Final Fantasy VII/Manual/Europe

Europe

 * A STRUGGLE TO DETERMINE THE PLANET'S FUTURE...

IN MIDGAR, a city controlled by the mega-conglomerate Shinra. Inc., the No. 1 Mako Reactor has been blown up by a rebel group, AVALANCHE. AVALANCHE was secretly formed to wage a rebellion against Shinra. Inc., an organisation which is absorbing Mako energy, destroying the natural resources of the planet. Cloud, a former member of Shinra's elite combat force, SOLDIER, was involved with the bombing of the Mako Reactor. Can Cloud and AVALANCHE protect the planet from the huge, formidable enemy, Shinra. Inc.?

SETTING UP
Set up your PlayStationTM and insert the first FINAL FANTASY ® VII disc as described in your Instruction Manual. It is advised that you do not insert or remove peripherals or Memory cards once the power is turned on. Make sure there are enough free blocks on your Memory card before commencing play.

When the demo and credits begin, press the button to advance to the Main Menu, which displays two options: NEW GAME or CONTINUE. Use the UP or DOWN Directional buttons to move the cursor to NEW GAME, and press the button to start a new game.

CONTINUING FROM SAVED DATA
Insert the disc for the previous game and the Memory card with the saved data, then turn ON the PlayStationTM game console. Go to the Main Menu and choose CONTINUE. Select the Memory card slot into which you inserted the Memory card (either SLOT 1 or SLOT 2), and press the button. From the FILE SELECT screen, choose the data file that contains the game you want to resume.

CHANGING DISCS
Occasionally, during FINAL FANTASY ® VII, a screen will appear with the message "Please Insert disc 2 or 3" along with a picture. Without turning off the Console, open the Disc cover and insert the specified disc, then close the Disc cover. The picture randomly changes every time this screen is displayed.

THE CHARACTERS
During the game, you will encounter characters in the story. However, depending on how you play, you may not be able to befriend some of the characters.

The following are the main characters in the game:

CLOUD STRIFE
The main character in FINAL FANTASY ® VII. Originally a member of SOLDIER, he is now a mercenary who will take any job. After being hired by AVALANCHE he gradually gets caught up in a massive struggle for the life of the planet. His enormous sword can cut almost anything in two.

AERIS GAINSBOROUGH
Young, beautiful and somewhat mysterious, Aeris met Cloud while selling flowers on the streets of Midgar. She decided to join him soon after. Her unusual abilities enable her to use magic but she seems more interested in the deepening love triangle between herself, Cloud and Tifa.

TIFA LOCKHEART
Bright and optimistic. Tifa always cheers up the others when they're down. But don't let her looks fool you, she can decimate almost any enemy with her fists. She is one of the main members of AVALANCHE. She and Cloud were childhood friends, and although she has strong feelings for him, she would never admit it.

BARRETT WALLACE
Head of the underground resistance movement AVALANCHE, Barrett is fighting the mega conglomerate Shinra, Inc. which has monopolized Mako energy, building special reactors to suck it out of the planet. Barrett depends on brute strength and his Gun Arm to see him through. His wife died in an accident several years ago, and he now lives with his daughter Marlene.

RED XIII
Just as his name implies, he is an animal with fire-red fur. But under his fierce exterior is an intelligence surpassing that of any human. His sharp claws and fangs make him good at close range fighting, but other than that, not much is known about him. It's not even certain that Red XIII is his real name. A real enigma.

CID HIGHWIND
Cid is a tough-talking, warm-hearted old pilot who hasn't forgotten his dreams. There's no better pilot by air or sea. He believes someday he'll fly to the ends of the universe. With his handmade spear and knowledge of machinery, he throws himself into any attack regardless of danger.

SEPHIROTH
Even amongst the elite troops of SOLDIER, Sephiroth is known to be the best. His past is locked away in a confidential file held by Shinra Inc. His giant sword which only he can handle has extremely destructive power. Said to have disappeared in a battle years ago his current whereabouts are unknown.

YUFFIE KISARAGI
Although you'd never know it if you looked at her, Yuffie comes from a long line of Ninja. She forced herself into the group just to get a "certain something". She's sneaky, arrogant, and "way" selfish. But with her super shuriken and her special skills, there isn't anyone else you'd rather have on your side in a fight.

