

Attempting to leave Balamb Garden the first time without having obtained Quezacotl and Shiva from the Study Panel will result in Quistis giving them to the player, rather than allowing the player to leave without any Guardian Forces.Torama, Iron Giant, Elnoyle and Behemoth have different HP formulas.Zell's favorite food is changed from flavored bread to hot dogs.Junction exchanging between party members is added.Tutorials now show up automatically in the game's storyline.Versions outside of Japan use icons for elements and statuses, and the icons for Guardian Force abilities are different.The Japanese version uses to confirm, to cancel, and to enter the menu. By default, the localized versions of the game use to confirm, to cancel, to enter the menu.The western versions of the game underwent a number of changes from the Japanese version:

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