses Trance to transform into her true form, the eidolon Madeen, and defeats the process. ^[31] Learning of the powers of Trance,^[32] Kuja escapes to further his aim of defeating Garland. ^[33] The party rescues Eiko and also finds Hilda, who turns Cid back into a human. He is now able to design an airship for the party that does not need Mist for power. ^[34]

With Hilda's aid,^[35] the party pursues Kuja to Terra by opening a portal. In the Terran town of Bran Bal, it is revealed that Garland was created by the people of Terra to orchestrate the process of assimilating Terra into Gaia, as Terra was a dying world. Garland created Genomes — intelligent, sentient beings who lack souls — to become future vessels for the souls of the Terrans. ^[36] The Iifa Tree's existence,^[37] the phenomenon of Mist,^[38] the eidolon's destruction,^[39] and even Kuja and Zidane's true purpose of existence,^[40] were part of the process. Angered by Garland's motives, the party confronts him. However, Kuja has now obtained enough souls to achieve Trance. ^[41] Trance Kuja ends Garland's life, but not before Garland warns him of his limited lifespan, and that Zidane was created to replace him. ^[42] Enraged by this revelation, Kuja destroys Terra while the party rescues the Genomes and returns to Gaia on the Invincible.

Garnet and Zidane embrace at the end of the game

The party discovers that Mist has returned and now envelops all of Gaia. Assisted by the combined forces of Burmecia, Lindblum, and Alexandria, they travel to the Iifa Tree, where they are teleported to a mysterious location called Memoria. The spirit of Garland guides the party to Kuja. When Kuja is defeated, he uses his Trance abilities to destroy the Crystal, the source of life,^[43] prompting the appearance of Necron, the "Eternal Darkness" bent on destroying life. ^[44] After Necron is defeated, Memoria and the Iifa Tree collapse. Although the party escapes, Zidane remains to save Kuja, and is later assumed to have died with Kuja in the collapse. ^[45]

Some time later, Alexandria has been rebuilt, and Tantalus arrives in Alexandria to perform a play for Queen Garnet. During the performance, one of the performers removes his robe and reveals himself to be Zidane. The credits roll as Garnet and Zidane embrace. Other scenes reveal that Vivi somehow has children; Steiner and Beatrix have returned to their old posts as royal bodyguards; Eiko has been adopted by Regent Cid and Hilda; Freya is attempting to start over with her former love, Sir Fratley; and Quina has frequented the Alexandria Castle kitchen.

Development and release

The guide's list of armor urges readers to log onto PlayOnline for a complete listing.

Development of Final Fantasy IX began before Square had finished development on its predecessor, Final Fantasy VIII. ^[14] The game was developed in Hawaii as a compromise to developers living in the United States. The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the ^[14] As the series' last game on the PlayStation, Sakaguchi envisioned a "reflection" on the older titles of the series. Final Fantasy IX is also considered by Sakaguchi to be his favorite game as "it's closest to [his] ideal view of what Final Fantasy should be". ^[46] This shift was also a response to demands from fans and other developers. ^[14] Additionally, the team wanted to create an understandable story with deep character development; this led to the creation of Active Time Events. ^[14]

Vivi, Zidane, Garnet, and Steiner in a full motion video sequence; their features are less realistic, compared to previous titles in the Final Fantasy series. Full motion video based games, usually abbreviated as FMV-based games, are Video games that rely upon pre-recorded TV -quality movie or

In the game's conceptual stage, the developers made it clear that the title would not necessarily be Final Fantasy IX, as its break from the realism of Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VIII may have alienated audiences. This led the Gaming Intelligence Agency to speculate that it would be released as a "gaiden" to the main series. ^[47] By late 1999, however, Square had confirmed that the game would indeed be published as Final Fantasy IX, and by early 2000, the game was nearly finished. The developers made several adjustments to the game, such as changing the ending seven times. ^[14]

Final Fantasy IX's release was delayed to avoid a concurrent release with rival Enix's Dragon Quest VII. The was a company that produced Japanese Video games and Manga. Dragon Warrior VII, known in Japan as is a Japanese Console role-playing game developed by Heartbeat and published by Enix for the On October 7, 2000, a demo day for the North American version of Final Fantasy IX was held at the Metreon in San Francisco, California. Events 3761 BC - The epoch (origin of the modern Hebrew calendar ( Proleptic Julian calendar) 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Metreon is an entertainment shopping center launched on June 16, 1999, the first in a proposed succession of Sony urban centers aggregating dining The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. ^[48] The first American release of the game was also at the Metreon; limited edition merchandise was included with the game, and fans cosplayed as Final Fantasy characters in celebration of the release. short for "costume play" is a type of performance art whose participants outfit themselves with often-elaborate Costumes and Accessories, as a specific ^[49] In Canada, a production error left copies of Final Fantasy IX without an English version of the instruction manual, prompting Square to ship copies of the English manual to Canadian stores several days later. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page ^[50]

