Trying to stay on topic for the most part: having been new to the series (having only played VII prior to IX), I found that many of the parts of the game were fitting... in regards to the art of the whole thing.
The feel of the game, no matter what part you were playing in, really molded into SEPARATE areas. I felt that pirates lived on a boat... or that I was currently sleeping in an area that a King inhabited... furthermore... I felt gloom and doom when the appropriate time called for it. I was also I big fan of the BIG HEADS! The character models were easy to embrace and, for the most part, are also pretty rememberable.
I was also extremely impressed with the colors. I'm not (nor will I pretend to be) an artist in any way shape or form... but I appreciate blends and variety... I remember distincting while playing IX that the colors that were available to each area were not just fitting, as mentioned before, but also vast and vibrant. Cool shit.
I also enjoyed Kuja (his model, character, etc.)... however the lack of a steady villain in FFIX hurt the game... but only slightly.
Off topic now

:What I find interesting about FFIX... is the fact that it is the last of it's kind in that it will always have the distinction of being the Final Final Fantasy w/o voice acting. Seeing as how voice acting is the new trend in video gaming... we will never, ever be able to apply our own personalities and attributes to our FF characters like we used to.
Zidane (or whatever you named him), you are the last of your kind.