Final Fantasy VIII version differences

The following is a list of version differences between releases of Final Fantasy VIII.

PlayStation

The original iteration of Final Fantasy VIII was released in Japan on February 11, 1999.

North America and Europe

• The NTSC and PAL versions released in 1999 on September 9th in North America, October 27th in Europe and October 29th in Australia. The game underwent a number of changes, one of which are exclusive to specific regions:

Gameplay changes

• By default, the button is used to confirm, to cancel, and to enter the menu, rather than to confirm, to cancel, and to enter the menu. Buttons can still be re-mapped in-game.
• Icons are used for elements and statuses, while the icons for Guardian Force abilities are different.
• Additional tutorials are added, and tutorials now appear automatically throughout the story.
  • "Icon Explanation" and "Online Help" are added to the Tutorial menu. These replace the Junction and GF tutorial options, which are featured under Online Help with the other tutorials.
• The option to sort magic by type is added to the Rearrange section of the Magic menu.
• Junction exchanging between party members is added.
  • The "Switch" option in the main menu is now unlocked upon meeting Quistis at Balamb Garden's front gate, rather than after leaving Timber.

Ifrit needs to accumulate AP to learn Elem-Atk-J in the original JP version.

• Ifrit and Siren now, respectively, have Elem-Atk-J and ST-Atk-J learned by default.
• The enemies Torama, Iron Giant, Elnoyle, and Behemoth have different HP formulas.
• The description for Selphie's Flail in the Weapons Monthly magazine is called "nunchaku" in the NTSC versions and "shinobou" in the English PAL version. This does not apply to the Italian, Spanish, German, and French versions.

Balamb Garden

• Attempting to leave Balamb Garden the first time without having obtained Quezacotl and Shiva from the Study Panel will result in Quistis giving them to Squall. The tutorial for junctioning abilities is also displayed automatically.
• At the entrance to Fire Cavern, instead of asking if Squall has GFs equipped, Quistis will give a tutorial on junctioning magic and offer a tutorial for Squall's gunblade.

Fire Cavern

• During the timed exam, defeating Ifrit now stops the timer, rather than having to also return to the entrance. The timer will keep running until the player has named Ifrit, however.
• After defeating Ifrit, Quistis will give a tutorial for junctioning elemental magic.
• The two Garden Faculty examiners will already depart by the time the player reaches the entrance.
• Upon returning to Balamb Garden, Quistis will give the tutorial for learning GF abilities.

Siege of Dollet

• In the scene in the SeeD Personal Carrier Vehicle when the SeeD candidates are departing for Dollet, an additional line is added in which Zell asks to see Squall's gunblade.

Training Center

• Quistis now gives a tutorial for junctioning status magic.

Forest Owls' Base

• A tutorial is given for Angelo's abilities
• Gerogero's organs are changed from red to blue. This change also applies to its Triple Triad card.

The message within the interference shown in a dialogue window in the Japanese version.

Timber

• The scrolling text displayed on the Outdoor TV is removed. The "hidden message" within the radio interference is now less obvious, as it is no longer spelled out in a text box, instead only shown on the animated background.

Deling City

• General Caraway's armband color is changed from red to blue.

Laguna dream sequences

• If the player reads the Timber Maniacs magazine in the Shumi Village before the fourth dream sequence in the Vienne Mountains, Ward will not be in the party.
• When attempting to discard a spell in Laguna's party, the name displayed is that of the wielder rather than the party member it is linked to in Squall's party.

Tears' Point

• Tears' Point is now accessible after time compression has commenced, allowing the player to acquire the Solomon Ring.

Ultimecia Castle

• All Guardian Forces that could be drawn from bosses, as well as Cerberus, can now be obtained in Ultimecia Castle if the player previously missed them, by drawing them from Ultimecia's minions excluding Sphinxaur and Sphinxara. As several abilities are sealed, the player must unlock the Draw command after defeating Sphinxara should they need to acquire the Guardian Forces:
  • Siren is obtained from Tri-Point.
  • Carbuncle is obtained from Krysta.
  • Leviathan is obtained from Trauma.
  • Pandemona is obtained from Red Giant.
  • Cerberus is obtained from Gargantua.
  • Alexander is obtained from Catoblepas.
  • Eden is obtained from Tiamat.
• Catoblepas's level caps at 57 instead of 100.
• The red blood in the Armory is changed to green.

