I just finished FF IX again. I would like to replay FF VII eventually (I completed the game countless times already, but that was ages ago). Sadly, I just can't get myself to play past some early parts in Midgar. The gameplay, controls and most importantly the graphics are keeping me from enjoying it again. I have fond memories of the game, but I must agree that among all the titles in the series, this game is the only one that NEEDS to be remade. Not because it's the best in the series (for me, VI and IX are the best), but because it is the one that aged the worst (along with the original NES titles). Even the SNES, probably due to the fact they are sprite based, are easier to go back to in their original state.
Getting back to FF IX. I just finished the game a few hours ago, and seriously, I didn't remember the game being so good. The direction, the classic feel of its gameplay, the characters, the universe, the story that is filled with nods to past entries, the graphics that are very impressive AND expressive for the time (and which look particularly good on the small screen of a PSP) and of course the awesome soundtrack which is certainly one of the best that Nobuo has composed in his career.
The game even gave me "blurry vision" during its ending. That's a sign that the game did something extremely right.
I think it's sad that Square-Enix hasn't been able to produce games like that since the PS era. FF X tried, but I just couldn't relate to any of its characters, and FF XII, while having great gameplay, lacked a lot of content, story and character-wise. And FF XIII felt just... rushed.
