Is this part somewhere early in the 2nd chapter of the game? If it is then we got the same problem

Well, actually, it's at several points in the early game. If you happen to be lucky enough to get past one without it perma-seizing up, then yes, there's another near the beginning of the 2nd chapter.

Oh yeah, my bad. I played all psx games on PC, hence the mistake (SH2 was ported).
Try it, btw, it's great.

I'll see. Thinking of getting Shadow Hearts (or 2) as well soon so it'll have to wait.

I'm replaying FFIX now, it's the only of the PS1 Final Fantasy titles I haven't burned out on yet.
FFVII- owned several times, beat it each time. Fun game, moderate replay value (IE something I can not play for a year and find enjoyable again)
FFVIII-owned twice, beat it once. Traded it in the first time, second time I got to the part at Timber and then ditched it for a better game. Minor replay value. Decent enough if you can't find something better, but otherwise, I say beat it so you can say you did, and move on
FFIX= Fun fun fun, I'm one of those weird people who actually uses Quina (who I named Qupon in my game). moderate-high replay value. Love the treasure hunts and the cutscenes.

I agree with your assessments of FFVII and VIII, but I found IX rather flat compared to either gameplay-wise and replayability-wise. The characters are interesting, but the plot isn't, and instead of making characters both unique and customisable they went and gave themselves the exact opposite problem as FF7-8 had. At least they had 4-character parties though, I find them more fun.

Also, FFVII's minigames were better imo. And finding the "rare spawn" things pissed me off.

rare spawn?

Do it. The Shadowheart games are some of my favorites on the PS2 (followed by DC2, BoF:Dragon Quarter.)

And there is no 'SH2'...It's Shadowhearts and Shadowhearts:Covenant. Pfft. Heretics.

Kharaen: We're talking about SH2 as in Silent Hill 2 for that one. And what's DC2?

(As for Shadow hearts, will do. Can I get covenant without playing the first one or does that not work?)

Arix: There were like some colourshifted mobs that you'd rarely end up fighting on the overworld, when you did you had to throw them a gem or something. There was also an obnoxious singing thing that sticks in my mind as a sac-doctor from Sacrifice. Name of R-something.

Yeah, they were pretty good about making Covenant it's own game for new players, and a delightful continuance for players that played Shadowhearts.

And DC2 is Dark Cloud 2, aka the game with the most stuff and best cel graphics for the PS2.

Oh yeah. Played and beat that. Good stuff. Was called Dark Chronicle over here for some reason though. Just as well, too, because DC1 had absolutely terrible design. Trying to get through those friggin' Osmond-only levels...gahhh.

On FF, I value VIII the most. Even though characters were much alike in terms of combat gameplay, it wasn't a problem for me. I really, really liked the story despite its weak points, just like I did some of characters. It had the best atmosphere. I also think it's the graphics style - I have nothing against chibi, but I much preferred the realistic approach in VIII.

I'm with Shiri on IX, characters were good (Vivi!), but playing the game I couldn't shake the feeling of "been there, done that".

I liked the card game in VIII, minigame of VII was really bad and easily cheated on PC. I didn't bother with minigame in IX (there was something, right?)

Btw, I found two games I haven't played - Star Ocean the Second Story and Persona 2 Eternal Punishment. Any good?

There was a card game in FFIX. It was basically Just Worse than the FFVIII one though. What are you calling "the minigame" on FFVII though? Unlike VIII and IX there were quite a few with about equal coverage - the cool motorbike one, the ANNOYING snowboard one, and the obscure submarine one just off the top of my head. Also, I preferred FFVII's setting and plot to FFVIII's, but VIII's was fine I guess.

And I don't think it's really fair to call FFVII chibi. They weren't that superdeformed in FMVs and battle scenes, I think the questionable overworld sprites were just because of technical difficulties.

I looked it up now (it's been some time I played those) and I got it wrong - I was talking about Chocobo World, but that was in FF VIII.

Oh, that was annoying too. Grr. Chocobo raising in FFVII wasn't bad.

Nice... GMV
I love that song.

Lots of people hate FFVIII for some reason, probably because of the way magic is obtained (I just put it on my stats, and never really used it.)

I rather liked that game too, and the realistic dimensions (which is probably why I liked FFX, FFXII as well.)

That...and Squall is the awesomest character of the series, save maybe Locke and Edward.

I was actually discussing it lately with someone who claimed Squall was a typical strong and silent character type, unoriginal and cliche. As I understood it he was just insecure. His conformism only confirms that and denies the notion he was strong. As I said, it's been years since I played the game, but as I recall he needed to be pushed in the right direction every so often, and he was hardly a strong willed leader there. Rinoa also had some hard time trying to show him her affection. Love thread in FFVIII seemed much, much more convincing and real than, for example, Cloud and Aeris in VII. I remember there was a very nice scene in Ragnarok when they claimed the ship.

I need to play it again some time and make sure I remember it all right.

I didn't like the general interchangeability of the junction system. When I played, my team was always this:
A tank(high HP, high damage, used ifrit with full Demi to STR)
a meat shield (High HP, High def., carried the majority of t he healing spells and used the item command. This was the one that I would use incase of a strong party crippling area attack to heal and such)
a status-effect user (as high HP as I could get, usually had death or stone junctioned to status attack)

and no matter who I was forced to use, my party was always mostly the same. sometimes I would switch it up for laughs (make Rinoa the tank or something) but otherwise I got an overall feeling of blah from that game.

Now, the game did have positive qualities. I did like the FMV's, and the card game, and some of the GF's
(Cactuar and Tonberrry ftw!), but it's not something I see myself playing again anytime soon