How to Unlock

Impress the nobles during the opening swordfight between Zidane and Blank until they demand an encore. A Round of Applause is an early-game missable trophy tied to the theatrical performance of *I Want to Be Your Canary*. During the opening section of FINAL FANTASY IX, Zidane participates in a staged swordfight against Blank aboard the Prima Vista. The audience evaluates your performance based on how accurately you execute the button prompts. Your objective is to perform well enough that the nobles demand an encore. Although the trophy itself only requires the nobles' approval, you should aim to impress all 100 nobles. Doing so creates an opportunity to receive a Moonstone from Queen Brahne, which is required for Over the Moon. Because both objectives occur during the opening sequence, completing them together is strongly recommended. **Step 1 — Begin the Opening Performance** Start a new game and progress through the introductory events aboard the Prima Vista. After the initial conversations and preparations, the theatrical performance begins in Alexandria. During the play, Zidane and Blank perform a choreographed swordfight for the audience. The sequence becomes an interactive minigame requiring you to follow a series of button prompts. Each prompt displays a PlayStation button that must be pressed correctly as the staged battle continues. The buttons appear in a random sequence, so you can't memorize one fixed pattern and repeat it on every attempt. **Step 2 — Execute the Swordfight** Watch the prompts carefully and press the corresponding buttons as they appear. Accuracy is important, but timing also affects the quality of the performance. According to the supplied trophy guide, pressing each button immediately isn't always enough to achieve the best result. Your inputs should follow the rhythm of the choreographed swordfight so the performance appears convincing to the audience. The random button sequence can make some attempts easier than others. The supplied guide notes that combinations involving Square and Circle can be more forgiving than sequences repeatedly alternating between Triangle and Cross. Concentrate on maintaining a consistent rhythm rather than rushing through the prompts. If you press the wrong button or lose the timing, the performance score can suffer. However, the game allows you to repeat the swordfight before committing to the next story sequence. **Step 3 — Check the Audience's Reaction** After the swordfight ends, the game displays the audience's response. You'll learn how many nobles were impressed and whether Queen Brahne enjoyed the performance. To unlock A Round of Applause, you must perform well enough that the nobles demand an encore. If the audience doesn't demand another performance, select the option to try again. Repeat the swordfight until you achieve the required response. A Round of Applause unlocks once the nobles request an encore. You don't need to continue the story or complete an additional conversation for this particular trophy. **Step 4 — Aim for All 100 Nobles** Although the encore is the requirement for A Round of Applause, you should continue attempting the swordfight until all 100 nobles are impressed. This is important for Over the Moon, a separate Gold trophy requiring you to obtain all four Moonstones in the game. One Moonstone is associated with achieving the best possible performance during the opening swordfight. After impressing all 100 nobles, continue the story until you take control of Steiner in Alexandria Castle. Speak with Queen Brahne at the earliest opportunity to receive the Moonstone. Don't advance through the surrounding story events before claiming the reward. The Moonstone is one of only four available during the game, and missing this opportunity can prevent you from earning Over the Moon on that playthrough. **Step 5 — Continue the Story** Once the nobles have demanded an encore and you've secured the perfect audience result, continue the story normally. A Round of Applause is now complete. You don't need to win another swordfight, perform a particular combat action later in the game, or maintain the audience's approval through additional events. The trophy is connected exclusively to this early theatrical sequence. If you're attempting a single-playthrough Platinum, make a manual save whenever the game provides an opportunity before progressing beyond this section. If you've already moved past the performance without earning the trophy, you'll need to reload an earlier save or attempt it during another playthrough. There's no general Chapter Select feature for returning to the opening swordfight. A Round of Applause is a fitting introduction to FINAL FANTASY IX's trophy list. Before Zidane has properly begun his adventure, he's already being judged by an audience of demanding nobles. Most heroes prove themselves by defeating monsters. Zidane must first demonstrate that he can swing a sword convincingly enough to satisfy a room full of theatre critics.

Tip

Aim to impress all 100 nobles rather than stopping as soon as A Round of Applause unlocks. The perfect performance is important because it provides access to one of the four Moonstones required for Over the Moon. Watch each button prompt carefully and maintain the rhythm of the staged swordfight. If you don't achieve the required result, choose to repeat the performance. Once all 100 nobles are impressed, continue until you control Steiner and speak with Queen Brahne to claim the Moonstone. Don't leave this objective for later. It's one of the earliest permanently missable opportunities in the game.

Warning

A Round of Applause is missable. You must impress the nobles enough that they demand an encore during Zidane and Blank's opening swordfight. If you fail to achieve the required response and choose to continue the story instead of retrying, you can lose the opportunity on that save. The button prompts are randomized, so don't rely on a memorized sequence. **Impressing all 100 nobles is especially important for Over the Moon.** After achieving the perfect result, speak with Queen Brahne while controlling Steiner to obtain the associated Moonstone. Don't confuse earning A Round of Applause with collecting the Moonstone. They are separate requirements. If you've already advanced beyond the sequence without meeting the trophy conditions, you'll need an earlier save or another playthrough. The pause-menu combat modifiers don't automatically complete the swordfight minigame.

How to Unlock

Ensure Vivi wins the Festival of the Hunt during your first visit to Lindblum. A-Hunting We Will Go is a missable trophy associated with the Festival of the Hunt, a competition held during the early portion of FINAL FANTASY IX. During the festival, Zidane, Freya, and Vivi compete to determine who can achieve the best result by defeating monsters throughout Lindblum. Under ordinary circumstances, you control Zidane and attempt to earn points by fighting enemies around the city. However, A-Hunting We Will Go requires Vivi to win. The unusual challenge is that Vivi doesn't accumulate points in the same way as the other competitors. Instead, you'll need to arrange for Zidane and Freya to be eliminated, leaving Vivi as the winner by default. This event occurs only once during the story, so completing the trophy during your first visit to Lindblum is essential. **Step 1 — Prepare Before the Festival** Progress through the main story until you arrive in Lindblum for the first time. Eventually, you'll participate in the Festival of the Hunt. Before beginning the competition, save your game. This is particularly important because the festival result is determined during a one-time story event. If Vivi doesn't win, you won't be able to repeat the competition later during the same playthrough. The safest approach is to create a dedicated manual save before the event so you can reload if anything goes wrong. **Step 2 — Begin the Festival** When the Festival of the Hunt begins, you'll control Zidane. A timer appears, and you can travel through different districts of Lindblum while fighting monsters. Normally, defeating enemies increases Zidane's score. For this trophy, however, your goal isn't to defeat as many monsters as possible. Instead, you'll need to reach a particular encounter involving Zidane, Vivi, and Freya. The encounter takes place against a monster called Zaghnol. **Step 3 — Wait for Zaghnol** Travel to Lindblum's Business District. Move toward the area near the Synthesis Shop. Wait until the festival timer reaches approximately four minutes and thirty seconds remaining. At this point, Zaghnol becomes available. Approach the monster to trigger the encounter. The battle includes Zidane, Vivi, and Freya. This is the important opportunity to influence the festival's final standings. **Step 4 — Eliminate Zidane and Freya** During the Zaghnol battle, your objective is to reduce both Zidane and Freya to zero HP while keeping Vivi alive. On Zidane's turns, target Zidane with his own attacks. Do the same with Freya, allowing her to damage herself. When Vivi can act, use him to attack Zidane or Freya if either character needs additional damage to reach zero HP. Continue until both Zidane and Freya have been knocked out. Be careful not to eliminate Vivi. If Vivi is defeated as well, you risk failing to produce the required result. Once Zidane and Freya have both been eliminated while Vivi remains standing, the event concludes with Vivi becoming the winner. **Step 5 — Receive Vivi's Victory** After the encounter, the Festival of the Hunt ends. With Zidane and Freya disqualified, Vivi is declared the winner by default. Allow the following dialogue and award sequence to finish. A-Hunting We Will Go unlocks when Vivi's victory is recognized. You don't need to obtain a particular score, defeat a certain number of monsters beforehand, or finish the festival with time remaining. The essential requirement is that Vivi wins the competition. **Why the Strategy Works** The Festival of the Hunt ordinarily rewards players for accumulating points through combat. However, the trophy requires a particular character to win rather than a particular score. By allowing Zidane and Freya to be knocked out during the Zaghnol encounter, you remove the other competitors from contention. Vivi can then claim victory without needing to defeat monsters for points. This makes the trophy fairly simple once you understand the intended outcome. The challenge isn't combat difficulty; it's knowing to deliberately sacrifice the characters you would normally try to keep alive. If you're using the 9999 damage modifier or Battle Assistance, consider disabling them for this encounter if they interfere with your ability to control the battle. You want precise control over which characters are damaged and when, not an accidental instant defeat of Zaghnol. After the festival, the story continues normally regardless of the winner. There are no additional conditions for A-Hunting We Will Go. The Festival of the Hunt sounds like a competition designed to celebrate the strongest fighters in Lindblum. Yet the easiest way to earn this trophy is to have Zidane and Freya defeat themselves while Vivi watches. It's an unusual sporting strategy, but the judges apparently have no rule against winning through the complete collapse of the competition.

Tip

Save immediately before the Festival of the Hunt. When the event begins, head toward the Business District and position Zidane near the Synthesis Shop. Wait until the timer reaches approximately four minutes and thirty seconds remaining, then engage Zaghnol. During the battle, deliberately knock out Zidane and Freya while keeping Vivi alive. Use Vivi to help damage the other two characters if necessary. Avoid defeating Zaghnol before the required knockouts occur. If the festival ends with anyone other than Vivi as the winner, reload your pre-festival save and try again.

Warning

A-Hunting We Will Go is missable. The Festival of the Hunt occurs during your first visit to Lindblum and cannot simply be replayed later. **Vivi must win the festival.** A victory by Zidane or Freya doesn't satisfy the trophy requirement. Simply allowing Zidane to be knocked out isn't enough. Freya must also be eliminated so Vivi can win by default. Keep Vivi alive during the Zaghnol battle. Don't use an offensive modifier or automated battle setting that accidentally defeats Zaghnol before you can control the result. If you advance beyond the festival without Vivi winning, you'll need an earlier save or another playthrough. The trophy isn't awarded for the number of monsters defeated or the points earned. It is tied specifically to Vivi being declared the winner.

