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Archive-name: games/video-games/final-fantasy/part1
Posting-Frequency: weekly
Last-modified: 2001/12/30
Version: 2.0.2

           +---------------------------------------------+
           | * * * The alt.games.final-fantasy FAQ * * * |
           |           * * * Part 1 of 3 * * *           |
           +---------------------------------------------+

*** What's New in this FAQ ***

Version 2.0.2 (12/30/02):
- Acknowledged the release of a new Final Fantasy game, Final Fantasy X.
- Updated some parts to discuss the FF animated movie, Final Fantasy:
The Spirits Within.


* 0.0 - An explanation

One of the most frequently asked questions the FAQ maintainer has been
receiving recently is the reasoning behind the cross-posting of this
FAQ. There is a reason why this FAQ is cross-posted into several groups:

1. rec.games.video.nintendo is receiving the FAQ because all of Square's
games from the company's beginnings until Treasure Hunter G in 1996 were
released for Nintendo game consoles.

2. rec.games.video.sony is receiving the FAQ because all of Square's
games from Tobal #1 in 1996 to the present were and will continue to be
released for Sony game consoles.

3. Both of the above also receive the FAQ because many news servers do
not receive alt.games.final-fantasy, so their only place to get
questions and answers about both old and new Square games is through the
rec.games.video.* groups.

4. rec.answers, news.answers, and alt.answers receive the FAQ in order
for this FAQ to be compliant with UseNet FAQ guidelines.

5. alt.games.final-fantasy.rpg is receiving the FAQ since the group is
no longer used as an online role-playing group, and is as often used to
discuss Final Fantasy as the original group.

Basically, no one forces anyone to read the FAQ. If anyone out there has
a problem with the FAQ's presence on newsgroups other than
alt.games.final-fantasy, then they do not have to read it if they don't
want to. The cross-post is a courtesy feature for the many people whose
news servers don't carry alt.games.final-fantasy and would otherwise
have no means of receiving an up-to-date version of the FAQ.


*** Table of Contents ***

Section 1 - Intro to alt.games.final-fantasy
1.1 - Welcome to alt.games.final-fantasy!
1.2 - What is Final Fantasy?
1.3 - Does Square make any video games other than the Final Fantasy
series?
1.4 - What can or can't be discussed in alt.games.final-fantasy?
1.5 - What is alt.games.final-fantasy.rpg?
1.6 - What are alt.games.final-fantasy.hentai and
alt.games.final-fantasy.tech-support?
1.7 - Didn't Square Soft go out of business?
1.8 - Why won't Square Soft release game XXX in the USA?
1.9 - False Urban Legends about Square's Games (READ THIS!)
1.10 - Square Soft Resources on the InterNet
1.11 - Copyright, disclaimer, etc.
1.12 - Changes History
1.13 - Thank You's and Other Acknowledgements
1.14 - The Ultimate Final Fantasy Glossary
1.15 - I want to post the FAQ, too!
       Why is the FAQ being posted to newsgroup XXX?
       The FAQ is too big to post!
       Why don't you post the FAQ more/less often?
1.16 - I'd like to tell you about !
       Where can I find this ?
       Why don't you add ?
1.17 - Can you send me a copy of this FAQ, or anyone else's FAQ?
1.18 - Why don't you just rip content out of other people's FAQs?
1.19 - My evil news administrators do not and will not carry the
alt.games.final-fantasy newsgroup...
1.20 - Will there be any Final Fantasy games for future game consoles
other than the PlayStation 2 and WonderSwan?
1.21 - Will Square ever become a Nintendo third party again?
1.22 - How was this newsgroup created, anyway?
1.23 - Where did the name "Final Fantasy" come from?

