It might be a shorter list if you ask me what RPGs I haven't played on the system (though I certainly haven't beaten all that I've played). Regardless, I prefer CC to FFIX if that gives you any idea of where I'm coming from. And if you want to talk about ugly character designs...
And for the record, CC's plot did make sense. In fact, it's pretty easy to follow once you get passed the Square-ish philosophical nonsense. But that's been going on since the second disc of FFVII. Part of the reason I liked FFXII so much was because it was a breath of fresh air and said what it meant in simple English. "Stop the bad man!"
Honestly, even beyond the "gotta catch 'em all" characters, it seems like whether or not a person likes Cross depends almost entirely on if they're willing to put up with the vague script. It might be one of the most divisive games on the Playstation. Others possibly being SaGa Frontier (which I loathe) and Dragon Warrior/Quest VII (which I find tedious).
When did CC ever cost anywhere near $70?