How to Unlock

Correctly answer all 16 questions asked by the Ragtime Mouse and encounter him again to receive confirmation of your perfect score. Beating the Ragtime Blues is a missable trophy associated with the Ragtime Mouse, a special enemy that appears in forested areas of Gaia's world map. Unlike ordinary monsters, the Ragtime Mouse challenges you to answer questions about FINAL FANTASY IX's world, characters, and history. You'll need to answer every question correctly to earn the trophy. A single incorrect answer prevents you from achieving the perfect result required for Beating the Ragtime Blues, making this one of the game's more important save-sensitive objectives. **Step 1 — Find the Ragtime Mouse** The Ragtime Mouse appears through random encounters while traveling in certain forests on the world map. You can begin encountering him during the original Disc 1 portion of the story. His encounter is recognizable because the battle introduction uses distinctive music rather than the ordinary battle theme. Instead of attacking, he'll present a statement and ask you to decide whether it's true or false. Two targets appear during the encounter. The circle symbol represents True, while the cross symbol represents False. To submit your answer, select the appropriate target and attack it. The Ragtime Mouse will then reveal whether your choice was correct. **Step 2 — Answer Every Question Correctly** There are 16 questions in total. The first 15 statements can appear in varying order, while the final question is always the same. Use the following answer list to avoid making an irreversible mistake. **All Ragtime Mouse Questions and Answers** 1. Prima Vista means "Love At First Sight." — False 2. Conde Petie is a village of Goblins. — False 3. Only one desert exists in the entire world. — False 4. Fossil Roo is a tunnel that connects Treno to Alexandria. — False 5. "I Want To Be Your Canary" was written by Lord Afon. — False 6. The Theatre Ship Prima Vista was built in Artania Shipyards. — False 7. The 15th Lindblum War started in 1600. — False 8. Bobo Bird is a bird that brings fortune. — False 9. Treno's Cafe Carta is Members Only. — True 10. Lindblum's Air Cabs operate around the clock. — True 11. Berkmea Cable Cars have been running for eight years. — True 12. The Theatre Ship Prima Vista uses Mist as its source of energy. — True 13. Some Mus are friendly and do not attack. — True 14. Lindblum Castle is larger than Alexandria Castle. — True 15. Chocobo Forest is located between Lindblum and South Gate. — True 16. You can defeat Ragtimer. — True The final question is always number 16, so you won't encounter it until the earlier questions have been answered. Pay close attention to the wording of each statement, especially those involving similar locations or names. The Ragtime Mouse isn't testing your ability to defeat enemies. He's testing whether you've paid attention to the world around you. **Step 3 — Understand the Encounter Limits** The number of Ragtime Mouse encounters available during earlier story sections is limited. According to the supplied trophy guide, the original disc structure follows these encounter allowances: Disc 1 permits up to four encounters. Disc 2 permits up to six additional encounters. Disc 3 permits up to six additional encounters. During Disc 4, encounters are available without those earlier restrictions until the quiz is completed. This means you don't need to finish the quiz during the first half of the game. You can safely continue working on it during the endgame, provided you've answered every previous question correctly. However, don't attack randomly or guess an answer simply because you expect to encounter him again later. One wrong answer can invalidate the perfect-score requirement. **Step 4 — Improve Your Chances of Finding Him** Random encounters with the Ragtime Mouse can be frustrating because ordinary enemies also appear in forested regions. The supplied trophy guide describes a method that can help influence the encounter. First, travel to a suitable forested area on Gaia's world map. Activate Safe Travel from the pause menu to prevent random encounters while positioning yourself. Once you're standing inside the forest, use the Moogle Flute to summon Moguo and save your game. After saving, disable Safe Travel. Instead of running normally, move very slowly through the forest using small directional inputs. Try to avoid moving quickly enough to produce obvious rustling effects around your character. Continue moving carefully until a random encounter begins. If the encounter is the Ragtime Mouse, answer the question correctly. If an ordinary enemy appears instead, you can reload your saved game and attempt the method again. This approach isn't a guaranteed way to force the Ragtime Mouse to appear, but it can make repeated attempts more manageable. After successfully answering a question, save your game again before searching for the next encounter. This is particularly important because the trophy depends on maintaining a perfect quiz record. **Step 5 — Complete the Final Encounter** After you've answered the first 15 questions correctly, continue searching for the Ragtime Mouse. He'll eventually present the final question concerning whether you can defeat Ragtimer. The correct answer is True. Select the circle target and submit the answer. After completing all 16 questions correctly, you'll need to encounter the Ragtime Mouse once more. During this final encounter, he'll congratulate you for your performance. Beating the Ragtime Blues unlocks after receiving this confirmation. The trophy doesn't necessarily unlock immediately after answering question 16. The additional encounter is part of the completion process. You don't need to defeat a conventional boss, collect a special item, or complete another side quest. The entire requirement revolves around answering the questions correctly and obtaining the Ragtime Mouse's final acknowledgment. Because the quiz can be completed during Disc 4, it's possible to combine the later encounters with other endgame objectives. However, if you've previously answered a question incorrectly and saved afterward, you'll need to load an earlier save or attempt the trophy during another playthrough. Beating the Ragtime Blues is a fitting challenge for FINAL FANTASY IX because the game contains an enormous amount of optional dialogue, worldbuilding, and character history. Unfortunately, the Ragtime Mouse has decided that the appropriate way to celebrate that writing is to administer a surprise examination in the middle of a forest. At least there's no essay section.

Tip

Keep the complete answer list available whenever you're exploring forested regions. Don't rely on memory or guess unfamiliar statements. Save immediately after every successful Ragtime Mouse encounter so you can reload if you make a mistake during a later question. The safest approach is to use separate manual saves before searching for encounters and after answering questions. If you're having trouble finding him, try the slow-movement method described in the supplied guide. Use Safe Travel to reach a suitable forest, save with Moguo, disable Safe Travel, and move carefully until an encounter occurs. Remember that the final question is followed by an additional congratulatory encounter. Continue searching even after answering all 16 statements correctly.

Warning

Beating the Ragtime Blues is missable. You must answer all 16 questions correctly. A single incorrect answer prevents you from achieving the perfect quiz result required for the trophy. If you make a mistake, reload a save from before that encounter rather than continuing. Don't confuse the True and False targets. Circle represents True, while Cross represents False. The first 15 questions can appear in varying order, so read the statement carefully before choosing. The final question is always "You can defeat Ragtimer," and the correct answer is True. After answering all 16 questions correctly, you must encounter the Ragtime Mouse again to receive his congratulations and unlock the trophy. The quiz can be completed during endgame cleanup, but an earlier incorrect answer can still invalidate the run. Avoid defeating the wrong target through careless inputs or automatic battle actions during the quiz encounters.

How to Unlock

Defeat the Behemoth in Treno's weapon shop using Dagger. Dragon Lady is a missable combat trophy that requires defeating a powerful Behemoth in a special one-on-one battle. Unlike ordinary encounters, this challenge takes place inside the Treno weapon shop and allows you to choose a single character from your current party to face the monster. The important requirement is that **Dagger must be the character who defeats the Behemoth**. Winning the battle with anyone else won't satisfy the trophy, and the monster doesn't respawn after being defeated. The encounter becomes available during the original Disc 4 portion of FINAL FANTASY IX, making this a late-game objective. **Step 1 — Travel to Treno** Once you've reached the endgame, return to Treno. Enter the weapon shop, where you'll find the shopkeeper offering a special monster challenge. Speak with the shopkeeper and select the option to participate in the battle. The challenge takes place inside the shop rather than in an ordinary dungeon or overworld location. Before accepting, make sure Dagger is in your active party. The game allows you to choose which available character participates, but Dragon Lady specifically requires Dagger. If she isn't in your party, leave the shop and adjust your party composition before returning. **Step 2 — Prepare Dagger** The Behemoth is considerably more dangerous than an ordinary random enemy. According to the supplied trophy guide, the monster is Level 71 and has 24,123 HP. Its attacks include Strike, Meteor, Counter, and Heave. Meteor and Heave are particularly dangerous because they can inflict substantial damage, potentially defeating Dagger before she has an opportunity to recover. Since this is a solo encounter, you won't have another party member available to heal or revive her. Before entering the battle, equip Dagger with suitable defensive equipment and support abilities. Auto-Regen is especially useful because it can restore HP during the fight. Auto-Life is another valuable option if you have access to it, providing an opportunity to recover after a fatal attack. Make sure Dagger has sufficient MP and access to reliable healing. Her Eidolons can provide significant damage, making summoning an effective offensive strategy. You don't need to defeat the Behemoth using a particular attack. Any successful victory with Dagger satisfies the requirement. **Step 3 — Challenge the Behemoth** Return to the Treno weapon shop and speak with the shopkeeper. Accept the monster challenge and select Dagger as your combatant. Once the battle begins, keep an eye on her HP and avoid allowing the Behemoth to overwhelm her through consecutive attacks. Use healing when necessary and take advantage of strong summons to damage the monster. The Behemoth's Counter ability means repeated offensive actions can provoke additional danger, so maintaining enough HP to survive unexpected damage is important. If you're struggling, you can use the trophy-safe 9999 damage modifier available through the pause menu. With this modifier enabled, successful damaging attacks can deal 9,999 damage, dramatically shortening the encounter. Since the Behemoth has 24,123 HP, approximately three successful attacks at that damage amount will be enough to defeat it. However, the modifier doesn't prevent the Behemoth from attacking, so you should still prepare Dagger to survive. **Step 4 — Win with Dagger** Continue attacking and healing until the Behemoth's HP reaches zero. Once Dagger wins the battle, Dragon Lady unlocks automatically. You don't need to complete any additional conversation or collect a separate reward for the trophy. If Dagger is defeated during the challenge, you won't receive a normal Game Over. Instead, you'll be returned to the weapon shop. This allows you to adjust her equipment and attempt the challenge again. However, if you defeat the Behemoth using another character, the encounter is completed without satisfying Dragon Lady. Because the monster doesn't respawn, this permanently closes the trophy opportunity on that save file. For that reason, making a manual save before the battle is strongly recommended. Dragon Lady is best attempted during endgame cleanup, after Dagger has access to better equipment and more powerful abilities. There's no time limit, so you can prepare as thoroughly as necessary before challenging the monster. Treno's weapon shop is apparently confident enough in its security arrangements to keep a Behemoth available for customer entertainment. Most businesses offer discounts or loyalty rewards. Treno prefers seeing whether its customers can survive a one-on-one fight against a giant monster. At least Dagger gets a trophy for participating.

Tip

Save immediately before entering the weapon shop's Behemoth challenge. Make sure Dagger is in your active party and select her when the game asks which character should fight. Equip strong defensive gear, healing options, and Auto-Regen or Auto-Life if available. Use summons to deal substantial damage while maintaining enough HP to survive the Behemoth's attacks. If you want to simplify the encounter, enable the trophy-safe 9999 damage modifier. The Behemoth can then be defeated with approximately three successful damaging attacks. If Dagger loses, adjust your preparation and try again. Losing the challenge doesn't permanently remove the opportunity.

Warning

Dragon Lady is missable. **The Behemoth must be defeated by Dagger.** Defeating it with Zidane, Steiner, Vivi, or any other character won't unlock the trophy. The Behemoth doesn't respawn after a successful victory, so winning with the wrong character can permanently prevent Dragon Lady from being earned on that save file. Always create a separate manual save before accepting the challenge. The encounter becomes available during the original Disc 4 portion of the story. The Behemoth is Level 71 and has 24,123 HP. Its powerful attacks can quickly overwhelm an unprepared Dagger. A failed attempt doesn't cause a normal Game Over, allowing you to return and try again. The pause-menu 9999 damage modifier doesn't disable trophies. However, the permanent configuration-menu boosters Master Abilities, Lv/Mag Stone Max, and Gil Max do disable trophies for the affected save file. Don't confuse this Behemoth challenge with ordinary enemy encounters elsewhere in Gaia.

How to Unlock

Purchase all eight item packages sold by Stiltzkin throughout FINAL FANTASY IX. Driving the Hard Bargain is a missable trophy requiring you to buy every special item bundle offered by Stiltzkin, the traveling Moogle dressed in yellow. Stiltzkin appears at specific locations as the story progresses. Each time, he offers a package containing three items for a fixed price. You must purchase all eight packages during the appropriate story opportunities. If you advance too far without buying one, Stiltzkin moves on, and the missed package cannot be recovered later in that playthrough. This makes Driving the Hard Bargain an important trophy to track from the beginning of the game. #### All Eight Stiltzkin Purchases 1. **Burmecia — 333 Gil:** Soft, Potion, Ether. Purchase this package during your visit to Burmecia in the original Disc 1 portion of the story. 2. **Cleyra — 444 Gil:** Ether, Potion, Phoenix Pinion. Buy the package while exploring Cleyra before the story advances beyond the area. 3. **Fossil Roo — 555 Gil:** Phoenix Pinion, Remedy, Ether. Purchase this package during your visit to Fossil Roo. This location becomes inaccessible later, so don't leave without buying it. 4. **Conde Petie Mountain Path — 666 Gil:** Magic Tag, Tent, Ether. Find Stiltzkin along the mountain path and purchase his bundle before continuing your journey. 5. **Alexandria, Disc 3 — 777 Gil:** Phoenix Pinion, Hi-Potion, Elixir. Purchase the package during your return to Alexandria in the original Disc 3 portion of the story. 6. **Oeilvert — 888 Gil:** Hi-Potion, Emerald, Elixir. Find Stiltzkin during the Oeilvert section and buy his package before leaving. 7. **Bran Bal — 2,222 Gil:** Diamond, Ether, Elixir. Purchase the bundle while progressing through Bran Bal. 8. **Alexandria, Disc 4 — 5,555 Gil:** Moonstone, Ruby, Elixir. Find Stiltzkin at the Alexandria steeple during the endgame and purchase his final bundle. After successfully purchasing the eighth package, Driving the Hard Bargain unlocks automatically. The final package is particularly valuable because it contains a Moonstone, one of the four required for Over the Moon. Purchasing every bundle therefore contributes toward more than one Platinum requirement. One complication is that Stiltzkin won't sell a package if your inventory is already full of one of its contents. If he refuses to complete the sale, check your item quantities. You may need to sell or use some items to make enough inventory space. Keep sufficient Gil available whenever you approach a new story location. The first packages are inexpensive, but later bundles become considerably more costly. It's also worth remembering that the game uses the original PlayStation release's four-disc structure in many trophy guides. The modern PS4 version doesn't require changing physical discs, but the references remain useful for identifying when Stiltzkin's appearances occur. You don't need to equip, consume, or retain the items after purchasing them. The trophy tracks your successful purchases from Stiltzkin. Unlike many optional activities that can be completed during endgame cleanup, Driving the Hard Bargain cannot be safely postponed. Each package must be purchased while Stiltzkin is available. Stiltzkin is one of Gaia's most enthusiastic traveling merchants, apparently determined to sell emergency supplies in places where adventurers are least likely to have spare Gil. His business model is questionable, but his dedication to finding customers in dangerous locations is genuinely impressive.

