Final Fantasy VII: The Unused Text – Part 8

Term Register and Article Map for newcomers:
The Final Fantasy VII Unused Text Series Index!

Keystone Quest to End of Disc 1

A second visit to Gold Saucer reveals the last hidden text pieces this place has to offer. After that we move on to the Ancient Temple, Bone Village, Forgotten City and finally see the transition to the game’s next disc. On the way we will encounter alternate versions of many familiar scenes but also find a number of surprising unused bits.

Not only that, but the long-standing mystery of the inaccessible Coral Valley cave will receive its most plausible resolution yet! Enjoy the videos and the article.







Weapon Maker’s House (ZZ2)

This is where the game informs you about the Keystone and its purpose. It is possible to entirely skip this exposition.

“Huh? What? 「ん? なんだ?
If it’s the Keystone you want  キーストーンなら
I already sold it!”  売っちまったよ」

The locked line was left behind in favor of the two used lines below.

Weapon seller 武器職人の小屋 Arms Dealer’s Hut
“Huh? Oh another customer. 「ん? また客か Hm? Another customer, huh.
You sure picked an out of the  こんな、ヘンピな所に Why on earth would you pick
way place but…”  よくもまあ」 such an out of the way place?
“But if it’s the ‘Keystone’ you’re looking for, 「けど、ひと足遅かったな But you’re too late.
you’re too late.  『キーストーン』なら I don’t have the Keystone
Don’t have it.”  もう、ねぇよ」 anymore.

If you ask him about the Keystone he then informs you that he sold it to Dio.


The weapon maker will ask for some Mythril. Declining to give him this key item will simply cancel the talk-to event, but one unused text box exists for this scenario.

“Yeah? 「そうかい Yeah?
Well, guess that’s that.”  まぁ、しょうがねぇな」 Well, nothin’ else to be done.

Now to return to Gold Saucer for our final visit there.



Dio’s Museum (CLSIN2_2)

Walk up to the items on display and press the OK button to read their name tags. A tag like this can’t be triggered for the Keystone but it exists in unused form.

“Keystone” 『キーストーン』


After getting the Keystone the text below was once supposed to trigger.

{Aeris} AERITH
“With this, 「これがあれば
We can get into the  古代種の神殿、はいれるね。
Temple of the Ancients.
Let’s go, {Cloud}!”  行こ! CLOUD」
{Tifa} TIFA
“With this Key Materia, 「このキーマテリアで
We can get in to the  古代種の神殿にはいれるわ。
Temple of the Ancients.
Let’s go, {Cloud}!”  行きましょう、CLOUD」
{Barret} BARRET Barret:
“This’ll get us into the 「これで、古代種の神殿とかに This’ll get us into the
Temple of the Ancients, right?”  入れるんだろ? Temple of the Ancients, right?
 バババ Bababa

“Bababa” is nonsense, either typed in by accident or the result of a glitch.

Key Materia“, as Tifa calls it, is in fact NOT a mistranslation. Both here and in a later scene with Cait Sith do we see the Keystone referred to as a Key Materia.
Perhaps this was changed to prevent an overuse of the “Materia McGuffin”. If that was the thought behind it, one can easily spot the humor in the fact that the Materia McGuffin has since been re-used in the Compilation of FFVII.



Date Event, Enchantment Night (GLDGATE)

A series of “Pick the Area/Square” text boxes can be found here. Their placement in the script data hints strongly that they belong for the Date Event, hence why they are presented in this article rather than in Part 6 when we first visited Gold Saucer.