Section 2 - The Final Fantasy Series
2.1 - The Final Fantasy Series (Intro)
2.2 - Final Fantasy Games for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)
2.2.1 - Final Fantasy I (USA: Final Fantasy I)
2.2.2 - Final Fantasy II (not released in the USA)
2.2.3 - Final Fantasy III (not released in the USA)
2.3 - Final Fantasy Games for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
(SNES)
2.3.1 - Final Fantasy IV (not released in the USA - for the Super NES,
anyway)
2.3.2 - Final Fantasy IV Easytype (USA: Final Fantasy II)
2.3.3 - Final Fantasy V (not released in the USA - for the Super NES,
anyway)
2.3.4 - Final Fantasy USA (USA: Final Fantasy Mystic Quest)
2.3.5 - Final Fantasy VI (USA: Final Fantasy III)
2.4 - Final Fantasy Games for the Nintendo Game Boy (DMG)
3.2.1 - Final Fantasy Gaiden: Seiken Densetsu (USA: Final Fantasy
Adventure)
2.5 - Final Fantasy Games for the Sony PlayStation (PSX)
2.5.1 - Final Fantasy VII (USA: Final Fantasy VII)
2.5.2 - Final Fantasy VII International (not released in the USA)
2.5.3 - Final Fantasy Tactics (USA: Final Fantasy Tactics)
2.5.4 - Final Fantasy Collections (USA: Final Fantasy Anthology)
2.5.5 - Final Fantasy VIII (USA: Final Fantasy VIII)
2.5.6 - Final Fantasy IX (USA: Final Fantasy IX)
2.5.7 - Final Fantasy Chronicles (special USA release)
2.6 - Final Fantasy Games for the Sony PlayStation 2 (PS2)
2.6.1 - Final Fantasy X (USA: Final Fantasy X)
2.7 - Are there any movies/direct-to-videos based on the Final Fantasy
series?

Section 3 - Other Games by Square Soft
3.1 - Square Games for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)
3.1.1 - Highway Star (USA: Rad Racer)
3.1.2 - The 3D Battles of World Runner (USA: The 3D Battles of World
Runner)
3.1.3 - Rad Racer II (not released in Japan)
3.2 - Square Games for the Nintendo Game Boy (DMG)
3.2.1 - SaGa (USA: The Final Fantasy Legend)
3.2.2 - SaGa II (USA: The Final Fantasy Legend II)
3.2.3 - SaGa III (USA: The Final Fantasy Legend III)
3.3 - Square Games for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES)
3.3.1 - Seiken Densetsu II (USA: The Secret of Mana)
3.3.2 - Seiken Densetsu III (not released in the USA)
3.3.3 - Chrono Trigger (USA: Chrono Trigger)
3.3.4 - The Secret of Evermore (not released in Japan)
3.3.5 - Front Mission (not released in the USA)
3.3.6 - Breath of Fire (USA: Breath of Fire)
3.3.7 - Romancing SaGa (not released in the USA)
3.3.8 - Romancing SaGa II (not released in the USA)
3.3.9 - Romancing SaGa III (not released in the USA)
3.3.10 - Bahamut Lagoon (not released in the USA)
3.3.11 - Super Mario RPG (USA: Super Mario RPG)
3.3.12 - Rudora no Hihou (not released in the USA)
3.3.13 - Treasure Hunter G (not released in the USA)
3.3.14 - Hanjyuku Hero (not released in the USA)
3.3.15 - Breath of Fire II (not usually considered a Square game, but
discussed in this newsgroup anyway)
3.4 - Square Games for the Sony PlayStation (PSX)
3.4.1 - Tobal #1 (USA: Tobal #1)
3.4.2 - Tobal II (not released in the USA)
3.4.3 - Bushido Blade (USA: Bushido Blade)
3.4.4 - Xenogears (USA: Xenogears)
3.4.5 - Front Mission Alternative (not released in the USA)
3.4.6 - SaGa Frontier (USA: SaGa Frontier)
3.4.7 - Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon (not released in the USA)
3.4.8 - Einhander (USA: Einhander)
3.4.9 - Parasite Eve (USA: Parasite Eve)
3.4.10 - Brave Fencer Musashiden (USA: Brave Fencer Musashi)
3.4.11 - Ehrgeiz (USA: Ehrgeiz)
3.4.12 - SaGa Frontier II (USA: SaGa Frontier II)
3.4.13 - Chocobo Racing (USA: Chocobo Racing)
3.4.14 - Chrono Cross (USA release coming soon)
3.4.15 - Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon II (USA: Chocobo Dungeon II)
3.4.16 - Vagrant Story (USA: Vagrant Story)
3.4.17 - Seiken Densetsu: The Legend of Mana (USA: Legend of Mana)
3.4.18 - Front Mission III (USA: Front Mission III)
3.4.19 - DewPrism (USA: Threads of Fate)
3.4.20 - Parasite Eve II (USA: Parasite Eve II)
3.5 - Square Games for the Sony PlayStation 2 (PS2)
3.5.1 - Driving Emotion Type-S (USA: Driving Emotion Type-S)
3.5.2 - The Bouncer (USA: The Bouncer)
3.5.3 - Gekikuukan Pro Baseball (not released in the USA)
3.5.4 - All-Star Pro Wrestling (not released in the USA)

