Final Fantasy VIII allusions

List of references Final Fantasy VIII makes to previous Final Fantasy titles and other media.

Final Fantasy

 * In the background in one of the Triple Triad tutorials, the player can spot a traditional Black Mage. Black Mages first appeared in the original Final Fantasy.

Final Fantasy V

 * The first time a player catches a chocobo from a forest they are given a chicobo whose default name is "Boko". Boco was Bartz's chocobo in Final Fantasy V.
 * In the Final Fantasy VIII minigame Chocobo World Boko meets a girl chicobo called Koko. Koko was Boco's girlfriend in Final Fantasy V.
 * Final Fantasy V also started the tradition with Chocobo Forests.
 * If the player chooses the "Irish Jig" to play at the Garden Festival concert in Fisherman's Horizon, the party will play the tune of Final Fantasy V town music.

Final Fantasy VI

 * Zell Dincht's Limit Break move My Final Heaven was originally Sabin's ultimate Blitz in Final Fantasy VI, although it was translated as Bum Rush in English. Final Heaven also appears in Final Fantasy VII as Tifa Lockhart's final Limit Break move.

Final Fantasy VII

 * Cactuar Island is based on a similar island inhabited only by Cactuars in Final Fantasy VII.
 * Ultima Weapon first appeared in Final Fantasy VII. It is also carrying the Ultima Weapon, Cloud Strife's best weapon.
 * Zell's Limit Break move, Dolphin Blow, is taken from Tifa Lockhart.
 * Deep Sea Research Center is a hidden island located in the corner of the world map where the player can obtain the game's ultimate summon. Final Fantasy VII had a hidden island in the corner of the map that also housed the game's most powerful summon.

Allusions to the Number Eight
Being the eight instalment of the series, Final Fantasy VIII makes some references to the number.
 * The uniform of a regular G-Soldier has the number eight carved on a plate.
 * The article that tells SeeDs to report to the nearest Garden in case returning to the assigned Garden is not possible, is an article number eight.
 * In Deling City Rinoa advises the party to take the bus number eight. In fact, all buses in Deling City show that number.
 * Edea passes under the archway during her parade at exactly eight o'clock, which was the time for Squall and Irvine to assassinate her.
 * During the Battle of the Gardens those who have student ID numbers ending with an eight, have to take care of the junior classmen.
 * There is an enemy called Mobile Type 8.
 * Centra was destroyed 80 years ago, by Lunar Cry.

Star Wars

 * Biggs and Wedge are named after the Star Wars characters Biggs Darklighter and Wedge Antilles, Luke Skywalker's Red Squadron wingmen in Episode IV: A New Hope.
 * Piet is named after Fleet Admiral Firmus Piett, an Imperial officer from the Star Wars movies.
 * Martine is named Dodonna in the Japanese, Spanish and German version, and in the Italian version he is called Dodonn. In Star Wars, Dodonna was one of the first generals in the Rebel Alliance.

Music

 * The dancers in Edea's parade in Deling City are dancing to the moves of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" music video.

Theatre

 * An NPC female on the platform of Timber's train station mentions "Romeo and Juliet", a play by William Shakespeare.