Final Fantasy VIII: US/Japanese Differences Ver. 1.5
Written by: Yuzu-chan and Musashi
e-mail: [email protected]
       [email protected]

This FAQ was created out of complete boredom.  Yuzu got the Japanese
version of FF8 in Japan a few weeks before it was released here in the
States.  So, while sitting in math together, we came up with a list of
the differences in the two version.  If anyone has any more info, then
feel free to e-mail either of us and you'll be given credit.

History of this FAQ:
--------------------
Version 1.0 (12/7/99)
- Initial release
Version 1.1 (1/23/00)
- Added more stuff to the Other Changes section (Fuujin, Missed GFs,
     Booshaka, The TV Station).
- Fixed information about the Tutorial.
Version 1.2 (2/14/00)
- Added info to The TV Station
- Added more stuff to the Other Changes section (Deep Sea Research
     Facility).
Version 1.5 (3//00)
- Reformatted Monster/Boss list
- Alphabetized Monster/Boss, GF/Magic and Limit Break lists
- Added some commentary to several Other Changes
- Changed the format of the Other Changes section (Put in alpha-order
     according to title name)
- Added more stuff to the Other Changes section (Watts)
- Fixed Booyaka (formerly Booshaka) name

Table of Contents
-----------------
I. Name Changes
  a. Monster/Boss names
  b. GF/Magic names
  c. Limit Break names
II. Other Changes
  Booyaka
  Deep Sea Research Facility
  Fire Cave
  Fuujin
  Hot Dogs?
  Missed GFs
  Odekake Chocobo RPG
  The TV Station
  Tutorial
  Watts
III. Credits/Disclaimer

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
I. Name Changes
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
As with all the other FF games, the names of things have been changed
to make it more familiar sounding to American gamers.  This is a list
of the name changes that we found by using the FF8 Strategy Guide
published by Brady Games and also FF8: Ultimania published by DigiCube.
All names marked with * indicate the romanization of the word.  If
anyone has any info about it, or possible explanations on what it could
be, please tell either one of us.  Also, there are some monsters
missing; their names are in Kanji that neither of us could figure them
out.  We know the English names, but we don't know the Japanese names.
If anyone knows, or can read Kanji, please tell us and you'll be
credited.

*********************
a. Monster/Boss names
*********************
This list is pretty long...sorry.  We tried to get as many name changes as we
could.  But, there's still some kanji we can't read *hint, hint*

English                   Japanese
----------------------------------
Adamantoise               Adamantaimai
Anacondaur                Hedge Viper
Armadodo                  Esansuushi*
Belhelmel                 Belhelmelhel
Blobra                    Purinura
Blue Dragon               Dragon Izolde
Cactrot                   Sabotender
Caterchipiller            Kedachiku*
Chimera                   Chimera Plain
Death Claw                Wild Hook
Droma                     Arinyumen*
Elastoid                  Invincible
Elvoret                   Elviole
Esthar Soldier (Cyborg)   Esthar Soldier (Terminator)
Fastitocalon              Fokaroru*
Fastitocalon F            Fokaroru* (Small)
Forbidden                 Life Forbidden
Funguar                   Fungo Ongo
Geezard                   Hau Lizard
Gerogero                  Namutaru-Utoku*
Glacial Eye               Gaze Eye
Grand Mantis              Gran Dearo*
Hexadragon                Melt Dragon
Ifrit                     Efreet
Iguion                    Shumeruke*
Imp                       Garukimasera*
Jelleye                   Double Hugger
Jumbo Cactrot             Jumbotender
Krysta                    Kokyuutosu*
Lefty                     Doromani*
Malboro                   Marlboro (yes, like the cigarette; they use
                                   smelly breath on you ^_^)
NORG-Left POD             Saguto-Hisaari*
NORG POD                  Seruto-Hisaari*
NORG-Right POD            Soruto-Hisaari*
Oilboyle                  Oil Shipper
Pupu                      Koyo Koyo
Red Bat                   Red Mouse
Red Giant                 Urufuramaitaa*
Righty                    Gomani*
Ruby Dragon               Rubrum Dragon
Snow Lion                 Goujushiiru*
Sorceress                 Majou (Witch)
Sphinxaur/Sphinxara       Sphinx/Andol
Torama                    Cuar
Trauma                    Dorumen*
T-Rexaur                  Alkeodinos
Tri-Point                 Tri-Edge
Turtapod                  Granatum
UFO                       UFO?

*****************
b. GF/Magic names
*****************
Not too many things here...at least, not as much as the monster section
^_^;;

English                   Japanese
----------------------------------
Cura                      Carera
Curaga                    Carega
Cure                      Care
Cactrot                   Sabotender
Demi                      Gravity
Doom Train                Gurasharaborasu*
Fira                      Firera
Firaga                    Firega
Float                     Levitate
Full-Life                 Araise
Ifrit                     Efreet
Life                      Raise
Meltdown                  Merton
Scan                      Libra
Sleep                     Sleepel

********************
c. Limit Break names
********************
There are even less here, actually...oh well...

English                                                  Japanese
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Angel Wing (Rinoa's second Limit Break)                  Valley
Bad Breath (One of Quistis' Blue Magics)                 Smelly Breath
Booya (One of Zell's Duels)                              Head Shock
Full-Cure (One of Selphie's Slot magics)                 Full Care
Invincible Moon (One of Rinoa's Angelo Limit Breaks)     Invisible Moon
Lion Heart (Squall's final finishing move)               End of Heart
Punch Rush (One of Zell's Duels)                         Rush Punch
Rapture (One of Selphie's Slot magics)                   Levitaga
Scatter Shot (One of Irvine's Shots)                     Grape Shot
Wishing Star (One of Rinoa's Angelo Limit Breaks)        Wish Star

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
II. Other Changes
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
This is the only part that I (Yuzu) wrote alone.  So if you see things
that are wrong, or you just want to give me comments, then e-mail me,
not Musashi.  Also, this isn't complete, because I haven't finished
playing through the English version yet.  Once I do, I'll (hopefully)
update this section.  Also, this is just a small warning, but I tend to
ramble on about stuff that makes me mad.  Change makes me mad.  Therefore, most
of the following entries will probably have rants attached to them.

