============================ T a b l e   o f   C o n t e n t s ================================= I.    Cast II.   Basic System III.  Menu Tutorial IV.   Battle Tutorial V.    Card Battle VI.   SeeD Ranking VII.  Full Walkthrough       -Disc One-       1. SeeD       2. Assassination       -Disc Two-       3. Edea the Sorceress       -Disc Three-       4. Esthar       5. Lovers       -Disc Four-       6. Time Compression VIII. Appendix       a. G.F Locations       b. Magazine Locations       c. Blue Magic Lists       d. Weapon Remodeling Lists       e. Rare Card Locations       f. Shopping Lists       g. EXP and AP Havens IX.   Credits Unless otherwise stated, names in the Japanese version are bracketed. Also, the contents for chapters 1 to 6 in the Walkthrough section are only displayed after a new chapter is introduced. ======================================================================== I. C A S T ======================================================================== [Introduction] A graduate from the world famous military school, Garden, Squall meets a mysterious young girl at a campus party. Her carefree nature gradually influences Squall, a cold-hearted young man who rejects the presence of others. In a sudden twist of fate, the nation of Galbadia declares war on the entire world... standing by the Galbadian President as he makes his speech is a sorceress, a symbol long forgotten from the memories of the people... [Characters] Final Fantasy VIII offers a wide cast of characters who play various roles in this epic saga. Appearing in no particular order: Squall Leonhart Age: 17 Sex: Male Height: 177 cm (5'8") Blood type: AB Birthdate: August 23rd Weapon: Gunblade The main character of ff 8, Squall is a short-spoken and emotionless young man. A student of Balamb Garden, he's an introvert with little concern for his comrades; few can actually claim to understand him. A cold and mysterious guy. Limit Break: Renzokuken Squall launches into an array of slashes, and sometimes finishes off his 'Renzokuken' with a spectacular blow, which varies accordingly to the type of Gunblade he's carrying. During his Limit Break sequence, a Special gauge will appear; hit R1 when the moving yellow beacon enters the 2nd to left bracket for double damage. His finishing blow appears at RANDOM, so don't worry too much about it. Squall acquires up to 4 finishing blows in the entire game. Literally translated, Renzokuken means Sequential Blade. -SPECIAL------------------------------------------------ |       | Press  |                      # Moving #     | |       | 'R1'   |                <---  # yellow #     | |       | here   |                      # beacon #     | -------------------------------------------------------- You can choose to set this feature on 'Auto' in Squall's status screen. Rough Divide: Squall charges at a single enemy and performs an                upward slice. Available to: All Gunblades. Fated Circle: Squall releases an energy wave while in mid-air with                his Gunblade, which targets all enemies. Available to: Shear Trigger Gunblade upwards. Blasting Zone: Squall's Gunblade forms a gigantic beam pillar that                smashes all opponents. Available to: Flame Saber Gunblade upwards.    Lion Heart: Squall slashes a single target 18 times, doing heavy                damage with each cut. The Lion Heart move was termed                'End of Heart' in the Japanese version. Available to: Lionheart Gunblade. As you upgrade his Gunblade, more finishing moves are opened up. Lion Heart's probably the strongest attack in the entire game. Refer to the Appendix section for a list detailing weapon remodeling. Rinoa Heartilly Age: 17 Sex: Female Height: 163 cm (5'4") Blood type: Unknown Birthdate: March 3rd Weapon: Blaster Edge Final Fantasy 8's female lead, Rinoa, is both angelic and bubbly. She loves to speak her mind, and has the habit of acting on impulse. Rinoa and Squall met during one of SeeD's inauguration parties. Limit Breaks: Combine / Angel Wing (Varly) Rinoa summons Angelo, her pet dog. She's capable of dealing out several unique attacks. Angelo learns new tricks when Rinoa reads 'Pet Pals'. The respective skill then appears in Rinoa's 'Specials' window. Learning a new skill is done by highlighting it with the arrow; the more steps Rinoa takes, the more the bar fills up. A trick is considered to be learnt when the bar is fully filled, and a ring will sound to indicate this. For a complete listing of Pet Pals locations, refer to the Appendix section. Angelo Rush: Random counter-attack, Angelo charges at a single foe.              (Learnt Trick) Angelo Recover: Randomly restores HP to a weakened party member.                 (Learnt in Pet Pals Vol. 2) Angelo Reverse: Randomly restores a KO'ed party member.                 (Learnt in Pet Pals Vol. 4) Angelo Search: Randomly finds items on the battlefield.                (Learnt in Pet Pals Vol. 5) Angelo Cannon: Resultant explosion hits all enemies.                (Learnt Trick) Angelo Strike: Sends a single target crashing onto the ground.                (Learnt in Pet Pals Vol. 1) Invincible Moon: Puts entire party in Invincible status.                  (Learnt in Pet Pals Vol. 3) Wishing Star: Shooting stars devastate all foes several times.               (Learnt in Pet Pals Vol. 6) Angel Wing will only become available in Disc Three; in this mode Rinoa is controlled by the computer and can only cast random spells, all of which hit for maximum results. Seifer Almasy Age: 18 Sex: Male Height: 188 cm (6'2") Blood type: O Birthdate: December 22nd Weapon: Gunblade Seifer is gifted with natural fighting abilities, but his eagerness for victory and impatience makes him one of Balamb Garden's problematic students. He is aware of Squall's capability, and views him fiercely as a rival. Limit Break: Fire Cross (Shimatsusuken) Seifer casts a spell on the enemy, then gathers energy upon his Gun -blade before unleashing multiple energy arcs which home in on their targets, leaving spectacular green trails behind them. Zell Dincht Age: 17 Sex: Male Height: 168 cm (5'5") Blood type: B Birthdate: March 17th Weapon: Gloves Young and brash Zell aspires to be just like his grandfather, a famous military figure. His ambitions made him enter Balamb Garden at the age of 13. Zell doesn't give in without a fight, however his actions make him appear somewhat immature and rash. Limit Break: Duel Zell displays his hand-to-hand prowess with a dazzling combo of skills. All of them are performed SF-style under a timer. Zell gains new skills via collecting issues of 'Combat King'. He may also learn some of his special moves when he reaches higher levels. When the window appears, enter the commands quickly in the given time period and a new window should appear. Trigger any one of the moves within, and keep at it until you see his finishing move command flashing in the window. Perform that to end a successful 'Duel'. This feature can be set on 'Auto' in Zell's status screen. Rush Punch: O , X  (Learnt) Booya: Right , Left  (Learnt) Heel Drop: Up , Down  (Learnt) Mach Kick: Left , Left , O  (Learnt) Dolphin Blow: L1 , R1 , L1 , R1  (CK 001) Meteor Strike: Down , O , Up , O  (CK 002) %Burning Rave: Down , Down , Down , Down , O  (Learnt) %Meteor Barret: Up , X , Down , T , O  (CK 003) %Different Beat: T , S , X , O , Up  (CK 004) %My Final Heaven: Up , Right , Down , Left , T  (CK 005) '%' denotes finishing moves. Regardless of the amount of time left, once such a move is performed, Zell is forced to end 'Duel' pre -maturely. Try to fit in a few more normal moves before that if you can. For a complete listing of Combat King locations, refer to the Appendix section. %Burning Rave: Rush Punch, Mach Kick, Rush Punch, Heel Drop OR Meteor                Strike, Burning Rave %Burning Rave: Booya, Heel Drop, Meteor Strike, Booya, Burning Rave %Meteor Barret: Rush Punch, Dolphin Blow, Meteor Barret %Meteor Barret: Booya, Meteor Strike, Dolphin Blow, Rush Punch, Mach                 Kick, Meteor Barret %Meteor Barret: Booya, Heel Drop, Mach Kick, Heel Drop, Booya, Rush                 Punch, Mach Kick, Meteor Barret %Different Beat: Rush Punch, Booya, Meteor Strike, Booya, Different                  Beat %Different Beat: Booya, Heel Drop, Mach Kick, Heel Drop, Booya,                  Different Beat %My Final Heaven: Rush Punch, Booya, Heel Drop, Meteor Strike, My                   Final Heaven %My Final Heaven: Booya, Heel Drop, Mach Kick, Rush Punch, My Final                   Heaven Quistis Trepe Age: 18 Sex: Female Height: 172 cm (5'6") Blood type: A Birthdate: October 4th Weapon: Chain Whip Orphaned at the age of 5, Quistis joined Garden at 10 and officially became a member of SeeD when she reached 15. She's a good mentor towards Squall. Quistis is one who's not used to setbacks, and demands only the best from herself. Limit Break: Blue Magic (Enemy Skills) Quistis draws from her massive collection of enemy skills to unleash upon her opponents. Unlike the rest, Quistis learns new skills via special items dropped by (or stolen from) her defeated opponents. Use these items on Quistis in your inventory screen. Laser Eye: A laser beam hits a single target. Ultra Waves: Sonic waves affect all targets, causing damage and Berserk              conditions. Electrocute: A lightning bolt fries all targets. LV?Death: Randomly kills foes bearing a certain level. Degenerator: Wipes out a single target. Aqua Breath: Gigantic water bubbles drown all targets. Micro Missile: Cuts a single enemy's HP to half. Acid: Causes all types of status maladies to a single opponent. Gatling Gun: Fires multiple rounds at a single target. Fire Breath: Engulfs all foes in a fire flood. Bad Breath: Causes all types of status maladies to all opponents. White Wind: Restores HP to all members. Magnitude is determined by             caster's present HP. Homing Laser: A powerful laser beam hits a single target. Mighty Guard: Endows all members with Protect, Shell, Haste, Regen               and Float. Ray-Bomb: Resultant explosion smashes all enemies. Shockwave Pulsar: The strongest Blue Magic, causes devastating damage                   to all foes. For a complete listing of all Blue Magic locations, refer to the Appendix section. Irvine Kinneas Age: 17 Sex: Male Height: 185 cm (6'0") Blood type: A Birthdate: November 24th Weapon: Shot Gun Irvine is full of confidence of himself and his shooting skills are matched by none. He hails from Galbadia Garden, and calls himself 'Garden's Elite Sharpshooter'. Easy-going and humourous, Irvine's also a big flirt. Limit Break: Shot Irvine selects from his collection of special ammo and unleashes it upon his opponents. Hit R1 repeatedly to fire his gun. Bullets are purchased from stores, obtained from enemies or received via 'Ammo Refinement' and 'Card Mod.' menu abilities. Each type of ammunition has its own unique element. Normal Ammo: Standard damage to single target.              (1 Screw = 8 Normal Ammo) Shotgun Ammo: Standard damage to all targets. Fast Ammo: Low damage to all targets. Extremely quick firing rate.            (1 Normal Ammo or Shotgun Ammo = 1 or 2 Fast Ammo             respectively) Fire Ammo: Moderate to high fire-typed damage to all targets.            (1 Fuel, 1 Bomb Fragment or 1 Red Fang = 10, 20 or 40             Fire Ammo respectively) Dark Ammo: Standard status-changing damage to single target.            (1 Poison Powder or 1 Venom Fang = 10 or 20 Dark Ammo             respectively) Demolition Ammo: Heavy damage to single target. Slow firing rate.                  (1 Missile, 1 Running Fire or 1 Cactus Thorn = 20,                   40 or 40 Demolition Ammo respectively) AP Ammo: Heavy damage to single target. Average firing rate.          (1 Sharp Spike or 1 Chef's Knife = 10 or 20 AP Ammo           respectively) Pulse Ammo: Maximum damage to single target. Average firing rate.             (1 Laser Cannon, 1 Energy Crystal or 1 Power Generator              = 5, 10 or 20 Pulse Ammo respectively) When the blue bar in the bottom right corner depletes, 'Shot' ends. You can also end it prematurely by pressing the cancel button. This helps when the enemy's already dead, which is indicated when your shots start doing zero damage. Selphie Tilmitt Age: 17 Sex: Female Height: 157 cm (5'2") Blood type: B Birthdate: July 16th Weapon: Nunchaku A student of Trabia Garden, Selphie is known to be responsible yet naive in her thinking. She's playful and child-like, but overall Selphie's comfortable to be with. Limit Break: Slot Selphie casts a random spell from her slot machine. When this window appears, the 1st option, 'Do Over' lets you scroll through the spells randomly; the 2nd, 'Cast' makes Selphie cast it, often with doubled or tripled results. Remember that time runs while you're selecting spells, so be quick. Full-Cure: Completely restores all members' HPs. Wall: Endows party members with Protect and Shell. Rapture: Takes the target away from battle. Useless against bosses          and flying monsters. The End: Eliminates practically any enemy (including bosses!). Useless          against undeads and the final boss. 'The End' appears very          rarely. Your chances of using a rare spell increases when Selphie's HP is low, and when she has a high Luck rating. Fujin Age: 17 Sex: Female Height: Unknown Blood type: Unknown Birthdate: Unknown Weapon: Pin Wheel Tomboyish, emotionless and quiet, Fujin exhibits a tough demeanour equaling that of any man. She also has a habit of speaking entirely in short, curt sentences. Raijin Age: 18 Sex: Male Height: Unknown Blood type: Unknown Birthdate: Unknown Weapon: Staff Loud-spoken, rash and unrefined, Raijin is the exact opposite of his sister. Both of them work under Seifer in Balamb Garden in the Disciplinary Committee. Laguna Loire Age: 27 Sex: Male Height: 181 cm (5'9") Blood type: B Birthdate: March 1st Weapon: Machine Gun A man with a strong sense of justice, Laguna believes in protecting the weak. Formerly a soldier, he's now a journalist with Timber Maniacs, having decided to trade in his sword for a pen. Optimistic and cheerful, Laguna is very much a people's person. Limit Break: Desperado Laguna hurls a grenade at the enemy, leaps and latches onto a rope while opening continuous fire with his Machine Gun, and ends his Limit Break with the detonation of the grenade, throwing the enemy sky-high. Causes damage to all targets. Ward Zabac Sex: Male Age: 25 Height: 217 cm (7'0") Blood type: A Birthdate: February 25th Weapon: Harpoon Tough-talking and ominous, Ward sports a scar (which seems to be all the rage nowadays in ff 8) and a big, mean harpoon. Not someone you'll want to agitate. He's pretty at ease with his pals, Laguna and Kiros though. Limit Break: Massive Anchor Ward hurls his harpoon into the air, leaps up to retrieve it, then pierces the enemies with a downward thrust, causing a massive explosion. Affects all enemies. Kiros Seagill Age: 23 Sex: Male Height: 191 cm (6'3") Blood type: O Birthdate: July 6th Weapon: Katals Looking much more refined than his fellow counterpart Ward, Kiros formerly served in the Galbadian army, with katals as his weapon. Both Ward and him have a very good working relationship with Laguna. Limit Break: Blood Pain Kiros goes into a slashing frenzy with his katals, approximately cutting the enemy 7 to 8 times. Critical hits appear at random. Single target. Edea Age: Unknown Sex: Female Height: Unknown Blood type: Unknown Birthdate: Unknown Weapon: Sorcery Not much is known about her, but supposedly she's a sorceress bent on creating trouble. Edea is said to be the mastermind behind Galbadia's world domination plans, and has shocked the world with her return... sorceresses were thought to be extinct previously. Cid Kramer Age: Unknown Sex: Male Height: Unknown Blood type: Unknown Birthdate: Unknown This lovable character once again makes an appearance, this time as the headmaster of Balamb Garden! He's well-liked by students for his kindly nature and friendly student policies. Cid tends to be a little long-winded this time round, and contrary