FINAL FANTASY IX
51 Achievements
1,000
60-80h
Movie Critic
View 79 Active Time Events.
40
0.39%
How to unlock the Movie Critic achievement in FINAL FANTASY IX - Definitive Guide
ATE's are short scenes that show you what other characters of the game are doing at that particular moment. There are 83 of these scenes, but 3 of them are mandatory moggle scenes, and you have to choose between 2 others; that means that you have to watch all 79 ATE's in ONE PLAYTHROUGH for this achievement to unlock.
-You CANNOT watch a bunch of these and reload a previous savegame and watch them again to make the counter progress. This can only be done the hard way.
-It's advisable to make saves before entering a new zone.
-Most ATE's will trigger by default or by walking into a new screen, but others need special requirements to be watched; This solution will cover those requirements.
* Evil Forest * 8 ATE's
* Dali * 6 ATE's
* Lindblum * 6 ATE's
**Make sure to stop by Qu's Marsh to get Quina RIGHT AFTER LEAVING LINDBLUM with Zidane's group. If you don't you will miss the ATE's she features in.
* Burmecia * 1 Trigger
* Treno * 7 ATE's
* Cleyra * 4 ATE's
* Alexandria * 1 ATE
* Lindblum * 3 ATE's
* Conde Petie * 5 ATE's
* Black Mage Village * 6 ATE's
* Conde Petie (Second Visit) * 1 ATE
* Madain Sari * 5 ATE's
* Alexandria * 6 ATE's
* Treno * 9 ATE's
* Lindblum * 8 ATE's
* Lindblum (Again) * 2 ATE's
* Bran Bal * 4 ATE's
* Pandemonium * 1 ATE
If you’re using the Achievement tracker percentage, you should see this much progress after each area/set, or you might have missed one:
Disc 1
* Evil Forest/Wreckage of M.S. Prima Vista/Ice Cavern * 8 ATE's - 7% ('Teach Me' ones didn't increase my percentage)
* Dali * 6 ATE's - 12% (didn't see any more progress tracked here after Cat's Eye 1)
* Lindblum * 6 ATE's - 21%
* Burmecia * 1 Trigger
Disc 2
* Treno * 7 ATE's - 30%
* Cleyra * 4 ATE's - 35%
* Alexandria * 1 ATE - 36%
* Lindblum * 3 ATE's - 40%
* Conde Petie * 5 ATE's - 46%
* Black Mage Village * 6 ATE's - 54%
* Conde Petie (Second Visit) * 1 ATE - 55%
* Madain Sari * 5 ATE's - 62%
Disc 3
* Alexandria * 6 ATE's - 69%
* Treno * 9 ATE's - 81% (I picked 'Stay in Treno')
* Lindblum * 8 ATE's - 91%
* Lindblum (Again) * 2 ATE's - 93%
* Bran Bal * 4 ATE's - 98%
* Pandemonium * 1 ATE - 100%
(note: if you’re monitoring this carefully per ATE while playing; optional ATEs increase the counter when the ATE name appears, but mandatory ATEs log your progress when the ATE scene starts)
The Evil Forest
Ice Cavern
Village of Dali
Lindblum
Lindblum Basin
* Make sure you go to Qu’s Marsh to have Quina join your party
Burmecia
Treno
Cleyra
Alexandria Castle
Lindblum (Second visit)
SAVE BEFORE ENTERING
Black Mage Village
This is the first town I noticed where you can miss ATEs by bumbling around in the wrong direction, probably because it is so small and story events are so close together.
Conde Petie (2nd visit)
Madain Sari
Alexandria
Treno
Lindblum
Lindblum Castle
You’re not crazy; it’s a long gap until the next ATE. It won’t occur until you are back in Lindblum.
Bran Bal
Pandemonium
It would help even more to
1. Add at the top that you play these events by pressing the Back button when the prompt appears in the bottom left, and
2. Fix the spoiler box for Ice Cavern (second box) so that Village of Dali is shown separately
MISSABLE
An Active Time Event (henceforth referred to as an 'ATE') is a short scene, either mandatory or optional, that shows you what other player characters or NPCs are up to in the world at the same time. These can be accessed when the words 'Active Time Event' pop up in the bottom-left of your screen. If the words are in grey, then the scene is mandatory and you can't skip it. If the notification is blue, then you have to manually watch it by pressing the and selecting it.