Section 4 - Frequently Asked Questions about the Final Fantasy Series
4.1 - General Hints about the Final Fantasy Series
4.1.1 - Monster XXX or Boss YYY is too difficult...
4.1.2 - What kind of a party should I choose?
4.1.3 - Why do you refer to Final Fantasy III as "Final Fantasy VI"?
        Which Final Fantasy games were put out in the USA, anyway?
4.1.4 - Translation aside, what are the differences between the Japanese
and American versions of these games?
4.1.5 - In regard to the previous question, what about non-Final Fantasy
games?
4.1.6 - Why can't I resurrect certain characters who die?
4.1.7 - Tables of Information
4.1.8 - Known bugs in several Square games (USA releases, USA titles)
4.2 - Final Fantasy I
4.2.1 - How do I get into the Sea Shrine?
4.2.2 - How do I get the Excalibur Sword?
4.2 3 - How do I get into the Mirage Tower?
4.2.4 - What do I do with Matoya?
4.2.5 - I defeated the Vampire...
4.2.6 - I defeated Lich, now what do I do?
4.2.7 - I defeated Kary, now what do I do?
4.2.8 - I got the Floater, but what use is it?
4.2.9 - I defeated Kraken, now what?
4.2.10 - I defeated Tiamat, now what?
4.2.11 - What items can I use in battles?
4.2.12 - What magic should I use to defeat the elemental fiends?
4.3 - Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy IV Easytype (USA: Final Fantasy
II)
4.3.1 - Palom and Porom have been turned to stone...
4.3.2 - I got the Poison Axe, but no one can use it...
4.3.3 - Where is Odin?
        Odin talks about some Summoned Monsters place...
4.3.4 - How do I deal with cursed items?
4.3.5 - How do I defeat Asura?
4.3.6 - How do I defeat Bahamut?
4.3.7 - How do I defeat Odin?
4.3.8 - How do I get the rarest armor in the game?
4.3.9 - The Magus Sisters are giving me problems...
4.3.10 - Where can I find some really rare items?
4.3.11 - What calls can I find and give Rydia?
4.3.12 - What spells should I use to defeat the elemental fiends?
4.3.13 - How do I get to the Cave Magnes (the Dark Elf's Cave?)
4.3.14 - How do I defeat the Dark Elf?
4.3.15 - Why are the characters speaking in really sloppy English? (US
SNES version)
4.3.16 - How can I tell if I have the "original version" or the
"easytype version" of Final Fantasy IV?
4.4 - Final Fantasy VI (USA: Final Fantasy III)
4.4.1 - What time is it?
4.4.2 - How do I get the Water Rondo dance for Mog?
4.4.3 - I'm in the World of Ruin, and can't find Shadow...
4.4.4 - How do I defeat Wrexsoul?
4.4.5 - How do I defeat MagiMaster?
4.4.6 - Where is the Cursed Shield?
4.4.7 - What do I do with the Cursed Shield?
4.4.8 - Where is the Atma Weapon?
4.4.9 - How do I increase my chances of getting critical hits on
enemies?
4.4.10 - How do I revive General Leo?
4.4.11 - Where is the Air Anchor?
4.4.12 - Where can I find the secret characters?
4.4.13 - How do I get the Crusader Esper?
4.4.14 - Where is the Ancient Castle?
4.4.15 - Where are the Golem and ZoneSeek Espers?
4.4.16 - Where is the Raiden Esper?
4.4.17 - Should I get the Ragnarok Esper or the Ragnarok Sword?
4.4.18 - Where is the Experience Egg?
4.4.19 - Where are the Illumina, Muscle Belt, Rename Card, Marvel Shoes,
Merit Award, Cursed Ring, etc...
4.4.20 - I just gave Relm the command to sketch monster XXX, and
everything got all weird/locked up...
4.4.21 - The world has ended, and my party's missing...
4.4.22 - My character was low on HP, and he/she just did a really
strange but powerful attack...
4.4.23 - I want to know where all the Espers are...
4.4.24 - Where can I get the most powerful stuff in the game?
4.4.25 - I got a Snow Muffler and a Bone Club, but how do I equip it on
my sasquatch?
4.4.26 - Where is the Paladin Ring?
4.4.27 - Where are the dragons in the forest north of the Veldt?
4.4.28 - What is the best way to get through Kefka's Tower?
4.4.29 - How many endings are there? Is there a "secret ending"?
4.5 - Final Fantasy VII
4.5.1 - How do I revive Aeris?
4.5.2 - Why do so many bad things happen to Aeris?
4.5.3 - Why are the characters swearing so much?
4.5.4 - How do the 'Elemental' and 'Added Effect' materia work?
4.5.5 - What does it mean when a Materia is 'born'?
4.5.6 - How do I learn Enemy Skills?
4.5.7 - What do I need to do in order to make Cloud dress up as a woman?
4.5.8 - Sector 7 has just been destroyed. I bought Batteries from the
Weapon Shop in Wall Market, but I don't know what to do now.
4.5.9 - What do I do about Reno's 'Pyramid' attack?
4.5.10 - I'm in the Shinra HQ. How do I solve Domino's puzzle?
4.5.11 - I'm still in the Shinra HQ. Where do I go now that Jenova has
escaped?
4.5.12 - I'm currently listening to Cloud recounting his past at Kalm
Town. Is there anything special I can do during his flashback?