Options Group, First

☞  Speed Square ☞  スピードスクェア
☞  Chocobo Square ☞  チョコボスクェア
☞  Event Square ☞  イベントスクェア
☞  Speed Square ☞  スピードスクェア
☞  Event Square ☞  イベントスクェア
☞  Chocobo Square ☞  チョコボスクェア
☞  Event Square ☞  イベントスクェア
☞  Event Square ☞  イベントスクェア


Options Group, Second

☞  Speed Square ☞  スピードスクェア
☞  Chocobo Square ☞  チョコボスクェア
☞  Round Square ☞  ラウンドスクェア
☞  Speed Square ☞  スピードスクェア
☞  Round Square ☞  ラウンドスクェア
☞  Chocobo Square ☞  チョコボスクェア
☞  Round Square ☞  ラウンドスクェア
☞  Round Square ☞  ラウンドスクェア


“Uh… 「は
It’s not time for the Event yet…”  イベントがまだでーーーーす。」

Analysing these text boxes hints at a very different version of the Date Event. In the first text group we see that you’d be forced to pick the Chocobo and Speed squares before finally going to the Event. Choosing “Event Square” prematurely would probably trigger the “It’s not time for the Event yet…” line.

We do not know if these two groups of options were two separate scenarios or if they could both somehow happen in the same playthrough. We can only tell from the text that in the earlier build the date event was more free-roaming and less of a predetermined route of scenes.

I want to highlight that in the final game, the Gold Saucer worker says “Tonight’s Enchantment Night! All the attractions are free.”. If this line can be applied to the unused “Pick Gold Saucer Square” options, it is possible that you were to ride the roller coaster shooter and bet on Chocobos but without having to pay for it.
This is merely speculation and technically you already do get free passes for the Theatre/Event Square and the Ferris-Wheel/Round Square events, so the worker’s line is not a hint towards anything unused.


It is much more difficult to apply the unused list of options below in the context of the Date Event.
Were all these areas to be tried out for free or is it just a debug note?

☞  Chocobo Square ☞  チョコボスクェア
☞  Speed Square ☞  スピードスクェア
☞  Battle Square ☞  バトルスクェア
☞  Wonder Square ☞  ワンダースクェア
☞  Round Square ☞  ラウンドスクェア



On Stage (ASTAGE_B)

Narration ナレーション Narration:
“Long, long ago……” 「むか~し、昔のそのまた昔の物語」 This is a story of the time before once upon a time.

This same row of text is used in a longer text entry in the final game.


EDK 悪竜王 EDK:
“Gaaaaaaahh! 「ガハハハハ~! Gahahahaha!
Prepare yourself…legendary hero Alfred!”  いいか勇者アルフリ~ド~!」 All ready, hero Alfred?
EDK 悪竜王
“Gaaaaaah! 「ガハハハハ~!
Here I come, legendary hero…Alfred!”  いくぞ勇者アルフリ~ド~!」

The tiny difference between these two boils down to a slightly different original translation and the use of the symbols くぞ in the used entry rather than いか which does not significantly change the meaning.



Interrupted by Variables (BWHLIN)


Front Layer versus Back Layer

The gondola uses two fields; BWHLIN and BWHLIN2. When going through the forced date event, only the former field is used. After an FMV shows you that the ride is now above Gold Saucer the game simply moves the background layer away so that everything “outside” is completely black.

Only if you pay for the ride later on will the game then transition to BWHLIN2, which has a different background layer and far less text entries. Both however have an inaccessible location name.

Location Name

Inside the Ferris Wheel 観らん車内部

Normally I skip mentioning text entries that are empty in both the Japanese and English game (unless they are unlockable). There is however an “empty” text entry here that consists solely of three rows of spaces. Immediately adjacent to that one, we find the following…

デバック Debug
{VAR1} {VAR1} だって {VAR1}

{VAR1} represents a value, zero or higher. We can’t tell, as many different values/flags are checked in this field.

The Japanese text spells out Debug wrong and it actually reads “Debuk“. The second row of symbols is impossible to translate without additional context to this debug entry.

Wait a minute. もうちょっとまって。 Wait a little longer.

The ferris wheel ride involves a lot of waiting inbetween FMVs as the characters sit and do largely nothing (or a lot, if you constantly cause Cloud to move). The “Wait a minute.” line may have been a play-test note for these pauses.


