Xen, was FFX your first FF?
And anyway:
FF9's plot may not be ths best in the series, however, it is better than 8's and 10's plot, and the characters are the best in the series (Vivi is the single best character in FF history, and they also have Freya, Steiner, Zidane, Beatrix, a wonderful cast).
I really liked the battle system (disliked the trance system though) and I really liked the leveling system, I liked the synthesis, I also liked the fact that each character has a specific "purpose" in battle.
I also liked how, despite looking the most childish, it is actually the most tragic FF, if you don't think so, play the game again.
And the summons were cool.
Bet with Dr.A.Peter.Nintendo that Super Mario Galaxy 2 won't sell 15 million copies up to six months after it's release, the winner will get Avatar control for a week and signature control for a month.