Greatest Hits/Platinum version

• The first sentence of Bahamut's Scan description in the English language release had a typo; "Called the King of GF; its Mega Flare ignores all defense, giving a powerful blo". This error is corrected so that the first line ends with simply "ignores all defense".

PC version (2000)

A PC port of Final Fantasy VIII was released in 2000 on January 25th in North America, February 18th in Europe and March 23rd in Japan. This port removed specific features from the original PlayStation release and implemented several changes that later versions would incorporate:

Gameplay changes

• The introduction before the title screen is now out of sync.
• Higher-resolution 480p FMVs are used, albeit with macroblocking.
• An updated typeface.
• Faster speed during transitions, including saving, loading and traveling on the field.
• Controller button prompts are labeled through B1 to B10.
• Two game folders with thirty save slots each, replacing the memory cards with fifteen slots each.
• Exclusive features from the DualShock controller are removed:
  • Analog precision is removed; all movement is limited to eight directions.
  • Rumble support is removed.
  • Analog vehicle controls are removed.
• In Ultimecia Castle, several keys are removed from the organ: SO, LA, TE, and DO.
• The Chocobo World game can be played without the PocketStation, enabling the player to acquire and transfer the exclusive items as well as increase Boko's level in order to expand his attacks from ChocoFire (ChocoFlare, ChocoMeteor, ChocoBocle).
• Siren's Tool-RF can refine 1 Dark Matter from 100 Curse Spikes at any time instead of having to get Siren to level 100. This also applies to Doomtrain's Forbid Med-RF when refining 1 Holy War-trial from 10 Shaman Stones.
• Omega Weapon's level now scales based on the party's level and no longer at level 100.
• Credits for the PC version can be viewed from the main menu.

Visuals

• Higher-quality character and GF models and portraits are used.
• UV mapping issues are present.
• The battle user interface runs at 15fps instead of 60fps, resulting in visual problems that can affect gameplay:
  • Less fluid cursor selection.
  • The cursor doesn't flicker.
  • Boosting a GF takes longer.
  • Limit Breaks inputs are harder and less precise.
• The portals that Leviathan and Tonberry emerge from and the clouds during Bahamut's summon animation are missing, while the beam from Eden's Eternal Breath no longer flashes.
• Slowdown during certain attacks:
  • Rinoa's Wishing Star.
  • Eden's Eternal Breath.
  • Gilgamesh's attacks.
  • Jumbo Cactuar's abilities.
  • The final battles against Ultimecia.

Audio

• The music is reduced to a MIDI quality to compensate for the sound hardware available at the time.
• A Sound slider is added to the Config menu that enables volume adjustment of the SFX, replacing the option for Mono sound.
• When summoning Quezacotl, the first three of Thunder Storm's four sound effects are replaced with the audio for summoning Phoenix.
• Background music resets after battles.

PC version (2013)

An upscaled port of the original PC release of Final Fantasy VIII released for Steam on December 5th, 2013. Numerous changes were implemented:

• Compatibility for Windows XP and newer versions are supported.
• A launcher is implemented before accessing the game. Here, settings can be changed and data not stored in save files viewed.
  • 45 achievements are added to the game.
  • A cloud save feature allows files to be saved to the internet and synced to the web. This does not replace local saves.
  • Controls can be set from the launcher as well as in-game. The ability to change controls from the launcher means minigames and menus that use different control setups will still function with the user's chosen controls.
  • A Magic Booster feature is added, supplying the player with various stocked spells at 100.
  • Screen resolutions up to 1920x1080 are supported.
  • Windowed mode is available.
  • Linear filtering can be enabled.
  • Fixed aspect ratio can be enabled.
  • Original Graphic Mode can be enabled.
• FMVs are re-encoded and upscaled from the original PC version to 720p (1280x896 PAL) with additional post-processing, resulting in a blurrier look.
• Several other game boosters are added:
  • High Speed Mode - Increases in-game speed by x3, though the speed is somewhat inconsistent and can cause crashes during FMVs.
  • Battle Assistance - Keeps the party's HP and ATB gauges full, makes Limit Breaks always available, and prevents damage from enemies and status ailments, though characters can still be KOed when incurring more damage than their max HP.
  • 9999 - All damage dealt and healing have a value of 9999, excluding some Limit Breaks and GF attacks.
  • AP MAX - Sets the level and AP of all acquired GFs to max when used on the world map. May not function properly when used during event cutscenes.
  • Magic and Gil MAX - Sets the inventory of each acquired spell to 100 and sets gil to the maximum limit. Cannot be used on menu screens, during cutscenes, in battle, or at shops.
• The Square Enix logo appears before the "Published By Square Electronic Arts" text and the Squaresoft logo.