to previous Cids, he has trouble dealing with mechanics initially. ======================================================================== II. B A S I C   S Y S T E M ======================================================================== [Controller Operations] Under the default settings in the U.S. version, the controls are as follows: All of the pre-rendered areas in ff 8 are considered field screens. D-pad/Left Analog-Stick: Moves the party around and highlights choices Start: Brings up the bar that toggles the rumble feature on/off and        pauses the game X: Opens up conversations, picks up items, activate switches, examine    ladders (press Up or Down on the d-pad to climb), confirms choices Triangle: Cancel. Press together with the d-pad to WALK / Displays           Rules screen in Card Battle Square: Opens up conversations or initiates a Card Battle game - more         on that later Circle: Displays the menu screen R1+R2+L1+L2+Select+Start: Resets the game. You must first pause the                           game using 'Start'. The Overworld is the huge 3D polygonal map you use to travel between towns and dungeons. D-pad/Left Analog-Stick: Moves the party or vehicle around and                          highlights choices Right Analog-Stick: Moves vehicle forward or backward Start: Brings up the bar that toggles the rumble feature on/off and        pauses the game Select: Toggles the World Sphere/Map on/off X: Search locations, mount/dismount vehicle Triangle: Reverses vehicle Square: Accelerates vehicle Circle: Displays the menu screen R1: Rotates the camera clockwise L1: Rotates the camera anti-clockwise R2: Switches between view points R1+R2+L1+L2+Select+Start: Resets the game. You must first pause the                           game using 'Start'. D-pad/Left Analog-Stick: Highlights commands Start: Pauses the game and brings up the help window, along with the        rumble feature window Select: Hides all windows when held down X: Confirms selected command Triangle: Cancels and closes windows Square: When a G.F. has learnt 'Boost' G.F. ability, hold down Select         during the summoning sequence; tap repeatedly when the finger         icon appears, and stop when a red cross appears over the         finger. You can increase your G.F.'s power if you do it right /         Press to scroll in the Status window if a character is         affected by multiple conditions Circle: Hit to switch to another character who has a full time bar R1: Trigger. When timed in conjunction with Squall's Gunblade, this     will allow for double damage / Press repeatedly during Irvine's     limit break sequence to fire his gun L1: Toggles the target window on/off R2+L2: Press together to escape. Does not work on bosses R1+R2+L1+L2+Select+Start: Resets the game. D-pad/Left Analog-Stick: Moves the cursor / Moves scroll bar left or                          right in the Junction, Item, Magic, G.F,                          Abilities and Card screens X: Confirms the selected command / Brings up the Element, Status, G.F.    and Specials chart in the Status screens Triangle: Cancels the selected command and closes the menu screen Square: Displays character's Specials chart in their respective status         screens / Removes junctioned magic spell R1/L1: Switches between characters or G.Fs in their respective status        screens Which gets kind of confusing, especially if you're used to the controls in the previous Final Fantasies. Try customizing the controls under the Config. command in the menu screen to the Japanese version: D-pad/Left Analog-Stick: Moves the party around and highlights choices Start: Brings up the bar that toggles the rumble feature on/off and        pauses the game Circle: Opens up conversations, picks up items, activate switches,         examine ladders (press Up or Down on the d-pad to climb),         confirms choices X: Cancel. Press together with the d-pad to WALK Square: Opens up conversations or initiates a Card Battle game - more         on that later Triangle: Displays the menu screen / Displays Rules screen in Card           Battle R1+R2+L1+L2+Select+Start: Resets the game. You must first pause the                           game using 'Start'. D-pad/Left Analog-Stick: Moves the party or vehicle around and                          highlights choices Right Analog-Stick: Moves vehicle forward or backward Start: Brings up the bar that toggles the rumble feature on/off and        pauses the game Select: Toggles the World Sphere/Map on/off Circle: Search locations, mount/dismount vehicle X: Reverses vehicle Square: Accelerates vehicle Triangle: Displays the menu screen R1: Rotates the camera clockwise L1: Rotates the camera anti-clockwise R2: Switches between view points R1+R2+L1+L2+Select+Start: Resets the game. You must first pause the                           game using 'Start'. D-pad/Left Analog-Stick: Highlights commands Start: Pauses the game and brings up the help window, along with the        rumble feature window Select: Hides all windows when held down Circle: Confirms selected command X: Cancels and closes windows Square: When a G.F. has learnt 'Boost' G.F. ability, hold down Select         during the summoning sequence; tap repeatedly when the finger         icon appears, and stop when a red cross appears over the         finger. You can increase your G.F.'s power if you do