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Final Fantasy VII/Regional Differences

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This is a sub-page of Final Fantasy VII.

Hmmm...
To do:
Add more differences between the original Japanese version and the international versions.
Careful, you'll lose an eye.
This page or section needs more images.
There's a whole lotta words here, but not enough pictures. Please fix this.

Changes from Japan to International Versions

General Changes:

  • The number of available spaces for character names was increased from 6 to 9.
  • The random encounter rate was reduced in some areas. Random encounters were removed entirely from the square area of Sector 8 at the start of the game, and outside of Holzoff's cabin at the base of Gaea's Cliff.
  • Third world indicators were added to the background to show areas you could enter, with red indicators representing new places and green indicators representing places you can climb.
  • The menus were given an overhaul. In the item screen, the Japanese version has two lines for the items while the international versions has one line for the items and has the character portraits affixed to one side.
  • Diamond Weapon was made into a boss rather than just appearing in a cutscene. This also made it possible to steal Yuffie's "Rising Sun" weapon, which was unused in the Japanese version.
  • The optional Emerald and Ruby Weapon bosses were added.
  • The Underwater materia was made accessible.
  • Three items related to the Emerald/Ruby Weapons were added: The Guidebook, Desert Rose, and Earth Harp.
  • It was made easier to keep your body temperature up while climbing Gaea's Cliff.
  • The Temple of the Ancients' clock puzzle removed the more complicated version that was found in the original Japanese version and gives you the simplified version from the start. In the original Japanese version, you had to fail three times to get the simplified version.
  • The mechanics of the Chocobuckle attack were changed from damage=(number of escapes)*(level of user) to just the number of escapes.
  • The Test 0 enemy was removed.
  • The Kalm traveler is introduced.
  • Minor graphical changes to some backgrounds.
  • The animation for Safer Sephiroth's Super Nova attack was changed completely, bearing little resemblance to the original and being nearly two minutes long. Japanese Super Nova, US Super Nova. Additionally, the damage algorithm was altered. The original JP had a set spell power, while the US is (damage=current HP*15/16), or roughly 94% of a character's current HP, and it attempts to inflict multiple bad statuses.
  • A screensaver-like star field was added after the credits, similar to the end credits sequence of Final Fantasy IV.

A few cutscenes were added:

  • Two new flashback cutscenes were added.
  • An FMV on Disc 2 was extended to show the new bosses.

A few changes were made in the Speed Square Minigame:

  • In the original Japanese version there was no point limit for when you shoot the water wheel. In all future versions, there is a point limit of 285.
  • It is no longer possible to target the Zeppelin's propeller.

A few enemies had their statuses changed:

  • Chocobo enemies were made immune to Paralyzed.
  • Gi Nattak was made immune to Sleep and Poison.

All of these changes were incorporated for the game's re-release in Japan as Final Fantasy VII International, along with a bonus disc that westerners never received.

(Source: [1])

Changes from US to PAL Versions

  • Since the Speed Square minigames function at different speeds depending on the version, the PAL version is slower than the NTSC version, making it easier.
  • A few of the texts were changed between the two English language versions of the game:

The description of the Peace Ring is more accurate in the European version:

US Europe
Protects against [Berserk/Fury/Sadness] Protects against [Confu/Berserk/Fury/Sadness]

The location names of the two floors of the Kalm inn were made consistent:

US Europe
1st floor of inn
Inn: 2f		 Inn: 1f
Inn: 2f

A Japanese-style emoticon (which isn't present in the Japanese text either) was removed from a note at the Mount Corel bridge:

US Europe
“The shack is here!! (^^);” “The shack is here!!”

The name of the level 4 prize of the submarine game in the Gold Saucer was corrected:

US Europe
Received "Caldron"! Received "Cauldron"!

The name of an item received at the bottom of the Northern Cave was properly localized:

US Europe
Received "Last Elixir"! Received "Megalixir"!

The message shown when getting the Knights of the Round materia was corrected:

US Europe
Received "Knight of the Round" Materia! Received "Knights of the Round" Materia!

A nonsensical phrase in the Materia division tutorial was removed:

US Europe
“That's why, the amount of Materia that
we can have is limited to 200…
only what we can equip.”		 “That's why, the amount of Materia that
we can have is limited to 200….”

One sentence in the save tutorial was removed:

US Europe
Put the Card firmly into the slot.
Put it in either the right or left side.
Then when you're ready, access the menu.		 Put the Card firmly into the slot.
Then when you're ready, access the menu.

The PlayStation name was removed from the instructions in the game's tutorial rooms:

US Europe
“Do not open the PlayStation or change discs until instructed.”
“Until you get instructions, don't open or take discs out of the PlayStation.”		 “Do not open the Console or change discs until instructed.”
“Until you get instructions, don't open or take discs out of the Console.”

A misspelled error message on the save screen was changed (looks like somebody messed up, though...):

FF7 PAL memcard msg.png
US Europe
No enough memory left on Memory card. Please change this to “Memory card full”
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