CAIT SITH
Cait Sith rides around on the back of a huge stuffed Mog he magically bought to life. Megaphone in hand, he's always shouting orders and creating dopey attacks. When his slot machine attack works, the enemy lines look like an overturned toy box. His hobby is fortune telling, but like his personality, it's pretty unreliable.

Vincent Valentine
A mystical man, stern and upright whole at the same time dark and mysterious. His past connection with Shinra Inc. is what made him join Cloud and the others. He may seem frail at first glance but inside his body lurks a fearsome power.

THE CONTROLS
The following is an explanation of the basic controls for FINAL FANTASY ® VII - consult the section on FIELD CONTROLS, BATTLE SCREEN, and MENU SCREEN for more information.

X-button.png button
 NOTE : You can reset your game by pressing and holding down the following buttons simultaneously: L1+L2+R1+R2+SELECT+START

FIELD CONTROLS
In FINAL FANTASY ® VII, you can experience a 3D Field for the first time ever in the Final Fantasy series. Since you will feel as if you are actually in the world, moving around. Dynamic scene-cuts and variations in camera angles provide a cinematic experience. Once in the Field, you can enter names, talk with various characters in the cities, and play Event Games.

VIEWING THE WORLD MAP
As you proceed in the game, you will come across the World Map screen as shown here. At the bottom right corner of the screen, a reduced World Map is displayed. In this map, a broad yellow light beam indicates the direction your character is facing and the character's field of vision. The red dot shows the character's current location. Dots scattered around the map represent towns and villages. If you press the START button while the reduced World Map is displayed, it will switch to the enlarged World Map screen. Press the START button again, and the World Map will disappear from the screen. Ti display the reduced World Map, press the START button once again.

ENTERING NAMES
As you encounter each character, you will be able to customize their name using up to nine letters. If you wish to keep the default name, press the START button to move the cursor to SELECT and push the button to change the character's name, select a letter using the Directional buttons, add a space by selecting SPACE from the side menu and enter each letter using the  button. After a name is entered, select SELECT. If you want to change back to the default name, select DEFAULT. To delete a letter, select DELETE from the side menu.

SELECTING MESSAGES
You can occasionally select a response or reaction when you are talking with other characters in the game. Select the response or reaction by using the UP or DOWN Directional buttons, then press the button.

SHOPS, INNS, ETC
There are various shops, inns etc. throughout the world, where you can buy things you need for your next adventure and rest. You can sell extra weapons or items at any shop, except for Inns. The following are some of these establishments.

INNS
If you rest one night at an inn, the HP and MP of all party members will be completely restored. Also, the abnormality status caused during battles will be reversed. The cost depends on the inn.

WEAPON SHOP
Weapons and armor for your characters are available. NOTE: Not all shops sell weapons and armor for every character.

ITEM SHOP
A number of items for various effects, such as recovery and attacking, are available.

ACCESSORY SHOP
Various accessories are available. Once equipped, they will have various special effects.

MATERIA SHOP
Materia are magic orbs that have a number of positive effects if equipped in weapons or armor. Purchasing Materia is the same as purchasing other goods in other shops, however, it cannot be purchased in bulk like items or weapons.

BEGINNERS HALL
Located above the Weapon shop in the Sector 7 Slums near AVALANCHE headquarters. It is not a shop, but if you talk to people at the Hall (and listen to Cloud), you will learn many helpful things about playing the game.

EVENT GAMES
Some of the events that take place during your adventure require different Controller functions. For instance, there is an event in which you throw barrels at enemies below you. There are other events where you compete, relying on your amount of stamina. Tips may be hidden in messages and screens, so look for them carefully before starting an event. In some cases you will have to complete an event within a certain time limit.

THE BATTLE SCREEN
A typical Battle screen looks like this:

1. Messages during battle are displayed here.

2. Graphics of the party members. The mark above a character's head indicates that you can select commands for that character.

3. Graphics of the enemy characters.

4. Press the SELECT button to display the Help window during battle. Descriptions of the selected commands, monster names, etc. are displayed.

5. The names of the party members, with the Barrier gauge and the MBARRIER gauge are displayed. If the gauge is hidden behind the Command window, you can bring it to the front by pressing the button. At the beginning of a battle, the Barrier and MBARRIER gauges are empty, but if you equip a Materia called Barrier, you can cast a magic spell that reduces the damage sustained by one half. You can fill up the upper Barrier gauge and the lower MBARRIER gauge by casting the magic spell only once, and the defensive effect will last until the gauges are empty. Barrier works as a defense against magic attacks. The Magic Battier is recommended when you fight boss-level enemies.