Final Fantasy VIII Remastered

An enhanced remaster of Final Fantasy VIII was released on September 3rd, 2019 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Steam, in celebration of the game's 20th anniversary. It was later released in 2021 for the iOS and Android on March 25th and on Windows 10 on November 12th. featuring a number of major changes while incorporating a number of features that were absent in the 2013 Steam version:

• The Steam version uses a new launcher, with up to 4K resolution supported, albeit with the aspect ratio still locked to 4:3.
  • The Magic Booster is removed.
  • The Original Graphic Mode and Keep Aspect Ratio options are not available.
  • The world map and battleground scenes have linear filtering applied, with no option to disable it.

    

    Rinoa comparison.

    

    Brothers comparison.

    

    Siren's new model.

Remastered Visuals

• Nearly all 3D models have been remodelled and retextured, specifically for key characters, Guardian Forces, weapons and environments.
• Updated menu portraits for characters and Guardian Forces.
  • Characters - Graphical improvements that include new hairstyles, faces, and additional animations & accessories.
    • Squall and Rinoa closely resemble their appearances in Dissidia Final Fantasy NT. Other Non-playable characters have a more detailed look.
  • Weapons - Weapons have more depth thanks to increased polygon count. Examples include the barrel on Squall's Revolver gunblade now fully rendered in 3D, as opposed to all the gunblades being flat, and Rinoa's Rising Sun now fully circular instead of octagonal.
  • Guardian Forces - Several Guardian Force have more pronounced features, such as the teeth on bestial GF like Ifrit and Brothers.
    • Siren's model gains additional feathers that covers her waist and hip area, though her original model is still displayed on her Triple Triad card.
    • The missing portals in Leviathan and Tonberry's animations, as well as the clouds in Bahamut's animation are restored.

• Battle Animations - Animation effects in spells and command actions are visually updated.
  • Slowdown issues are fixed.
• Anti-Aliasing - Anti-aliasing is added, most notably on the world map.
  • Backgrounds are upscaled with bilinear filtering, causing increased blurriness, adding a large contrast between them and the updated character models, as well as the untouched characters built into the 2D backgrounds in specific segments.
• User Interface - 2D UI elements are redesigned.
• Text - A new typeface and dropshadow are used.
• Full Motion Videos - FMVs are upscaled, but are based on the compressed versions from the original Steam release.

Audio

• The music from the original PlayStation version is used.
• The Quezacotl audio bug is fixed.
• BGM no longer resets after a battle.
• The full versions of "Galbadia GARDEN", "Movin'", and "Ride On" are played in their respective sequences.

