A teenage boy brushes past you on the streets of Alexandria. A few steps ahead of you, he comes to a halt and turns around.

"What's this thing?" he asks, waving a phone at you.

It looks a lot like your phone. You quickly check whether you have it on you. It's gone. "Did you just rob me?"

He folds his arms, his tail flicking back and forth behind him. "Hey, I asked first."

Let's talk about Final Fantasy IX. Seems like a good way to pass the time while you try to negotiate the return of your phone.

For me, Final Fantasy IX is a game that manages to be more than the sum of its parts. I can take or leave most of the characters. The battle system is frustratingly slow. But somehow it's one of my favourite Final Fantasy games.

Although Final Fantasy IX doesn't have one of my favourite casts, I do think Zidane is a strong protagonist. In the first couple of PlayStation generations, Final Fantasy protagonists tend to fall into the categories 'intelligent but brooding' and 'more cheerful but not the brightest'. (This is just an observation, rather than a criticism; Squall Leonhart is, after all, the best character ever written.) Zidane stands out by being optimistic and cheerful while still being quick on the uptake.

Kuja is a fun villain, too, and getting the hero and villain right goes a long way!

There's a lot of charm to Final Fantasy IX. The visual style is strong and unusual; the writing is very lively; the tone is often playful, even though the themes are dark. Maybe that's why I find the game so compelling.

Actually, I know why I find this game so compelling, and it's Chocobo Hot and Cold. Whenever I replay Final Fantasy IX, I neglect the plot for hours at a time in order to dig up every treasure I can find.

Also, the save points are moogles, and that's adorable. I loved delivering letters for them.

Oh, damn. While you were distracted by my rambling, the kid ran off. Looks like you're not getting that phone back.

• Return to Balamb Garden's bridge.
• Return to Balamb Garden's entrance hall.