Commands can be used during a battle: Depending on which Materia is equipped, different commands can be used.

During battle, numbers will appear above your characters and enemies. White numbers indicate damage, while green numbers indicated recovered HP and MP.

The status window shows the current status of the party members. Reading from the left side of the window, you will see: remaining HP, maximum HP (or the current status), remaining MP, and the Limit gauge, Time gauge.

Under each character's HP and MP. The gauges are green when they are full, but turn red as they become depleted.

BATTLE FORMATIONS
In addition to the normal battle formations, enemies may also appear in the following arrangements. Both your characters and enemies will receive twice as much damage if attacked while their backs are facing opponents.

PRE-EMPTIVE ATTACKS
Allows you to enter your commands prior to the enemy's attack. This formation is favourable to your characters.

BACK ATTACK
An attack from behind - your front defense and your rear defense will be reversed. Furthermore, you will always be pre-empted. A real disadvantage for your characters.

SIDE ATTACK
Enemies appear between your characters, allowing you to attack them from both sides. Though you cannot change formations of your characters by using the CHANGE command, this formation is advantageous to your characters.

ATTACK FROM BOTH SIDES
Your characters are caught in the enemies' Side Attack. The enemies will always pre-empt you, and you won't be able to escape. You won't be able to attack all enemies with one magic spell, nor can you change formations using the CHANGE command. In this formation, your characters are at a great disadvantage.

ATB (ACTIVE TIME BATTLE)
1. For battles in FINAL FANTASY ® VII, the ATB (Active Time Battle) system is introduced. Whether ally or enemy, the character whose Time gauge fills up first is given priority for entering commands. Choose commands in order to best attack or to defend yourself from the enemy.

BATTLE COMMANDS
2. The following commands, displayed in the command window, change as you proceed throughout the game depending on the characters in your party.

ATTACK

You attack with equipped weapons. You can also fight your allies by selecting them as attack targets. The same applies to the MAGIC command.

LIMIT

The LIMIT gauge starts filling up with each enemy attack. When the gauge is full, it blinks indicating Limit Break status. At this point, the ATTACK command changes to the LIMIT command. By selecting the LIMIT command, the character will be able to perform his or her unique attack called a LIMIT BREAK. If the battle ends without using the LIMIT BREAK, you can carry it over to the next battle. In this case, the ATTACK command will remain as the LIMIT command. The more damage you sustain from the enemy, the faster the Limit gauge fills up.

MAGIC

When you equip magic Materia on weapons or armor the MAGIC command becomes available and is displayed in the window. Select the magic you want and select who you want to cast it on. For instance, if it is ATTACK magic, select the enemy to attack, and if it is curative magic, select one of your allies. The amount of MP consumed is the same whether it is magic that uses the Materia effect of ALL on multiple enemies or a single enemy. (Magic effective on all enemies is indicated by a red arrow next to the name of the Spell). If magic cannot be cast due to reasons such as insufficient MP, the name of the magic will be displayed in grey.

ITEMS

Items that affect attacks and recovery can be used in battles. Select an item and decide who will use it or against whom it will be used. If it is an attack item, select the enemy. If it is a recovery item, select one of your allies.

CHANGE

This command will appear if you press the LEFT Directional button at the left edge of the battle command window. With this command, you can change the position of your characters from the front line of your battle to the rear. Characters at the rear will incur less damage from the enemy but their damage to the enemy when attacking will be less. Places at the front, the effect will be reversed. The change status will not be carried over to the next battle.

DEFEND

This command will appear if you press the RIGHT Directional button at the right edge of the battle command window. If you use this command, damage incurred will be reduced by half until the TIME gauge fills up.

ESCAPE

If you hold down the L1 and R1 buttons simultaneously, you may be able to escape from battle. Depending on the enemy and battle formations, it is not always possible to escape.

OTHER COMMANDS
As you proceed, you will obtain many Materia. Among them are Materia that will add commands that you can use during battle. For example, there is the SUMMON command, the SENSE command, and the new ENEMY SKILLS command. Only characters equipped with the appropriate Materia can use these commands.