There are 83 ATEs in the game. 3 of them are mandatory Moogle Tutorials that you can't skip and don't count towards this trophy, whilst you get a choice between two ATEs later in the game, meaning the other one can never be seen. Essentially, this means that you have to find all 79 in a single playthrough without missing one. Furthermore, no matter how diligent you are and how carefully you explore the world, it's almost impossible to find them all without a guide as some require you to enter certain screens in a specific order or have no money at a time of the game when you should have plenty of riches.
Below is each ATE in the game separated by their location. ATEs in red are mandatory and play automatically, provided the conditions are met. If necessary, an ATE is followed by a note on how to unlock it if it requires special circumstances. Also note that many ATEs are linked and some won’t appear unless you have watched a previous one.
It is highly recommended that you make a new save each time you are about to enter one of the locations where there’s a new batch of ATEs so if you mess up you can reload. Also, try to clear each section in a single session, as there have been reports of people missing ATEs by reloading saves and forgetting to trigger an ATE or the Autosave system making an ATE not appear even if you've triggered it correctly. We also suggest printing off this list or copying it into a separate document and ticking them off as you go to make sure you haven't missed them.
Evil Forest (Disc 1)
- The Forest Keeper
- Time To Escape
- Girl Who Was Left Behind
- My Little Baby - Must have watched Time to Escape first.
- Orchestra in the Forest
- Do As I Say, Not As I Do
- Teach Me, Mogster! Lesson 1 - Doesn't count towards the trophy.
- Teach Me, Mogster! Lesson 2 - Doesn't count towards the trophy.
Dali (Disc 1)
- Vivi, Confused
- Dagger Tries
- Cat's Eye
- Cat's Eye 2
- Dagger Tries Harder - Watch Dagger Tries, then visit the farmer's field she was in and then go to a new screen.
- Queen Brahne's Steiner - You need to watch Dagger Tries Harder and Cat’s Eye, then talk to Dagger in the weapon shop.
Lindblum - First Visit (Disc 1)
- Teach Me, Mogster! (My First Synthesis Lesson) - Doesn't count towards the trophy.
- Small-Town Knight In A Big City - Walk out onto the street after spending the mandatory night at the inn.
- Vivi's Shopping
- Steam Engine - After entering the Theatre District
- What Can I Do?
- Baku And His Crew - After leaving the Tantalus hideous.
Note: Make sure you get Quina now, from Qu's Marsh. If you leave it until later when the story forces you to, you will miss some ATEs she features in.
Burmecia (Disc 1)
There are no ATEs here but you must rescue a Burmecian family from a collapsing roof to trigger an ATE much later in the game. This is just after you use the bell to gain access to the palace area; go straight ahead into the large open doors as opposed to up the stairs.
Treno - First Visit (Disc 2)
This is when things start to get a little trickier. You have to enter screens in a specific order so it would be wise to make a save before you enter Treno.
- Treno Tradition - Appears in the entrance as soon as you gain control of Steiner.
- Pursuit - After Treno Tradition, follow Dagger by going left from the entrance.
- Confusion - After Pursuit, follow Dagger's path down the steps.
- Ambition - After Confusion, take the right exit towards the card stadium.
- Meeting Place - Don't go right at the card stadium. Instead, go back to the entrance (where the fountain is) and follow the exact way you came in. Now go right.
- Unexpected Visitor - Head North towards the Auction House. Going to this screen will further the story and thus lock out all the previous ATEs, which is why you had to take a specific route.
- Crime And Punishment - After Doctor Tot takes you down into Gargan Roo, immediately climb back up the long ladder and then exit his tower to trigger this one.
Cleyra (Disc 2)
- No Yummy-Yummies! - Requires Quina in your party.
- There A Mushroom! - Requires Quina in your party.
