A Place To Call Home Officially Arrives This Month

If you get a Final Fantasy fan talking for long enough, Final Fantasy 9 will come up at some point. It may even be one of the first topics they broach, given its widely beloved history, and the nostalgic focus on the crystal-based storyline that started it all.

But a big reason people are still so spellbound by Final Fantasy 9is the cast of characters. It has one of the strangest, yet most endearing parties of any Final Fantasy game, and Vivi is arguably one of the most iconic representations of the Black Mage class to date.

For that reason and more, fans have been looking forward to any number of Final Fantasy 9 releases, and another is on the way. With official confirmation from Square Enix, we finally have a release month for Final Fantasy 9: A Place to Call Home.

A Place To Call Home Is Beautiful

Square Enix

After a ton of waiting, Square Enix is delivering the “A Place to Call Home” music box, which features the iconic song from Final Fantasy 9, along with its cover art on the box itself:

“Classic songs spanning across the FINAL FANTASY series are now available as music boxes. The designs on the case are pulled right from the scenes where these songs are heard to evoke beloved memories of the series.”

This music box will cost $25.99 USD and, due to a delayed shipment date, will ship later this month. Other Final Fantasy 9 music boxes include one for the song “Roses of May,” adorned by the character Beatrix.

Then there’s the song “Not Alone,” with artwork featuring the core party. Other games have music boxes too, including “Home, Sweet Home” for Final Fantasy 5. That one has the most interesting aesthetic design of all, in a translucent green hue with the hero Bartz in his hometown.

Final Fantasy 9 Endures After 26 Years

A shocked Zidane looks on as Vivi casts a fireball in a collage of screenshots from FF9.

Final Fantasy 9 continues to ensnare Final Fantasy fans to this day for many reasons. The locales are a huge part of its charm, as seen in multiple crossover games like the Dissidia series, where the city of Alexandria shines. Even in the original Final Fantasy 9 cutscenes, the city’s splendor comes through.

There’s also the fascinating narrative, which leans into political intrigue while keeping the focus on the characters. It’s a line that not every JRPG is able to straddle, including future Final Fantasy games. Because Final Fantasy 9 allows us to truly get to know its cast, it feels more personal.

That’s not even mentioning the extra bonuses Final Fantasy 9 has, like a hidden multiplayer feature (where another player can control the action in combat locally) and the classic endgame trials the series offers. It’s a true gem that many fans return to time and time again.

Given how many people choose the music as their favorite aspect of Final Fantasy 9, multiple music boxes make sense. Now Square Enix needs to confirm the inevitable remake. Or, according to at least one producer, a potential series of them.