4.5.13 - How do I capture a Chocobo?
         Do I have to have one in order to cross the marsh near the
Chocobo Barn?
4.5.14 - I'm fighting Bottom Swell at Under Junon. What do I do about
the Waterpolos that appear around my character?
4.5.15 - I'm supposed to use Mr. Dolphin to get Cloud up on top of the
electrical tower. But, I can't seem to land on the beam...
4.5.16 - Where do I go once I have the Buggy?
4.5.17 - There's an iron safe in the Shinra Mansion at Nibleheim...
4.5.18 - I just escaped from Rocket Town in the Tiny Bronco, Cid's
airplane. What do I need to do now?
4.5.19 - Hey...when I went on a date at the Gold Saucer, it was with
Aeris. But last time I played, it was with Tifa. What gives?
4.5.20 - I finished the clock puzzle and am trying to escape, but the
Demon's Gate boss is beating me up!...
4.5.21 - I need to find the Lunar Harp, but where do I dig?
4.5.22 - How do I leave Icicle Lodge?
4.5.23 - I crash-landed into the Ice Gate Glacier and don't know what to
do now...
4.5.24 - I'm having trouble navigating through the snowy wasteland
that's between the Ice Gate Glacier and the old man's cabin. How do I
get through this?
4.5.25 - If I go east from the snowy field, there is a woman who tells
me to go away. What am I supposed to do here?
4.5.26 - Hey, I've been incarcerated in Junon! And Tifa's getting
gassed! How can I free her before it's too late?
4.5.27 - Right now, I'm trying to get a Huge Materia and prevent North
Corel from being hit by a train...
4.5.28 - I'm at the underground Submarine Dock, and Reno just sent a
boss, C. Armor, to attack my party...
4.5.29 - What's the code to release the Huge Materia from Cid's Rocket?
4.5.30 - How do I fight the Ultima Weapon? It keeps running away!
4.5.31 - How do you kill those Magic Pots?
4.5.32 - Yeah, but what if I want to kill the Master Tonberis?...
4.5.33 - There's this guy in Kalm Town who wants to trade things with
me...
4.5.34 - I want to get Secret Character #1 in my party...
4.5.35 - Okay, now I want to get Secret Character #2...
4.5.36 - Isn't there some way to get back into Midgar during Disc 2 or
3? How is it done?
4.5.37 - I'm trying to find all six Turtles' Paradise flyers...
4.5.38 - Is there another way to get a Gold Chocobo aside from striking
a deal with the trader at Kalm town? I need some Chocobo breeding tips!
4.5.39 - How do I enter the 'secret' battle that Master Dio is
sponsoring at the Gold Saucer's Battle Square?
4.5.40 - Where can I get all the Materia Orbs in the game?
4.5.41 - How do I get the Huge Materia and Master Materia?
4.5.42 - Are there any Materia besides the ones listed above?
4.5.43 - How do I gain new Limit Breaks?
4.5.44 - Where are the Extreme Limit Break manuals located at?
4.5.45 - Where can I find my character's Ultimate Weapon?
         What makes the Ultimate Weapons so special?
4.5.46 - What are the Weapons? How do I defeat them?
4.5.47 - What do the greens and nuts do to my chocobos?
4.5.48 - What other neat things can I do with my materia?
4.5.49 - How do I perform that "unlimited money trick" that I've heard
about?
4.6 - SaGa I (USA: The Final Fantasy Legend)
4.6.1 - How do I get the Excalibur?
4.6.2 - Where is the Nuke Bomb?
4.6.3 - How do I solve Ryu-O's riddle on Floor 5?
4.6.4 - What's the best way to defeat Ashura?
4.6.5 - Where can I find a Board?
4.6.6 - How do I get through Sei-Ryu's Castle?
4.6.7 - What is the best weapon in the game, and where can I find it?
4.6.8 - Where did my glider go?
4.7 - SaGa II (USA: The Final Fantasy Legend II)
4.7.1 - Do I really need to conquer the Nasty Dungeon?
4.7.2 - What do I do in Venus's World?
4.7.3 - What do I do with the Masamune, Aegis, and Heart MAGIs?
4.7.4 - Where is the Seven Sword?
4.7.5 - How do I defeat Apollo?
4.7.6 - What are the best items in the game, and where are they?
4.8 - Final Fantasy Tactics
4.8.1 - How do I kill Gafgarion?
4.8.2 - How do I survive the battles at Riovannes Castle?
4.8.3 - How do I learn the Ultima spell?
4.8.4 - What does the "Secret Hunt" thief skill do?
4.8.5 - How do I get the secret character?
4.8.6 - How do I survive the battles at Limberry Castle?
4.8.7 - How do I get various jobs?
4.9 - Final Fantasy V
4.9.1 - There is a dead end in the Valley of the Dragons...
4.9.2 - How do I defeat Bahamut or any of the other difficult
near-end-game bosses?
4.10 - Final Fantasy VIII
4.10.1 - How do I get from Balamb to Timber?
4.10.2 - Where are all the GFs?
4.10.3 - Where is the White SeeD ship?
4.10.4 - How do I defeat Sorceress Adel?
4.11 - Final Fantasy IX
4.11.1 - Is this game ever going to be released for Windows, like Final
Fantasy VII and VIII were?