it right /         Press to scroll in the Status window if a character is         affected by multiple conditions Triangle: Hit to switch to another character who has a full time bar R1: Trigger. When timed in conjunction with Squall's Gunblade, this     will allow for double damage / Press repeatedly during Irvine's     limit break sequence to fire his gun L1: Toggles the target window on/off R2+L2: Press together to escape. Does not work on bosses R1+R2+L1+L2+Select+Start: Resets the game. D-pad/Left Analog-Stick: Moves the cursor / Moves scroll bar left or                          right in the Junction, Item, Magic, G.F,                          Abilities and Card screens Circle: Confirms the selected command / Brings up the Element, Status         G.F. and Specials chart in the Status screens X: Cancels the selected command and closes the menu screen Square: Displays character's Specials chart in their respective status         screens / Removes junctioned magic spell R1/L1: Switches between characters or G.Fs in their respective status        screens [Getting Started] The 2 choices that appear when you start up the game are 'New Game' and 'Continue' respectively. If you're continuing a game from saved data, take the 2nd option. Otherwise, move the cursor to 'New Game' and hit 'X' (U.S) or 'Circle' (Japanese) to proceed. [Changing Discs] The game will prompt you when you need to insert a new disc. Do this by opening the CD cover (there's no need to switch off the power) of the PlayStation, replacing the disc inside with the required one, and closing the cover. [Gameplay Basics] Below are some of the basic systems and events in the world of ff 8. Save often; this enables you to resume play at an earlier point should you fail in battle or in certain game events. The Save command (found in the Menu screen) is used to record a position on the Overworld or on a Save Point. The latter are found as blue and orange bands of light orbiting around a black orb. You need a Memory Card peripheral, which is sold separately, to save your game. A reduced world map/sphere (press 'Select' to switch between them) is shown in the bottom-right corner of the Overworld. In this map, the direction Squall is facing will be represented by a cone-shaped yellow beam. The red dot shows Squall's current location. There're various establishments in the world of ff 8. The following are some of them: HOTELS Spend a night here to recover the HPs of your party members and G.Fs. Characters affected by abnormal status are also cured. Hotels usually house Save Points. CAR RENTAL SHOPS Cars can be rented for 3,500 gil here. They allow you to travel on the Overworld quickly while keeping enemy encounters non-existent. Note that you'll need fuel to actually drive one properly. TRAIN STATIONS Trains provide a convenient way of shuttling between major cities. A ticket costs 3,000 gil. SHOPS You can pick various restorative items, fuel, ammunition and the occasional book from them. They'll also offer to buy any excess items you have in your inventory list. JUNK STORES They specialise in remodeling your weapons. PET STORES You'll find a wide assortment of items for your G.Fs and issues of Pet Pals here. In ff 8, Square has done away with armours completely, leaving only weapons which can be remodeled. This is done via collecting raw materials such as Screws and Steel Pipes by defeating (or stealing from) enemies, then visiting Junk Stores -- they specialise in upgrading your weapons. Throughout the course of the game you will come across Weapons Monthly magazines; these detail the specific raw materials needed to remodel a particular weapon. The MP (Magic Points) system which has graced the Final Fantasy series for so long has all but disappeared in ff 8. Rather, spells behave more like items now, with limited usage of each spell, i.e. Laguna may have only 20 'Fire' spells in his magic list, which means he can only cast 'Fire' 20 times before it runs out. To replenish this stock of spells, you must draw them either from enemies in combat via the 'Draw' command, or depend on... Treasure chests are non-existent in ff 8; they've been replaced by Draw Points, special locations from where you can gain magic spells for free from. Draw Points recover after a certain period of time has elapsed. They're found as purple bands bonded together to form a sphere. Some Draw Points never recover themselves; you can identify them when they turn blue after they've been drawn from. Guardian Forces are summoned creatures that join in on your quest. Unlike the previous Final Fantasies, they play a much greater role in ff 8; they form the foundations of any character, and determine the person's capability in battle. Of course, G.Fs are still a force to be reckoned with in combat, and many familiar summon monsters have made a return in ff 8. ****** A new system involving spells and G.Fs has been created in ff 8: the Junction System. This will be your main source of powering up your party members in ff 8; refer to the Menu Tutorial section below for more details. This new system is *extremely* important, so make sure you take time to learn it! ======================================================================== III. M E N U   T U T O R I A L ======================================================================== [The Menu Screen] Pushing the 'Circle' (U.S) or 