END OF BATTLE
Battles end when you have destroyed all your enemies or when all enemies or your characters have escaped. If you win, GIL, items, experience points (EXP), or Ability Points (AP) which affect Materia growth will be awarded. Their value will vary depending on the type and number of enemies destroyed.

GAME OVER
If all the party members are critically injured or are turned to stone, the game is over. When the game ends, a screen will appear which allows you to to select your Memory card slot. If you have saved data before you can choose the appropriate file to reload and continue the game. However, the data reverts to what it was before the GAME OVER screen appears (including GIL, EXP and items obtained).

STATUS CHANGES
If the character is attacked, his/her status may fall into ABNORMAL status, such as listed below. In many cases, abnormal status can be cured during battles using magic like HEAL or items like HYPER. Also, abnormal status will normally disappear after a battle ends. However, ANEMIC, DISABLE, FURY, or SADNESS can only be cured using appropriate magic or items. Any abnormal status can be cured if the character rests at an inn or in a tent. In addition to the following there are other status conditions that can occur during battles.

MENU SCREENS
HOW TO VIEW MENU SCREENS

Menu screens can be displayed by pushing the button whilst on the Field screen; they contain the following information.

1. Current status of each party member. Reading from the left: the character's image (face), name (e.g. Cloud), level (e.g. LV1), current HP/maximum HP, and current MP/maximum MP are displayed. the two gauge to the right indicate what is required to reach the NEXT LEVEL and the LIMIT LEVEL shows when you can next perform a LIMIT BREAK ATTACK.

2. Commands available to you. However, some of them, such as PHS or SAVE, can only be used at certain locations. Also, PHS and Materia commands can be used only after you obtain items PHS and Materia.

3. Total gameplay time and the total sum of GIL the party has.

4. The location of the party (e.g. MIGAR AREA).

MENU SCREEN COMMANDS
Ten commands are available on the Menu screen; each explained below. To select commands, use the Up and Down Directional buttons, and confirm by pressing the button.

Items
This command enables you to use items mainly for recovery such as POTION or PHOENIX DOWN. If you select this command, the screen shown on the right will appear. If you want to use commands other than USE, press the button, and select the appropriate command.

Use Choose this command to use items you possess. After selecting the item, select the character on whom the item will be used. Any times that cannot be used will be displayed in grey. Press the L1 or R1 button to scroll up and down the list of items.

ARRANGE Choose this command to arrange items. Items can be arranged according to the following criteria:

KEY ITEMS

Displays important items you currently possess, which will affect your progress in the game.

MAGIC
While you are in the Menu screen, you can cast magic for recovery, cure, and check magic like SUMMON or ENEMY SKILL. When this command is selected, the screen shown on right will appear. If you press the L1 or R1 button before you select one of the three commands listed below, other party members can be selected without going back to the menu screen. This applies to other commands, including Materia, EQUP, STATUS, and LIMIT.

MAGIC

Choose this command to use Magic. After selecting the magic, decide upon whom the magic will be cast. Magic Spells available to you are displayed in white while those that cannot be used are displayed in grey. In order to cast each magic, Materia must be equipped on the character's weapon or armor. Press the L1 or R1 button to scroll up and down the list.

SUMMON

Displays the available Summon magic (summon monsters) and their effects. In order to cast the SUMMON MAGIC, Summon Materia must be attached to the character's weapon or armor.

ENEMY SKILL

Displays the current enemy's attacks and their effects. In order to learn the enemy's attacks, a Materia called ENEMY SKILL must be attached to the character's weapons or armor.

ADDED ABILITIES

If special abilities have been gained by equipping Materia such as ALL, it's effects are displayed.

MATERIA
If Materia orbs are inserted into slots in weapons or armor, various abilities become available. Select this command in order to equip or to see its abilities. To equip the Materia, move the finger cursor to the slot in the weapon or armor, and press the button. Materia not equipped by other characters are available, so choose the one you want to use and press the button. To remove Materia, select the slot where it is equipped, and press the button.

1. The number of slots available in the weapons and armor currently equipped on the characters are displayed here.

2. The Ability of the Materia equipped in the slot is shown.

3. Information on the equipped Materia. Including the name of the Materia, the level, the AP (Ability Point), the required AP to reach the next level, future abilities, and the effects of the Materia.

ABILITY LIST

Abilities given to the character by equipping the Materia are displayed. Available Abilities are shown in white. Abilities in grey are not yet available.