- Don't Hate Me
- I-I Haven’t Hurt Anyone
Alexandria - Second Visit (Disc 2)
- Friendship - After rescuing Dagger.
Lindblum - Second Visit (Disc 2)
- The Third Jewel
- Brahne's Fleet Arrives
- How Infuriating
Conde Petie - First Visit (Disc 2)
Again, this is an annoying location as you will miss some ATEs if you enter certain locations without having watched all the ATEs. To guarantee you get them all, follow the exact instructions below.
- Vivi And The Couple - Available in the entrance at the start.
- Quina Accused - Go left from the entrance to the pathway.
- Quina Can't Communicate - Go left again and enter the inn.
- Dagger and William - Head right three screens to the eastern corridor.
- Hungry Bryan - Head right again to the item shop, then go up the stairs and talk to Vivi.
Black Mage Village (Disc 2)
It is highly recommended to make a manual save in the huge forest outside Black Mage Village, because this area is a nightmare and you will almost certainly miss an ATE if not you're prepared. You have to enter screens in exact order.
- Everyday Life - Available in the entrance at the start.
- Life On The Run - Exit the entrance via the Upper Right exit.
- Gourmand's Nose - Enter the item shop to the left, then go left again to be in a screen in front of the item shop and synth shop.
- Different Language - Go back to the entrance the way you came and exit via the Lower Right exit to end up at the chocobo stable.
- Visitor, not invader - Go to the cemetery left of the synth shop.
- Life Cycle - Enter the synth shop and watch the cutscene. This appears after it.
Conde Petie - Second Visit (Disc 2)
- Nuptial Joy - After Zidane and Dagger's ceremony, you must select "Why don't you guys get married, too?" to force this ATE.
Madain Sari (Disc 2)
- Vivi's Feelings - Available in fountain area after the cutscenes.
- Dagger's Feelings - Take the upper right path towards the Eidolon Wall.
- Eiko's Feelings - Return to the fountain
- Eiko’s Kitchen - Try to enter the kitchen, then head back to the fountain.
- Eiko’s Kitchen 2 - Go to the Eidolon Wall and talk to the Moogle. Go back to the fountain and then South to the entrance. Talk to Dagger and head back to the Eidolon Wall. Watch the cutscene, then leave and this ATE will show up.
Alexandria - Third Visit (Disc 3)
- It's So Big
- Long Time No See!
- To Fly High
- Artemicion
- I Forgot! - After Vivi rejoins Zidane.
- Clowns On A Dark Night
Treno - Second Visit (Disc 3)
Again, Treno is a tricky location so we strongly recommend making a save before you enter. Also note that it’s impossible to see all the ATEs below, as you get a choice between Home Sweet Home and Hippo's Prize.
- Eiko Talks Life
- How He Ended Up Here - You can choose between either ‘Stop by at home’ or ‘Stay in Treno’. Both will lead to an exclusive ATE.
- Memories By The Water
- City People - Watch Memories By The Water and then go to the card stadium.
- Good Old Days - Appears after winning the first match in the card tournament. You must select "Of course I'm interested" when given a choice in order to trigger the next ATE.
- Lessons of Life - Must have selected "Of course I'm interested" in Good Old Days.
- Home Sweet Home OR Hippo's Prize - Dependent on the choice made during How He Ended Up Here.
- Hallucination - Appears after winning the second match in the card tournament.
- Premonition - Appears after winning the second match in the card tournament.
Lindblum - Third Visit (Disc 3)
Once again, make a save before you enter Lindblum. This is the last of the tricky locations and it's almost certain you will miss an ATE here if you didn't know about it in advance. Before you return to the castle with all 3 potions, make sure you spend all your Gil (yes, all of it) so that you have less than 50 Gil. The easiest place to do this is the item shop next to Alice as you need to talk to her to receive the Beautiful Potion anyway. Just buy 99 of everything until you have less than 50 Gil.
- My Fault - When you wake up in the guest room, you must ask "Where's Dagger?" when Zidane talks to Blank, then go straight up to the telescope but without either going to the throne room or going back into the guest room and talking to Blank.