'Triangle' (Japanese) button out of battle brings up the menu screen. Twelve commands can be issued from here. In addition, the menu screen also provides gameplay information such as your current location (check the bottom-left window) and your playing time, SeeD rank, plus total amount of Gil (the form of currency in ff 8) in the bottom-right window. The window in the upper-right consists of 11 commands. Reading from top to bottom, they're: Junction, Item, Magic, Status, G.F., Abilities, Switch, Cards, Configuration, Tutorial and finally Save. [Junction] The Junction system combines both the Materia and Job system together, enabling you to build the kind of character you want. It does this by allowing spells themselves to double as character-building elements. I'll give a brief diagram of how the Junction Screen looks like: ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |Notice    JUNCTION      OFF      AUTO     ABILITIES       | JUNCTION | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |Help Window                                                          | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- (Portrait)   (Magic/Equipped G.Fs List)   (Equipped Commands/G.Fs List) (Current EXP) (Required EXP for Next Level) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |HP        Attached Spell  (CHANGE)  S Attack S Def.  E Attack E Def. | |Strength     --                     Speed         --                 | |Vitality     --                     Evasion%      --                 | |Magic        --                     Hit%          --                 | |Spirit       --                     Luck          --                 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- *S Attack and S Def.: Status Attack and Status Defense E Attack and E Def.: Elemental Attack and Elemental Defense (they'll be highlighted if junctioning spells to them is possible) In a nutshell, here's how the whole thing works: 1. Gain G.Fs through drawing from bosses, receiving as gifts or    defeating the G.Fs themselves. Open up the menu screen. 2. Junction a GF (a character can have multiple GFs junctioned) to a    party member by selecting 'Junction', and then 'GF.'. Press    'X' (U.S) or 'Circle' (Japanese) to equip a GF. GFs already    junctioned will be indicated by a symbol next to their names. Hit    'Triangle' (U.S) or 'X' (Japanese) when you're done equipping.    If you already have a stock of spells in that particular character's    spells list, jump straight to point 4. Otherwise, ignore the    'Auto' window which pops up, equip the 'Draw' command ability    under the 'Abilities' window, then proceed onto point 3. 3. Draw spells for junctioning from enemies or Draw Points. Different    spells have varying effects on the same parameter. You can have    a maximum of 100 for each type of spell. Once you've amassed enough    spells, select the 'Auto' command in the Junction sub-screen. 4. Choose to optimize your character, based either on 'Attack',    'Magic' or 'Defense':    Attack: Places emphasis on 'Strength' parameter    Magic: Places emphasis on 'Magic' parameter    Defense: Places emphasis on 'HP' parameter (not Vitality rating!) 5. Select the abilities you want available to your character. 6. If you're not happy with the junctioned magic spells, choose    'Junction' again, and then 'Magic'. Change the spells if you want,    or remove them with 'Square'.    Alternatively, the 'Off' command works well if you wish to    de-equip all junctioned spells (select 'Magic') or all G.Fs, spells    and abilities (select 'All').    If your character has the ability to junction spells to Elemental    Attack/Defense or Status Attack/Defense, use the d-pad to scroll    the junction screen left. The higher the amount of spells (max. 100)    junctioned to a parameter, the better the effect. 7. From the menu screen, select G.F. Tap 'X' (U.S) or 'Circle'    (Japanese) at a G.F's status window, and select the ability you want    it to learn. Abilities are divided into six different types:    Junction, Command, Character, Party, G.F. and Menu. 8. Each ability takes up varying amounts of AP to learn. APs are earned    after battles. You should select the types of abilities to master    according to your situation. +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ |Junction: Allows a character to attach spells to his or her           | |          parameters, thus increasing their overall fighting          | |          capabilities.                                               | |e.g. 'HP J' lets one junction spells to his or her HP parameter.      | |                                                                      | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ |!Command: Gives a character commands which are usable in battle.      | |e.g. 'Magic' allows a party member to cast spells.                    | |                                                                      | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ |Character: Modifies or adds special conditions to a character while in| |           battle.                                                    | |e.g. 'Mug' replaces the 'Attack' command in battle, thus allowing     | |     one to plunder items from the enemy.                             | |e.g. 'Auto Protect' puts a character in 'Protect' status immediately  | |     at the start of each fight.                                      | |                                                                      | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ |Party: Adds certain helpful abilities to the entire party, be it in   | |       combat or outside of it.                                       | |e.g. 'Alert' prevents pre-emptive attacks from enemies.               | |e.g. 'Move-Find' reveals hidden Draw and Save Points.                 | |                                                                      | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ |G.F.: Raises a G.F's capability in battle.                            | |e.g. 'Summon Magic +40%' increases the strength of a G.F. by 40%.     | |                                                                      | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ |Menu: Provides the party with handy abilities via the menu screen.    | |e.g. 'Ice Magic Refinement' allows the creation of 'Blizzard' spells  | |     from certain special items.                                      | |e.g. 'Call Shop' lets you access any shop you've come across before at| |     anytime, anyplace.                                               | |                                                                      | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ Again, I can't begin to stress on the importance of the Junction System in ff 8. If you really want to survive some of the tougher bosses in this game, then it is vital you MASTER this system! [Item] This command is primarily used for curing your party, and tinkering with the abilities of your G.Fs. You have access to a total of 4 choices. Reading from left to right, they're: Use: Select this to use the items present in your inventory list. Items      which are unusable will be displayed in grey. Press left or right      on the d-pad to scroll through the list of items. There're a      variety of items in ff 8; you can only carry 100 of each type. Rearrange: Lets you arrange your items in the order you prefer. Sort: The computer arranges your items for you automatically. Battle: Arranges the lineup of items when the 'Item' command is used         in battle. Un-wanted items cannot be discarded; either use them in battle to get rid of them, or sell them (more practical) to shops. [Magic] The Magic command allows you to cure your party (provided you have the correct type of spells) as well as to arrange and swap spells among the party members. Reading from left to right, the 4 choices here are: Use: Lets you cast a particular heal-typed spell. In ff 8, you cannot      target multiple members with a single spell, so you'll have to      cure each character separately. There're a variety of spells in      ff 8; you can only carry 100 of each type in a character's      spells list. Exchange: Allows you to manually swap spells between party members.           - 'Give All' transfers an entire spell type to the member             in the lower row.           - 'Take All' transfers an entire spell type to the member             in the upper row.           - 'Split' enables you to specify the amount of spells to             be swapped. All: Swaps an entire set of spells list between party members. Rearrange: Lets you determine the placement of spells when the 'Magic'            command is used in battle. There's really no easy way to discard un-wanted spells in the Japanese version. You can either cast them in battle (summon G.F Cerberus beforehand for an easier time), or use menu abilities such as G.F. Quezacotl's Mid. Magic Refinement to get rid of some of the weaker variations of magics. In the U.S version, spells can be discarded by placing the cursor over them and pressing 'Square'. [Status] Execute this command to learn about a character's current condition. Apart from his or her name, current level (a yellowish insignia beside this indicates that the particular member is in your main party), HP (Health or Hit Points) values, current Experience and the amount of Experience Points required to advance to the next level, equipped abilities and weapon, the Status sub-menu also displays the party member's status values: (note: You can switch between characters using R1 or L1) Strength: Capability to do         Speed: Rate at which ATB fills           damage.                         during battle. Vitality: Resistance to physical   Luck: Deciding factor for speed of           attacks.                       escaping, items dropped,                                          no. of spells drawn, etc. Magic: Determines the              Evasion%: Ability to avoid attacks        magnitude of spells.                  