EQUIPMENT EFFECTS

By equipping certain Materia, a character's STRENGTH, MAGIC, MAX HP (maximum HP), or MAX MP (Maximum MP), may change. If any of these values increase, the increased value will be shown in yellow. If they decrease, the decreased value will be displayed in red.

AP (ABILITY POINT)

The APs (Ability Points) gained up to now for the Materia. APs are gained if you win battles. Materia that is not equipped on weapons or armor (that is, if you just possess it), will not obtain APs. If the AP exceeds the value of TO NEXT LEVEL (required points for the next level), shown on the right, the Materia level goes up, and the number of available abilities increases and the effects will be stronger. Most Materia can go up to level 5.

Move the finger cursor to Check and press the button. Commands and Magic available to the character during the battle due to the Materia will be listed. By using ARRANGE, un-equipped Materia can be arranged, or all equipped Materia can be removed at once. Also any excess Materia can be disposed of.

Move the finger cursor to the slot for Materia and push the button. Materia in your possession (not equipped) and their effects when equipped are displayed.

MATERIA TYPES
Various types of Materia appear in the game. Materia can be divided into five groups based on their Abilities.

INDEPENDENT MATERIA
Purple MATERIA. This enhances the character's status, such as maximum HP and strength.

SUPPORT MATERIA
Blue Materia. This Materia shows full effect when used in conjunction with other Materia, such as ALL or HP PLUS. Make sure you insert this Materia in linked slots (either slot is OK) when equipping this Materia in a weapon or armor. Insert Command Materia or Magic Materia in the other slot. The effects of these Materia will be enhanced with Support Materia.

COMMAND MATERIA
Yellow Materia. This will increase the number of commands that can be used during battle, such as Steal and Throw.

MAGIC MATERIA
Green Materia. This will enable you to cast a number of Attack Magic and Curative Magic.

SUMMON MATERIA
Red Materia. This will enable you to cast Summon Magic during battle, in order to call a SUMMON MONSTER.

EQUIP
This command equips characters with weapons, armor, and accessories. Even if weapons or armor have been acquired, they will not become effective unless equipped.

WPN
Weapons. Once a character has equipped weapons, their ATTACK POWER and ATTACK % STATUS will change. (To view the Status, choose the weapon currently equipped and press the button). If you have other weapons available to equip, they will be displayed in the lower right box. Select the weapon to equip, and press the button. The status change is shown in two columns in the lower box. The left value indicates the Status of the equipped weapons, while the right indicates the Status of the one you want to equip. Yellow numbers mean that the Stats will increase, and red numbers mean that they will decrease. To remove an equipped weapon, select that weapon and press the button.

ARM

Armor. When a character is equipped with armor, the DEFENSE, MAGIC DEF (magic defense), DEFENSE % and MAGIC DEF % (magic defense %) will change. ARMOUR equips in the same fashion as weapons.

MATERIA SLOTS

The number of Materia slots in corresponding weapons or armor is indicated here. The linked slots are for using Support Materia and other types of Materia in conjunction to increase the power of Abilities.

MATERIA GROWTH

The number of Materia is indicated. The speed varies depending on the weapons and armor. NORMAL does not change the speed, but DOUBLE doubles the APs obtained. On some weapons and armor, Materia does not grow at all.

ACCESSORIES

Various effects can be gained by wearing accessories. Some accessories change the character's Status. Accessories equip in the same fashion as weapons and armor.

STATUS
The current STATUS of the character is displayed. Press the button to display current properties.

1. The current condition of each party member is displayed. Reading from the left are: the character's Image (face), name, LEVEL, current HP/maximum HP, current MP/maximum MP, and total EXP. Also, there are gauges that indicate required EXP to reach the next level and required limits to perform Limit Break Attacks.

2. Each party member's current Status values are show here. Reading from the top are: STRENGTH, DEXTERITY, VITALITY, MAGIC, SPIRIT, LUCK, ATTACK, ATTACK %, DEFENSE, DEFENSE %, MAGIC ATTACK, MAGIC DEFENSE and MAGIC DEFENSE %.

3. A window listing battle commands available to the character is displayed.

4. Weapons equipped on the character, number of Materia slots, types (colours) of Materia equipped, and accessories equipped on the character are displayed.