Unfortunately none of the forced date scenes contain anything extraordinary. The Tifa Date:

{Tifa} TIFA Tifa:
“{Aeris} would be able to just 「AERITHなら、きっと I’m sure Aerith would
come out and say it, probably.”  ハッキリ言うんだろうな」 come right out and say it.
{Cloud} CLOUD
“Huh?” 「はぁ?」
{Tifa} TIFA
“{Cloud}…?”


The Yuffie Date:

{Yuffie} YUFFIE
“{Cloud}…?” 「CLOUD……」
{Yuffie} YUFFIE Yuffie:
“No I, uh…” 「いや、なんかさ~」 No, I, uh…

For those of you not well-versed in the dating events, it is here that Yuffie kisses Cloud on his cheek. This scenario is not unused.

{Cloud} CLOUD
“…” 「…………」
{Yuffie} YUFFIE Yuffie:
“I just felt like doing that.” 「そういうフンイキかなって I just feel like that’s the
 思ったワケよ」 atmosphere we’ve got going on here.


The very final entry in the text data shows another debug line though this one is easy to interpret.

X {VAR1} X  {VAR1}
Y {VAR1} Y  {VAR1}

X and Y respectively often represent values on two perpendicular axes in a coordinate system.
The most likely use for this debug note was to check the values for when causing the background layer of the map to move when giving the player a sense that they are on a moving ride.

For example, the default state of the field is to first move the background layer horizontally (X axis) -4 steps, then move it vertically (Y axis) -2 steps. Then after an FMV shows the ride high above the Gold Saucer, the background layer is moved both horizontally and vertically 4096 steps. The area “outside” of the gondola is now black because the background layer has been moved FAR away from the player’s perspective.



Inside the Ferris Wheel (BWHLIN2)


Front Layer versus Back Layer

Location Name

Inside the Ferris Wheel 観らん車内部

This field only has eight text entries, with the final one being empty and locked.



Round Square (BIGHWEEL)

{Yuffie} YUFFIE
“Thanks…
for coming with me.”  ありがとな」
{Cloud} CLOUD
“Yeah.” 「ああ」

In the final game Cloud nods in response to Yuffie which renders the locked line superfluous.

{Yuffie} YUFFIE Yuffie:
“You wanna go back, 「じゃあ Well, shall we
{Cloud}?”  そろそろもどろっかCLOUD」 go back, Cloud?


After agreeing to ride the gondola the Ticket Dealer will ask if this is your first time, to which any response could suit for the locked line that was to follow.

“Would this be your 「こちらの乗り物は
first time riding with us?”  初めてでございますか?」
☞  Yes, it would ☞  初めてでございます
☞  No, it would not ☞  初めてでは無いでございます
“Is that right?” 「さようでございますか」 I see.


「で So, we’re actually
 ホントはムービーはいって… going to put a movie in here…
 デートの時は花火見ながらイベントあってぇ」 There’s a scene that happens while watching the fireworks during the date.

Might this be a reference to how the game dialogue was eventually imposed over the fireworks FMV?



Uh-oh! (GLDGATE)

{Cloud} CLOUD
“Hey! {Cait Sith}!” 「おい! CAIT SITH!」
{Cait Sith} CAIT SITH Cait Sith:
“Oh oh!” 「やばやば!」 Uh-oh!

Cait Sith starts running away without this intermediate line.



CHORACE & CHORACE2

CHORACE and CHORACE2 are two fields that are visually identical but they code for different scenes. In short, CHORACE2 is used for the scene when Cait Sith throws the Keystone to Tseng, while CHORACE is used for everything else. Due to this, the location name of this area is unseen in CHORACE2 as you have no access to the menu there.

Location Name [CHORACE2]

Chocobo Square チョコボスクェア

To nobody’s surprise, each field still contains traces of the scenes that belong and are used in the other field.

Duplicate in CHORACE2

There is one used scene in CHORACE that can easily be missed:

On your first visit to Gold Saucer, before meeting Cait Sith, Shinra soldiers can be spotted in CHORACE.

