Final Fantasy IX is a really sweet game. Just thought that I would get it out of my way before anything else. ^_^ It follows the story of a guy named Zidane, who performs in a traveling theatre group named "Tantalus." They have a mission to perform a play called "I Want to be Your Canary" and immediately after performance, to kidnap Princess Garnet Til Alexandros the 17th. This goes all as planned; however, Queen Brahne, Garnet's mother, will not take the fact that her daughter is being kidnapped. She sends out people to try and get Garnet back. That... is unsuccessful. The theatre ship crashes, and you are stuck with a princess whose mother will stop at nothing to take her back. She must go undercover... a false name needs to be assigned, and she needs to learn to talk like a normal person! She goes by the name "Dagger" after Zidane's weapons he carries.
Anyway, as you progress throughout the game, Dagger matures and stuff. She needs to learn how to properly rule her country, and she wants to find out her past. Poor Dagger... anyway. Zidane just wants to fight for his purpose of trying to protect his friends, and of course, Dagger. Along the way, they meet a funny Chef called "Quina" and all Quina wants to do is travel throughout the world and eat. You meet a Burmecian (Burmecia is a town where the rain never stops falling... I want to live there) named Freya, who used to be in love with a man named Sir Fratley. Sir Fratley dissapeared a long time ago, though, and she is searching the world for him. Vivi Ornitia is a little black mage who - I think - is a little troubled from the beginning. He's really cute, but he has problems thinking that he actually exists. Then there's Adelbert Steiner the III. He is the Captain of the Knights of Pluto. He is supposed to protect Garnet (Dagger), and therefore he hates Zidane with a passion. Zidane hates him back as well, and calls him "Rusty" because of Steiner's choice in armor. Then you get Eiko, a really cute little girl from Madain Sari (a summoner's village). She "loves" Zidane and will stop at nothing to get him to love her, too. It's so cute ^_^ Oh yeah, and then there's Amarant Coral. He's just... cold. He doesn't actually like anyone, and he won't admit he likes Zidane and his friends. Actually, he doesn't like them until later on in the game. Hehe.
There's a very pivotal point late in the game where you find out what Zidane is. You don't know anything about him early on in the game, but you learn about other people's pasts. However, nothing is said about Zidane. When you find out, I personally think it is the best part in the game (aside from the ending, of course). I cried so badly for him... *sniff*... and Vivi too... and Dagger... and Steiner... oh I'll shut up now. This is probably my second favorite Final Fantasy... wait, I take that back. This IS my second favorite Final Fantasy. I just can't part with Final Fantasy VIII quite yet...
So there's obviously violence, deaths, some profane language, and love stories. So if your little kids like that kind of stuff, let 'em play. They won't understand the storyline, and they won't be able to beat the bosses. But let 'em play anyway. I have to help my little cousin who plays Final Fantasy IX. He doesn't understand the concept of potions, new weapons or armor, or fighting NOT using your magic. Then he wonders why he dies and/or runs out of MP ^_^ it's so cute. This is also the first Final Fantasy (besides that one scene in VII) that deals with death constantly. It is a major recurring theme, and little kids don't really understand that... trust me.
Storyline
5/5 It's so cool! The CRYSTAL RETURNS! (in the end boss's lovely speech... but oh well)
Character Development
5/5 So good! Although, Master Vivi has a point. How CAN you prove that you exist? Maybe we don't exist...
Plot Depth
5/5 Very deep and sad... but then its HAPPIEEE. Sometimes I feel like a Bipolar person when I play this game (DON'T TAKE OFFENSE TO THAT STATEMENT!!!). I am so happy about one thing, and then I cry because I am so sad about another...
Music
5/5 Nobou Uematsu composed it again. It is wonderful! I shall buy the soundtrack.
Sexual Content
5/5 None, except Zidane grabs Dagger's butt and comments, "Ooh. Soft..."