ELEMENTS
(Reach this screen by pressing the button on the STATUS SCREEN)

By equipping certain weapons, armor or accessories, each character can gain special Elemental abilities useful for both offence and defense. When the character obtains these Elements, the name of each Element is shown in white. The nine Properties are FIRE, ICE, LIGHTNING, EARTH, POISON, GRAVITY, WATER, WIND and HOLY.

ATTACK

When you attack enemies who have certain Elements as their weak points, you can give them twice as much damage. On the other hand, if the enemy is resistant to those Elements, you can give them only half as much damage, or in the worst case, the damage may become void or absorbed.

ATTACK EFFECTS OF EACH ELEMENT

HALF REDUCTION

When attacked by enemies with certain Elements, the damage incurred will be reduced to one half.

VOID

When attacked by enemies with certain Elements, no damage will be incurred.

ABSORB

When attacked by enemies with certain Elements, the damage will be absorbed as your own character's HP.

STATUS

Certain weapons and armor provide enemies with abnormal status, or protect you from those abnormal status. If any of the weapons or armor currently equipped has such effects, the name of the Elements will be displayed in white.

ATTACK

When attacking the enemy, in addition to inflicting the usual damage, you can provide abnormal status in the Elements (for example, POISON, SLEEP).

FORMATIONS
This command is used to change the character's positions or to move them to the front or the rear of the ranks. Select the character, and choose the location to move the character (or choose the character to switch places with). To change the character from the front line to the rear, move the finger cursor to the character and double press the button.

FRONT

By moving your character to the front, ATTACK Power will increase, and DEFENSE will decrease. ATTACK power and DEFENSE against Magic doesn't change.

REAR

By moving your character to the rear, DEFENSE will increase, and ATTACK power will decrease. ATTACK Power and Defense against Magic doesn't change.

ABNORMAL STATUS PROPERTIES

When the enemy tries ti cause Abnormal Status to the character, the attack by the Element can be avoided (for instance, POISON, SLEEP).

LIMIT
By using this command, you can perform LIMIT BREAK ATTACKS when your character reaches LIMIT BREAKS during battles. You can also find out the effects of the ATTACKS. LIMIT GAUGES are displayed at the upper right corner, which shows the progress towards the next Limit Break.

Initially, you can only use one Level 1 attacks, but as you go through a number of battles, the characters will learn higher level attacks. To select an attack to perform, move the finger cursor to the SET button on the screen and press the button. Then select the BREAK LEVEL shown in white at the bottom of the screen. You will be asked whether you want to change the BREAK LEVEL. If you want to change it, choose YES, and the limit gauge will return to zero; if not choose NO.

To find the effects of the LIMIT BREAK ATTACKS, move the finger cursor to CHECK on the screen, and press the button. Select the level of the attack you want to check, then select the attack's name.

WHEN YOUR STATUS IS FURY OR SADNESS

If your status becomes FURY, the Limit gauge fills up faster and s shown in red. If your status becomes SADNESS, the Limit gauge fills up slower and is shown in blue. Abnormal conditions such as FURY or SADNESS can be cured with the appropriate items or magic.

CONFIG
By using this command, you can change the game system according to your preference. Use the Directional buttons to select various options, then press the button to confirm.

NOTE: You cannot exit the Controller CONFIG screen if you have more than one button assigned to the same command.

WINDOW COLOR

The colours of the four corners of the window background can be changed by mixing the three colours, RED, GREEN, and BLUE. Press the button in order to move the finger cursor to the right window. Use the Directional buttons to select the corner of the box you wish to change, then press the button. Change colours using the LEFT or RIGHT Directional buttons, and press the button. When you have finished changing colours of all four corners, press the button again.

SOUND

The sound mode can be changed between MONO and STEREO.

CONTROLLER

The Controller settings can be changed to NORMAL or CUSTOMIZE. To choose CUSTOMIZE press the button to display the window, then press the START button to make your selection. The finger cursor will appear to the left of the buttons in the box. Select the button you want to change by using the UP or DOWN Directional buttons. Then push the button you want assigned to that function. When you finish customizing your button settings, press the LEFT or RIGHT Directional button.

NOTE: You will not be able to exit the Controller Configuration screen if you have assigned more than one button to the same command.

CURSOR

Even after you close the window, the last position of the finger cursor can be stored.

ATB

You can set the time flow during battles to one of the following three options:

BATTLE SPEED

Speed of time flow during battles can be changed.

