Comparison

Shadowgate vs FINAL FANTASY Ⅸ

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Shadowgate

Embark on a perilous quest in a reimagined point-and-click adventure. Solve mind-bending puzzles, explore stunning hand-painted rooms, and choose your playstyle with customizable UI and difficulty levels. Uncover secrets and defeat an ancient evil in this classic reborn.

Highlights
  • Customized UI with modern or classic commands
  • Four difficulty levels that alter gameplay
  • First-person adventuring with inventory and mapping
  • Beautifully illustrated rooms with new and familiar locations
  • Mind-bending new and updated puzzles
  • Retro mode with classic graphics and sound
  • Over 50 player achievements
Features
Read full description

REQUIRES iPAD 3 OR NEWER! ALSO WORKS WITH iPHONE 6/6s and 6/6s Plus (However, the optimal experience is on an iPad! as the screen is larger.) NOT COMPATIBLE WITH iPAD 1, iPAD 2 or iPAD MINI (without retina display) Shadowgate is one of the most well-known and beloved point-and-click adventure titles in gaming history. As one of the original titles in the popular MacVenture series that went on to be celebrated on the NES, GBC, and Nintendo 64, Shadowgate quickly endeared players with its fantastic atmospheric soundtrack, perilous locations to progress through, countless puzzles to solve, and more ways to gruesomely die than gamers previously thought possible. Thrust into the role of "The Seed of Prophecy," players travel deep into the living castle, in hopes of defeating the evil that dwells within – the dreaded Warlock Lord. Now, nearly 30 years after the original version haunted Mac and NES gamers, the original development team behind that timeless classic is back with a full re-imagining of the original Shadowgate. Much more than a port, the team at Zojoi has painstakingly redesigned the game from the ground up, adding in tons of new mind-bending puzzles, lots of new rooms with stunning hand-painted 2D graphical detail, and more objects to interact with and help you along your quest. Decide how YOU want to play this new, re-imagined Shadowgate! Want the modern adventure experience? Use the wheel-based icon command system. Want the retro experience? Employ the Classic command system and turn on the retro graphics, soundtrack, text box, and room transitions. Want a more cinematic experience? Switch to Immersive mode by auto-hiding the UI and using customizable hotkeys to explore the castle. Or mix and match the options to satisfy your play style. In Shadowgate, there are plenty of new features and fun throwbacks to the original version to satisfy veteran adventurers and newcomers alike! Key Features: - - Customized UI: Play the way you want! Use modern wheel-based icon commands or the classic on-screen commands. - Difficulty Levels: Four different difficulty levels (from the novice to expert) that actually change the gameplay experience and puzzle structure. - First Person Adventuring: Utilize your inventory, mapping system, and intuitive UI to complete your quest. - Dangerous Dungeons: Tons of beautifully illustrated rooms featuring both new and familiar locations, offering a new gameplay experiences. - Mind-bending Puzzles: Lots of new and updated puzzles that seamlessly expand on the original game. - Retro Mode: Play the game like it’s 1989! Toggle on pixelated graphics, listen to Hiroyuki Masuno’s original NES chip tunes, move between rooms with NES transitions, and enjoy the text in retro format. - Over 50 player achievements to unlock. - Storytelling: Shadowgate features dramatic cut-scenes and all the same great storytelling you expect from the original creators. - Cinematic Score: A digitally-orchestrated, dynamic soundtrack that changes with gameplay by composer Rich Douglas. - Soundscapes: A complete atmospheric and puzzle-based sound design featuring hundreds of sound effects. “If you are a fan of the genre, looking for something difficult to tackle, or wondering why you haven’t played Shadowgate in 30 years, absolutely pick this up.” - 8/10 GameZone “Shadowgate will offer you a journey into darkness, and an adventure unlike anything you have experienced in a long time.” - 8/10 Adventuregamers.com “This new Shadowgate is a superlative remake that should stand as a great example of how to take a cult classic and update it for both new and nostalgic audiences.” - 9/10 Leviathyn.com

About

FINAL FANTASY Ⅸ

Relive a classic JRPG adventure on your mobile device. Explore a rich story with memorable characters, master unique abilities, and engage in strategic turn-based battles. Discover hidden secrets and enjoy various minigames.

Highlights
  • Learn and master abilities by equipping items
  • Enter Trance mode for powerful new skills in battle
  • Combine items and equipment through synthesis
  • Engage in various minigames like Chocobo Hot and Cold
  • Utilize game boosters like high speed and no encounter modes
  • Enjoy high-definition movies and character models
Read full description

