Released in Japan on 7th of July 2000, and November 14th, 2000 in the U.S., it received much praise for a nostalgic return to what Final Fantasy fans would recognize in the form of medieval settings and chibi-esque characters. Though it never sold as well as the previous installments of VII and VIII in either countered, Final Fantasy IX brought with it new features such as a revamped skill and equipment system. The character classes reminiscent of the older Final Fantasies are most prominent here, where each character is designed to use specific equipment that are specifically to enhance their abilities. This creates less of an innovative atmosphere as far as characters are to progress, but at the same time forces the player to make decisions based on the roles the character is assigned.

The story begins with players taking control of Zidane, a thief and a member of Tantalus, moments before the cabal of thieves plan to kidnap the Princess of Alexandria. Tantalus doesn’t get too far when things go awry at the last moment and make a hasty escape. Unfortunately, the ship crashes in the middle of a dark forest with many dangers lurking. Now accompanying the unlucky thieves are Princess Garnet, Steiner the pompous Royal Guard and Captain of the Pluto Knights of Alexandria, and Vivi the shy little black mage with a heart of gold. The group manages to barely escape the dark forest and begin a journey that will take them to many exotic lands and other continents to divulge an insidious plot that threatens the world’s very existence.