18 years old today! (Picture: Final Fantasy)

Wow, do I feel old today. I remember the awe I felt as the graphics, music and story unfolded in one of gaming’s biggest triumphs of all time as I first played the masterpiece that is Final Fantasy VII.

18 years to the day of its release and its huge fan base are still clamouring for that re-release that may or may not ever happen.

There are millions upon millions of fans with eighteen years of fond memories from the groundbreaking game.

However, there are a few facts out there that the more casual gamers among us may not have known about Final Fantasy VII:




1. To date, Final Fantasy VII has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide, making it easily the highest selling Final Fantasy game of all time.

2. The game was originally plotted for the SNES and would have been 2D like earlier entries. Initial plot ideas suggested that the setting would be New York City in 1999 and would follow the adventures of a hero called ‘Hot Blooded Detective Joe’ Err, sounds…great.

3. Because it would have been cheaper to pixelate, Cloud’s hair was originally supposed to be black and swept to the side.

4. The super bosses Ruby and Emerald Weapon (yeah, remember those sods!?) did not appear in the Japanese version of the game but were first added for the North American and European releases. Obviously they thought we could handle the hard stuff.

5. While my heart still breaks over the loss of Aeris, it is thought she was meant to originally survive until at least the reunion at the top of the snow mountain as she had dialogue penned at the foot of the Gaea cliff.

6. If you acquire Yuffie the ninja while playing with Tifa as the lead in Disc Two, the cheeky Materia thief will refer to you simply as ‘Boobs’ There go all the fanboy arguments that there was more to Tifa than a pair of breasts…

7. If you look closely in a house in Rocket Town, there is a portrait of Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi on the wall.

8. Barret was the first prominent black character to feature in the Final Fantasy series.

9. If you interact with the pumpkin in the ghost hotel at Gold Saucer it will let out a creepy laugh, which is a slowed down version of the infamous cackle of Final Fantasy VI villain Kefka.

10. Final Fantasy VII was the first game of the series to allude to the origin of the monsters roaming about when it contemplated that they were the result of a Mako experiment. Previously, no explanation for the rampant beasts in the series was given.

11. There was originally a side quest involving Red XIII where he’d come up against similar clones to himself named Cobalt XIV and Indigo XV. The player would have to fight all three and choose which one was Red, allegedly.

12. Final Fantasy X is the first game to fully implement voice acting but the first instance of voice lines being used was actually in Final Fantasy VII. A female voice can be heard running through safety checks as the Sister Ray cannon is preparing to fire at Diamond Weapon.



13. Aeris’ ghost can be seen twice in the church if you sneak back into Midgar in Disc Two or Three. Many have speculated that this is a programming hint that she could have been revived but it’s more likely to just be an Easter Egg for grieving fans.

14. There is a surprisingly offensive line of dialogue between Tifa and Barret if you opt to sneak into the Shinra Building the back way.

15. At the end of Disc Two it is heavily suggested that Cloud and Tifa have had sex but in scenes that were subsequently cut it is unquestionable as they are both seen to emerge dishevelled from the Chocobo stable on the ship. Classy, guys.

16. The opening bars of iconic track One Winged Angel was inspired by Purple Haze by Jimi Hendrix Experience.

17. Due to the fact that they are optional characters who may never enter your party, Vincent and Yuffie are not included in any of the game’s cut scenes.

18. Aeris’ first love was initially meant to be Sephiroth which would have made it super awks given the fact that he went on to kill her. It was only at a very late stage that the character of Zack was implemented.

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