Final Fantasy VIII: US/Japanese Differences Ver. 1.5 Written by: Yuzu-chan and Musashi e-mail: YuzurihaX@aol.com kirei_musashi@team-rocket.net This FAQ was created out of complete boredom. Yuzu got the Japanese version of FF8 in Japan a few weeks before it was released here in the States. So, while sitting in math together, we came up with a list of the differences in the two version. If anyone has any more info, then feel free to e-mail either of us and you'll be given credit. History of this FAQ: -------------------- Version 1.0 (12/7/99) - Initial release Version 1.1 (1/23/00) - Added more stuff to the Other Changes section (Fuujin, Missed GFs, Booshaka, The TV Station). - Fixed information about the Tutorial. Version 1.2 (2/14/00) - Added info to The TV Station - Added more stuff to the Other Changes section (Deep Sea Research Facility). Version 1.5 (3//00) - Reformatted Monster/Boss list - Alphabetized Monster/Boss, GF/Magic and Limit Break lists - Added some commentary to several Other Changes - Changed the format of the Other Changes section (Put in alpha-order according to title name) - Added more stuff to the Other Changes section (Watts) - Fixed Booyaka (formerly Booshaka) name Table of Contents ----------------- I. Name Changes a. Monster/Boss names b. GF/Magic names c. Limit Break names II. Other Changes Booyaka Deep Sea Research Facility Fire Cave Fuujin Hot Dogs? Missed GFs Odekake Chocobo RPG The TV Station Tutorial Watts III. Credits/Disclaimer %%%%%%%%%%%%%%% I. Name Changes %%%%%%%%%%%%%%% As with all the other FF games, the names of things have been changed to make it more familiar sounding to American gamers. This is a list of the name changes that we found by using the FF8 Strategy Guide published by Brady Games and also FF8: Ultimania published by DigiCube. All names marked with * indicate the romanization of the word. If anyone has any info about it, or possible explanations on what it could be, please tell either one of us. Also, there are some monsters missing; their names are in Kanji that neither of us could figure them out. We know the English names, but we don't know the Japanese names. If anyone knows, or can read Kanji, please tell us and you'll be credited. ********************* a. Monster/Boss names ********************* This list is pretty long...sorry. We tried to get as many name changes as we could. But, there's still some kanji we can't read *hint, hint* English Japanese ---------------------------------- Adamantoise Adamantaimai Anacondaur Hedge Viper Armadodo Esansuushi* Belhelmel Belhelmelhel Blobra Purinura Blue Dragon Dragon Izolde Cactrot Sabotender Caterchipiller Kedachiku* Chimera Chimera Plain Death Claw Wild Hook Droma Arinyumen* Elastoid Invincible Elvoret Elviole Esthar Soldier (Cyborg) Esthar Soldier (Terminator) Fastitocalon Fokaroru* Fastitocalon F Fokaroru* (Small) Forbidden Life Forbidden Funguar Fungo Ongo Geezard Hau Lizard Gerogero Namutaru-Utoku* Glacial Eye Gaze Eye Grand Mantis Gran Dearo* Hexadragon Melt Dragon Ifrit Efreet Iguion Shumeruke* Imp Garukimasera* Jelleye Double Hugger Jumbo Cactrot Jumbotender Krysta Kokyuutosu* Lefty Doromani* Malboro Marlboro (yes, like the cigarette; they use smelly breath on you ^_^) NORG-Left POD Saguto-Hisaari* NORG POD Seruto-Hisaari* NORG-Right POD Soruto-Hisaari* Oilboyle Oil Shipper Pupu Koyo Koyo Red Bat Red Mouse Red Giant Urufuramaitaa* Righty Gomani* Ruby Dragon Rubrum Dragon Snow Lion Goujushiiru* Sorceress Majou (Witch) Sphinxaur/Sphinxara Sphinx/Andol Torama Cuar Trauma Dorumen* T-Rexaur Alkeodinos Tri-Point Tri-Edge Turtapod Granatum UFO UFO? ***************** b. GF/Magic names ***************** Not too many things here...at least, not as much as the monster section ^_^;; English Japanese ---------------------------------- Cura Carera Curaga Carega Cure Care Cactrot Sabotender Demi Gravity Doom Train Gurasharaborasu* Fira Firera Firaga Firega Float Levitate Full-Life Araise Ifrit Efreet Life Raise Meltdown Merton Scan Libra Sleep Sleepel ******************** c. Limit Break names ******************** There are even less here, actually...oh well... English Japanese ----------------------------------------------------------------- Angel Wing (Rinoa's second Limit Break) Valley Bad Breath (One of Quistis' Blue Magics) Smelly Breath Booya (One of Zell's Duels) Head Shock Full-Cure (One of Selphie's Slot magics) Full Care Invincible Moon (One of Rinoa's Angelo Limit Breaks) Invisible Moon Lion Heart (Squall's final finishing move) End of Heart Punch Rush (One of Zell's Duels) Rush Punch Rapture (One of Selphie's Slot magics) Levitaga Scatter Shot (One of Irvine's Shots) Grape Shot Wishing Star (One of Rinoa's Angelo Limit Breaks) Wish Star %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% II. Other Changes %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% This is the only part that I (Yuzu) wrote alone. So if you see things that are wrong, or you just want to give me comments, then e-mail me, not Musashi. Also, this isn't complete, because I haven't finished playing through the English version yet. Once I do, I'll (hopefully) update this section. Also, this is just a small warning, but I tend to ramble on about stuff that makes me mad. Change makes me mad. Therefore, most of the following entries will probably have rants attached to them. ******** Booyaka ******** In Selphie's Diary (on her web page), she says she is trying to get people to use Booshaka. In Japanese, she is trying to get people to use Ma-mi-mu-me-mo (The 'M' line in hiragana, for those of you who know a Japanese), which is kinda weird...it'd be like trying to get people to say