Section 5 - Frequently Asked Questions about Other Square Soft Games
5.1 - Chrono Trigger
5.1.1 - How do I defeat the Golem Twins?
5.1.2 - I'm at the Forest Ruins...
5.1.3 - How do I forge the Masamune?
5.1.4 - What do I do in the Northern Ruins?
5.1.5 - There's something in some chests in 600 AD which interfere with
the Pendant...
5.1.6 - My party is in the Falcon, and I've lost everything...
5.1.7 - What do I do with Fiona in 600 AD?
5.1.8 - What must I do to get the New Game + mode to be active on my
copy of the game?
5.1.9 - How do I remove the curse on Frog?
5.1.10 - How many secret characters are in this game?
5.1.11 - Are there any hidden weapons for my secret character?
5.1.12 - How do I defeat the Son of Sun?
5.1.13 - The Moon Stone is missing, and I suspect the greedy mayor has
it...
5.1.14 - What does the right telepod do?
5.1.15 - How many endings are in this game?
5.1.16 - There's a locked drawer in a house in Dorino...
5.1.17 - Gaspar says that someone needs my help, and to find that person
fast...
5.1.18 - Does Ayla's weapon ever change?
5.1.19 - Can I get Schala to join my party?
5.2 - Seiken Densetsu III (not released in the USA)
5.2.1 - What do I do in the Black Market?
5.3 - SaGa Frontier
5.3.1 - What do I do next?
5.3.2 - How does magic work in this game?
5.4 - Parasite Eve
5.4.1 - Where can I find key XXX?
5.4.2 - What does Maeda's Gun do?
5.4.3 - What do the various weapon effects do to the weapons?
5.5 - Xenogears
5.5.1 - How do I defeat Calamity?
5.5.2 - How do I get a gear to perform combos?
5.5.3 - How do I get gear parts in Dazil?
5.5.4 - How do I defeat Redrum?
5.5.5 - How do I defeat Id?
5.5.6 - How do I defeat Shakahn's gear?
5.5.7 - How do I solve the puzzles in Anima Dungeon 2?
5.5.8 - Someone in the Snowfield Hideout wants the Kishin Sword...
5.5.9 - Does the "special options" gear menu actually do anything?
5.5.10 - Where can I find some more guns for Billy and Renmazuo?
5.6 - Brave Fencer Musashiden (USA: Brave Fencer Musashi)
5.6.1 - Where are the scrolls and crest guardians?
5.6.2 - OK, so where are the crests?
5.7 - Vagrant Story
5.7.1 - I took the FAQ's advice in article 4.1.1, but I'm still getting
wasted...

