I remember being a little kid at one of my mom's friend's houses-- and being told to go "play with the boys" all of which were about 7 years older than me-- and watching one of them play this masterpiece while the others watched.
And I was obsessed.
This was the first Final Fantasy I ever saw being played and I was captivated.
I sat in that room being an 8 year old watching these teens play a game and knowing exactly what I was going to beg my mom for that year for Christmas/ birthday gift.
I have about 4 physical copies of this games-- one being the same one I got for Christmas (no longer works)
and others from buying them every chance I get.

The Steam version is a welcomed upgrade to the classic-- especially the Moguri Mod Manager.
I am almost done with this play through and can't wait to play it again.

I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of FF9.

At first, the game will seem to be bizarrely difficult because MP is very low, and every boss seems to 1 or 2-shot your party, but this is a very item/equipment-heavy game.
They want you to spare no expense with your potions and revives, and that's not really a problem, considering you can steal tents (full-party healing items,) and potions from many enemies in most fights. After the initial scary difficulty, it's a pretty smooth ride, but there are still challenges.

Even though FF9's art style is cartoony and cute, this installment is just as dark, if not darker than some of its predecessors.
The characters are wonderful, and the game is structured in a way that the party is often split, giving you a lot of time with some of the party members that didn't initially catch your eye.
I grew a fondness for characters that I would've just benched if the game let me.

As with many older RPGs, you may feel the need to refer to guides from time to time, but I certainly looked up a lot less this go around than with FF8.
You also don't need to play the card game at all, which is good, because it's a considerably worse card game than Triple Triad.

One tip for a smoother, more enjoyable experience: don't sell equipment, ever, and consider buying a couple of any piece of equipment you really like, because you can potentially combine equipment into better equipment via synthesis.

this is still in my opinion the best game in the final fantasy series.