The game was heavily promoted both before and after its release. Starting on March 6, 2000, Final Fantasy IX characters were used in a line of computer-generated Coca-Cola commercials. Events 1079 - Omar Khayyám completes the Iranian calendar. 1454 - Thirteen Years' War: Delegates of 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Computer animation Computer-generated imagery (also known as CGI) is the application of the field of Computer graphics or more specifically 3D computer graphics Coca-Cola is a carbonated Soft drink sold in stores restaurants and Vending machines in more than 200 countries Figurines of several characters were also used as prizes in Coca-Cola's marketing campaign. ^[51] That same year, IGN awarded Final Fantasy dolls and figurines for prizes in several of their contests. IGN (abbreviated and formerly known as I magine G ames N etwork is a multimedia news and reviews Website that focuses heavily on Video ^[52]

Final Fantasy IX was also the benchmark of Square's interactive PlayOnline service. PlayOnline is an online gaming service created by Square Co (now Square Enix) and is used as a hub for all online PC PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 PlayOnline was originally developed to interact with Final Fantasy X, but when those plans fell through it became a strategy site for Final Fantasy IX. The site was designed to complement BradyGames' and Piggyback Interactive's official strategy guides for the game, where players who bought the print guide had access to "keywords" that could be searched for on PlayOnline's site for extra tips and information. This caused fury among buyers of the guide, as they felt cheated for the expensive print guide. The blunder made GameSpy's "Top 5 Dumbest Moments in Gaming" list,^[53] and Square dropped the idea for Final Fantasy X, which was under development at the time.

Audio

The cover of Final Fantasy IX Original Soundtrack

Main article: Music of Final Fantasy IX

The music of Final Fantasy IX was created by Nobuo Uematsu, his last exclusive Final Fantasy score. is a Japanese Video game music Composer and Musician, best known for scoring numerous Final Fantasy titles In discussions with Itō, Uematsu was told "It'd be fine if you compose tracks for the eight characters, an exciting battle track, a gloomy, danger-evoking piece, and around ten tracks or so. " However, Uematsu spent an estimated year composing and producing "around 160" pieces for Final Fantasy IX, with 140 appearing in the game. ^[54][55]

Nobuo Uematsu composed with a piano and used two contrasting methods: "I create music that fits the events in the game, but sometimes, the event designer will adjust a game event to fit the music I've already written. " Uematsu felt Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VIII had a mood of realism, but Final Fantasy IX was fantasy, so "a serious piece as well as silly, fun pieces could fit in. is a Console role-playing game developed by Square (now Square Enix) and published by Sony Computer Entertainment as the seventh installment in the is a Console role-playing game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix) for Sony 's PlayStation in 1999 as part of the " He felt the theme was medieval music, and was given a break to travel in Europe for inspiration - "looking at old castles in Germany and so on. The term medieval music encompasses European music written during the Middle Ages. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. " The music was not entirely composed in the medieval mode, Uematsu claims that "it would be unbalanced" and "a little boring". He aimed for a "simple, warm" style and included uncommon instruments such as a kazoo and dulcimer. The kazoo is a simple Musical instrument ( Membranophone) that adds a "buzzing" timbral quality to a player's voice when one vocalizes into it Uematsu also included motifs from older Final Fantasy games "because Final Fantasy IX was returning to the roots, so to speak" and incorporated ideas such as "the old intro for battle music" and arranged the Volcano theme from Final Fantasy and the Pandemonium theme from Final Fantasy II. is a Console role-playing game developed and published in Japan by Square (now Square Enix) in and published in North America by Nintendo is a Console role-playing game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix) in for the Nintendo Family Computer as a part of the Final ^[54][55] Tantalus is also heard playing Rufus' Welcoming Ceremony from Final Fantasy VII near the beginning of the game. is a Console role-playing game developed by Square (now Square Enix) and published by Sony Computer Entertainment as the seventh installment in the

Uematsu was twice reported claiming without hesitation that Final Fantasy IX as his favorite score. ^[56][57] The original soundtrack for the game has 110 tracks; an additional soundtrack, Final Fantasy IX Original Soundtrack PLUS, was released with 42 more new tracks. Like Final Fantasy VIII and Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy IX features a J-pop ballad, Melodies of Life. J-pop is an abbreviation of Japanese pop. It refers to Japanese popular musicians and was coined by the Japanese media to distinguish Japanese musicians from foreign musicians A ballad is a Poem usually set to Music; thus it often is a story told in a Song. The song was composed by Uematsu, written by Hiroyuki Ito (as Shiomi) in Japanese and Alexander O. Smith in English, and performed by Emiko Shiratori. is a Japanese Game director, Scenario writer sound effects artist and Game designer for Square Enix, and is most known for his work in the Alexander O Smith (born February 8, 1973) is a professional English / Japanese translator and author Emiko Shiratori (白鳥 英美子 Shiratori Emiko, born March 16, 1950) is a Japanese The song itself was sung in Japanese for the Japanese release of the game, and in English for the North American and European releases.

