I know, I know. The game is old news.
But after years of watching my brother kick arse at SNES and N64, I decided to pick up the controller for myself (female empowerment, yeah!). My new apt. came with a roommate who has a PS2 and FFX, which beckoned me with its shades of pink and mauve.
After 70 hours and a few regrets, I completed my first ever RPG.
I feel so accomplished (at sitting on my bum)! It was awesome. Bring on the sequel!
Please tell my you got a bit teary at the end so I don’t feel like the biggest dork ever.
You’re such a dork, karomon.
Although you’re not alone. 
Even though I’ve already finished the game, I keep going back to play blitzball…and to try to attempt some of the harder stuff that Square threw into the FFX International version. Gah… So, I’ve put an additional 30 hours of play into it.
Interestingly, a friend who finished it at the same time had a totally different take on the ending than I did. If I were to ask y’all your opinions, should I put the question in a spoiler box? (It has been a while…)
Bah, put it in a spoiler box anyway, in case we inspire anyone to pick up the game.
Oh, blitzball kicks arse.
My team was Brother (Airship) for passing, Tidus for shooting and Kyo in the midfield. I have real trouble leveling up my backs, since they wouldn’t see the ball! My high score was 11.
The Dark Aeons are impossible on the PAL version, but Ribbon is fantastic :). I’ve leveled up everyone to stupidly high levels and have Wakka’s and Rikku’s Ultimate weapons too. There’s no sodding way I’m going to get Lulu’s weapon though, ick. Gotten a large chunk of the animal catching sidequest done, and can reliably beat most of the original mix monsters. Can beat the snot out of the last badguys without a sweat.
Hey, kung fu lola, great to here you’re a gaming grrl now!
Spoiler:
[spoiler]At the end of the game, I assumed that Tidus and his Zanarkand were all a product of, and sustained by, the dreams of the Fayth. And, as they all stopped their efforts and went to the Farplane (or wherever), Tidus and Zanarkand ceased to exist. (and yes, I got a bit…emotional…what? Stop looking at me like that!)
My friend thought that Tidus just went back to his Zanarkand and continued his life there.
I, obviously, think that my friend is full of crap. 
What do you guys think?[/spoiler]Rabid_Squirrel, I’ve actually managed to beat a couple of the Dark Aeons, but each time it was due to some INCREDIBLE luck. I have the Ultimate weapon for Rikku, and I have a couple of others, but I haven’t managed to power them up fully yet. And as for Blitz, once I found out that you could re-sign Wakka for one gil a game, woo-hoo! I practiced so much that I went back to an old save and won that first game (same cutscene, but with a huge trophy added).
Of course I got teary at the end. At first I was just teetering, but then the high-five got me and poof! Instant salty kfl-puddle.
I’m glad I watched the credits all the way through, though.
I wanna do it again, this time not worrying about the goddamn Legendary weapons (USELESS! Not even worth the “standard 9999 attack”, IMO). Never used 'em. Not once. Frankly, I found equipping abilities like auto-med, counterattack and magic counter MUCH more useful. It was also a stroke of brilliance on my part to give Lulu hastega, Auron doublecast, and Wakka “use” by doing nifty things on the sphere grid, if I may say so. I couldn’t have passed the final level without doing that stuff.
I’m glad I got all the Aeons though. And I’m glad I was smart enough to get the destruction sphere in Bevelle the first time, even though I missed the one in Kilika the first time. Because as you all know, you can’t go back to Bevelle. If you miss the D sphere there, no Anima for you.
Did any of you name your Aeons anything cool? I HAD to personallize mine. They were, in order:
Taliesin
Ibrahim
Iperion
Tahra
Memnogn
Carlito (Yojimbo)
Oruach (Anima)
and Madge, Xtina and Brit.
As for Blitzball, I say bah. Maybe someday I’ll be interested. But today (and the 70 hours before today), I am not. Never played it beyond the one game (which I lost, obviously). Ugh, I hate blitzball.
RobuSensei: Your friend is totally full of it. Your interpretation is spot on.
