Original was great - this port is garbage

[Noir]

Are you kidding me? No real full screen, nope, you have borders instead. Terrible, 5x speed up, at least some random Internet persons fixed it for you and allowed it to run at 2x speed. Only reason to play this mess is Alternate Fantasy with playing Beatrix. Would love to do just that, despite this sorry excuse of a port. Start the game. Character runs to the left for no ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ reason. Read up fixes. Apply fixes. Character still runs to the ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ left for no ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ reason. Do I need to ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ disconnect everything every time I want to just play a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ game, that's over 15 years old and somehow still manages to cost 20€?

The "updated" graphics look ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ than upscaling it on an Emulator too btw.

[Vladislak]

I haven't hand any issues with the whole running left thing, but many of your other complaints don't make it any worse than the original. They're just things you'd like to see as improvements from the original.

Full Screen: The original ran at that aspect ratio, so it's not like it's a downgrade. If anything it's preserving the experience of the original that way. Wouldn't they have to literally create new content to show more background if they allowed for a wider screen in some areas of the game? Some area's simply aren't wide enough to begin with.

Speed up: The original didn't have a feature to speed up the game, so again I'm not seeing how that's a downgrade from the original.

Updated graphics: It may not be as good as you can get on an emulator, but that's not really comparing this to the original, it's comparing this to what amounts to a modified version of the original. The original wouldn't have been upscaled at all.

I agree that it's not a perfect port and could use some work as there ARE bugs (that running left thing seems to be semi-common, I've just never experienced it), but to say it's worse than the original for not including things the original never had is kind of silly IMO. No offense.

Don't get me wrong, I do think the original is the superior way to play the game, I just disagree with your reasoning as to why.

[SenMithrarin85]

You do realise that they could NEVER replecate the PS1 version accurately since squeenix lost the source code? Its like jurassic park: they took what they could salvage from the original and filled in the blanks.

The game's speed up always ran at 2x speed afaik. I don't recall it being patched at any point and I've not used any mod that changes it. I have played it with a controller with no issues. You might have an old d-input pad that the unity engine doesn't like. And there's no comparison between the hd assets and upscaled low res ps1 assets. the ps1's cannot even come close.

The only thing I don't like about it compared to the original that they *could* fix is the battle UI. Its too big. Everything else can't be helped.

[Noir]

Originally posted by Vladislak:

Don't get me wrong, I do think the original is the superior way to play the game, I just disagree with your reasoning as to why.

Well, the original has since been emulated. So, not only is this version more annoying than the original one due to bugs like the one with the gamepad (and I'm not the only one having that issue, not by a long shot) or just a pretty crappy UI, but it is inferior to the emulated gameplay, which also comes with speed up toggles (where you don't need to pause the game), quick saves, the same cheats etc.

But then you think about how long it's been and how the game got no addition whatsoever, other than cheats that quite frankly ruin the experience for the most part, because they take away all the challenge, and look at the price. 20€ for a game re-released after 16 years. That's all they have to show for it? All the new technology and you basically sidegrade the game and want money for it? I'm just pissed at the pathetic effort invested into this.

Not asking for a complete revamp, I understand it's just a re-release and as such will look and feel like the old game, but even that they managed to screw up with that terrible menu in battle and they couldn't even do something as "simple" as fullfilling a longstanding fan wish where Beatrix becomes playable, which one dude who got zero $ for it made just for the ♥♥♥♥ of it - and sadly exclusive to the PC version, and not the original *sigh*. Or maybe rebalance some aspects of the game that didn't work that well? Just... nothing.

I just never felt so disrespected as a costumer, where you pay 20 bucks for a better experience of a classic game (that's still great, just played it like three years ago on emulator again) and it's not only not better, but worse. Just needed to vent that feeling out, because quite frankly, if it wasn't for all of us nostalgic fans, these re-releases wouldn't sell nearly as good and wouldn't attract as many new consumers, and it just feels like SE doesn't give a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ about the quality of their products anymore.

[Vladislak]

Originally posted by Noir:

Originally posted by Vladislak:

Don't get me wrong, I do think the original is the superior way to play the game, I just disagree with your reasoning as to why.

Well, the original has since been emulated. So, not only is this version more annoying than the original one due to bugs like the one with the gamepad (and I'm not the only one having that issue, not by a long shot) or just a pretty crappy UI, but it is inferior to the emulated gameplay, which also comes with speed up toggles (where you don't need to pause the game), quick saves, the same cheats etc.

But then you think about how long it's been and how the game got no addition whatsoever, other than cheats that quite frankly ruin the experience for the most part, because they take away all the challenge, and look at the price. 20€ for a game re-released after 16 years. That's all they have to show for it? All the new technology and you basically sidegrade the game and want money for it? I'm just pissed at the pathetic effort invested into this.

Not asking for a complete revamp, I understand it's just a re-release and as such will look and feel like the old game, but even that they managed to screw up with that terrible menu in battle and they couldn't even do something as "simple" as fullfilling a longstanding fan wish where Beatrix becomes playable, which one dude who got zero $ for it made just for the ♥♥♥♥ of it - and sadly exclusive to the PC version, and not the original *sigh*. Or maybe rebalance some aspects of the game that didn't work that well? Just... nothing.