Nudity
5/5 Well, Kuja really needs some more clothes. Oh wait... NO HE DOESN'T! HEHEHEHE! He's really cute.. -_-()
Violence/Gore
4/5 People get killed and stuff. You kill monsters.
Animation
6/5 Hehe, again. I MUST give it off of the scale. Everything was just so... COOL!
Profanity
4/5 Occasional swear word or two.
Overall goodness
5/5 It was so wonderful. I liked it as much as I did VII, except that VII was my first Final Fantasy ever. So I have to be partial to that. Actually, a very long time ago (when VI first came out), I played FFVI. I was little, and I didn't understand how it worked, so I gave it up. Years later, I become obsessed, and play it on an emulator. The theme was so familiar... I sat and cried over it. You know, Terra's theme? I figured out that I played it and loved that song while my little sister was in the hospital... as if you care.
Totals: 49/50, or most excellent!
ZZZZIIIIIIIIIIIDDDDDDAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNEEEEE! Actually, I thought Quina was hot... JUST KIDDING! Please don't pass out from shock!
You play the coolness of Zidane. He is part of Tantalus, a traveling "theater" group. They are actually thieves. They are planning on kidnapping Garnet Til Alexandros the 17th. Yeah. She's the beautiful princess. She IS very pretty. Surprise, surprise. She WANTS to be kidnapped. So off they go, Queen Brahne (who is hideous. How did she get such a pretty daughter? How did she get PREGNANT???? That wasn't nice...) throws a fit.
Eventually, you get lots of other people in your party, such as the protective Steiner, the gluttonous Quina, the "mysterious" Freya, the black mage that is Vivi, the lonely Amarant, and the summoner that is Eiko. I personally loved Quina. It's so funny! And it really is rather cute. Soon enough, you shall find that the planet is in trouble. OH MY GOD. You never saw that one coming. (Don't get me wrong. I love Final Fantasy) You start getting into the souls, the Iifa Tree, Terra, Gaia, and lots of other stuff. Then there is the beautiful, and I DO mean beautiful Kuja.
Yes, Kuja is a very main enemy. So what's HIS problem? Well, he's going to die. NEVER!! He doesn't think that it's fair that the world gets to go on while he wastes away. So the solution? KILL EVERYONE!! Then we all die, all is fair. (in love and war) Guess what? We don't WANT to die. Surprise, surprise. Goal is to destroy him, or so we think. Thenwe find out about Terra.. who Zidane is, who we all are. As Vivi once said, How do you prove you exist? Maybe we don't.
All in all, an excellent game. FF VII still beats it out, in my opinion. I'm just so partial to them. But IX came close, a little too close for comfort.. ^_^ Just kidding! Why can't all games be so good? Sigh... Gotta love all the FF's..
Storyline
5/5 WONDERFUL!!
Character Development
5/5 THE PAST IS SHOWN! And, of course, personalities and secrets revealed!
Plot Depth
5/5 DROWN...*meaning? Very nice and deep. You could dive!!*
Music
6/5 NEVER!! God, this stuff totally rules. I'll never quite be able to give FF music less than this..
Sexual Content
5/5 When Zidane touches Dagger's bottom, "Oooh, soft!" TOO MUUUCH!!
Nudity
5/5 None that I can remember, but we see many a Kuja hip. Seriousy, that man has the most womanly body! Not that I have a problem, but his clothes reveal legs, stomach, hips, he could be a stripper. ^________________________^ Sigh..
Violence/Gore
4/5 Blood, some very tragic scenes.
Animation
5/5 Rar... only ONE 6/5 per review. Beautiful FMV sequences.
Profanity
4/5 They swore a little. No real problems.
Overall goodness
5/5 Twas nearly perfect. Why not? Cause nothing is perfect. And besides, if it was perfect, what would that make VII?
Totals: 49/50, or almost perfect.
TOTALS: 49/50 We both loved it, and we would give it perfect if we could! We really DO want to!
***We bought it for $49.95.***