I’ve played it through several times. The first time, I was teary at the end too, but not because of Tidus. It was sending Auron to the Farplane that got to me.
Last time through, I decided to run everybody all the way through the sphere grid, just for the heck of it. By the time I was done, and with the legendary weapons (for the break damage limit) I was hitting for 99,999 points a hit. I also managed to beat all the nasty beasties in the arena, except the Flan.
I adore this game!
The high-five got me, but it didn’t make me teary-eyed. More like impressed, because the whole time the only characters I cared about at all were Wakka and Auron, but with the high-five I suddenly appreciated that whole storyline.
Good job sticking through to the end, lola. Now you’re all ready to take on Final Fantasy X-2!
I think I passed 140 hours. But then I played a whole hell of a lot of blitzball.
The only Square games which I’ve completed 100% are Final Fantasy I and Kingdom Hearts. But looking at some of the things to make FFX 100% just makes my heart skip a beat. And I’ve finished for Zeldas for the N64 at 100%. I feel like the Knox. My fingers are not quick or slick, sir.
I was thinking of having a thread promoting a Final Fantasy Frenzy month. I suppose too many people work to much to finish all ten in a month. Plus 3 isn’t out yet unless you use shadowy methods. But I’ve heard a rumor it may be out soon.
I liked FFX, but I hated blitzball. You start at a disadvantage, and I never got ahead.
Robusensei, I side with you. I think your friend is exhibiting some blind optimism. Anyway, I guess we’ll find out in FFX-2.
I’m not a big fan of Blitzball, but I throroughly exhausted that monster hunt thing. The thing is, I wasted all my level 3 spheres, and now I can’t get to the “auto-life” slot, which prevents me from beating some of the monsters. Hmm. Now that I’m reminded of it, guess what I’ll be doing tonight? 
Does anyone know exactly when the sequel is coming out? I downloaded the opening sequence from it - looks great!
I’m with you, Robu-sensei - your friend’s interpretation is clearly the minority view, and, IMO, completely unsupported by the actual events of the game.
The ending was, IMO, terribly sad. Tidus ceased to exist, Auron finally died for real, Khimari’s people had been all but wiped out…
The sequel comes out the first week of december.
And then XI comes out in January I believe. That one’s on-line so you have to buy extra equipment to play it. It’ll be a busy winter for FF fans.
Miller, Karomon, and Tengu (nice name!), thanks for the votes of support.
Ever since I saw the 15 minute The Eternal Calm: Final Fantasy X – Another Story trailer they tacked onto the FFX International disc, I knew I’d be buying X-2 on the day it came out. I’ve been playing X-2 on and off for a while, and, and, well…I haven’t gotten far enough into the story yet to be able to say more. But I think it’s a cool game!
must…study…more…Japanese…
just finished a fairly difficult boss battle only to find that the sphere I was hunting for is broken? Aw, g$%#@&%#@!
karomon, you wasted, like, 15 level 3 keys? Wow. Yet another bullet I dodged, and I didn’t even know it!
My interpretation of the ending is the same as all yours. Sniffle
I was going to say to Tengu, though, that I think the best endings are the ones that set up for a new world order. You know, where there is some kind of mystical “system” set up and it’s broken to pave the way for something new. Examples: The Chronicles of Prydain, His Dark Materials, Buffy The Vampire Slayer. It’s more… satisfying somehow.
Sure it was sad about Auron, but don’t you think the game stressed that Unsent were … unnatural (I’m tempted to say abominations, but who would want to refer to Auron that way)? I think it was happier to see him sent off to where he belonged, than the alternative. Just IMO. As for the Ronso, I remember what Seymour said, but didn’t I see some at the foot of Mt. Gagazet when I went back to get the Blossom Crown, and also in one of the temples?
Yeah, I had Rikku use some of them in her overdrive. Stupid, stupid, stupid!
Level 3 key spheres are easy to come by, though. I’m pretty sure you can win them fighting in either the Omega Ruins or the last dungeon.