Why pit these twoFinal Fantasygames against each other? There is a good reason backed by both fan impressions and critical ones. For example,Final Fantasy IXhas a Metacritic of 94. It is the fourth-best PS1 game ranked belowTony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2, Tekken 3, and Gran Turismo, making it the best-rated RPG on the system.
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With a 92,Final Fantasy VIIthen is the critical loser. From the fan perspective though, this game is king. Why isFinal Fantasy IXlooked down upon despite the score? Well, it released in November 2000, a month after the PS2 launched. By that point, gamers were ready for the next generation. That is an important point, but those that playedFinal Fantasy IXknow how magical it is. So let’s compare the two to see how each holds up today.
10Final Fantasy VII: Music
Both games have memorable music, butFinal Fantasy VIIhas a slight edge. A great bit of that is thanks to both Jenova’s multiple boss fight cues along with Sephiroth’s theme.
The general boss and regular combat themes are also great enough to get the blood pumping. The battle music, from basic to boss, just isn’t as engaging inFinal Fantasy IX.
9Final Fantasy IX: Graphics
In order to have a good time, nostalgia can look past the jagged polygons that make Cloud look like he has Popeye arms. That said, from a technical standpoint,Final Fantasy IXis the prettier game.
Admittedly, it too suffers from pre-rendered backgrounds that look out of place nowadays. And while character models and enemies are pixelated, their overall designs are leagues beyondFinal Fantasy VII. It might just be the most gorgeousPS1game out there.
8Final Fantasy VII: Side Quests
Square went all out withFinal Fantasy VII, just in case that wasn’t obvious up until now. For the most part, the JRPG’s side quests are legendary.
Some could be described as tedious, like breeding Chocobos, but they were memorable nonetheless. More so than that,Final Fantasy VII’s mini-games had a wow factor to them, be it the motorcycle chase, the snowboarding, or the submarine battle.
7Final Fantasy IX: Chocobos
As memorable as breeding and racing Chocobos were, the implementation of the big fluffy birds was better inFinal Fantasy IX.Final Fantasy VIImay have had more mini-games and more quests, but the overall quality ofFinal Fantasy IX’s Chocobo Hot and Cold was more in-depth.
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It let Zidane bond with a bird and take him to Chocobo heaven, more or less. It was a journey.
6Final Fantasy VII: Memorable Characters
There might not be a better cast of characters that the fans adore more thanFinal Fantasy VII’s. Because ofCloud’spopularity, he has essentially become the poster boy of the entire series, growing to be as synonymous withFinal Fantasyas Moogles and Chocobos.
Cloud has appeared in crossover games in this series, likeFinal Fantasy Tactics, along with making guest appearances in titles outside of Square Enix’s control likeSuper Smash Bros. on the Wii U.
5Final Fantasy IX: More Defined Characters
While Cloud and the rest are morepopular, the depth given to the main and supporting cast inFinal Fantasy IXis better. Because the game goes through multiple perspectives, showcasing each side of the coin, players get to know Zidane, Steiner, Vivi, and the rest more intimately.
The love stories are just the extra icing on the cake.
4Final Fantasy VII: Materia System
The Materia system could be dismissed as a copycat of the Magicite fromFinal Fantasy VI. While this is partially true, the Materia system takes on a better, more elaborate form.
Being able to customize loadouts and combine magic for some devastating, game-breaking attacks was always a fun way to experiment with the game. If done right, it could lead to the most robust spells and abilities in any game of the series.
3Final Fantasy IX: Combat System
As cool as Materia is, this meant that Cloud and Tifa were essentially identical in battle. While Barret had long-range attacks that sometimes came into play and Limit Breaks offered up different strategies, by and large, they were all the same.
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The Materia is the star ofFinal Fantasy VII’s combat. That is not the case inFinal Fantasy IX, as the characters are allowed to feel like unique classes akin to the Job systems in the other games of the series.
2Final Fantasy VII: Legacy
There is no denying thatFinal Fantasy VIIhas the largest reach in terms of legacy. Not only has it spawned books, films, and spinoffs, but it just got aremakefor the PlayStation 4.
Besides a few re-releases and a remaster,FinalFantasy IX, unfortunately, has had almost nothing. Well, it did have this bizarreCoke commercialin Japan. That is something at least.
1Final Fantasy IX: The Swan Song
While it may not have a robust compilation likeFinal Fantasy VII,Final Fantasy IXholds up as a swan song for the series. It wasFinal Fantasy’s last classic, fairy tale-esque entry.
Final Fantasy IXis like a love letter to the original entry in the license. In that way, it too has a strong legacy. For now, that is, as perhapsFinal Fantasy XVIwill present a fresh look back on the franchise.
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