FF9 is a stunning game, just like the rest of the Final Fantasy series. The story begins with our hero, Zidane the thief, getting ready to kidnap Princess Garnet of Alexandria only to find that she wants to be kidnapped. Strange things have been happening in Alexandria, says she, and she believes the cause to be a stranger who has been hanging around the castle...

The theme of romance is a-plenty in this FF game. Zidane naturally flirts with any girl he meets, but he goes way out of his way to impress Garnet, even though he's but a petty thief and she a princess. Freya, a dragon knight, is on a quest to find her love from years ago. Of course, not only does romance play a part of the plot; there's the theme of home as well. Zidane was an orphaned kid, taken in by a group of thieves. Then there's the black mage Vivi, who doesn't even know who -- or what -- he really is. And we have Eiko, who's had to live alone with moogles for years since her village was wiped out.

The graphics for the cutscenes are stunning, and the style a little more cartoonish than VIII. The equip-to-learn system presents choices and challenges; wait to gain the ability, or equip a stronger item right now?

All in all, this game is as fun as any of the Final Fantasy games, and is perhaps my favorite of all.