Section 6 - Secrets of the Games
6.1 - Final Fantasy I
6.1.1 - The Pirates' Puzzle Game
6.1.2 - In the Hall of the Giant King
6.1.3 - More Mega Monsters
6.1.4 - The Magic Map Trick
6.1.5 - Coneria's Invisible Man
6.2 - Final Fantasy IV (not released in the USA)
6.2.1 - The Programmer's Room
6.3 - Final Fantasy IV Easytype (USA: Final Fantasy II)
6.3.1 - Item Duplication Trick
6.3.2 - The Mighty Spoon, the ultimate weapon in the universe?
6.3.3 - The Man on the Moon
6.3.4 - Secret Weaponry
6.4 - Final Fantasy V
6.4.1 - The Hero's Song
6.4.2 - Gogo's Secret Job
6.5 - Final Fantasy VI (USA: Final Fantasy III)
6.5.1 - Secret Chocobo Stables
6.5.2 - Carrie Fisher, meet Celes Chere
6.5.3 - Unlimited experience, unlimited money, 99 potions
6.5.4 - Another Atma Weapon & Ragnarok Sword?
6.5.5 - Alternative Blitz Commands
6.5.6 - Free inns - why buy your mattress anywhere else?
6.5.7 - Returners' Hideout: Gauntlet or Genji Glove?
6.6 - Final Fantasy VII
6.6.1 - Ace the Chocobo Race
6.6.2 - Reset the game without having to sit through the PlayStation
startup
6.6.3 - All 7 Fever
6.6.4 - Chocobo Racing: To the winner goes the spoils
6.6.5 - Unlimited Items
6.7 - Chrono Trigger
6.7.1 - Reset the game without touching the reset switch
6.7.2 - Changing character names
6.7.3 - Secret Triple Techs
6.7.4 - The Super Secret ROM file (PSX versions only)
6.8 - Seiken Densetsu II (USA: Secret of Mana)
6.8.1 - Mana weapons without Mana magic
6.9 - Secret of Evermore (not released in Japan)
6.9.1 - Unlimited stamina
6.9.2 - Secret alchemy recipes
6.10 - Highway Star (USA: Rad Racer) and Rad Racer II
6.10.1 - Continue a stage
6.10.2 - Hidden stage select
6.10.3 - Skip to the end
6.11 - The 3D Battles of World Runner
6.11.1 - Continue a stage
6.12 - SaGa I & II (USA: The Final Fantasy Legend I & II)
6.12.1 - Sound Test
6.13 - Final Fantasy Tactics
6.13.1 - Square Parodies
6.14 - Einhander
6.14.1 - Secret Weapons
6.14.2 - Secret Special Bonuses
6.14.3 - Secret Einhanders
6.15 - SaGa Frontier
6.15.1 - The Programmer's Room
6.15.2 - Lots and lots of money
6.16 - Parasite Eve
6.16.1 - Second Scenario?
6.16.2 - One man's junk really is another man's treasure
6.16.3 - Toolkits and Wayne's Trading Cards
6.17 - Xenogears
6.17.1 - Alice's Wedding Dress
6.17.2 - The Big Joe Saga
6.17.3 - The Badge Treasure
6.17.4 - Midori's Ring
6.17.5 - Lots and lots of money
6.17.6 - Battling Secrets
6.17.7 - Shevat's Secret Treasure
6.17.8 - The Trader Card
6.17.9 - Emeralda's Growth Spurt
6.18 - Chocobo Racing
6.18.1 - Secret Course
6.18.2 - Secret Characters
6.19 - Vagrant Story
6.19.1 - Play it again for the first time