The text for this scene exists in the Japanese CHORACE2 file but in the English file these text entries are blank. For the tables I’ve transferred the used text from CHORACE, instead of retranslating the Japanese text.

While the party member lines are unlockable, CHORACE2 is incomplete for this scene and does not have the field models for the Shinra grunts.

{Aeris} AERITH
“What happened?” 「どうしたの?」
{Tifa} TIFA
“What?” 「なに?」
{Red XIII} RED XIII
“What happened?” 「どうした?」
{Yuffie} YUFFIE
“What is it?” 「なんだ?」
{Cloud} CLOUD
“Sh…!” 「シッ!」
{Cloud} CLOUD
“Shinra soldiers… 「神羅兵…
Even here…”  こんなところまで…」
“Attention! Dismissed!!” 「よし、ちれ!!」


If you chase after Cait Sith without entering the wrong area you will spot Cait Sith at the top of the stairs and see him run into the the Race Register room. This moment also exists in CHORACE2 but is perfectly meaningless to unlock due to looking exactly the same as its CHORACE counterpart.

Unused in both CHORACE & CHORACE2

In the Speed, Battle- and Wonder Square it is possible to spot a boy and a girl running in glee from one area to the other, while being chased by a supervising adult who tells them not to run.

This scenario exists in both CHORACE fields in text only but neither contain the field models.

The English text entries are empty in CHORACE2 but are translated in CHORACE.

“Yaaay!!” 「わ~い!!」
“Yaay Yaay!” 「キャッキャ!」 Yay yay!
“Come on now‚no running.” 「これこれ、走るんじゃないよ」


デバック Debug
{VAR1} だって {VAR1}

Exactly like the entry in the ferris wheel with debug misspelled as “debuk“. We are equally clueless here as to which values/flags were tested in conjunction with this debug note.


CHORACE2 scene in CHORACE

As a reminder this is what happens in CHORACE2:
Cait Sith throws the Keystone to Tseng, who then escapes with the artifact on his helicopter. Cloud and whomever he took on a date then talk to Cait Sith about his betrayal. Having taken Marlene (and possibly Elmyra) hostage the party is forced to let Cait Sith stay with them.

During this, the theme Anxiety plays. The scene happens when you enter the field at PPV=598.

The scene also exists in CHORACE largely the same. A primary difference is that the Anxiety theme does not even exist here and instead when you transport here at PPV=598 the Shinra Inc. theme will be playing. The two tracks generate quite the contrasting atmospheres.

Without further modifications, all you will get when entering CHORACE at this point is to see Cait Sith perfectly still on the stairs. You will hear Shinra’s theme playing but no scene unfolds nor can you control Cloud so the game is essentially frozen.

The term “scene choreography” becomes important again as each individual character line, except for Marlene’s, exists as unlockable but the script that binds them together and makes the scene happen does not exist here. Instead the scene structure has to be copied and adapted from CHORACE2.

The field models for Tseng and the helicopter does not exist so the first segment of the scene can’t happen here. Technically the action when Cait Sith runs to the bottom of the stairs does not exist here either, but I copied it from CHORACE2 so to prevent the oddity of the main characters talking to Cait Sith at the bottom of the screen when in fact he is positioned higher up.

{Cait Sith} CAIT SITH
“Hey! Look here! 「ほら! これや!
The Key Materia!”  キー・マテリアや!」

The second and final time we see the Keystone referred to as the “Key Materia”.

CHORACE2 Line

{Cait Sith} CAIT SITH
“Hey! Over here! 「ほら! これや!
The Keystone!”  キーストーンや!」
ツォン Tseng:
“Well done.” 「ごくろうさまです」 Well done.

It is at this point where the scene can begin in CHORACE2 if you copy the scene choreography from CHORACE.

