Final Fantasy IX

The pre-rendered backgrounds still look gorgeous on a CRT, and the smaller sprites make battles feel fast and snappy. I've been playing through the Chocobo sidequests and they're just as addictive as I remembered from years ago.

Finally got this for my PS1 collection and the sprite work is incredible—every character animation feels handcrafted. The story hooks you with its mix of whimsy and surprisingly dark moments. Definitely worth the wait for a physical copy.

The green-tinted overworld is so soothing to explore, and the sprite art genuinely makes you care about every character. I caught myself just walking around towns to watch the little animations, which I haven't done in a game in years.