       +----------------------------------------------------+
       |*** Section 1 - Intro to alt.games.final-fantasy ***|
       +----------------------------------------------------+

* 1.1 - Welcome to alt.games.final-fantasy!

Welcome to alt.games.final-fantasy!

What, did you expect more in this article? (Read onward to find out what
we do here, why we do what we do here, and anything else that's not
covered by the two items I just mentioned.)

WARNING: This newsgroup contains subversive truths, absurd lies,
guerilla philosophy, and several very naughty words. Open mind before
reading.

So, gather around, everyone, and Uncle Nu will tell you a story...


* 1.2 - What is Final Fantasy?

"Final Fantasy" is a series of role-playing video games for the Nintendo
Entertainment System, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and the Sony
PlayStation by Square Co. Ltd, a Japan-based video games company with
offices in the USA and maybe a few other countries as well.

The Final Fantasy series of games are among the most popular RPGs for
any video game or computer platform.

What makes the Final Fantasy series unique is how every game sequel uses
a different world from the game before it and different
this world, but usually maintains the same game engine, game play, and
some of the different kinds of items used in the games. And for those
people who think that video games are uneducational or rot young minds
away need look no further - the Final Fantasy series of games usually
contain items and characters taken out of either world history or
different mythologies. Even some of the characters and places in the
game have mythological functions to them.


* 1.3 - Does Square make any video games other than the Final Fantasy
series?

Of course. In fact, Square's first few games weren't RPGs - "Rad Racer,"
"King's Knight," and "The 3D Battles of World Runner" were their three
first games in the USA. These days, however, Square doesn't put out
anything much that's not an adventure game or RPG.

Some of these will be mentioned later.


* 1.4 - What can or can't be discussed in alt.games.final-fantasy?

Just about anything. In alt.games.final-fantasy, anything goes.

Actually, if you have a question about any Square game, you'll probably
get a better answer in one of the rec.games.video.* groups. For better
or for worse, alt.games.final-fantasy is rarely used for its original
purpose, which was to discuss Final Fantasy-related topics.

You'll probably get flamed, though, for trying to ask questions
pertaining to software piracy. You'll also be disliked greatly if you
don't have an open mind and a sense of humor.


* 1.5 - What is alt.games.final-fantasy.rpg?

It's essentially a dead newsgroup. Once upon a time, it was used by
participants in an online "writing RPG," which has now passed on.

The group was rmgrouped a very long time ago. However, seeing how no
Usenet servers accept rmgroup commands, it is still very widespread.


* 1.6 - What are alt.games.final-fantasy.hentai and
alt.games.final-fantasy.tech-support?

Both groups were created by Ahmed "X" Hassan as sub-groups of
increasingly popular trends on alt.games.final-fantasy.

The purpose of alt.games.final-fantasy.hentai is to act as a repository
for binaries containing "hentai" images of Final Fantasy & other Square
characters. "Hentai" is a Japanese word which generally means "pervert"
or "perverted," etc.

The purpose of alt.games.final-fantasy.tech-support is to discuss
technical problems with Square games - in other words, not necessarily
gameplay-related questions.

Both newsgroups are probably dead today (7/8/01).


* 1.7 - Didn't Square Soft go out of business?

This may seem like a ridiculous question, but it was a very true concern
back in 1996, when Square's US offices mysteriously closed down.