BATTLE MESSAGES

Message speed during battles can be changed.

FIELD MESSAGE

Message speed in the Field screen can be changed.

CAMERA ANGLE

Screen angles during battles can be changed.

AUTO the button. Select the Save command by using the Direction buttons and press the button. Select the Memory card slot in which the Memory card in inserted (SLOT 1 or SLOT 2). Memory cards just purchased are not formatted. In that case the game will ask you whether you would like to format it or not - format the card following the on-screen instructions.

Use the UP and DOWN Directional buttons to select the file in which you want to store the saved data and press the button. You can also use the L1 and R1 buttons to scroll up and down the Memory card files. Though only three files appear on the screen, other saved files will appear if you press the UP and DOWN Directional buttons. Up to 15 saved files can be stored on one Memory card. If the Memory card already contains other game data, fewer files will be available.

 NOTE : Non FINAL FANTASY ® VII saves are shown as an EMPTY FILE.

VEHICLES & MACHINES
As you proceed in the adventure, you will be able to travel in a variety of vehicles. By using these vehicles, places not accessible by foot can be reached. Many different vehicles and machines will become available during the game. Instructions on using each vehicle will appear as you use it for the first time.

CHOCOBO
If you have a Materia called CHOCOBO LURE, you can catch a Chocobo in certain areas on the World Map screen by walking on the Chocobo's tracks. Various Chocobos can move around areas you cannot reach by foot, such as rivers, seas and mountains.

You can get off a Chocobo by pressing the button. Once you do that, the Chocobo will run away. You cannot ride the same Chocobo more than once. In order to ride another Chocobo, you must catch one again. Riding a Chocobo is the same as walking except for the use of the button.

HOW TO CATCH A CHOCOBO

Once you have walked on the footprints, you are taken to a battle screen, where you will see a Chocobo, and some other enemies. It is very important not to attack or frighten the Chocobo as it will run away. What you must do is attack all the other enemies, and after defeating them, the Chocobo will become yours.

Not all Chocobos run away after you get off of them, as it is possible to hold some at the Chocobo stables. There are also different types of Chocobo distinguished by their colour, a Blue one can travel in the shallow water, a Green one can cross Mountains, a Black one can cross shallow waters, rivers and Mountains, and a Gold one can go anywhere.

TO HELP YOU ON YOUR WAY ...
At the start of the game, you'll have 3 Potions, a Phoenix down and an Ether. You can't equip Materia until you reach Midgar City by the way.

Once you leave the train, check the bodies of the two guards to get two Potions. Head towards the end of the train where you'll be attacked by some guards. Once you've defeated them, move left to go outside. Now talk to all your teammates (Biggs,Wedge, and Jessie), then name yourself and Barrett. Make your way to the northwestern door, and head up in the next room to enter the heart of the power plant.

Talk to Barrett, (who joins you) and then talk to each AVALANCHE member to open the doors. After opening the second door, head right to enter another chamber with a treasure chest (Phoenix down). Then, go back and enter the elevator (talk to Jessie first). Press the arrow switch to activate it.

Work your way down to stairs and go through the door to the left. Then follow Jessie down the ladder. When she stops, search the area in front of her for a Potion. Climb down the cross the pipes, descend the nearby ladder, and take note of the Save Point before heading down the walkway.

Pick up the Restore Materia on the ground in the next area and set the bomb. An alarm will sound you'll have to fight the boss, the giant scorpion.

BOSS TIPS: Scorpion Guard
Cloud's Bolt magic works well. Don't worry about the boss' infinity-symbol ray, just let Barrett attack. When you've done enough damage, the boss will start to shake and Cloud will talk to Barrett. From this point onward, don't attack the boss, just heal yourself or simply guard until the boss attacks you. If you try to hurt it during this time, the boss responds with a damaging laser ray shot from its tail. A few more hits after it stops shaking and the boss dies. You'll get an Assault Gun when you kill it.

You now have ten minutes to escape from the power plant. You'll need to make your way back to the upside-down T-shaped entrance hall where one of the AVALANCHE members is waiting. Talk to the one member waiting for you at the top of the stairs and ladders to make her jump over you and get out. Since Barrett gets a new gun after the battle, be sure to equip it. Also, talk to the other members to open the two doors on your way back.

CREDITS

 * SQUARE SOFT INC.


 * SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT EUROPE


 * TRANSLATION CREDITS