Reception and criticism

Final Fantasy IX, though a top seller at the time,^[65] did not sell as well as Final Fantasy VII or Final Fantasy VIII in either Japan^[66] or the United States. RPGFan is a website devoted to electronic role-playing games for console and PC, both domestic and imported Metacritic is a Website that collates reviews of music Albums games, movies, TV shows, DVDs and Books. Game Rankings is a Website which keeps track of Video game reviews from other sites and combines them to present an average rating for each game The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS has been hosting the Interactive Achievement Awards for Video game publication annually since 1998. The Satellite Awards are an annual award given by the International Press Academy. is a Console role-playing game developed by Square (now Square Enix) and published by Sony Computer Entertainment as the seventh installment in the is a Console role-playing game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix) for Sony 's PlayStation in 1999 as part of the ^[67] As of March 31, 2003, the game had shipped 5. Events 307 - After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. 08 million copies worldwide, with 2. 79 million of those copies being shipped in Japan and 2. 29 million abroad. ^[68] Reviews for the game were generally positive, with praise to the graphics and nostalgic elements. The game was voted the 24th-best game of all time by readers of the Japanese magazine Famitsu^[69] and 42nd by the users of the website GameFAQs. (formerly Famicom Tsushin) is a Japanese Video game magazine published by Enterbrain Inc GameFAQs is a Website that hosts FAQs and Walkthroughs for Video games It was created in November 1995 by Jeff "CJayC" Veasey and ^[70] Final Fantasy IX also achieved an average review score of 94% on Metacritic, the highest score a Final Fantasy game has received on the site. ^[61]

Reviewers pointed out that the strength of the game lies on the gameplay, character development, and visual representation. GameSpot noted that the learning curve is easily grasped, and the ability system is not as complex as in Final Fantasy VII or Final Fantasy VIII. ^[5] Each player character possesses unique abilities, which hinders the development of an over-powered character. GameSpot describes the battle system as having a tactical nature and the expanded party allowing for more interaction between players and between enemies. ^[5] Nevertheless, IGN disliked the lengthy combat pace and the repeated battles, describing it as aggravating, and RPGFan feels the Trance system to be ineffective as the meter buildup is slow and unpredictable, with characters Trancing just before the enemy is killed. IGN (abbreviated and formerly known as I magine G ames N etwork is a multimedia news and reviews Website that focuses heavily on Video ^[6][60]

The characters and graphics received positive reviews. Although IGN feels the in-depth character traits in Final Fantasy IX could be generally found in other Final Fantasy games, they are nevertheless engaging and sympathetic. ^[6] GameSpot finds the characters, up to their dialog and traits, amusing and full of humor. ^[5] IGN also noted that the Active Time Event system helps to expand the player's understanding of the characters' personalities as they question many ideas and emotions. ^[6] Their super-deformed appearance, which also covers monsters of every size, contain detailed animation and design. Praise is given to the pre-rendered backgrounds as careful attention is given to the artwork, movement and animations as well as character interactivity. The movies are seen as emotive and compelling, and the seamless transition and incorporation to the in-game graphics helped to move the plot well. ^[60]

On the other hand, critics acknowledged that the overall story is recycled from previous Final Fantasy installments and other role-playing games. However, the repeated elements such as evil kingdoms and enigmatic villains are believed by RPGFan as an attempt to emulate the elements of previous Final Fantasy plot and storyline. ^[60] The main villain, though considered by GameSpot to be the least threatening in the series,^[5] is seen by IGN as a mixture of past villains through behavior and appearance. ^[6] Mixed reactions were given to the audio aspects of the game. Some reviewers, such as RPGFan feels the sound effect and music "uninspired, dull and annoying"; IGN and GameSpot acknowledges that only a handful of the tracks are memorable, while GamePro praised the audio for evoking "emotions throughout the story, from battles. . . to comedy". ^[5][6][71] Criticism is made on the composer who seemed to have only reused and simplified the scores of past series. Nevertheless, reviewers have come to agree that this and many other elements are part of the overall effort to create a nostalgic title for fans of the older Final Fantasy series. ^[5][6][60]

The strategy guide also gained criticism; the book's given links are no longer accessible on the PlayOnline website, but Square-Enix backed up all the files for the guide and placed them in a new site. ^[72] Tetra Master was seen by GameSpot as inferior and confusing compared to Final Fantasy VIII's mini-game Triple Triad, as the rules for it were only vaguely explained in the game and there were very few rewards earned from playing it despite its expansive nature. The popular Video game franchise has become known for its inclusion of one or more Minigames as part of its core gameplay beginning mainly with Final Fantasy The popular Video game franchise has become known for its inclusion of one or more Minigames as part of its core gameplay beginning mainly with Final Fantasy ^[5]

References

External links

• Official North American Final Fantasy IX website
• Final Fantasy IX at Wikia