Truth can sometimes be stranger than fiction - Square Co. Ltd totally
reorganized their offices in the USA. Here's a summary of what happened:

Around October/November 1995, Square opened a new office in the Los
Angeles area, known as "Square LA". The purpose of the Square LA office
was (and still is) to work on high-end graphics for future Square games.

Square LA demonstrated their expertise in CG (computer graphics) by
creating a small demo on Silicon Graphics workstations. This demo
featured characters from Final Fantasy VI, and was completely animated
in 3D. Most people, including Nintendo Power magazine, assumed that
Square was showing off what could be a future Nintendo 64 title.

In early 1996, Square Soft (in Redmond, WA) released Secret of Evermore,
which along with Rad Racer II, was a game they had actually produced
themselves. (Previous games were all produced by Square Co. Ltd in
Japan, and released in the USA by Square Soft.) Shortly afterward, the
Japanese mothership shut down the Redmond division. At the same time,
Square Co. Ltd announced Final Fantasy VII - exclusively for the Sony
PlayStation (switch!).

This set sort of a panic on Final Fantasy fans in the USA. Although FF
VII would not be released for some time now, the question remained:
Would it be released in the USA? Square Soft had been shut down, and
Square LA was not equipped to port Japanese games. No one knew if the
title would be released in the USA or not. Moreover, what happened to
Nintendo? Square shocked the gaming world by abandoning Nintendo and
signing on with Sony. Some people had thought that this move was a
mistake. Some people still do.

Then, Sony Computer Entertainment America got involved: They published
FF VII in Japan, and reported that FF VII would be released in the USA.
They had yet to decide if it should be "modified" from the Japanese
version, but strong user feedback made Sony release the game uncut - for
the very first time - in the USA. (The first Square PlayStation game
released in the USA was Tobal #1, which contained a demo disc of FF
VII.)

Later on, Square Co. Ltd opened up a second Square Soft, located nearby
Square LA. They also set up a second CG shop, located in Honolulu. Thus,
"Square LA" became "Square USA, LA Division" and the Honolulu office
became the Honolulu division of Square USA. Square Soft's name remained
unchanged.

So, what happened to the original Square Soft? The employees either
moved to what was then Square LA, or they joined a new company, known as
"Big Rain". (Big Rain was founded by Ted Woolsey, the same person who
brought FF VI and Chrono Trigger to the USA.) Big Rain changed its name
to "Craveyard" at the end of 1997, and joined up with another company,
called "Crave Entertainment." After their one game, "Shadow Madness,"
tanked in US game stores, Craveyard is most likely no longer around.
According to GameSpot, Ted Woolsey isn't involved in games anymore.

But ever since Tomoyuki Takechi stepped down as Square's president in
early 2001, analysts are getting a little worried about Square again.
Square has spun off three other development groups (Sacnoth,
MonolithSoft, and Brownie Brown), spent over $100 million on the Final
Fantasy movie (and got a small fraction of that amount back in box
office revenue), and meanwhile watched as Final Fantasy IX sold less
copies than Final Fantasy VIII. Time will tell if they can recover.


* 1.8 - Why won't Square Soft release game XXX in the USA?

This is a hard question to answer. The truth is, though, that Square
Soft can only translate and release what Square Co. Ltd tells it to
translate and release.

Believe it or not, there are cultural differences between Japan and the
United States. What could be considered decent in Japan can be
considered "mature" in the United States, and vice versa. Square has
been notorious for holding back some games (eg. Xenogears) due to mature
themes that may offend American customers.

The other thing involved is economics. In the USA, role-playing games
don't sell well compared to action and sports games. What makes more
economical sense, to release a game in one area and sell millions of
copies of the game, or release generally the same game in another place
and only sell hundreds of thousands of copies?


* 1.9 - False Urban Legends about Square's Games (READ THIS!)

Usually, in alt.games.final-fantasy, when nothing else is happening in
the Square world and we've all practically exploited a game to its
fullest, the only thing we do to keep ourselves entertained is to make
up false rumors about the game.

Sometimes these have been fun to do, but unfortunately, some people
actually believe these false rumors, and as things turn out, we get
people asking for things that they've "heard were in the game," but they
really aren't there.

It's been requested that the original list of questions never to ask be
elaborated, so let's see a list of false rumors and realities (if

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