I’m not much of a snob when it comes to graphics. As someone who often jumps between a variety of platforms from different console generations, I’m used to dealing with less than perfect visuals. However, Final Fantasy IX was one of the few experiences where I wished the game appeared on a later system. Compressed textures and low polygon models don’t really bother me. My main problem was the resolution of the original PlayStation.
Final Fantasy IX has a fantastical visual style that falls in line with older games in the series. More exaggerated character designs and colorful environments set it a part from the realistic and sci-fi worlds of Final Fantasy VII and VIII. The prerendered backgrounds hold up surprisingly well, but the look of the 3D models often just get completely lost unless it’s right up on the camera.
Both Final Fantasy VII and VIII were lucky to have PC ports. You can easily buy both of those titles and run them at a higher resolution. The backgrounds are the compressed originals, but just being able to clearly see 3D assets is an improvement.
My mind can fill in the gaps, but its a waste to have great art hidden beneath a layer of chunky pixels. Emulation is the answer, but I almost always play games on original hardware or via some sort of official emulation.