A-B-C-D-E. ************************** Deep Sea Research Facility ************************** On Disc 3, after beating Bahamut here, on the way down to Ultima Weapon, in the Japanese version you get into fights every 2 steps. If you have Enc. Half on, then you'll get into battle every 4 steps. If you have Enc. None on, then you'll get into battle every 8 steps. This is pretty much the same as the US version, but with one major difference: If you have Enc. None on before you go inside, then you'll get into no battles at all. ********* Fire Cave ********* This is probably one of the biggest differences that I've found so far...In the English version, at the Fire Cave (waaaaay at the beginning), you have to choose the time it'll take you to go in, find and kill Ifrit. In the Japanese version, however, you choose the time it'll take you to go in, find the GF, kill it, then get back out. Why they changed it, I don't know. There was nothing wrong with it that they needed to change it in the first place. ****** Fuujin ****** When Fuujin talks in English, she speaks only one word in all caps. In Japanese, she speaks only in one Kanji, which gives the impression that she might be speaking Chinese...(well, kinda.) But I guess they didn't do too bad of a job trying to find a similar thing for her to do in English, so I have no complaints on this one. ********* Hot Dogs? ********* At Balamb Garden, there is a really popular food that always sells really fast at the cafeteria. In English, it's hot dogs, but in Japanese, it's bread...I can understand the bread thing (bread is _really_ expensive in Japan and they make all different kinds, like Curry Bread or Apple Bread, etc.) but hot dogs? The only places I know where hot dogs are popular are at baseball games and at my cousin's house (he lives off hot dogs -_-). ********** Missed GFs ********** In the Japanese version, you can't get the GFs you missed by drawing them at Ultimecia's castle, which makes things more difficult, but challenging. ******************* Odekake Chocobo RPG ******************* Odekake Chocobo was an extra RPG built in with FF8 that can only be played by using the Pocket Station. Unfortunately, you can't get the Pocket Station here in the States, unless you import it, so you can't play it. However, I heard from my cousin (who worked for Electronic Arts, the people who made FF8 playable for the PC) that the PC version will include Odekake Chocobo. If you have the Pocket Station, then you can use the English version of FF8 to play Odekake Chocobo (ChocoWorld). ************** The TV Station ************** On the way to the TV station, when you pass by the big TV, a diaglogue box pops up in the Japanese version saying something like "Get me back I am alive" or something...and the grammar is really weird. This doesn't happen in the English version. In actuality, these words are actually a radio interference, displaying Adel's thoughts. When I get a chance, I'll put the words up here under a new section ^_^ ******** Tutorial ******** This is the most annoying difference, I think. In the English version, there's all these stupid pop-up Tutorial things that explain everything, which you can skip by pressing the cancel button. In the Japanese version, most of the time, there's no tutorial things that pop up for no reason. I mean, yeah, Quistis is Squall's instructor, but she doesn't have to explain everything, does she? ***** Watts ***** Watts is a member of the resistance group Forest Owls. In English, he calls everyone "sir." In Japanese, he uses "ssu" at the end of all his sentences. I have a speculation about this, but I could be wrong. Sir is usually used to be respectful. Well, in Japanese, the polite for of all verbs have a "su" at the end, and the verbs always come at the end of the sentence in Japanese. So maybe he's trying to be polite in Japanese, too? But I really don't think this is true...usually, "ssu" is slangy and used by younger people. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% III. Credits/Disclaimer %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% This FAQ is copyright 1999-2000 by Yuzu-chan and Musashi. Final Fantasy VIII is copyright Square 1999. This FAQ is for noncommercial purposes. You are free to use it for this purpose if it is not altered in any way and if we are credited. Also, it would be nice if you either asked for permission first or informed either of us that you put it up on your page. That way, we can send you an updated version ^_^ Thanks to: ---------- Yuzu's brother (JRMayoMan@aol.com)- for allowing us to use his FF8 game and strategy guide. Square - for making such a beautiful game (with cool bishounen, too ^_^) Brady Games - for publishing their FF8 Strategy Guide (in English) DigiCube - for publishing their FF8 Ultimania Strategy Guide (in Japanese) Mr. Ujinmo (MRUJINMO@aol.com)- for letting me know that you can skip the tutorials that pop up. (Yes, I know a lot of you have said the same thing, but he was first). Meliadoul the Wizard (mel_the_wizard@hotmail.com) - for telling me about the missed GFs thing. John Roberts (dakkon1096@world.att.net) - for telling me that the weird English text at the radio station is Adel's thoughts and for telling me about the thing in the Deep Sea Research Facility. Marci (r_greathouse@yahoo.com) - for telling me the correct word Selphie uses. *********************************************************************** The newest version of this FAQ can be found at: Game FAQs (http://www.gamefaqs.com) Final Fantasy VIII: The Last Resort (http://members.xoom.com/terry_cyh) Final Fantasy 8 Industry (http://www.fantasysquare.com)