While one could go on at ridiculous length about the small differences between the English translation in CHORACE and CHORACE2, as well as the few differences in the Japanese text that do exist, I’ve decided to only paste the text entries which contain relevant observations. Instead I’ll reserve more detailed scene comparisons for potential additional documents in the future, outside of the WordPress format.


{Cait Sith} CAIT SITH Cait Sith:
“W, {TIMER=0}, a second. 「ちょちょ、ちょっと待って~や。 W, a second.
I won’t run or hide.”  逃げも隠れもしませんから」 I won’t run or hide.
“Yes, I was a spy. 「確かにボクは、スパイしてました。 Yes, I was spying on you.
I was hired by the Shinra.”  神羅のまわしモンです」 I’m a spy for the Shinra.

The {TIMER} function is not there in the used scene. It represents a pause in the dialogue but because the pause is set to zero seconds no pause actually happens.

Interestingly this pause is only here in the unused English version and in none of the Japanese versions. Looks like the localization team took the freedom to add effects like these.

CHORACE2 Translation:: “W, wait a second..


バレット Barret:
“Ya dirty &*$*%$!” 「うすぎたねえ野郎だぜ!」 Ya dirty &*$*%$!

Notice that Barret’s Japanese name is hard-coded here. No matter what you named him earlier he will still be called バレット [Barret].


{Cloud} CLOUD Cloud:
“You’re pushin’ it, {Cait Sith}! 「ずうずうしいぞ、CAIT SITH! Talk about shameless, Cait Sith!
You gotta lot of nerve staying with us  スパイだとわかってて We can’t let you stay with the group,
all the while being a spy!”  いっしょにいられるわけないだろ!」 knowing you’re a spy!

CHORACE2 Translation: “No way, cat! You gotta lot of guts acting like a friend but being a spy!”

{Cait Sith} CAIT SITH
“Then, what are you goin’ to do? 「ほな、どないするんですか?
Destroy me?”  ボクを壊すんですか?」

CHORACE2 Translation: Third row reads “Kill me” instead of “Destroy me“.


{Cloud} CLOUD Cloud:
“He won’t come clean. 「正体はあかさない。 You won’t reveal your identity,
And he won’t quit being a spy.”  スパイはやめない」 and you won’t give up being a spy.
“We can’t go on with 「そんなヤツといっしょに We can’t keep travelling
someone like that.  旅なんてできないからな。 with someone like you.
Pull your head out!”  冗談はやめてくれ」 Quit kidding around.

CHORACE2 Translation: He’ll never tell the truth. Once a spy, always a spy. We can’t go on with someone like that. C‘mon get real!!


Marlene’s lines are all locked, though they became unlockable (for the related video) when I copied them over from CHORACE2.

Another imperfection is that the sound effect of the static from the communicator is not present in the scene choreography but is in fact also a copied element for the video.

“Dad! {Tifa}!” 「父ちゃん! TIFA!」

CHORACE2 Translation: “Papa! {Tifa}!”.


マリン Marlene:
“Hey! It’s dad! 「あ! とうちゃんの声だ! Hey! That’s Dad’s voice!
Dad! It’s me, Marlene!”  とうちゃん! マリンね!」 Dad! It’s me, Marlene!
マリン
“Hey! It’s {Tifa}! 「あ! TIFAの声だ!
{Tifa}! You know what!”  TIFA! あのね!」

CHORACE2 Translation: Second row reads {Tifa}! Help, I’m-”.

マリン
“Hey! It’s the flower lady! 「あ! お花のお姉ちゃん!
Flower lady…”  お姉ちゃん…」
マリン Marlene:
“Hey! It’s {Cloud}!” 「あ! CLOUDの声だ!」 Hey! That’s Cloud’s voice!