completely. Spirit: Resistance to magical      Hit%: Hit rate for current weapon         attacks. Pressing the 'X' (U.S) or 'Circle' (Japanese) button brings up the Elemental Attack, Elemental Defense, Status Attack and Status Defense ratings of that character. Hitting the button another time brings up the G.F. affiliation chart for that party member. Refer to the G.F. sub-section below for details as to what this chart means. Finally, tapping the same button again displays the Limit Breaks list of that character. Alternatively, this list can also be displayed by simply pressing 'Square'. For Squall and Zell, you can set their Limit Breaks on auto (the computer takes care of the button pressing), but I advise you ignore this feature, seeing how the computer misses the timings so often. Besides, it's more fun to do it by yourself ^_^ [G.F.] The G.F. screen shows the stats of your acquired summon monsters. Hit R1 or L1 to scroll between G.Fs. Pressing 'X' (U.S) or 'Circle' (Japanese) at a G.F's status screen brings up its abilities list. Each G.F can only learn up to 22 abilities in its natural course, unless you decide to tinker with them using certain G.F ability items. G.Fs learn abilities by gaining AP (Ability Points) or using items. They can also raise their HP and power via levelling up or certain abilities. However, unlike AP, G.Fs in battle SHARE the EXP the character which they've been junctioned to receives, i.e. if Squall has both Quezacotl and Shiva junctioned, and receives 300 EXP plus 8 AP at the end of a fight, each of the 2 G.Fs gain 150 EXP and 8 AP. You might want to de-equip the stronger G.Fs for a while if you want to build up weaker ones. And mind you, new G.Fs often start off pathetically weak. Every G.F. takes 500 EXP to gain a level, with the exception of the 16th and final G.F, Eden (1,000 EXP). G.Fs also have different mindsets towards each character (the red bar along with the numbers in the G.F. screen indicate how much they like each member). The higher the value, the lesser the time it takes to summon them. This value is increased by summoning them, or casting spells of the same element as the G.F, i.e. Fire spells raise Ifrit's opinion of the character. Likewise, if you use Blizzard spells, you'll lower Ifrit's rating towards the member but raise Shiva's affection. Another ability I'll like to highlight here is the 'Boost' G.F. ability, or 'Ouen'. As mentioned in the Basic System section, this comes into play during the summoning sequences (hold Select, then tap Square at the correct times) for certain G.Fs. Normally, G.Fs use only 100% of their strength during a summon. However, the 'Boost' ability actually drops this back to 75%, but you can raise it to 250% if you're a quick tapper, or have a turbo controller on hand. It's just an element of risk undertaken in using 'Boost'. Credit goes to Adam for this bit of info. If you're reading this, thanks. Try to learn this ability first whenever you acquire a new G.F. (it takes only 10 AP anyway). [Abilities] Allows usage of learnt menu abilities such as 'Fire Magic Refinement' or 'Junk Store'. Tap left or right on the d-pad to scroll. [Switch] Once your party exceeds three members, you must select 2 characters to accompany Squall. This command is only available on the Overworld and on Save Points in the field screens for the Japanese version. In the U.S version, an additional command, 'Junction Exchange', enables you to easily transfer a set of equipped G.Fs, abilities and spell lists between characters. Convenient for those scenes in which you have to guide two different parties. Inactive party members gain zero EXP from battles fought by the main party. [Card] Displays the cards that you've acquired so far. Hit left or right on the d-pad to scroll through the 10 levels of cards. Refer to the Card Battle section below for more information concerning this mini-game. [Configuration] A set of customization controls are available here. (note: The last two options are for those playing with a Sony Dual        Shock Analog Controller) Sound: Change between Stereo or Mono. Controller: Change the controller settings to Normal (Default) or             Customize. Push the 'X' or 'Circle' button at the Customize             option to bring up the controller configuration screen. Cursor: The Memorize option here lets you store the last position of         the finger cursor even after the window is closed. ATB: Set the flow of time in battles.       -- For skilled players. Time flows even when commands,                  spells and items are being selected.       -- For beginners. Time stops when spells and items are                being selected. Scan: The detailed analysis of an enemy will only appear the 1st time       you cast 'Scan' (Japanese version: Libra) on an enemy under the       default Initial settings. Camera Movement: The higher the percentage, the more frequently the                  camera angle changes in battle. Battle Speed: Adjust the speed of time flow during battles. Battle Message: Adjust the message speed in battles. Field Message: Adjust the message speed in the field screens. Analog Input: Change the sensitivity of the analog sticks. Vibration Function: Turn rumble feature ON/OFF. [Tutorial] Lets you learn more about ff 8's systems and world. The SeeD Tests are also accessed via this command. If my guide hasn't been too precise in explaining the various systems Final Fantasy VIII has to offer, this is where you should refer to. In fact, I highly encourage you look through the Tutorial at least once. [Save] Final Fantasy VIII takes up one block of space on a Memory Card. The Save command can only be used to record a position on the Overworld and on Save Points in field screens. [Order] Push left on the d-pad in the main menu screen, and a cursor will appear, allowing you to re-shuffle your main party's lineup in battle. There's no real reason for you to do this though. Btw, there're no more 'front' or 'back' rows in ff 8. And that's all for the Menu Tutorial.