LogFAQs > #963521378

ParanoidObsessive posted...

My opinion at the time was that it was mostly hugely popular and led to all the "best FF evar!" praise it got mainly because it was a huge nostalgia bait game referencing all the prior FF games, coming on the heels of FFVIII which a lot of people hated at the time. It was also actual fantasy, after the growing steampunk and sci-fi that slowly crept over everything in the prior three games.

As I recall FF9 had a "nice" reception: people liked it but I don't immediately recall best game evar stuff. Which seems about right. Heck, FF8 had just been released a year earlier (and 7 was basically a year before that) so people were still playing those two. It was a unique moment.

I think it grew in popularity during the FF12 era when it became clear that it was the last of the traditional/lighthearted/ATB/etc FFs and it DID pick up some buzziness around then. So basically the same thing you said: just delayed a little.