CHORACE2 Version

マリン Marlene:
“Hey! It’s {CLOUD}!” 「あ! CLOUDの声だ! Hey! That’s Cloud’s voice!
 CLOUD! あ…」 Cloud! Guess…




{Cait Sith} CAIT SITH
“Tomorrow is the Temple of the Ancients, right? 「明日は古代種の神殿でしたな?
I know where it is  場所知ってますから
so I’ll tell you later.”  後で、教えますわ」
“Of course we’ll get there after the Shinra, 「神羅のあとになりますけど
but you’ll have to deal with that.”  まぁ、そんくらいは
 ガマンしてくださいな」

If you did not speak to the arms dealer about the Keystone you will not actually know what it does. You can get to this point in the game without visiting the arms dealer at all.

A used line by Cait Sith will take this into account and exposit the McGuffin’s purpose to you, though notably this line is completely non-existant in the unused duplicate scene in CHORACE.

CHORACE2 Exclusive Line

{Cait Sith} CAIT SITH Cait Sith:
“Oh, you didn’t seem to know this, but…” 「そういや、みなさんは By the way, you didn’t seem to
“The Keystone is the key to the  知らんかったみたいやけど」 know this, but…
Temple of the Ancients. 「キーストーンは The Keystone is the key to the
Even so, you’re all going, right?”  古代種の神殿への鍵なんです。 Temple of the Ancients.
“I know where it is, so  どちらにしろ、みなさんも Whatever happens, you’re all going
I’ll show you later.”  行くんですよね?」 too, right?
“The Shinra have already been there, but 「場所知ってますから I know where it is, so
I guess you have to deal with that.”  あとで、教えますわ」 I’ll tell you later.
「神羅のあとになりますけど We’ll get there after the
 まぁ、そんくらいは Shinra arrive, but please
 ガマンしてくださいな」 make the best of it.


We got a few more duplicate/alternate scenes to handle at the Ancient Temple and one in the Forgotten City to analyse. Due them being somewhat shorter than this Gold Saucer scene, I will present the full script for these.



Ghost Hotel (GHOTIN_4)

The Temple of the Ancients await us. Just like when we left Cosmo Canyon, here is a debug line for choosing your party.

これはとりあえずです This is it for now
    BARRET     Barret
    TIFA     Tifa
    RED XIII     Red XIII
    シド     Cid
    ユフィ     Yuffie
    ケットシー     Cait Sith
    ビンセント     Vincent

This is it for now” might represent that Aeris and Cloud are locked in your party. The Japanese names for Cid, Yuffie, Cait Sith and Vincent are hard-coded here, meaning that no matter what you named them these are the names displayed.

Barret, Tifa and Red XIII will change according to what the player named them.



Altar, Close-Up Field (JTMPIN2)

Location Name

Temple of the Ancients 古代種の神殿



Stair Maze (KURO_1)

Received “Morph” Materia! 『へんか』のマテリアを手にいれた!

The Materia received here is “Luck Plus“. The Morph Materia is acquired in KURO_3 instead.



Ancient Shop (KURO_2)

Location Name

Temple of the Ancients 古代種の道具屋 Ancients’ General Store

This is one of three rooms where the English location name is far removed from its Japanese counterpart. Because the true translation is a bit more exotic, I decide to show these despite them being used.


The game makes a point of the fact that the spirits protecting the temple have forgotten how to speak. Apparently at one point the spirit in this room did speak and it did so with an accent that sounds like something from a very rural area. This accent is only reflected in the Japanese language.

“Welcome!” 「いらっしゃいませでぷ~」
“Please come again!” 「またくるでぷ~」

Trivia: The game code calls this spirit (as well as the spirit in KURO_1) shop, which fits because they are the same spirit and you gain access to a small item shop here.


Received “Mop”! 『モップ』を手にいれた!

The only treasure chest in this room gives you the “Silver Rifle” for Vincent.
This chest is called box2 in the game code, so perhaps the treasure containing Cid’s weapon “Mop” was called box1. Mop can be dug up in Bone Village in the final game.



Mural Chamber, Test Play (KURO_8)

Location Name

Temple of the Ancients 壁画の間 Mural Chamber

KURO_8 and KURO_82 are visually identical fields but with a different set of scenes. More on their differences when we come back to the mural chamber.
Both use the terribly mistranslated location name in the English game.


