The Steam version of Final Fantasy IX has a bunch of things that really change how the game is/can be played. Kind of like how Final Fantasy VIII had a 'magic booster', Final Fantasy IX has SEVEN boosters. Some can be toggled on/off, but there are others that are permanent. Toggle-able boosters and the default keys to which their functions are mapped are as follows: Auto-battle (J), High-Speed (F1), Battle-Assistance (F2), Max-Damage (F3), and No Encounters (F4). Permanent boosters: Master All Abilities (F5), Set Level and Magic Stones to Max (F6), and Max Gil (F7). The only way to revert back from permanent boosters would be to reload an earlier save, although activating those tied to achievements will automatically unlock the achievements.
Since these boosters are an intended part of the Steam version of Final Fantasy IX, it is not considered 'cheating' to unlock Steam achievements this way. So, essentially, it is up to you whether you want to go for the achievements with or without them. Some of the toggle-able ones also greatly help with certain achievements also, so, again, decide whether you want to be a purist and go for them without assistance (like you're playing the original on PS1) or if you want to make use of these boosters to save time. If this is your first time playing Final Fantasy IX, I recommend playing the game once without any boosters, just so you can enjoy and appreciate the game.
Aside from that, save often, and don't overwrite save files. Just in case it wasn't obvious. I also highly recommend going for Excalibur II on a separate save. Now, it is possible to get it and get every other achievement on a single playthrough, but you basically have to be the unequaled god of the game and be an exceptional planner. There are guides out there for 'perfect runs', although, as these guides themselves state, you can't actually get everything and have fully maxed out characters in a single playthrough. You have to make certain choices between mutually exclusive choices. Although it is probably way easier on Steam with the boosters and all.
Final Fantasy IX also has a bunch of optional mini-games. Said mini-games range between being fun and addictive to being absolutely infuriating. Aside from the card game, Tetra Master, there's: the jump-rope mini-game, the sprint race mini-game, the Nero brothers' mini-game, the frog-catching mini-game, the Chocobo mini-games (yes, plural!), the mail delivery mini-game, the mining mini-game, an optional series of 'friendly' encounters (including Ragtime Mouse's pop quiz), and a hidden black-jack mini-game that is accessible from the Title Screen (the PS1 version's way of accessing this mini-game was more convoluted). Most of these are tied to side-quests, but others are not. All of them are tied to achievements, though.
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