Tip

Keep a checklist of all eight Stiltzkin purchases and mark each one immediately after buying it. Save before entering important locations, especially Burmecia, Cleyra, Fossil Roo, Oeilvert, and Bran Bal. Always speak to Stiltzkin when you encounter him, even if you believe you've already purchased his latest package. Carry spare Gil and avoid filling your inventory completely with common items. If Stiltzkin refuses to sell, make room and try again before advancing the story. The final Alexandria package contains a Moonstone, so purchasing it also helps toward Over the Moon.

Warning

Driving the Hard Bargain is missable. You must purchase all eight Stiltzkin packages during their specific story opportunities. Simply speaking with Stiltzkin or finding him at every location isn't sufficient. You must actually complete each purchase. If you advance beyond a location without buying its package, that opportunity may be permanently lost for the current playthrough. Fossil Roo and other story-specific locations become inaccessible later, so maintain separate saves before entering and leaving them. Stiltzkin can refuse to sell a package if you're carrying the maximum quantity of an included item. Make inventory space and purchase the bundle before continuing. The final Alexandria package costs 5,555 Gil and contains a Moonstone required for Over the Moon. There is no general Chapter Select feature for replaying missed Stiltzkin purchases. If you miss a package, you'll need an earlier save or another playthrough to recover the trophy.

How to Unlock

Win nine consecutive rounds of the Nero Brothers' shuffling minigame in Alexandria. Found in the Shuffle is a missable minigame trophy that requires successfully identifying a particular Nero Brother after the brothers rapidly switch positions. The challenge takes place during the original Disc 3 portion of FINAL FANTASY IX, when you return to Alexandria and temporarily control Zidane. You'll encounter three nearly identical brothers who offer a shell-game-style challenge. One brother is identified at the beginning of each round, and you must track his position as the brothers shuffle. To earn Found in the Shuffle, you must correctly identify the selected brother **nine times in a row**. The later rounds become extremely fast, making this one of the more demanding observation-based minigames in the game. It's also missable because the activity disappears after you advance the Alexandria story. **Step 1 — Reach the Appropriate Alexandria Sequence** Progress through the story until the original Disc 3 return to Alexandria. During this section, you'll eventually gain control of Zidane. The Nero Brothers' minigame becomes available while you're free to explore Alexandria before continuing the main story. Don't travel to Alexandria Castle to see Dagger until you've finished the challenge. Doing so advances the story and closes the opportunity. Make a manual save before beginning the minigame if possible. **Step 2 — Find the Nero Brothers** While controlling Zidane, travel to Alexandria's main plaza. Head toward the upper-right section of the square, where the weapon shop is located. Enter the shop. Inside, you'll find three brothers who look almost identical. Speak with them to begin the shuffling minigame. You'll be asked to pay a small amount of Gil to participate. Once you've agreed, the brothers stand in a row and prepare to exchange positions. **Step 3 — Understand the Rules** At the beginning of each round, the game identifies one of the three brothers. Your task is to follow that brother as all three rapidly move around and exchange places. When the shuffling stops, you'll be asked to identify his final position. The possible answers are Left, Center, and Right. Choose the position occupied by the originally identified brother. If you answer correctly, you win the round and advance to the next challenge. If you select the wrong position, your consecutive winning streak ends. The trophy requires nine correct answers in succession. Winning nine rounds across multiple separate attempts doesn't satisfy the requirement. **Step 4 — Complete the Early Rounds** The first few rounds move at a manageable speed. Watch the designated brother carefully and follow his movements as the three characters change positions. Concentrate on the selected brother rather than trying to track all three simultaneously. Once the brothers stop, choose the final position. During the earlier rounds, careful observation is generally enough to identify the correct answer. However, the challenge becomes substantially harder as your winning streak increases. **Step 5 — Prepare for Faster Shuffling** By approximately the fifth round, the brothers begin moving much more quickly. The rapid position changes can make it difficult to follow the designated character accurately. Even if you've been successful during the opening rounds, the later challenges may require a different approach. Fortunately, you don't necessarily need to rely entirely on real-time observation. The supplied trophy guide recommends using your PlayStation's gameplay capture functionality to record the shuffling sequence. You can then review the recording and identify the selected brother's final position before submitting your answer. **Step 6 — Use Gameplay Recording to Track the Brothers** Before beginning a difficult round, make sure your PlayStation's capture functionality is available. Allow the brothers to perform their shuffling sequence. Once they stop moving and the game asks you to select Left, Center, or Right, save a video clip containing the shuffle. Open the recording using your PlayStation's media viewer, or review the footage on another supported device. Examine the sequence carefully. Pause or advance through the recording in small increments to track the selected brother as he changes positions. The goal is to follow his exact movements until the final arrangement is visible. Once you've determined whether he ended on the left, in the center, or on the right, return to the game and select the corresponding answer. Repeat this process for the later rounds as necessary. The availability of frame-by-frame playback and other playback controls depends on your PlayStation system and media viewer. If your console's built-in playback controls aren't precise enough, a separate device capable of reviewing recorded footage may be useful. Avoid launching unrelated applications that could close the game while you're attempting the challenge. **Step 7 — Win Nine Consecutive Rounds** Continue playing until you've answered nine rounds correctly without making a mistake. The difficulty increases significantly, so don't rush your answers during the later stages. If you're unsure which position is correct, review the recording again rather than guessing. After your ninth consecutive correct answer, Found in the Shuffle unlocks automatically. You don't need to complete a tenth round or receive a separate reward. The trophy is awarded for the nine-round winning streak itself. **Why Found in the Shuffle Is Missable** The Nero Brothers are available for this particular minigame only during Zidane's Alexandria story sequence. Once you progress to the events involving Dagger at Alexandria Castle, the opportunity disappears. You cannot return to the same challenge during endgame cleanup. This makes it essential to complete all nine rounds before continuing the main story. If you fail a round, you can attempt the challenge again while the minigame remains available. However, if you've already advanced beyond the story window, you'll need an earlier save or another playthrough. **Planning the Trophy Efficiently** Found in the Shuffle pairs naturally with Track Star because both occur during the early Disc 3 return to Alexandria. Complete Track Star while controlling Vivi, then complete Found in the Shuffle when control returns to Zidane. Don't advance either character's story segment until its associated trophy has unlocked. This approach allows you to secure both missable minigames during the same portion of your playthrough. The Nero Brothers' challenge is essentially an elaborate version of a street-corner guessing game, except the participants become increasingly fast until following their movements feels like watching a group of teleporting performers. Zidane may be an accomplished thief, but apparently even he needs video evidence to keep up with Alexandria's most enthusiastic shell-game operators.

Tip

Complete Found in the Shuffle during the early Disc 3 Alexandria sequence while controlling Zidane. Visit the weapon shop in the upper-right section of the main plaza before traveling to Alexandria Castle to see Dagger. Track the identified brother rather than attempting to follow all three equally. For the faster rounds, record the shuffle using your PlayStation's gameplay capture feature. Review the recording carefully before selecting Left, Center, or Right. If the playback controls allow it, use slow playback or frame-by-frame examination to follow the selected brother's movements. Don't guess during the later rounds if you can review the footage. Complete Track Star and Found in the Shuffle during their respective Alexandria story segments to avoid needing another playthrough.

Warning

**Found in the Shuffle is missable.** You must win nine consecutive rounds of the Nero Brothers' minigame. Your victories don't accumulate across failed streaks. Selecting the wrong position resets your consecutive progress. The minigame is available during the early Disc 3 Alexandria sequence while controlling Zidane. Advancing the story by going to Alexandria Castle to see Dagger closes the opportunity. The later rounds become extremely fast, so ordinary observation may be unreliable. Recording and reviewing gameplay can help, but be careful not to launch an application that causes FINAL FANTASY IX to close. If you leave the story window without completing the nine-round streak, you'll need an earlier save or another playthrough. The trophy isn't connected to Tetra Master, despite both activities involving repeated wins.

How to Unlock

Gain the favor of all nine friendly enemies by giving each one the item it requests. Mister Nice Guy is a missable trophy connected to FINAL FANTASY IX's friendly enemy side quest. Throughout Gaia, you'll occasionally encounter unusual enemies that approach your party peacefully rather than attacking immediately. Instead of fighting, these creatures ask for particular items. Your objective is to find all nine required friendly enemies and satisfy their requests. Although the encounters resemble ordinary random battles, the correct approach is to give the requested items to the creatures rather than attacking them. Completing the entire sequence also provides an important advantage against Ozma, the game's optional superboss. **Understanding Friendly Enemy Encounters** Friendly enemies can appear in specific areas of Gaia's world map. Unlike ordinary monsters, they generally approach with distinctive music and request an item during the encounter. When you encounter one, open your item menu, select the requested item, and target the friendly enemy. After receiving the correct item, the creature will leave peacefully and award Ability Points and, in many cases, another useful item. These rewards help you progress through the remaining friendly enemy encounters. The quest contains nine qualifying creatures. You must complete every one of their requests to unlock Mister Nice Guy. The creatures can be encountered across different parts of Gaia, although the final friendly Yan requires the previous eight encounters to have been completed. **Friendly Enemy 1 — Mu** Location: Forests and plains between the Ice Cavern and Dali. Requested Item: 1 Ore. Reward: 10 AP and a Potion. The friendly Mu is one of the earliest creatures you can encounter. When it asks for an Ore, select the item from your inventory and use it on the Mu. Once the item has been accepted, the creature will leave peacefully. **Friendly Enemy 2 — Ghost** Location: Plains near Treno, South Gate, and Quan's Dwelling. Requested Item: 1 Ore. Reward: 10 AP and a Hi-Potion. The friendly Ghost behaves similarly to the Mu. Find it through a random encounter and give it an Ore. Don't mistake the friendly version for an ordinary hostile Ghost encountered elsewhere in the game. **Friendly Enemy 3 — Ladybug** Location: Forests and plains around Black Mage Village and Conde Petie. Requested Item: 2 Ore. Reward: 20 AP and an Ether. The Ladybug requests two pieces of Ore rather than one. Make sure you have enough available before searching for it. Once both pieces have been provided through the item interaction, the encounter will conclude successfully. **Friendly Enemy 4 — Yeti** Location: The large forest outside Madain Sari. Requested Item: 2 Ore. Reward: 20 AP and an Elixir. The Yeti can be found in the forested area surrounding Madain Sari. Give it two pieces of Ore to satisfy its request. After completing this encounter, you'll have finished the portion of the quest involving Ore. **Friendly Enemy 5 — Nymph** Location: Forests and grassy areas near the Iifa Tree. Requested Item: 3 Ore. Reward: 30 AP and an Emerald. The friendly Nymph is particularly important because its reward is an Emerald, which you'll need for a later encounter. Give the Nymph three pieces of Ore. Once it leaves, keep the Emerald in your inventory rather than selling it or using it for synthesis. **Friendly Enemy 6 — Jabberwock** Location: Western Forgotten Continent, near Oeilvert. Requested Item: 1 Emerald. Reward: 40 AP and a Moonstone. Find the friendly Jabberwock and give it the Emerald obtained from the Nymph or another suitable source. In return, you'll receive a Moonstone. This encounter is especially valuable because the Moonstone also contributes toward Over the Moon, which requires obtaining all four Moonstones available during the game. Don't spend or synthesize the Moonstone before completing the next friendly enemy request. **Friendly Enemy 7 — Feather Circle** Location: Lost Continent, near the Chocobo tracks and the beach used during the journey toward Esto Gaza. Requested Item: 1 Moonstone. Reward: 30 AP and a Lapis Lazuli. The Feather Circle requires the Moonstone obtained from the friendly Jabberwock. Use the Moonstone on the creature to complete its request. You'll receive a Lapis Lazuli in return. Keep this reward for the next qualifying encounter. **Friendly Enemy 8 — Garuda** Location: Forests around Popos Heights. Requested Item: 1 Lapis Lazuli. Reward: 40 AP and a Diamond. The friendly Garuda can be encountered in the forested area around Popos Heights, accessible through the region above Gizamaluke's Grotto. Give it the Lapis Lazuli obtained from the Feather Circle. The Garuda will reward you with a Diamond. Keep the Diamond because it's required for the final friendly enemy. **Friendly Enemy 9 — Yan** Location: The forest on Vile Isle, southwest of the Iifa Tree. Requested Item: 1 Diamond. Reward: 50 AP and a Rosetta Ring. The friendly Yan is the final creature in the sequence and becomes available after the previous eight friendly enemy requests have been completed. Travel to Vile Isle and explore the forest near the mountainside. Be careful because this area is also known for extremely dangerous hostile Yan encounters. When the friendly Yan appears, give it the Diamond obtained from the Garuda. After receiving the item, the friendly Yan will reward you with a Rosetta Ring and acknowledge your successful completion of the quest. Mister Nice Guy unlocks automatically once all nine friendly enemies have been satisfied. **Why This Quest Matters for Ozma** Completing the friendly enemy quest also affects the optional battle against Ozma. Normally, many physical attacks cannot reach Ozma because of its unusual position during combat. After completing the friendly enemy side quest, your party gains the ability to reach Ozma with ordinary physical attacks. This makes the superboss encounter considerably more manageable, especially if you prefer using physical attackers rather than relying entirely on spells and other ranged abilities. For this reason, completing Mister Nice Guy before attempting To Ozma and Back is strongly recommended. **Avoiding the Missable Item Problem** Mister Nice Guy is considered missable because certain requested items are limited or difficult to replace. The Emerald and Moonstone are especially important. If you sell, synthesize, or otherwise consume the necessary items before completing their associated friendly enemy encounters, you may leave yourself unable to satisfy the remaining requests. The safest approach is to preserve the rewards from each friendly enemy until you've given them to the next creature in the chain. You should also maintain separate manual saves before using limited gemstones. One unusual encounter worth mentioning is Gimme Cat, which appears near Daguerreo and asks for an item. Despite its request, Gimme Cat doesn't count toward the nine friendly enemies required for Mister Nice Guy. You can ignore it for this particular trophy. Completing the quest requires patience because the encounters are random, but the process itself is straightforward once you've identified each creature's location and requested item. The friendly enemies of Gaia provide a welcome change from the usual monster encounters. Instead of attacking your party, they politely request valuable gemstones and reward you for your generosity. It's a remarkably civilized arrangement, although by the time you've handed over an Emerald, a Moonstone, and a Diamond, Zidane may begin wondering whether he's an adventurer or an exceptionally trusting jewelry merchant.