{Aeris} AERITH
“Wait! 「まって!
Look! It’s showing us!”  ほら、見て…はじまるよ」
“Test Play is up to here.” 「テストプレイはここまでです。」 Test Play ends here.

A debug note exactly like this one exists in one of the Midgar train cabins (see Part 3) and looks to represent that after this point no further scenes had been completed for debugging.



Great Time Hole (KURO_4)

Location Name

Temple of the Ancients 時の大穴 Great Time Hole

The final “lazy” English location name.


The Clock Puzzle: JORG versus post-JORG

Most will be familiar with the version of this puzzle where you are allowed to move the minute hand in five minute steps, backwards or forwards in time, for as long as you like. In the original Japanese release this challenge starts out differently.

Instead of moving the minute hand yourself you “leave it up to the guard“. You choose whether you want to move time backwards or forwards, then choose how much time should pass/revert. The challenge lies in memorizing the exact time interval each option corresponds to, as they do not point out the exact amount of time that will move.

If you stand on the hour or minute hand when the second hand moves across the one you are standing on, Cloud will fall down the hole. In JORG, falling down this whole three times would activate a flag and thusly give you the ability to move time yourself. In all later released, including FFVII International, the flag is activated by default hence rendering the more difficult puzzle “unused” in these versions. Fortunately this makes unlocking the older challenge a straightforward task since all you need is to deactivate this flag.

So, this is the text entry that appears in the puzzle we are all familiar with.

[MENU]: Move it myself △ボタン:自分で動かす [△ Button]: Spin it Yourself
[OK]: Spin ○ボタン:ルーレット回転 [○ Button]: Roulette Spin
[CANCEL]: Proceed now! ×ボタン:いまを進む! [× Button]: Proceed to Present

With the aforementioned flag inactive, the following will appear instead.

[MENU]: Leave it up to the Guard △ボタン:番人にまかせる [△ Button]: Spin it Yourself
[OK]: Spin ○ボタン:ルーレット回転 [○ Button]: Roulette Spin
[CANCEL]: Proceed now! ×ボタン:いまを進む! [× Button]: Proceed to Present

You pick “Leave it up to the Guard“.

“What is it you wish, seeker of knowledge?” 「知識求めるものよ、何をねがう?」 What is it you wish, seeker of knowledge?
☞   Speed up time ☞   時を進める ☞   Advance Time
☞   Go back in time ☞   時をさかのぼる ☞   Go Back in Time

No matter which you pick, the following text entry will appear. The effect of the options obviously change according to whether you chose to speed up time or move it backwards.

“How fast would ye move time?” 「時の流れは、いかほどをのぞむ?」 How fast would ye move time?
☞   Just a bit ☞   ほんの少し ☞   Just A Little
☞   A little more ☞   そこそこに ☞   Fairly Much
☞   Plenty ☞   たっぷりと ☞   In Plenty
☞   Cancel ☞   とりけし ☞   Cancel

Let’s present a chart of the changes in time that each option corresponds to.

Just a bit +5 minutes -10 minutes
A little more +35 minutes -50 minutes
Plenty +1 hour 25 minutes -1 hour 40 minutes


The field also has a text entry for debugging the time options. It is not related to any prompt or specific condition, so it is completely up to the person modding the game as to when it should trigger.

Unlike the other text entries, this one wasn’t translated for the English game. The text window is small and will either hide the pointer or partially conceal it. Editing the text window can fix this right up.



☞    +5分 ☞   +5 minutes
☞    ー10分 ☞   -10 minutes
☞    +35分 ☞   +35 minutes
☞    ー50分 ☞   -50 minutes
☞    +1時間25分 ☞   +1 hour 25 minutes
☞    ー1時間40分 ☞   -1 hour 40 minutes
☞    +5時間55分 ☞   +5 hours 55 minutes
☞    ー7時間 ☞   -7 hours
☞    キャンセル ