Final Fantasy: Building The Perfect Sequel (1 Feature From Each Game)
11. FF IX - The Volume Of Additional Content
There is a hidden quest in Final Fantasy IX that requires players to reach a point just before the end of the game in twelve hours or less. The sheer amount of content available in the game made that a pipe dream for most, given that such a short amount of time barely covered everything that could be done in just the first of the game’s four discs.
Admittedly, much of this content can be ignored with no adverse effects on the gameplay experience. Tetra Master is the inferior sibling of Triple Triad, replacing its simplicity and item refinement elements with nothing but confusion.
The racing Hippaul and Jump Rope mini-games, meanwhile, are thumb-breaking frustrations for anybody wanting the achievements associated with them and the likes of Ragtime Mouse can easily be missed without issue.
On the plus side, the game contained the series’ best use of chocobos through the Chocograph system, incorporating an addictive treasure hunting mini-game with a side quest that involves traversing the world, unlocking new locations and finding items.
Moogles were similarly well utilised, with Mognet providing a fun diversion that spans the entire game. Of similar longevity were the friendly monsters and frog catching quests, each tied an optional superboss.
Throw in synthesis and ability mastering and perfection in IX is no mean feat. But with almost every piece of extra content having a unique (if often useless) reward, achieving it is so much more gratifying than simply following the main story to its conclusion.