Nostalgia is one of the most potent forces in the gaming industry, and developers and publishers have found countless ways to bottle it. Remasters and remakes are big business at the moment and the Final Fantasy VII remake’s performance is a testament to that.
If you’ve already found every cunningly hidden secret in that title, though, you might well be thinking wistfully about what the series may have in store next. Would a Final Fantasy IX remake be a good idea, for instance, or should Square-Enix hold back on the idea? Let’s take a look at some pros and cons.
10 Needs A Remake: PlayStation-Era Final Fantasy Is Riding The Wave
Even if gamers somehow didn’t play these classics the first time around, there’s no denying that the PS1 Final Fantasy trio (VII, VIII and IX) are making their presence felt right now. The first chapter of Cloud’s revamped PS4 adventure is available right now, as is the remaster of Final Fantasy VIII that fans have waited so long for.
With all of this in mind, perhaps it’s the optimal time for a Final Fantasy IX remake. A monumental task, yes, but long-time fans would surely go wild over an announcement.
9 Should Be Left Alone: It’s Been Re-Released And Ported Many Times Already
While the reveal of a Final Fantasy VIII remaster was met with huge excitement by some fans, it’s important to keep one thing in mind: this particular entry hadn’t been given such treatment before. It had barely reappeared at all since its original 1999 release, in fact.
Final Fantasy IX, meanwhile, has been polished, preened and ported to a great variety of systems, from Nintendo Switch to iOS and Android. Would a remaster be as impactful, or necessary? It’s tough to say.
8 Needs A Remake: It Could Feature Expanded Content
The tricky thing with remasters is that the developers have to tread very carefully. On the one hand, changing fundamental aspects of the original will alienate players. At the same time, though, true remasters are expected to at least have some small bonuses or extra content on top of the original release.
Fans may be familiar with the tale of the Ranger character the party was supposed to meet in the city of Treno, who was supposedly cut from the game. An extra party member, perhaps with a side story to introduce them, could be just the sort of thing to add spice to the package.
7 Should Be Left Alone: It Holds Up Relatively Well, With Unique Art Style
Visually, as is to be expected, the Final Fantasy VII Remake absolutely blows the original out of the water. The PS1 title, after all, is over two decades old and the characters had horrific, lumpen polygons for hands.
However hard the later re-releases tried, they really couldn’t patch much up in that regard, hence the full-blown remaster. In contrast, Final Fantasy IX and its cast of quirky characters looked rather good as they were. They still do, in fact, and the unique storybook art style only looks better in HD. It’s just a shame the ports haven’t enhanced those backgrounds, or the game really could’ve looked stunning.
6 Needs A Remake: Fans Would Lap It Up
In these uncertain times, it’s more important than ever not to take risks. The gaming industry has been warier of this lately (hence the many remasters and remakes taking precedence over new IPs), but it’s a very important concept when it comes to the idea of a potential Final Fantasy IX remake.
It was clear that Cloud and company’s revamped adventure was going to be a huge hit from the off, and with IX’s reputation and place in the series only being strengthened since its release (it didn’t make the biggest impact at first), it would be a great undertaking but quite a safe bet, too.
5 Should Be Left Alone: ‘Modernizing’ It May Be Its Downfall
As we know, long-time fans of franchises like things a certain way: the old way. That’s what nostalgia is all about, and it’s easy for a re-release to ruin everything the game stood for if developers mess with the formula.
With Final Fantasy VII Remake, Square-Enix implemented a very different take on the combat system. Turn-based commands are still available, but with an added dose of Final Fantasy XV-esque action RPG shenanigans thrown in. Would they be able to resist trying to appease old and new fans in this way in a Final Fantasy IX remake, and would it harm the title as a result?
4 Needs A Remake: It’s Very Different To The Final Fantasy Titles Of Its Era
Fans are a little conflicted on this point. Final Fantasy IX was designed to harken back to the classic series entries, with a de facto job system and constant references to the older titles.
Next to the very futuristic and technology-driven two titles that preceded it on PS1, its colorful, almost cartoony aesthetic was so different, it was almost jarring. While it was rather controversial for this very reason on its launch, perhaps that’s one of the best reasons to remake it: to see this unique and quite beautiful title at its best would be a treat.
3 Should Be Left Alone: It’s Gradually Become More Popular In Its Own Right And On Its Own Strengths
Following on from the last point, though, there’s another angle of that argument to consider. While the game was created as a love letter to the earlier titles that established the Final Fantasy name and was divisive for it, fan and critical reception has shifted over time.
Today, IX is regarded by many as one of the best series entries ever - a complete package with some challenging sidequests and a lengthy and memorable tale to tell. With it being accessible on such a range of formats just now, perhaps it would be dangerous after all to risk the reputation it’s fought for with a remake?
2 Needs A Remake: Some Of Its Foibles Could Be Ironed Out
Final Fantasy IX may be one of the most well-regarded series entries (and JRPGs, period) ever, but like all games, it has its issues. While it’s important that any potential remake doesn’t mess with the game’s formula, it would represent a chance to make a few tweaks for the better.
Battles in the game are notoriously slow, even with the speed slider maxed out, so perhaps this could be addressed. Completionists have also been irked by the Tetra Master glitch, which prevents the game from displaying a player rank after every single card is collected. Issues like these are very minor, but they represent just the kinds of small fixes that fans of the original titles always appreciate in a remake.
1 Should Be Left Alone: It’s a Product Of Its Time
As mentioned, the title feels more than a little ‘old-fashioned’ today. The creators’ goal for Final Fantasy’s PS1 swansong was to make it a homage to the series’ roots, a goal reflected in everything from the design of the UI to the classical setting. Needless to say, though, the franchise has changed a heck of a lot since the early days.
As a result, turn-based RPGs of this type have become quite a niche prospect. It would be very difficult to make Final Fantasy IX appealing to newer players, without making certain changes that would compromise everything it set out to be in the first place.