-------------------------------------------------- Due to the size of the application, the download may take a considerable amount of time to complete. The app uses 3.9GB of space. When downloading the game for the first time, you must have more than 4GB of space available on your device. Version updates for the app will use more than 4GB of space. Please ensure that there is plenty of space available on your device before downloading. -------------------------------------------------- ■Description Selling over 5.5million copies since its release in 2000, FINAL FANTASY IX proudly returns on iOS! Now you can relive the adventures of Zidane and his crew in the palm of your hands! Enjoy this classic FINAL FANTASY experience with no additional fees or purchases. ■Story Zidane and the Tantalus Theater Troupe have kidnapped Princess Garnet, the heir of Alexandria. To their surprise, however, the princess herself yearned to escape the castle. Through a series of unusual circumstances, she and her personal guard, Steiner, fall in with Zidane and set out on an incredible journey. Meeting unforgettable characters like Vivi and Quina along the way, they learn about themselves, the secrets of the Crystal, and a malevolent force that threatens to destroy their world. ■Gameplay Features ・Abilities Learn new abilities by equipping items. When fully mastered, these abilities can be used even without equipping items, allowing for nearly endless customization options. ・Trance Fill your Trance gauge as you sustain hits in battle. When fully charged, your characters will enter Trance mode, granting them powerful new skills! ・Synthesis Never let items go to waste. Combine two items or pieces of equipment together and make better, stronger items! ・Minigames Whether it's Chocobo Hot and Cold, Jump Rope, or Tetra Master, there are plenty of minigames to enjoy when you're not off saving the world. You can even earn special item rewards! ■Additional Features ・Achievements ・7 game boosters including high speed and no encounter modes. ・Autosave ・High-definition movies and character models. ーーーーーーー Operating System iOS 15.6 or later Recommended Devices iPhone 7, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone 12, iPhone 14, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 16e iPad Pro (3rd Generation), iPad Pro (4th Generation), iPad Air 5 We cannot guarantee proper performance on devices other than those listed above. Please confirm your device model before downloading this app.

Screenshots

Shadowgate4 screens
FINAL FANTASY Ⅸ4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Shadowgate at $2.99 against FINAL FANTASY Ⅸ's $20.99. Shadowgate also leads on rating (4.2 vs 3.2) and review sentiment (62% vs 40%). FINAL FANTASY Ⅸ's advantage is ratings volume (1.4K vs 55) and chart position (#84 vs unranked). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Shadowgate costs $2.99 and FINAL FANTASY Ⅸ $20.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Shadowgate holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FINAL FANTASY Ⅸ has 1.4K ratings behind it against 55, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 62% of Shadowgate's written reviews are positive against 40% of FINAL FANTASY Ⅸ's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Shadowgate versus FINAL FANTASY Ⅸ: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShadowgateFINAL FANTASY Ⅸ
Price$2.99 — better$20.99
Rating4.2 (55 ratings) — better3.2 (1.4K ratings)
Positive reviews62.1% of reviews — better40.1% of reviews
Number of ratings551.4K — better
Update frequencyMonthlyMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank—#84 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS8.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size1.3 GB2.9 GB
Age rating9+12+
DeveloperZojoiSQUARE ENIX

Customer experience

Shadowgate

All ratings55 ratings
Positive83.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.4%
Written reviews58 reviews
Positive62.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative37.9%

FINAL FANTASY Ⅸ

All ratings1,400 ratings
Positive54.6%
Neutral3.6%
Negative41.8%
Written reviews429 reviews
Positive40.1%
Neutral6.1%
Negative53.8%

Bugs and requests

Shadowgate

Reported bugs

31 issues
  • Crashes after intro cinematic
  • App closes when minimized
  • Force quits on loading
  • Game turns black after a minute
  • Unplayable on iPhone X
Show 26 more
  • Auto reboot when minimizing
  • Game crashes after title screen
  • Game turns off and kicks out
  • Force quits all the time
  • Crash on startup
  • Crashes after intro animation
  • Game crashes after the introduction
  • Crashes at the beginning
  • App crashes after title screen
  • Keeps crashing after the initial title screen
  • Crash on startup
  • Crashes at the beginning
  • App crashes after title screen
  • Force quits all the time
  • Game turns off and kicks out
  • Crashes after intro animation
  • Game crashes after the introduction
  • Crashes at the beginning
  • App crashes after title screen
  • Keeps crashing after the initial title screen
  • Crash on startup
  • Crashes after intro animation
  • Game crashes after the introduction
  • Crashes at the beginning
  • App crashes after title screen
  • Keeps crashing after the initial title screen

Requested features

6 requests
  • Remake Deja Vu and Uninvited
  • Add original game as bonus
  • Sequel to Shadowgate
  • Fix background crash issue
  • Add original soundtrack option
Show 1 more
  • Add original UI option

FINAL FANTASY Ⅸ

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Shadowgate

No in-app purchases

None

FINAL FANTASY Ⅸ

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Shadowgate free?
Shadowgate costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is FINAL FANTASY Ⅸ free?
FINAL FANTASY Ⅸ costs $20.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Shadowgate or FINAL FANTASY Ⅸ?
Shadowgate is rated higher. Shadowgate averages 4.2 out of 5 from 55 ratings, while FINAL FANTASY Ⅸ averages 3.2 from 1.4K ratings.
Do Shadowgate or FINAL FANTASY Ⅸ have ads?
Neither Shadowgate nor FINAL FANTASY Ⅸ shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Shadowgate or FINAL FANTASY Ⅸ?
Shadowgate ships an update monthly, and FINAL FANTASY Ⅸ monthly. Most recently, Shadowgate was updated on October 6, 2026 and FINAL FANTASY Ⅸ on October 15, 2026.

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