The lost art of Final Fantasy IX

[Yggdrasil]

"The "lost art" referenced in the thread title isn't meant to describe this content as having been lost and found – it refers to the art details that were lost when the graphics were downconverted to a limited 32-bit console." -- NeoGAF

Credits to Mama Robotnik.

[Starmongoose]

This feels relevant due to all our gushing about this game today.

FFIX was always a beautiful game but I would love to have been able to play this one.

Also, It's only just struck me as bizzare as hell that Blank wears a belt across his face.

[Sagacious-T]

I still haven't played it.

[DPB]

There's a lot of fantastic art there, it really makes me wish they'd make another Final Fantasy without Nomura's grubby hands all over it.

The only thing I don't like about FFIX is that ATB doesn't quite work as it should - with the some of the animations taking so long you end up with lots of commands stacking.

[MeshGearFox]

I'm not sure if the commands actually /stacked/. I think the game accounted for animation time.

The bigger issue was that the framerate was low and everything took a lot longer than it should've.

(Still my favorite FF game 5ever).

An HD remake of FFIX would actually make sense and be pretty simple to do. I mean... literally, just package all the non-downscaled assets in it and pick a reasonable framerate. I don't think the models would even need to be altered much, if at all.

[Klutz64]

I still have "The Art of Final Fantasy IX" and I still look through it every now and then. It's a constant reminder of how much I miss Amano doing the in-game art instead of just concepts and title images.

[Yggdrasil]

I still haven't played it.

You should be ashamed of yourself.

There's a lot of fantastic art there, it really makes me wish they'd make another Final Fantasy without Nomura's grubby hands all over it.

You mean for the characters? Because as far as I know Nomura has never done environmental art.

[Raze]

Oh for fucks sake...

[DPB]

You mean for the characters? Because as far as I know Nomura has never done environmental art.

Yes, but he's also been Director or Producer for many of their recent games, so he's still going to have a big influence on the overall art style. He wasn't involved in FFIX at all, and it looks completely different to the stuff they've put out recently.

And yes, I realise the irony of posting this when there's a picture of a guy with a belt strapped to his head.

[Kevadu]

Oh for fucks sake...

The man likes belts, OK.

[Dice]

I'm surprised that if a remake wasn't in the cards they wouldn't do the HD editions.  Makes me kinda blue we've seen (I'm speaking for myself) the better FF's get the same treatment as I-IV and X-X2

[Yggdrasil]

Yes, but he's also been Director or Producer for many of their recent games, so he's still going to have a big influence on the overall art style. He wasn't involved in FFIX at all, and it looks completely different to the stuff they've put out recently.

Aside from fulfilling the usual role of character designer recently he has being a creative producer for Crisis Core, both Dissidia titles and Type-0.

The only game everyone will have every right to bitch about for the art direction is Versus XIII because he is the director there. Oh and Kingdom Hearts... he takes charge of that franchise too.

[Zik]

This looks really good, nice find! Oh now I wish they release a remake.

[Lard]

I still haven't played it.

Why not?

[Taelus]

I still haven't played it.

Why not?

He's got a point.