- Something Washed Ashore - Must have watched Hallucination in Treno.
- Self-Reproach
- Deep Anger
- My Hammer
- The Rally - You must have saved the Burmecian family from the collapsing roof back in Disc 1.
- No Free Lunch - After collecting all three potions and leaving the royal chamber.
- Give Me My Money - Make sure you have less than 50 Gil and head to the Business District before you go to the Blue Narciss. Go up to the Town Square and a scene will play out with Quina and the Gysahl Pickle lady. If you have less than 50 Gil, Zidane won't be able to pay for the Gysahl Pickle and you will get this ATE when you board the Blue Narciss.
Lindblum - Fourth Visit (Disc 3)
- Team
- Recovery
Bran Bal (Disc 3)
- Place To Call Home - This and the following ATEs are available once you gain control of Eiko in the inn.
- Where The Heart Is - Exit the inn.
- Came Into The World - Walk to the screen on the right.
- The Truth - Walk through to the screen in the north.
Pandemonium (Disc 3)
- The Lift - When you get to the lift, change the switch number to 0 and then on the next screen, try and get on the lift at all three points. A forcefield will knock you back each time. Go back to the lift and change the switch number to 2. Once again, try and get on the lift at all three points and you’ll be knocked back. Go back to the lift and this ATE will be available.
There are exactly 79 Active Time Events (ATEs) that count toward this achievement. There are 83 total in the game, but three are related to learning tutorials and don't count at all (these are called "Teach Me Mogster") and one can not be earned as it is the opposite choice of another. All of these are listed in the missable walkthrough, so again follow that closely to earn them all. You will see "Active Time Event" in the lower left of the screen and a chime sound will play when one is available to view. These are only available for a short time, so press immediately to initiate them.
Most locations are fairly simple and you will earn all the ATEs simply over time spent in the location (so long as you trigger each in turn). However, a few locations must be traversed in specific routes to see all the proper ATEs. Take extra care when arriving in Treno for the first time at the beginning of Disc 2, Conde Petie and Black Mage Village on Disc 2, the second visit to Treno on Disc 3, and finally your third visit to Lindblum on Disc 3. These all have very specific instructions to obtain them all.
For a full list of these chronologically, see here. Again, following the missable thread will get you all of these but just be careful when entering a new location and follow its directions or you will easily miss one.
1. Save before each visit to a new city. (+Alexandria, Treno, and x2 Lindbloom (before and after Esto gas) again after the Iifa tree)
2. Watch ATE as soon as possible.
3. Using the provided saving, we remember which ATEs become inaccessible as the city progresses, and after a reboot we look at them first. If an option disappears from the list, it will no longer appear.
4. Experiment with the sequence of visiting locations. (I had difficulties in Treno and the Village of Black Magicians)
5. We do not go to locations and do not intersect with characters that are affected by any ATE before viewing it in the city where we are.
This should help.
In total we can watch 82 ATEs including 3 trainings (!!! Trainings do not count!!!) . This guide shows the name and condition for the appearance of ATE. If the condition contains "-", the ATE will start without asking.
And now in detail:
The guide is translated from the source, slightly restructured and partially supplemented with personal observations
Previously, they indicated in which locks, when and what ATEs appear, but for some locks there is no specifics for directly obtaining the necessary ATEs.
A text guide (en) that describes the specific procedure for obtaining it: which screens to go to when, when to choose which ATE (there are instructions about Treno and about the village of black magicians).
MB will help someone save time. There are small shortcomings, but they seem to be non-critical (for example, it is not indicated normally that for Give Me My Money! it is necessary, in addition to reducing gil to less than 50 before giving 3 points to Sid, you also need to go to the market after No Free Lunch, talk to Quina and merchant).
In any case, I recommend saving before entering each location where ATEs are expected.
IMPORTANT: You must definitely take Quina to the party immediately after Lindbloom (BEFORE entering the Grotto), otherwise you will miss the ATE in Kleira. Having entered the Grotto without Quina, it will no longer be possible to take her/him to the party before Kleyra.