Bob Mackey:If you couldn’t tell by the above image of 1UP’s Final Fantasy IX toy collection (split between me and Marty Sliva), we’re pretty big fans of the last PlayStation installment of Square’s flagship series. And, really, who could blame us? While Final Fantasy IX didn’t generate the same amount of hype that VII, VIII, and X did, it came into being at a time when Square’s bulging coffers meant that a traditional Final Fantasy sequel didn’t need to have a conga line of spin-offs trailing behind it. While Tetsuya Nomura worked his specific brand of belt-based magic on 2001’s Final Fantasy X, IX released at a time when the PlayStation was passé; the Dreamcast had hit a year earlier, and the recent launch of the PS2 introduced the world to a visual standard that its predecessor couldn’t dream of competing against. In this shadow of obsolescence, Square created one of the sweetest and most sincere takes on the Final Fantasy brand yet to be seen. (Final Fantasy IX, PS Vita, PS3, PSP)
Continued here: What the World Needs is Some Final Fantasy IX Appreciation