Gameplay changes

• Full controller support is featured with appropriate icons. Controls are remapped as appropriate for each platform. A screen will detail the remappings upon starting a new game. Some features (e.g. gunblade triggers) are not directly documented, though they still work as closely to the original PlayStation controller as possible.
  • The default controls for opening the menu and cancel are now and respectively, rather than the opposite. Otherwise, the PlayStation 4 version matches the original layout button-for-button with the North American configuration. As in prior ports, the TOUCH PAD replaces SELECT while OPTIONS replaces START. On Xbox One, VIEW replaces SELECT while MENU replaces START. On Nintendo Switch, MINUS replaces SELECT while PLUS replaces START.
  • Control configuration is removed from the console versions. Controls are customizable in the Steam version; pressing F9 or & the Right Stick in the main menu will display the control mapping. Also, pressing the Esc key will open the System Menu.
  • The soft reset button combination is replaced with a new Exit option, added to the menu.
• A brand new title screen is shown after the Square Enix, Dotemu and Access Games logos on PS4, Switch, Steam and Windows 10.
  • Pressing any button or key or tapping the screen will go straight into the Squaresoft logo.
    • On Xbox One, iOS and Android, the new title screen is right before the Square Enix, Dotemu, Access Games and Squaresoft logos. It is in a reversed order for title screen and the developer logos right before the Squaresoft logo.
• Credits for personnel involved in the port can be viewed in the "Credits" option on the main menu. "The Landing" plays during this sequence.
• A "Select Profile" option is added in the main menu in the Xbox One version. It also shows the current signed-in profile on the top right of the main menu. This option was removed in the Windows 10 version, but the current signed-in profile is still shown.
• Chocobo World is removed. Its exclusive items can still be obtained via Angelo Search.
  • Boko can use his upgraded attacks natively based on Squall's level:
    • Levels 7 to 24 - ChocoFire
    • Levels 25 to 49 - ChocoFlare
    • Levels 50 to 74 - ChocoMeteor
    • Levels 75 to 100 - ChocoBocle.
• The PS4 version uses the save interface from previous versions.
• Saves from the original Steam version can be transferred over.
• The Steam, Windows 10, iOS and Android versions feature auto-saves when returning to the world map.
• Three game boosters are available for customizing the gameplay experience and difficulty. In the Steam and Windows 10 versions, the booster icons overlay onto the game screen when in 4:3. In the Switch version, the icons are larger. The iOS and Androids show the icons on the left side of the screen on the bottom of the pause button.
  • Battle Enhancements (Max HP, Max ATB gauge, and Limit Breaks are always available).
  • Game speed boost (x3). This doesn't affect timers, menus, or cutscenes.
  • Turn off random encounters, which replaces the 9999 booster.
• Seven cheats are available for the Steam version, but these will disable achievements:
  • Obtain all items (with some exceptions)
  • Obtain all abilities
  • Max GF levels and AP
  • Max gil
  • Max stocked magic
  • Obtain all Limit Breaks
  • Obtain all cards (with some exceptions)
• The following achievements from the original Steam version have been removed:
  • Professional Player (Win 100 games of Triple Triad)
  • Collector (Collect all cards)
  • Magazine Addict (Hold all Weapons Monthly, Combat King, Occult Fan, and Pet Pals magazines)
  • Top Level (Have one ally reach LV 100)
  • Contrived Finish (Finish the game with Squall at LV 7)
  • Blue Magic Master (Teach Quistis all Blue Magic)
  • Dog Trainer (Teach Angelo all tricks)
  • Maximum Gil (Collect 99,999,999 gil)
  • 10000 Kills (Kill 10,000 enemies)
  • Choco Loot (Return Boko to FFVIII from Chocobo World after he's collected an item)
  • Top Level Boko (Return Boko to FFVIII from Chocobo World after he's reached LV 100)

• The "Card Club Master" is renamed "CC Group Master".

Mobile versions (iOS/Android)

• Virtual Gamepad - A virtual gamepad is used that dynamically shows buttons and/or the movement stick, such as navigating the menus and moving the characters, when an external Bluetooth gamepad is not used.
• Gameplay Changes - A Pause button is present during FMVs and cutscenes.
  • During battle and exploring the world map, a button showing a Cactuar that allows the following:
    • Gameplay Boosters,
    • Color changes to the virtual gamepad's buttons & movement sticks, such as opacity and color saturation.
    • Changes to the style of the movement stick
    • Access to the official website for the game.
  • Menu Icons - On the main menu, three buttons are displayed on the top right of the screen:
    • A trophy icon displays the Game Center or Google Play Games achievements.
    • A SE icon shows other titles available from Square Enix.
    • An FF icon shows the official website for the game.

Patch notes

Version 1.01

• Fixes issues where the player may get stuck on certain parts of the field during certain scenes.
• Fixes BGM and other audio bugs.
  • For the BGM issue specifically, "The Landing" would erroneously revert to the MIDI version, either due to the bug or loading a save file in the segments that it plays. This was fixed in the patch update.
• Other minor bugs addressed.