I just never felt so disrespected as a costumer, where you pay 20 bucks for a better experience of a classic game (that's still great, just played it like three years ago on emulator again) and it's not only not better, but worse. Just needed to vent that feeling out, because quite frankly, if it wasn't for all of us nostalgic fans, these re-releases wouldn't sell nearly as good and wouldn't attract as many new consumers, and it just feels like SE doesn't give a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ about the quality of their products anymore.

Oh don't get me wrong, I agree with much of what you've said there, particularly about the UI and the bugs.

When emulated the original game is certainly way better than this port. I was just saying that when comparing this port to the original as run how it was meant to be run (on an old CRT with no modifications) several of your original arguments didn't really make sense.

And yeah I totally agree that SE doesn't seem to put the same care into their products anymore. Of course the people currently working at SE aren't the same people who worked on FFI-FFX, they're basically a different company entirely as far as I'm concerned.

I miss the old squaresoft terribly...

[Vladislak]

Originally posted by steiner:

Remember, Square Enix didn't do the port, Silicon Studios did, so if there's a blaming game here, point it to Silicon, not Square.

I suppose, although that doesn't change my opinion on SE's other buisiness decisions and how I feel about the writing and story direction in some of their more recent games. Granted that's all subjective and I don't want to get into it both because it would take a long time and because I don't want to offend any fans, it's just how I feel.

[SenMithrarin85]

Originally posted by steiner:

Yes, indeed it wasn't SE's best decision to let Silicon Studios do the porting of FFIX, when SE could've done it themselves. I was just thinking about that earlier today. If Square would've did the porting themselves (like with FFXII etc.) it would've turned out better, assured. I know SE wouldn't let this mess pass, but, granted they did when they published it, so...

square doing the port themselves would have turned out better?! In between my fits of laughter, I refer you to the FF13 ports, FF Type 0 HD, Nier Automata. All great ports....

[Toph]

The Steam version absolutely does look better than the original. All of your griping about emulation is completely irrelevant. The original PS1 version of the game is the standard in which the game should be judged--not whatever modded-up emulated version of the game you've played.

Aside from the updated visuals, this version is virtually a perfect recreation of the original aside from a few added features which are optional. I'll point out this is exactly how this game attempts to advertise itself. Despite whatever desires you personally feel would improve the game, expecting it be anything more than a faithful recreation doesn't make any sense.

And while I do empathize with your controller issues, it's rather obvious that it is not an issue which affects the majority of people who've played this version. In terms of this port being garbage, you're wrong. It's actually quite good.

It seems like you're frustrated over your controller issues and feel the need to project.

[Noir]

Originally posted by steiner:

Square Enix does care about their products, look at FFXII.
It was unfortunate they lost source code of FFIX during this time; I've seen the fallout of other games being brought back to life, yet had their sources forfeit.
Ranting won't solve the problems.
But hoping one of us will fix it in the future places ease.
Knowing my own self, I'll never give up.

yeah, the twelve re-rerelease is how it should be done. Added a bunch of new stuff besides just giving us the japanese original with english text (which emulators already have done). This one.. feels like a rip-off, literally the only reason to play this over emulator version are the fan made mods, but quite frankly, having bad luck with the gamepad hassle on my side just turned me off completely from the game.

[Noir]

Originally posted by Toph:

The Steam version absolutely does look better than the original. All of your griping about emulation is completely irrelevant. The original PS1 version of the game is the standard in which the game should be judged--not whatever modded-up emulated version of the game you've played.

Aside from the updated visuals, this version is virtually a perfect recreation of the original aside from a few added features which are optional. I'll point out this is exactly how this game attempts to advertise itself. Despite whatever desires you personally feel would improve the game, expecting it be anything more than a faithful recreation doesn't make any sense.

And while I do empathize with your controller issues, it's rather obvious that it is not an issue which affects the majority of people who've played this version. In terms of this port being garbage, you're wrong. It's actually quite good.

It seems like you're frustrated over your controller issues and feel the need to project.

It's not modded, it just runs on an emulator with graphic options and other gadgets. If you google "character keeps running right" for ff 9 on Steam, you'll find plenty of people with the issue, yet zero fixes that aren't a pain in the ass. And yeah, it's an okay port if the game was released around the same time, but it's been 16 years, thus it's a re-release, thus one should be able to expect a little better than what a team of five people managed to do about 15 years ago.

If you're happy with a little beautified ps 1 game nearly two decades after release for 20€, kay, good for you, I don't think that warrants the price tag in any way or form.

[Mirage]

Game looks fine imo, better than i've ever been able to get it on an emulator, everything else is just your opinion.
The price tag is not something you figure out afterwards, you can figure out for yourself wether or not the game is worth the price, you can't complain about money that you willingly paid.

Your controller problems are probably just a deadzone issue which isn't really fault of the game.

[Paul]

True this port is garbage. Period.

[Mirage]

Originally posted by Paul:

True this port is garbage. Period.

That's not how arguments work.

[Paul]

Originally posted by Mirage:

Originally posted by Paul:

True this port is garbage. Period.

That's not how arguments work.

lol why ? why should i give argument to Silicon Studios ?

[Toph]

Originally posted by Paul:

True this port is garbage. Period.

Your opinion is garbage. Period.

[Paul]

Originally posted by Toph:

Originally posted by Paul:

True this port is garbage. Period.

Your opinion is garbage. Period.

Your opinion to my opinion is garbage. Period.