********
Booyaka
********
In Selphie's Diary (on her web page), she says she is trying to get
people to use Booshaka.  In Japanese, she is trying to get people to
use Ma-mi-mu-me-mo (The 'M' line in hiragana, for those of you who know
a Japanese), which is kinda weird...it'd be like trying to get
people to say A-B-C-D-E.

**************************
Deep Sea Research Facility
**************************
On Disc 3, after beating Bahamut here, on the way down to Ultima
Weapon, in the Japanese version you get into fights every 2 steps.  If
you have Enc. Half on, then you'll get into battle every 4 steps.  If
you have Enc. None on, then you'll get into battle every 8 steps.  This
is pretty much the same as the US version, but with one major difference: If you
have Enc. None on before you go inside, then you'll
get into no battles at all.

*********
Fire Cave
*********
This is probably one of the biggest differences that I've found so
far...In the English version, at the Fire Cave (waaaaay at the
beginning), you have to choose the time it'll take you to go in, find
and kill Ifrit.  In the Japanese version, however, you choose the time
it'll take you to go in, find the GF, kill it, then get back out.  Why
they changed it, I don't know.  There was nothing wrong with it that
they needed to change it in the first place.

******
Fuujin
******
When Fuujin talks in English, she speaks only one word in all caps.  In
Japanese, she speaks only in one Kanji, which gives the impression that
she might be speaking Chinese...(well, kinda.)  But I guess they didn't
do too bad of a job trying to find a similar thing for her to do in
English, so I have no complaints on this one.

*********
Hot Dogs?
*********
At Balamb Garden, there is a really popular food that always sells
really fast at the cafeteria.  In English, it's hot dogs, but in
Japanese, it's bread...I can understand the bread thing (bread is
_really_ expensive in Japan and they make all different kinds, like
Curry Bread or Apple Bread, etc.) but hot dogs?  The only places I know
where hot dogs are popular are at baseball games and at my cousin's
house (he lives off hot dogs -_-).

**********
Missed GFs
**********
In the Japanese version, you can't get the GFs you missed by drawing
them at Ultimecia's castle, which makes things more difficult, but
challenging.

*******************
Odekake Chocobo RPG
*******************
Odekake Chocobo was an extra RPG built in with FF8 that can only be
played by using the Pocket Station.  Unfortunately, you can't get the
Pocket Station here in the States, unless you import it, so you can't
play it.  However, I heard from my cousin (who worked for Electronic
Arts, the people who made FF8 playable for the PC) that the PC version will
include Odekake Chocobo.  If you have the Pocket Station, then you can use the
English version of FF8 to play Odekake Chocobo (ChocoWorld).

**************
The TV Station
**************
On the way to the TV station, when you pass by the big TV, a diaglogue
box pops up in the Japanese version saying something like "Get me back
I am alive" or something...and the grammar is really weird.  This
doesn't happen in the English version.  In actuality, these words are
actually a radio interference, displaying Adel's thoughts.  When I get a chance,
I'll put the words up here under a new section ^_^

********
Tutorial
********
This is the most annoying difference, I think.  In the English version,
there's all these stupid pop-up Tutorial things that explain
everything, which you can skip by pressing the cancel button.  In the
Japanese version, most of the time, there's no tutorial things that pop
up for no reason.  I mean, yeah, Quistis is Squall's instructor, but
she doesn't have to explain everything, does she?

*****
Watts
*****
Watts is a member of the resistance group Forest Owls.  In English, he calls
everyone "sir."  In Japanese, he uses "ssu" at the end of all his sentences.  I
have a speculation about this, but I could be wrong.  Sir is usually used to be
respectful.  Well, in Japanese, the polite for of all verbs have a "su" at the
end, and the verbs always come at the end of the sentence in Japanese.  So maybe
he's trying to be polite in Japanese, too?  But I really don't think this is
true...usually, "ssu" is slangy and used by younger people.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
III. Credits/Disclaimer
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
This FAQ is copyright 1999-2000 by Yuzu-chan and Musashi.  Final
Fantasy VIII is copyright Square 1999.  This FAQ is for noncommercial
purposes.  You are free to use it for this purpose if it is not altered
in any way and if we are credited.  Also, it would be nice if you either asked
for permission first or informed either of us that you put it up on your page.
That way, we can send you an updated version ^_^

Thanks to:
----------
Yuzu's brother ([email protected])- for allowing us to use his FF8 game
    and strategy guide.
Square - for making such a beautiful game (with cool bishounen, too
    ^_^)
Brady Games - for publishing their FF8 Strategy Guide (in English)
DigiCube - for publishing their FF8 Ultimania Strategy Guide (in
    Japanese)
Mr. Ujinmo ([email protected])- for letting me know that you can skip
    the tutorials that pop up.  (Yes, I know a lot of you have said the same
thing, but he was first).
Meliadoul the Wizard ([email protected]) - for telling me
    about the missed GFs thing.
John Roberts ([email protected]) - for telling me that the weird
    English text at the radio station is Adel's thoughts and for
    telling me about the thing in the Deep Sea Research Facility.
Marci ([email protected]) - for telling me the correct word
    Selphie uses.
***********************************************************************
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