Tip

Complete the friendly enemy quest progressively as new regions become accessible. Keep track of which creatures you've already satisfied and preserve the gemstones awarded by the later encounters. The most important exchange sequence is Nymph to Jabberwock, Jabberwock to Feather Circle, Feather Circle to Garuda, and Garuda to Yan. This sequence converts an Emerald into a Moonstone, the Moonstone into a Lapis Lazuli, and the Lapis Lazuli into a Diamond needed for the final Yan. Save before spending or synthesizing rare gemstones. The friendly Yan is best attempted after completing the other eight encounters and preparing your party to survive the dangerous hostile enemies found on Vile Isle. Finish Mister Nice Guy before fighting Ozma to make ordinary physical attacks effective against the superboss.

Warning

Mister Nice Guy is missable. You must satisfy all nine qualifying friendly enemies. Encountering them without giving the required items doesn't count. Don't sell or synthesize the Emerald, Moonstone, Lapis Lazuli, or Diamond needed for the later exchanges until you've completed the relevant requests. The Moonstone obtained from Jabberwock is also one of the four required for Over the Moon. Obtaining it counts toward that trophy even if you later give it to Feather Circle. Gimme Cat doesn't count toward Mister Nice Guy, despite requesting an item. The final friendly Yan becomes available only after completing the previous eight encounters. Be cautious when searching Vile Isle because hostile Yan enemies can be extremely dangerous. If you permanently lose access to a required limited item, you may need to reload an earlier save or complete the quest during another playthrough. The trophy is separate from To Ozma and Back, but completing this quest first provides a significant advantage in that boss fight.

How to Unlock

View all 79 qualifying Active Time Events throughout FINAL FANTASY IX. Movie Critic is one of the most demanding missable trophies in FINAL FANTASY IX. It requires viewing 79 qualifying Active Time Events, commonly abbreviated as ATEs. Active Time Events are short optional scenes that show what other characters are doing while your current party explores a town or location. They provide additional dialogue, character development, humor, and worldbuilding. When one becomes available, an Active Time Event notification appears on the screen. You can normally press the controller's touch pad to open the list of available scenes. Some events play automatically, while others require specific movement routes, dialogue choices, party members, earlier interactions, or carefully timed story progression. The main difficulty is that several ATEs can disappear permanently if you leave a location, trigger the next story event, or visit screens in the wrong order. **For the Platinum, follow a dedicated ATE checklist from the beginning of the game.** Trying to reconstruct missed events during endgame cleanup is not a reliable strategy. **Step 1 — Understand the ATE Requirement** According to the supplied PSNProfiles guide, FINAL FANTASY IX contains 83 Active Time Events in total. Three tutorial-related events do not count toward Movie Critic. Another pair consists of mutually exclusive events, meaning only one can be viewed during a single playthrough. Consequently, the trophy requires watching all 79 qualifying events available during your run. You cannot make up for a missed qualifying event by repeatedly viewing another scene. Each required ATE must register individually. Because there is no convenient in-game checklist showing exactly which qualifying events you've viewed, keep your own record throughout the adventure. **Step 2 — Begin Tracking ATEs in the Evil Forest** The early story introduces Active Time Events in the Evil Forest. Watch the available scenes as they appear, paying attention to the order in which they're offered. The supplied guide identifies the following events in this area: - The Forest Keeper - Time to Escape - Girl Who Was Left Behind - My Little Baby - Orchestra in the Forest - Do As I Say, Not As I Do My Little Baby requires viewing Time to Escape first. The tutorial events Teach Me, Mogster! Lesson 1 and Lesson 2 don't contribute toward the trophy. Even at this early stage, it's worth developing the habit of checking the ATE menu before leaving a screen or progressing the story. **Step 3 — Complete the Dali Events** During your first visit to Dali, watch the following qualifying events: - Vivi, Confused - Dagger Tries - Cat's Eye - Cat's Eye 2 - Dagger Tries Harder - Queen Brahne's Steiner Some of these scenes require specific actions. For Dagger Tries Harder, view Dagger Tries, visit the farm on the eastern side of town, and then move to another screen. Queen Brahne's Steiner requires the earlier Dagger Tries Harder and Cat's Eye events. Speak with Dagger in the weapon shop after satisfying the prerequisites. Don't rush through the town's story objectives until these scenes have appeared. **Step 4 — Complete the First Lindblum Visit** During your first visit to Lindblum, several additional events become available. These include Small-Town Knight in a Big City, Vivi's Shopping, Steam Engine, What Can I Do?, and Baku and His Crew. Some trigger automatically, while others appear after visiting particular districts or leaving the Tantalus hideout. One important preparation step occurs before leaving Lindblum: recruit Quina from Qu's Marsh as soon as practical. The supplied guide notes that certain later ATEs depend on having Quina in your party. If you're attempting Movie Critic during your first playthrough, recruiting Quina early prevents avoidable complications. **Step 5 — Rescue the Burmecian Family** During your visit to Burmecia, rescue the Burmecian family before advancing beyond their location. Although this action doesn't immediately unlock an ATE, it's required for The Rally, an event that becomes available much later during the third visit to Lindblum. After entering the palace area, investigate the appropriate doorway rather than immediately progressing up the spiral staircase. If the family isn't rescued, the later event won't become available. This is one of the reasons Movie Critic is particularly difficult: some prerequisites occur hours before the scenes they unlock. **Step 6 — Follow the First Treno ATE Route** Your first visit to Treno during the original Disc 2 portion of the story is one of the most important sections to follow precisely. The supplied guide recommends viewing the events in this order: 1. Treno Tradition — Available when you first control Steiner at Treno's entrance. 2. Pursuit — Follow Dagger along the left route. 3. Confusion — Continue following Dagger down the steps. 4. Ambition — Travel toward the Card Stadium. 5. Meeting Place — Return to Treno's entrance, then take the right route. 6. Unexpected Visitor — Continue toward the next area. 7. Crime and Punishment — After Doctor Tot reveals Gargan Roo, descend the ladder, then return up and exit his tower. The order matters because visiting particular areas can advance the story or remove earlier scenes. Save before entering Treno and avoid improvising your route until you've viewed all the required events. **Step 7 — Complete Cleyra and the Second Lindblum Visit** During Cleyra, the qualifying scenes include No Yummy-Yummies!, There a Mushroom!, Don't Hate Me, and I-I Haven't Hurt Anyone. The first two depend on having Quina in your party. During the second visit to Lindblum, watch The Third Jewel, Brahne's Fleet Arrives, and How Infuriating. Some of these play automatically through story progression. After rescuing Dagger in Alexandria, Friendship also plays automatically. Even when an event is automatic, record it on your checklist so you know which scenes have already been completed. **Step 8 — Follow the Conde Petie Route** The first visit to Conde Petie contains another series of events that should be viewed in a specific order. The supplied guide identifies the following sequence: 1. Vivi and the Couple — Available upon entering Conde Petie. 2. Quina Accused — Travel left through the nearby hallway. 3. Quina Can't Communicate — Continue left into the inn. 4. Dagger and William — Follow the required route toward the right side of the village. 5. Hungry Bryan — Continue to the item shop and speak with Vivi after reaching the upper area. Complete these scenes before progressing the village's story. During your second visit, you'll also need Nuptial Joy. To trigger it, choose the dialogue option suggesting that Vivi and Quina should get married too. Missing this choice prevents the associated ATE from appearing. **Step 9 — Complete Black Mage Village** The first visit to Black Mage Village is another route-sensitive section. The required events are: - Everyday Life - Life on the Run - Gourmand's Nose - Different Language - Visitor, Not Invader - Life Cycle The supplied guide describes a route through the village that allows all six scenes to appear. Begin by viewing Everyday Life. Continue around the village to trigger Life on the Run and Gourmand's Nose. Then visit the relevant areas near the entrance, Chocobo Stable, cemetery, and Synthesis Shop to trigger the remaining scenes. Speaking with Vivi inside the Synthesis Shop advances the story, so don't do so until you've viewed the earlier events. **Step 10 — Complete Madain Sari** During your first visit to Madain Sari, the qualifying events include: - Vivi's Feelings - Dagger's Feelings - Eiko's Feelings - Eiko's Kitchen - Eiko's Kitchen 2 These events depend on visiting particular areas in sequence, including the Eidolon Wall, central fountain, and Eiko's kitchen. Eiko's Kitchen 2 has additional movement and conversation prerequisites. Follow the supplied ATE guide's Madain Sari route carefully rather than advancing through the story as soon as the next objective becomes available. **Step 11 — Complete the Disc 3 Alexandria Events** During the third visit to Alexandria, the qualifying events include: - It's So Big - Long Time No See - To Fly High - Artemicion - I Forgot! - Clowns on a Dark Night I Forgot! becomes available when Vivi rejoins Zidane through story progression. Clowns on a Dark Night plays automatically. This is also the section containing Track Star and Found in the Shuffle, two separate missable minigame trophies. Complete both minigames during their relevant character-control windows while continuing to monitor the available ATEs. **Step 12 — Follow the Second Treno Visit Carefully** During the original Disc 3 card tournament, Treno contains another complicated group of ATEs. The supplied guide identifies: - Eiko Talks Life - How We Ended Up Here - Memories by the Water - City People - Good Old Days - Lessons of Life - Home Sweet Home or Hippo's Prize - Hallucination - Premonition During How We Ended Up Here, you'll choose between two routes that eventually lead to mutually exclusive events. Either route can satisfy the trophy's overall requirement. However, you must follow the conditions for whichever event becomes available. During Good Old Days, choose the dialogue option expressing interest to unlock Lessons of Life. Hallucination is especially important because it's a prerequisite for another ATE during the next Lindblum visit. Don't advance the card tournament before confirming that the relevant events have appeared. **Step 13 — Prepare for the Third Lindblum Visit** The third visit to Lindblum contains some of the most easily missed ATEs in the entire game. The supplied guide lists: - My Fault - Something Washed Ashore - Self-Reproach - Deep Anger - My Hammer - The Rally - No Free Lunch - Give Me My Money Several require earlier preparation. My Fault depends on selecting the appropriate dialogue when speaking with Blank and visiting the telescope before triggering other story interactions. Something Washed Ashore requires viewing Hallucination during the previous Treno visit. The Rally requires rescuing the Burmecian family much earlier in the game. Give Me My Money has a particularly unusual requirement: you must have fewer than 50 Gil during the relevant Lindblum sequence. Visit the Gysahl Pickle stand in the Business District while carrying less than 50 Gil, then continue toward boarding the Blue Narciss. The event becomes available through the resulting interaction. This is an especially easy requirement to miss because most players have accumulated far more than 50 Gil by this stage. Make a backup save before the sequence and deliberately reduce your available Gil when preparing for the event. **Step 14 — Complete the Remaining Late-Game Events** The fourth Lindblum visit includes Team and Recovery, both of which play automatically. Bran Bal contains four qualifying events: 1. Place to Call Home 2. Where the Heart Is 3. Came into the World 4. The Truth These require visiting the inn and nearby screens in the correct order while controlling Eiko. Finally, Pandemonium contains The Lift. To trigger this unusual event, set the lift switch to 0 and attempt to use the lift from each of its three available positions, allowing the pulse barrier to reject your attempts. Return to the switch and change it to 2. Repeat the attempts at all three positions. After completing the required unsuccessful attempts, return to the switch to make The Lift available. This is one of the final qualifying events and can easily be missed by players who simply solve the lift puzzle and progress. **Step 15 — Unlock Movie Critic** Once you've viewed all 79 qualifying Active Time Events, Movie Critic unlocks automatically. There is no separate NPC to visit and no additional reward to collect. If the trophy doesn't unlock, one or more qualifying events have been missed. Because many ATEs disappear permanently after story progression, you'll need to identify the missing event and reload an earlier save if one is available. Otherwise, another playthrough may be required. Movie Critic is one of the strongest arguments for completing FINAL FANTASY IX's Platinum across multiple carefully planned runs. A casual first playthrough allows you to enjoy the story naturally, while a dedicated second playthrough makes it easier to follow the required ATE route without distraction. The trophy asks you to appreciate nearly every optional character scene in FINAL FANTASY IX, which sounds like a pleasant way to experience the story. Unfortunately, the game's definition of film criticism includes rescuing families hours in advance, deliberately carrying almost no money, and repeatedly walking into a malfunctioning lift. Gaia's entertainment industry has unusually strict attendance requirements.

Tip

Use a complete chronological ATE checklist from the beginning of your playthrough. Save before every major town and any section involving complicated movement routes. Recruit Quina early so the Quina-dependent ATEs can appear. Rescue the Burmecian family to unlock The Rally later. Follow the precise first-visit Treno, Conde Petie, and Black Mage Village routes. During the second Treno visit, choose the appropriate dialogue in Good Old Days and view Hallucination. During the third Lindblum visit, prepare fewer than 50 Gil for Give Me My Money. Complete Bran Bal's events in order and deliberately trigger The Lift in Pandemonium.

Warning

**Movie Critic is highly missable.** You must view all 79 qualifying Active Time Events. Some events become unavailable if you advance the story, visit screens in the wrong order, or make an incompatible dialogue choice. Three tutorial-related events don't count toward the trophy. One pair of late-game events is mutually exclusive, so you only need the qualifying event available on your chosen route. The Rally depends on rescuing the Burmecian family much earlier in the story. Give Me My Money requires having fewer than 50 Gil during its relevant Lindblum sequence. The Lift requires intentionally failing the lift puzzle in specific ways before solving it. The game doesn't provide a reliable, comprehensive checklist of qualifying ATEs. Movie Critic generally cannot be repaired through ordinary endgame cleanup if a required story-specific event was missed. Maintain multiple manual saves and follow a chronological guide rather than attempting to reconstruct the requirements afterward.

How to Unlock

Collect three rare coffees and deliver them to Morrid at Observatory Mountain near Dali to receive a miniature Prima Vista. My Little Airship is a missable side-quest trophy that requires obtaining a miniature replica of the Prima Vista, the theatre ship featured prominently at the beginning of FINAL FANTASY IX. To receive the model, you'll need to collect three unusual coffees from locations across Gaia and deliver them to Morrid, an elderly man living at Observatory Mountain near Dali. The required coffees are Moccha Coffee, Kirman Coffee, and Burman Coffee. Although the task sounds straightforward, two of these coffees are missable, and the exchange must be completed before the original Disc 4 portion of the story. Once you reach that point, Observatory Mountain becomes inaccessible, preventing you from completing the quest. **Step 1 — Locate Morrid** Morrid lives at Observatory Mountain near Dali. You'll encounter the area during the early portion of the game while exploring the surroundings of Dali. Speak with Morrid to learn about his interest in rare coffees. He wants three particular varieties and offers a miniature Prima Vista in exchange for completing his collection. You don't need to collect the coffees in a specific order, but all three must be delivered before the story closes access to Observatory Mountain. **Coffee 1 — Moccha Coffee** Location: South Gate, near Lindblum's Dragon's Gate. Moccha Coffee can be found inside a treasure chest hidden among the bushes near South Gate. During your travels, visit the area outside Lindblum's Dragon's Gate. Explore toward the far-right side of the location and examine the bushes carefully. You'll find the treasure chest containing Moccha Coffee. Collect it and keep it in your inventory for Morrid's exchange. This coffee is missable because access to certain locations changes as the story progresses. The safest approach is to collect it during your first available opportunity rather than assuming you can return later. **Coffee 2 — Kirman Coffee** Location: Eiko's house in Madain Sari. During the story, you'll visit Madain Sari and explore the house belonging to Eiko. Enter the house and head toward the kitchen area. Look between the two tables on the left-hand side of the kitchen. You'll find Kirman Coffee at this location. Interact with the appropriate spot to collect it. Kirman Coffee is comparatively straightforward to obtain, but it's still worth collecting immediately while you're visiting Madain Sari. Once you've obtained it, keep it for Morrid. **Coffee 3 — Burman Coffee** Location: Dali, during the original Disc 3 Treno Card Tournament period. Burman Coffee is the most complicated of the three and requires taking advantage of a particular story window. During the Treno Card Tournament portion of the story, leave Treno and travel back toward Dali through South Gate. Once you reach Dali, head to the Mayor's House. The mayor won't be present, giving Zidane an opportunity to investigate the interior. Inside, examine the desk repeatedly. According to the supplied guide, you'll need to inspect it three times until the nearby boy displays a sleeping indication. Once the boy is asleep, examine the heater. You'll obtain the Mayor's Key. With the key in your possession, leave the Mayor's House and head toward the windmill. Use the Mayor's Key to unlock the door in the northeastern corner. Enter the newly accessible area. You'll reach the enclosure containing a Chocobo. Look toward the right side of the area, where a treasure chest is partially concealed by the foreground vegetation. Open the chest to obtain its first item. Then examine the same chest again. The second interaction awards Burman Coffee. This additional search is important because collecting the initial item doesn't automatically give you the coffee. After obtaining Burman Coffee, confirm that you now possess all three required varieties. **Step 2 — Return to Morrid** Once you've collected Moccha Coffee, Kirman Coffee, and Burman Coffee, return to Observatory Mountain near Dali. Speak with Morrid and complete the coffee exchange. He'll accept the three varieties and reward you with a miniature copy of the Prima Vista. My Little Airship unlocks automatically after you receive the model. You don't need to equip the item, complete a separate battle, or use the miniature airship in another activity. Receiving the replica is sufficient. **Step 3 — Complete the Quest Before Disc 4** The most important part of this trophy is finishing the exchange before advancing into the original Disc 4 portion of the game. Observatory Mountain becomes inaccessible after that transition. Even if you've collected all three coffees, you won't be able to claim the miniature Prima Vista if you've already lost access to Morrid. For that reason, finish the quest during Disc 3 as soon as you've obtained Burman Coffee. Don't postpone the exchange until endgame cleanup. The quest doesn't require any difficult battles, advanced character levels, or large amounts of Gil. Its challenge comes from recognizing the limited opportunity to obtain Burman Coffee and remembering to return to Morrid before the relevant location becomes unavailable. My Little Airship is a fitting side quest for FINAL FANTASY IX because the Prima Vista plays such an important role in the opening chapter. After participating in an elaborate theatrical kidnapping aboard the real vessel, Zidane eventually earns a miniature version by collecting coffee for an elderly enthusiast. It's an unusual reward, but at least the replica is unlikely to crash into a forest.

Tip

Collect Moccha Coffee during your early visit to South Gate and Kirman Coffee while exploring Eiko's house in Madain Sari. Save before beginning the Treno Card Tournament section of Disc 3. During that story window, return to Dali and enter the Mayor's House to obtain the Mayor's Key. Use the key at the windmill and remember to search the hidden chest twice to collect Burman Coffee. Once you've obtained all three coffees, return directly to Morrid at Observatory Mountain. Complete the exchange before advancing to Disc 4. Keep a separate manual save before leaving Treno and another after receiving the miniature Prima Vista.

Warning

My Little Airship is missable. You must obtain all three coffees and deliver them to Morrid before the original Disc 4 portion of the story. Moccha Coffee and Burman Coffee are particularly important because their opportunities can be lost through story progression. Burman Coffee is obtained during the Treno Card Tournament period by returning to Dali, collecting the Mayor's Key, and opening the hidden chest at the windmill. The chest must be searched twice to obtain the coffee. Simply collecting the three coffees doesn't unlock the trophy. You must return to Morrid and receive the miniature Prima Vista. Observatory Mountain becomes inaccessible during Disc 4, so the exchange cannot be postponed until ordinary endgame cleanup. If you miss Burman Coffee or lose access to Morrid, you'll need to reload an earlier save or attempt the quest during another playthrough. The miniature Prima Vista is separate from the full-sized theatre ship and doesn't provide a usable method of transportation.

How to Unlock

Successfully guide all the residents of Cleyra to safety during the Alexandrian attack by selecting the correct directions during the evacuation sequence. Out of Harm's Way is a missable story-event trophy that requires protecting the civilians of Cleyra during the original Disc 2 portion of FINAL FANTASY IX. Unlike many of the game's combat trophies, this objective doesn't depend on defeating a powerful optional boss, collecting rare equipment, or completing a lengthy minigame. Instead, you'll need to make a specific sequence of dialogue choices while guiding frightened residents through the settlement during an enemy invasion. Although the evacuation occurs naturally as part of the main story, the trophy is not automatic. Choosing the wrong directions can cause residents to be lost, permanently preventing the trophy from unlocking during that playthrough. The safest approach is to save before the evacuation and follow the correct dialogue sequence without deviation. **Step 1 — Progress to Cleyra** Continue through FINAL FANTASY IX until your party reaches Cleyra during the original Disc 2 portion of the story. Cleyra is a settlement built high within an enormous tree, protected from the surrounding desert by a powerful sandstorm. The town is inhabited by Burmecians and Cleyrans, and its story becomes closely connected to the conflict between Alexandria and Burmecia. During your visit, you'll explore the settlement, encounter important characters, and participate in several mandatory story events. Eventually, Alexandria launches an attack against Cleyra. This is the event that leads to the evacuation sequence required for Out of Harm's Way. **Step 2 — Complete the Story Events Before the Invasion** Continue through Cleyra's main story until the events surrounding the settlement's sacred jewel have progressed. Your party will eventually become involved in defending the town against Alexandrian forces. During this portion of the story, you'll face several enemy encounters while traveling between Cleyra's settlement and the lower sections of its enormous tree. At one point, you'll encounter Alexandrian soldiers who attempt to draw your party away from the settlement. After dealing with these enemies, return toward the town. You'll discover that the situation in Cleyra has become increasingly dangerous. The evacuation sequence begins as you encounter residents attempting to escape the advancing forces. **Step 3 — Save Before the Evacuation** Before beginning the evacuation sequence, create a separate manual save at the nearest available opportunity. This is one of the most important precautions for Out of Harm's Way. The game presents several dialogue choices in succession, and selecting an incorrect option can cause the trophy requirement to fail. You won't receive an immediate notification identifying which residents have been lost. The consequences become clear later in the sequence. If you accidentally select the wrong direction, reloading an earlier save is the safest way to correct the mistake. Don't rely on being able to repeat the evacuation after the story advances. **Step 4 — Guide the First Group to the Right** As the evacuation begins, you'll encounter the first group of frightened residents. They ask your party which direction they should take to avoid the enemy soldiers. Choose **"Let's head right!"** This sends the first group along the correct escape route. Don't select the alternative direction. After making your choice, continue following the story events until you encounter the next group of residents. The correct choices are important because the residents' survival depends on the routes you recommend. **Step 5 — Guide Dan's Family to the Left** During the next part of the evacuation, you'll encounter Dan's family and other fleeing residents. They'll ask for guidance about which route to take. Choose **"Let's go left!"** This is the second required direction. It's important to remember that the correct sequence isn't simply to keep directing everyone the same way. The safe route changes depending on the group's current location. After directing Dan's family left, continue through the next screen. You'll soon be asked to make another decision. **Step 6 — Cross the Bridge to the Right** At the next decision point, the residents need guidance about crossing a bridge. Choose **"Cross the bridge to the right!"** This is the third required choice. The bridge route is important because it allows the civilians to avoid the immediate danger. Don't choose the opposite direction. After making the correct selection, continue through the evacuation sequence. If you've followed the directions properly, the residents should be progressing toward safety. **Step 7 — Warn the Residents That Cleyra Isn't Safe** Near the end of the evacuation, you'll be asked whether the settlement is safe. Choose: **"We're not safe yet."** Depending on the dialogue presentation, the equivalent response may appear as **"Not yet."** This is the fourth and final recommended answer. Rather than assuring the civilians that the danger has passed, you must acknowledge that the threat remains. This completes the sequence of decisions needed to guide the residents safely through the attack. **Complete Dialogue Sequence** For quick reference, the correct choices are: 1. **"Let's head right!"** 2. **"Let's go left!"** 3. **"Cross the bridge to the right!"** 4. **"We're not safe yet."** Follow these answers in the exact order shown. The first three decisions determine the escape route, while the final response acknowledges the continuing danger. **Step 8 — Continue Through the Story Events** After the evacuation choices, the story continues through several important scenes involving Cleyra and its inhabitants. You'll witness events involving General Beatrix and the sacred jewel. Allow the story sequence to proceed normally. Out of Harm's Way doesn't necessarily unlock immediately after selecting the fourth response. Instead, the trophy registers after the subsequent story scenes confirm that the residents have been successfully guided to safety. If you've selected the correct directions, the trophy should unlock during the aftermath of the evacuation. **Step 9 — Speak With the Saved Residents** After the relevant events, you'll have an opportunity to speak with the civilians you rescued. Several residents offer rewards in gratitude for your assistance. According to the trophy guides, these rewards are associated with the people who successfully survived the evacuation. Although collecting every reward isn't a separate requirement for Out of Harm's Way, speaking with the rescued residents is worthwhile. It provides confirmation that your decisions successfully protected them and allows you to collect useful items. Don't rush through this opportunity if you're also working toward Another Man's Treasure. Items received from NPCs can contribute toward your overall treasure-hunting progression when they qualify for that system. **Step 10 — Confirm the Trophy** Once the successful evacuation has been recognized, Out of Harm's Way unlocks automatically. You don't need to defeat an additional optional enemy, revisit Cleyra, or complete a separate rescue quest. The trophy is tied specifically to guiding all the residents through this story sequence. If the trophy doesn't appear after the relevant scenes, an incorrect dialogue choice may have caused one or more residents to be lost. In that situation, reload your pre-evacuation save and repeat the sequence using the correct answers. If you've already progressed too far without preserving an earlier save, you'll need to complete the evacuation correctly during another playthrough. **Why Out of Harm's Way Is Missable** The Cleyra evacuation is a one-time story event. Once the relevant sequence concludes, you cannot simply return to Cleyra and repeat the decisions. The story also brings major changes to the settlement, permanently affecting your ability to revisit its locations. This means ordinary endgame cleanup won't allow you to recover the trophy. Unlike trophies requiring a collectible that can be obtained later, Out of Harm's Way depends entirely on decisions made during a particular moment in the story. Fortunately, the correct dialogue sequence is short and easy to follow once you know it. The main risk comes from choosing directions instinctively without realizing the decisions are connected to a trophy. **Combining Out of Harm's Way With Other Objectives** The Cleyra sequence also contains opportunities relevant to other Platinum requirements. During your initial exploration, collect the available treasure chests and hidden items to contribute toward Another Man's Treasure. Pay attention to Active Time Events for Movie Critic. The Cleyra events associated with that trophy include No Yummy-Yummies!, There a Mushroom!, Don't Hate Me, and I-I Haven't Hurt Anyone. Some depend on having Quina in your party, making early recruitment important. If you're following a complete Platinum walkthrough, finish these exploration and ATE objectives before advancing the invasion sequence. Then create a manual save and complete the evacuation using the four correct dialogue responses. This approach helps avoid needing a separate playthrough for objectives associated with the same story location. **Recommended Platinum Strategy** Out of Harm's Way is best completed during your main trophy-focused playthrough. There's no benefit to delaying it, and there are no additional preparation requirements beyond reaching Cleyra and saving before the evacuation. You don't need strong equipment, a high character level, or any rare consumable items. The mandatory combat encounters can be handled normally. If you're using trophy-safe battle modifiers, they won't interfere with the dialogue choices required for the evacuation. However, avoid rushing through dialogue while High Speed is enabled if you're concerned about selecting the wrong response. The evacuation depends on careful choices, not quick reactions. Follow the four-step sequence, allow the story to continue, and confirm that the trophy has unlocked before moving on. Out of Harm's Way is a fitting final entry in FINAL FANTASY IX's trophy list. After exploring ancient ruins, hunting legendary weapons, playing hundreds of card matches, and defeating some of Gaia's strongest monsters, this trophy asks you to do something considerably more important: help ordinary people survive a dangerous situation. For once, the correct solution isn't a powerful spell or a legendary sword. It's simply knowing which way everyone should go. Fortunately, Zidane's party proves that good directions can be just as valuable as good combat skills.

Tip

Create a separate manual save before the Cleyra evacuation. Follow the exact dialogue sequence **Right → Left → Right → Not Safe Yet.** The first group must go right. Dan's family must go left. At the bridge, direct the residents right. When asked whether the area is safe, answer that it isn't safe yet. Don't rush through dialogue choices, especially if you're using High Speed. After the evacuation, allow the story scenes to continue until the trophy unlocks. Speak with the rescued residents to obtain their available rewards. Complete Cleyra's treasure collection and Active Time Events before advancing through the area's major story events.

Warning

**Out of Harm's Way is missable.** You must successfully guide all the residents of Cleyra to safety during the original Disc 2 invasion sequence. Choosing the wrong directions can cause residents to be lost and prevent the trophy from unlocking. The required sequence is **Right, Left, Right, then "We're not safe yet."** The trophy isn't awarded simply for reaching Cleyra or completing the mandatory story battles. Don't assume the trophy has failed if it doesn't appear immediately after the final dialogue choice. The unlock occurs after the relevant subsequent story scenes. The evacuation is a one-time story event and cannot be repeated during ordinary endgame cleanup. If you select an incorrect answer, reload a save made before the evacuation. If you've progressed beyond the event without earning the trophy or preserving an earlier save, another playthrough may be necessary. There are no special combat or equipment requirements. The trophy-safe pause-menu modifiers don't invalidate the rescue, but they don't choose the correct dialogue options for you.

How to Unlock

Obtain all four Moonstones available during a single playthrough. Over the Moon is a Gold trophy requiring you to collect every Moonstone in FINAL FANTASY IX. Unlike ordinary healing items or equipment, Moonstones are extremely limited. The supplied trophy guide identifies only four obtainable Moonstones throughout the game. Two are associated with story-specific opportunities that can be permanently missed. The other two come from a friendly enemy encounter and Stiltzkin's final item package. Importantly, **you don't need to possess all four Moonstones simultaneously**. The trophy tracks whether you've obtained each one. You can spend or use a Moonstone after receiving it without losing the progress associated with that acquisition. However, you should preserve the Moonstone needed for the friendly enemy side quest until you've completed the relevant exchange. **Moonstone 1 — Impress All 100 Nobles** Location: Alexandria, during the opening theatrical performance. The first Moonstone is associated with the swordfight between Zidane and Blank at the beginning of the game. During the performance of I Want to Be Your Canary, follow the button prompts accurately enough to impress all 100 nobles. The audience's reaction is determined by your timing and accuracy. If you don't impress all 100 nobles, choose to repeat the swordfight. Continue until you achieve the perfect result. Afterward, progress through the story until you gain control of Steiner inside Alexandria Castle. Speak with Queen Brahne at the earliest opportunity. She'll reward you with a Moonstone for the outstanding performance. This Moonstone is missable because the opportunity disappears after progressing beyond the relevant story sequence. It's also associated with A Round of Applause, so complete both objectives together. **Moonstone 2 — Conde Petie Mountain Path** Location: Conde Petie Mountain Path, during the original Disc 2 portion of the story. While exploring the mountain path, you'll encounter several statues containing colored stones. The four stones are Red, Blue, Yellow, and Green. Collect all four stones from their corresponding locations throughout the area. Once you have the complete set, locate the structure near Stiltzkin's position on the mountain path. The supplied guide identifies the relevant structure as being one screen to the right of Stiltzkin. Interact with the structure and place the four colored stones into it. Doing so rewards you with a Moonstone. This is another missable opportunity because the mountain path's associated story sequence can no longer be completed in the same way after you advance. Before leaving the area, confirm that you've obtained the Moonstone and purchased Stiltzkin's item package for Driving the Hard Bargain. **Moonstone 3 — Friendly Jabberwock** Location: Western Forgotten Continent, near Oeilvert. The third Moonstone is obtained through the friendly enemy side quest. While exploring the world map, you'll occasionally encounter friendly creatures that request particular items rather than attacking. One of these creatures is the friendly Jabberwock. The friendly Jabberwock appears in the western region of the Forgotten Continent, around Oeilvert. When encountered, it requests one Emerald. Give it an Emerald from your inventory. In return, the Jabberwock awards a Moonstone and Ability Points. This Moonstone contributes toward Over the Moon. It also plays an important role in Mister Nice Guy because the next friendly enemy, Feather Circle, requests a Moonstone. You can give the Moonstone to Feather Circle after obtaining it without losing the acquisition progress toward Over the Moon. The important requirement is that you've received the Moonstone from Jabberwock. Don't sell or synthesize the necessary Emerald before completing the encounter. **Moonstone 4 — Stiltzkin's Final Package** Location: Alexandria Steeple, during the original Disc 4 portion of the story. The final Moonstone is included in Stiltzkin's last item package. Stiltzkin is the traveling Moogle who sells bundles of useful items at specific locations throughout Gaia. For his final appearance, visit Alexandria's steeple during the endgame. Speak with him and purchase the package containing a Moonstone, Ruby, and Elixir. The package costs 5,555 Gil. After completing the purchase, you'll receive the final Moonstone. If you've already obtained the previous three, Over the Moon unlocks automatically. This final purchase also contributes toward Driving the Hard Bargain, which requires buying all eight of Stiltzkin's packages throughout the story. Make sure your inventory has room for the items. If Stiltzkin refuses to sell because you're carrying the maximum quantity of a particular item, use or sell enough to complete the transaction. **Step 5 — Confirm All Four Acquisitions** Review the four Moonstone sources: 1. Queen Brahne's reward for impressing all 100 nobles. 2. The four-colored-stone puzzle on Conde Petie Mountain Path. 3. The reward from giving an Emerald to the friendly Jabberwock. 4. Stiltzkin's final Alexandria package for 5,555 Gil. Once you've obtained Moonstones from all four sources, Over the Moon unlocks automatically. You don't need to complete another quest, equip them, or speak with a particular character. The trophy tracks obtaining the Moonstones, not retaining all four in your inventory. **Avoiding a Missed Moonstone** The first two Moonstones require special attention. The Queen Brahne reward is available only during the opening Alexandria sequence. If you fail to impress all 100 nobles or neglect to speak with the Queen while controlling Steiner, you'll lose the opportunity. The Conde Petie Mountain Path Moonstone requires collecting all four colored stones and placing them into the appropriate structure before progressing beyond the relevant area. If you leave without completing the puzzle, you may be unable to recover the reward later. The Jabberwock and Stiltzkin Moonstones are easier to plan around, but they still depend on completing their respective interactions correctly. For a single-playthrough Platinum attempt, mark each Moonstone as soon as it's obtained. Maintaining a dedicated save before the opening swordfight and another before leaving Conde Petie Mountain Path can prevent considerable frustration. Over the Moon sounds like a trophy celebrating an emotional moment, but its actual requirement is collecting four extremely scarce gemstones from unrelated activities scattered across Gaia. One comes from a theatrical performance, another from a mountain puzzle, another from a polite monster, and the last from a traveling merchant. It's a wonderfully chaotic treasure hunt, and somehow Stiltzkin still manages to charge full price for his contribution.

Tip

Obtain the first Moonstone during the opening Alexandria sequence by impressing all 100 nobles and speaking with Queen Brahne as Steiner. Collect all four colored stones on Conde Petie Mountain Path and complete the statue puzzle before leaving. Save the Emerald obtained through the friendly enemy side quest so you can give it to Jabberwock for the third Moonstone. Purchase Stiltzkin's final package in Alexandria during Disc 4 for 5,555 Gil. Work toward A Round of Applause, Mister Nice Guy, and Driving the Hard Bargain alongside Over the Moon because these trophies share important requirements. Keep a written checklist of the four Moonstone sources.

Warning

**Over the Moon is missable.** There are only four Moonstone acquisition opportunities identified in the supplied guide. The opening Queen Brahne reward requires impressing all 100 nobles and speaking with her during the correct Steiner sequence. The Conde Petie Mountain Path Moonstone requires collecting all four colored stones and completing the puzzle before advancing beyond the area. The friendly Jabberwock requires an Emerald in exchange for its Moonstone. Stiltzkin's final Moonstone is included in his 5,555-Gil package at Alexandria Steeple during Disc 4. You don't need to possess all four Moonstones at the same time. Obtaining each one is what matters. Giving the Jabberwock Moonstone to Feather Circle for Mister Nice Guy doesn't invalidate Over the Moon. Don't confuse Moonstones with the colored stones used in the Conde Petie Mountain Path puzzle. If you miss either of the early story-specific Moonstones, you'll need an earlier save or another playthrough to complete the trophy.

How to Unlock

Use the mining pickaxe in Fossil Roo to free Kuppo, the Moogle trapped behind a wall. Peek-A-Boo is a missable miscellaneous trophy associated with the excavation minigame inside Fossil Roo. During the original Disc 2 portion of FINAL FANTASY IX, you'll travel through Fossil Roo and encounter a treasure hunter who offers a pickaxe in exchange for a Potion. Although the mining activity primarily allows you to search for hidden items, one of the walls conceals a trapped Moogle named Kuppo. Your objective is to uncover the wall and free Kuppo. This is substantially easier than The One Ring, the other trophy associated with Fossil Roo's mining activity, because Kuppo's location is fixed rather than determined by a random treasure reward. However, Peek-A-Boo is still missable because Fossil Roo becomes inaccessible after you leave it through the main story. **Step 1 — Find the Treasure Hunter** Progress through Fossil Roo until you encounter the treasure hunter offering the pickaxe minigame. Speak with him and agree to provide a Potion. Once you've received access to the pickaxe, you can excavate certain walls in the surrounding area. If you've already been working toward The One Ring, you'll have completed this preparation. You can earn both trophies during the same mining session. **Step 2 — Locate Kuppo's Wall** Move toward the upper portion of the excavation area. According to the supplied trophy guide, the wall containing Kuppo is located toward the right side of the upper floor. Look for a suspicious section of wall with protruding rocks and an appearance suggesting that it can be excavated. Unlike the ordinary mining surfaces used to obtain random treasures, this particular wall hides the trapped Moogle. Approach the wall and position Zidane close enough to interact with it. **Step 3 — Break Through the Wall** With the pickaxe available, press Cross repeatedly to strike the suspicious wall. Continue excavating the same location. After several successful interactions, the wall will open and reveal Kuppo. The trapped Moogle will emerge and thank your party for rescuing him. Peek-A-Boo unlocks automatically after Kuppo has been freed. You don't need to defeat an enemy, solve an additional puzzle, or collect a specific item afterward. The rescue itself satisfies the trophy requirement. **Step 4 — Finish The One Ring Before Leaving** After freeing Kuppo, make sure you've also obtained Madain's Ring through the mining activity. The One Ring is a separate trophy requiring you to find the ring as a random excavation reward. Because both trophies occur in Fossil Roo, completing them together is the safest approach. If you haven't obtained Madain's Ring yet, return to the ordinary mining wall and continue excavating until the item appears. The ring can take several attempts to find, so don't leave prematurely. Once both trophies have unlocked, you're free to continue the main story. **Why Peek-A-Boo Is Missable** Fossil Roo is visited during a specific portion of the story. After leaving the area, the entrance becomes inaccessible, preventing you from returning to the excavation location. This means you can't simply revisit Fossil Roo during late-game cleanup to rescue Kuppo. If you progress too far without freeing him, you'll need to reload an earlier save or complete the trophy during another playthrough. Fortunately, the required interaction is straightforward once you know where to look. There's no special combat setup or character requirement, and you don't need to obtain a particular random item. The only essential steps are borrowing the pickaxe and excavating the correct wall. Peek-A-Boo is a good example of FINAL FANTASY IX's many hidden interactions. A seemingly ordinary section of dungeon wall turns out to contain a Moogle who has somehow become trapped inside the rock. How Kuppo ended up there is a mystery best left unexplored. The important thing is that Zidane has finally found a practical use for his temporary career in mining.

Tip

Complete Peek-A-Boo while working toward The One Ring. Borrow the pickaxe from the treasure hunter in Fossil Roo in exchange for a Potion. Head toward the upper floor of the excavation area and look for the suspicious wall on the right. Continue pressing Cross to excavate until Kuppo is freed. The trophy unlocks automatically after the rescue. Afterward, make sure you've obtained Madain's Ring before leaving the dungeon. Create a separate save after completing both trophies whenever the game allows it.

Warning

**Peek-A-Boo is missable.** Kuppo must be freed during your visit to Fossil Roo. The dungeon becomes inaccessible after story progression, so you cannot return during ordinary endgame cleanup. You must borrow the pickaxe before attempting to excavate the wall. Mining random treasures elsewhere doesn't free Kuppo. The correct wall is located toward the upper-right section of the excavation area. Continue interacting with the suspicious wall until Kuppo appears. The trophy unlocks for rescuing the Moogle, not for collecting a particular item. Peek-A-Boo and The One Ring are separate trophies. Make sure both have unlocked before leaving Fossil Roo. If you leave the area without rescuing Kuppo, you'll need an earlier save or another playthrough to earn the trophy.

How to Unlock

Obtain Madain's Ring by excavating the walls inside Fossil Roo. The One Ring is a missable trophy requiring you to discover Madain's Ring through the mining minigame in Fossil Roo. Fossil Roo is an underground passage encountered during the original Disc 2 portion of FINAL FANTASY IX. While exploring the area, you'll meet a treasure hunter who allows you to borrow a pickaxe in exchange for a Potion. Using the pickaxe, you can mine the surrounding walls for hidden treasures. One possible discovery is Madain's Ring. The challenge is that the item appears randomly, meaning you may need to excavate repeatedly before finding it. More importantly, Fossil Roo becomes inaccessible after you leave it through story progression. You must obtain the ring during your visit or risk permanently missing the trophy on that save file. **Step 1 — Reach Fossil Roo** Progress through the main story until your party enters Fossil Roo. The dungeon is part of the route connecting major regions during the original Disc 2 portion of the adventure. Continue exploring until you find the treasure hunter offering access to the excavation minigame. Before beginning, make sure you have at least one Potion available. You'll need to give the treasure hunter a Potion to borrow his pickaxe. This is a small cost compared with the importance of the missable trophy. **Step 2 — Borrow the Pickaxe** Speak with the treasure hunter. When he offers the mining opportunity, agree and provide the Potion. You'll receive access to the pickaxe and can begin examining the nearby walls. Approach an excavatable wall and press Cross repeatedly to dig. Each mining attempt gives you a chance to uncover an item. The possible discoveries include ordinary treasures as well as the Madain's Ring required for this trophy. You don't need to equip any special abilities or bring a particular party member to participate. The mining activity is available through the interaction with the treasure hunter. **Step 3 — Mine Until Madain's Ring Appears** Continue striking the excavatable wall with the pickaxe. Madain's Ring is obtained through a random discovery, so the number of attempts required can vary. You may find several ordinary items before obtaining the ring. Don't assume you've missed something because the item doesn't appear immediately. According to the supplied guide, leaving the excavation activity and beginning another attempt can refresh the available discoveries. If you've been mining for an extended period without success, exit the mining interaction and restart it. Then continue excavating. You can also activate the trophy-safe High Speed modifier to accelerate the mining process. This makes repeated inputs and excavation animations faster, reducing the time needed to search for the ring. Keep mining until Madain's Ring is uncovered. **Step 4 — Collect Madain's Ring** Once the ring appears, collect it. The One Ring unlocks automatically after you've successfully obtained Madain's Ring through mining. You don't need to equip the ring, use it in combat, or complete another quest. The trophy is specifically associated with finding the item through the Fossil Roo excavation activity. After obtaining it, you're free to continue with the main story. However, you should also complete Peek-A-Boo before leaving Fossil Roo. That trophy requires using the same pickaxe to free Kuppo, a Moogle trapped inside one of the dungeon's walls. Both trophies can be earned during the same visit, so there's no reason to leave either unfinished. **Step 5 — Save Before Leaving Fossil Roo** Once you've obtained Madain's Ring and freed Kuppo, save your game at the next available opportunity. Fossil Roo is a particularly important location for Platinum hunters because its mining-related trophies are permanently missable. After progressing beyond the dungeon, you won't be able to return through ordinary exploration. This means leaving without the ring can force you to load an earlier save or begin another playthrough. Because the ring's appearance is random, patience is the main requirement. There is no battle, puzzle sequence, or complicated combination of actions involved. You simply need to keep mining until the correct treasure appears. The One Ring is one of FINAL FANTASY IX's more unusual collectible trophies. After surviving dangerous dungeons and exploring an ancient underground passage, Zidane discovers that the most important thing he can do is repeatedly strike a wall with a borrowed pickaxe. It's hardly glamorous adventuring, but finding a valuable ring makes the manual labor considerably more appealing.

Tip

Bring a Potion before reaching the treasure hunter in Fossil Roo. Borrow the pickaxe and begin mining the nearby walls. Madain's Ring is a random discovery, so continue excavating even if you initially receive ordinary items. If the ring doesn't appear after repeated attempts, exit the activity and restart it to refresh the available discoveries. Activate High Speed to make the process faster. Complete Peek-A-Boo during the same visit by using the pickaxe to free Kuppo from the wall. Don't leave Fossil Roo until both mining trophies have unlocked.

Warning

**The One Ring is missable.** Madain's Ring must be obtained through mining during your visit to Fossil Roo. The dungeon becomes inaccessible after you progress beyond it, so you cannot safely postpone this objective until endgame cleanup. The ring is a random mining reward. Failing to find it immediately doesn't mean the trophy is unavailable. You must continue excavating until the correct item appears. Simply acquiring another ring or similar accessory elsewhere doesn't satisfy the trophy requirement. The trophy unlocks when Madain's Ring is obtained through the mining activity. If you leave Fossil Roo without earning the trophy, you'll need an earlier save or another playthrough. Make sure to complete Peek-A-Boo before leaving as well, since that trophy is tied to the same missable location.

How to Unlock

Obtain Excalibur II from its hidden location in Memoria before the in-game clock reaches 12 hours. The Ultimate Sword is one of the most demanding trophies in FINAL FANTASY IX. It requires obtaining Excalibur II, Steiner's legendary weapon, before 12 hours have elapsed on the in-game timer. Unlike the ordinary Excalibur obtained through the Treno Auction House and Daguerreo side quest, Excalibur II is hidden near the end of Memoria, the game's final major dungeon. The challenge isn't simply finding the weapon. You'll need to progress through nearly the entire story, reach the appropriate room beyond the Lich encounter, and collect Excalibur II before the time limit expires. This makes The Ultimate Sword a permanently missable trophy within any playthrough where the timer exceeds 12 hours before the weapon is collected. For most players, the safest approach is to complete a normal exploratory playthrough first and reserve Excalibur II for a separate, carefully planned speedrun. **Step 1 — Understand the 12-Hour Requirement** Excalibur II must be obtained while the in-game clock still shows less than 12 hours. The requirement applies to the time recorded by the game, not merely the time spent fighting enemies. Ordinary exploration, conversations, equipment management, and backtracking all consume valuable time. If you're attempting this trophy during a casual playthrough, it's extremely easy to exceed the limit long before reaching Memoria. The supplied trophy guide recommends two playthroughs overall, with an optional third run dedicated exclusively to Excalibur II. Although obtaining every trophy in one playthrough is technically possible, combining the speedrun with FINAL FANTASY IX's many missable collectibles and Active Time Events demands exceptional planning. A dedicated Excalibur II run is considerably more manageable. **Step 2 — Start a Dedicated Speedrun** Begin a new playthrough and concentrate primarily on mandatory story progression. Avoid optional minigames, unnecessary exploration, lengthy treasure hunts, and side activities that don't directly help you reach the end of the game. You don't need to defeat Ozma, complete the Chocograph collection, catch 99 frogs, or earn 100 Tetra Master victories during this run. Those objectives can be completed on your main save. Instead, follow the story route efficiently and use appropriate battle modifiers to reduce the time spent in combat. Maintain several separate manual saves throughout the run. These allow you to recover from mistakes without restarting the entire game. Whenever possible, check the in-game timer before committing to lengthy story sequences. **Step 3 — Activate High Speed** The most important modifier for this trophy is High Speed. Open the pause menu using Options and activate High Speed with R1. This increases the game's operating speed considerably. According to the supplied trophy guide, High Speed allows the game to run at approximately four times normal speed while the in-game timer advances at its ordinary rate. This means you can move through dialogue, exploration, and battles substantially faster without consuming a corresponding amount of the 12-hour allowance. High Speed is one of the temporary pause-menu modifiers that doesn't disable trophies. Keep it enabled during most of the speedrun, particularly when traveling through familiar areas. Be careful around narrow paths, interaction points, and important locations where the increased movement speed could cause mistakes. **Step 4 — Use 9999 Damage and Battle Assistance** The 9999 damage modifier is another valuable tool. Activate it using L2 from the pause menu. With this modifier enabled, successful damaging attacks can deal 9,999 damage, making most mandatory encounters substantially shorter. This helps you avoid spending valuable time developing complicated combat strategies or obtaining optional equipment. Battle Assistance, activated using L1, can also make encounters more manageable by providing increased combat support. These temporary modifiers don't disable trophies. However, they don't eliminate every danger. Late-game enemies can still defeat underleveled characters, and some encounters require you to survive multiple attacks. Maintain suitable equipment and basic healing options throughout the run. **Step 5 — Use Safe Travel Strategically** Safe Travel, activated using R2 from the pause menu, prevents ordinary random encounters. This can save considerable time while exploring the world map and traversing areas where combat isn't necessary. However, Safe Travel doesn't remove mandatory battles, scripted encounters, or boss fights. It also shouldn't remain enabled when you deliberately want to gain experience. Use it to bypass unnecessary combat while progressing through the story, then disable it when you need to train. The supplied guide recommends taking advantage of efficient leveling opportunities rather than remaining severely underleveled throughout the entire adventure. **Step 6 — Consider Early Power Leveling** A particularly useful training method involves Grand Dragons at Popos Heights. The area can be reached through Gizamaluke's Grotto by climbing the vine near the Moogle couple. Grand Dragons award substantial experience. With the 9999 damage modifier enabled, you can defeat them relatively quickly. The supplied trophy guide recommends gaining a useful number of levels before continuing into the more dangerous later portions of the game. You don't need to reach level 99 during the speedrun. The goal is simply to improve survivability enough that mandatory encounters won't repeatedly defeat your party. Balance the time spent leveling against the benefit of making later battles easier. A short training session can save time if it prevents repeated defeats, but excessive grinding works against the 12-hour objective. **Step 7 — Prepare for Difficult Late-Game Battles** As you progress through the original Disc 3 portion of the story, some enemies and bosses become considerably more dangerous. If your characters are severely underleveled, they may be defeated before they can take advantage of the 9999 damage modifier. Maintain reliable healing and defensive equipment. The supplied guide also recommends winning the Treno Card Tournament during Disc 3 to obtain a Rebirth Ring, which can teach Auto-Life. Auto-Life is valuable because it allows a character to revive automatically after being defeated. This isn't strictly required for Excalibur II, but it can help protect your run during difficult encounters. If you're confident in your combat setup, you can decide whether the tournament's time investment is worthwhile. **Step 8 — Reach Memoria** Continue following the mandatory story until Memoria becomes accessible. By this stage, you should still have enough time remaining to progress through the dungeon and reach the Excalibur II location. Memoria contains several powerful bosses and multiple hidden weapons. During a dedicated speedrun, prioritize advancing toward Excalibur II rather than searching for every collectible. You can obtain the other Memoria weapons on your main playthrough. Use High Speed and 9999 damage to defeat the required bosses efficiently. Continue through the dungeon until you reach Lich. **Step 9 — Defeat Lich** Lich is encountered near the end of Memoria. Defeat the boss and proceed into the associated area. This is the critical point of the speedrun. According to the supplied trophy guide, Excalibur II is located on the right-hand side of Lich's room. The weapon is concealed at a field interaction point rather than inside an obvious treasure chest. After defeating Lich, move toward the right side of the room and watch for the interaction indicator. Don't leave the area without checking the correct location. **Step 10 — Obtain Excalibur II** Approach the hidden interaction point and press Cross. You'll receive a short message concerning the history of Excalibur II. After examining the location, the weapon will be added to your inventory. If the in-game clock remains below 12 hours, The Ultimate Sword unlocks automatically. You don't need to equip Excalibur II on Steiner or defeat an enemy using it. Obtaining the weapon within the time limit is sufficient. Once the trophy has unlocked, the speedrun objective is complete. You can continue playing if you wish, but there's no requirement to finish the story afterward solely for The Ultimate Sword. **Why a Separate Playthrough Is Recommended** The Ultimate Sword conflicts with many of FINAL FANTASY IX's other Platinum objectives. Movie Critic requires viewing numerous optional scenes, some of which involve lengthy detours and precise movement routes. Driving the Hard Bargain requires locating Stiltzkin repeatedly. Over the Moon requires completing several time-sensitive collectible objectives. Other trophies involve substantial minigame challenges and treasure hunting. Attempting to complete all of these while racing toward Memoria can make the Platinum unnecessarily stressful. A normal playthrough allows you to collect trophies carefully, while a dedicated speedrun lets you focus entirely on the time limit. If you've already completed the main story and most other objectives, Excalibur II may be the final major challenge separating you from Heroes of Gaia. The Ultimate Sword is one of FINAL FANTASY IX's most famous hidden challenges. Legendary weapons are usually protected by enormous monsters, ancient puzzles, or elaborate side quests. Excalibur II has a different guardian: a clock. After traveling across Gaia at extraordinary speed, defeating powerful enemies, and reaching the final dungeon, Steiner finally receives his legendary sword as a reward for everyone's impressive punctuality.

Tip

Use a separate playthrough dedicated to Excalibur II unless you've carefully planned a combined Platinum route. Activate High Speed, 9999 damage, and Safe Travel when appropriate. These temporary pause-menu modifiers don't disable trophies. Avoid unnecessary exploration, optional side quests, and lengthy minigames. Consider a short Grand Dragon leveling session to improve survivability before difficult late-game encounters. Keep multiple manual saves and check the in-game timer regularly. After defeating Lich in Memoria, search the right-hand side of the room for Excalibur II. Collect the weapon before the timer reaches 12 hours.

Warning

**The Ultimate Sword is missable and time-limited.** You must obtain Excalibur II before 12 hours of in-game time have elapsed. Reaching Memoria before 12 hours isn't enough. You must defeat Lich and actually collect the weapon within the limit. Excalibur II and ordinary Excalibur are different weapons with separate trophies. Sword of Kings requires ordinary Excalibur, while The Ultimate Sword requires Excalibur II. The weapon is hidden at an interaction point near Lich rather than inside a conventional visible chest. High Speed, Battle Assistance, 9999 damage, and Safe Travel are trophy-safe pause-menu modifiers. **Do not activate Master Abilities, Lv/Mag Stone Max, or Gil Max from the configuration menu.** These permanent boosters disable trophies for the affected save file. If the timer reaches 12 hours before you've collected Excalibur II, you'll need an earlier save or another playthrough. You don't need to complete the main story after obtaining Excalibur II for this particular trophy.

How to Unlock

Obtain the Athlete Queen key item by racing Hippaul until he reaches level 80 during the original Disc 3 Alexandria sequence. Track Star is a missable minigame trophy that requires helping Hippaul, a young hippo living in Alexandria, improve his running ability. During a specific portion of the story, you'll control Vivi while exploring Alexandria. Hippaul's mother asks you to help her son exercise, giving you the opportunity to participate in a series of footraces. Your objective is to continue racing Hippaul until his running level reaches 80. At that point, his mother rewards you with the Athlete Queen key item, unlocking Track Star. Although the minigame isn't especially complicated, it requires a substantial number of repeated races. More importantly, the opportunity disappears once you progress beyond the relevant Alexandria story sequence. For that reason, complete Track Star as soon as you gain control of Vivi during this visit. **Step 1 — Reach Alexandria During Disc 3** Progress through the main story until the beginning of the original Disc 3 portion of FINAL FANTASY IX. You'll return to Alexandria and temporarily control Vivi. This is the specific story window required for Track Star. Before exploring too far, make a manual save if you have an opportunity. The racing minigame is available only during this section, and progressing to Ruby's theatrical performance ends your chance to complete it. Once you have control of Vivi, begin searching for Hippaul and his mother rather than advancing the main story. **Step 2 — Find Hippaul and His Mother** From the Alexandria town square area, head toward the street where Hippaul and his mother are standing. According to the supplied trophy guide, they're located one screen to the right of Vivi's starting area during this sequence. You'll recognize Hippaul as a young anthropomorphic hippo standing near his mother. Speak with his mother. She explains that Hippaul needs more exercise and asks Vivi to help him improve his running ability. Agree to participate. This begins the Hippaul racing minigame. **Step 3 — Learn the Racing Controls** The race takes place along a short street in Alexandria. Vivi and Hippaul start together and compete to reach the finish line first. To make Vivi run, rapidly alternate between pressing Square and Circle. The faster and more consistently you alternate these buttons, the faster Vivi moves. Simply holding one button won't produce the required result. You'll need to keep alternating your inputs until Vivi crosses the finish line. During the earliest races, Hippaul is relatively slow, so winning should be straightforward. Use these initial attempts to become comfortable with the controls and establish a rhythm. **Step 4 — Increase Hippaul's Level** Every successful race contributes toward Hippaul's running progression. As you continue competing, Hippaul becomes faster and his level increases. The trophy requires reaching level 80. This means you must repeat the racing minigame numerous times rather than winning a single race. After each attempt, speak with Hippaul's mother again to begin another race. Continue alternating Square and Circle quickly and consistently to beat Hippaul. His running speed increases as he becomes more experienced, so later races demand faster inputs. However, the mechanics remain the same throughout the activity. You don't need to learn additional controls or complete different racecourses. The challenge is maintaining the required button rhythm as Hippaul gets faster. **Step 5 — Claim Athlete Queen** Continue racing until Hippaul reaches level 80. Once he reaches the required milestone, his mother recognizes how much his running ability has improved. She rewards Vivi with the Athlete Queen key item. Track Star unlocks automatically after you receive the item. You don't need to equip Athlete Queen, use it in battle, or complete another quest. The trophy is awarded for obtaining the reward. Once the trophy has unlocked, you can continue the Alexandria story without worrying about the racing objective. **Making the Races Easier** The most important factor is consistent button alternation. Rather than mashing Square repeatedly and occasionally pressing Circle, develop a steady back-and-forth rhythm. Some players find it easier to place their fingers over both buttons and alternate rapidly. Others prefer using their thumb to move between them. Use whichever method allows you to maintain a fast, controlled pace. If you notice that Vivi isn't moving as quickly as expected, check that you're alternating the buttons rather than repeatedly pressing the same input. Hippaul's increasing speed can make the later races more demanding, but you don't need to achieve a particular time. You only need to keep winning races until his level reaches 80. You can also take short breaks between attempts if repeated button inputs become tiring. There is no need to finish every race without stopping between them. **Why Track Star Is Missable** The Hippaul racing activity is tied to Vivi's specific Alexandria story segment. Once you attend Ruby's play and advance beyond the relevant events, the opportunity closes. Returning to Alexandria later doesn't restore the same racing sequence. This makes Track Star a particularly dangerous trophy for players who are progressing quickly through the story without checking the available side activities. If you miss the opportunity, you'll need an earlier save or another playthrough. Fortunately, the trophy can be completed in one visit if you're willing to spend enough time repeating the races. No advanced equipment, character level, or combat preparation is required. Track Star is another example of FINAL FANTASY IX transforming an innocent side activity into a serious Platinum requirement. Vivi begins by helping a young hippo get some exercise. Several dozen races later, he's effectively become Alexandria's most dedicated personal trainer. At least Hippaul is improving his fitness, even if Vivi's thumbs may need a recovery period.

Tip

Complete Track Star immediately after gaining control of Vivi during the early Disc 3 Alexandria sequence. Find Hippaul and his mother before attending Ruby's play. Agree to the racing challenge and alternate Square and Circle rapidly to move Vivi forward. Develop a consistent rhythm rather than pressing the buttons randomly. Continue racing until Hippaul reaches level 80 and his mother awards Athlete Queen. The minigame becomes more demanding as Hippaul improves, so maintain your input speed during later races. Save before beginning the Alexandria story sequence if possible, and don't advance until the trophy has unlocked.

Warning

**Track Star is missable.** The Hippaul racing minigame is available only during the early Disc 3 Alexandria sequence while controlling Vivi. Progressing to Ruby's play closes the opportunity. You must raise Hippaul to level 80 and receive the Athlete Queen key item. Winning only a few races isn't sufficient. The trophy doesn't require Vivi to reach character level 80. Hippaul's racing level is a completely separate progression system. You must alternate Square and Circle to run effectively. Simply holding a button or repeatedly pressing the same one won't produce the intended movement. If you advance beyond the relevant story sequence without obtaining Athlete Queen, you'll need an earlier save or another playthrough. Track Star cannot be completed through ordinary endgame cleanup.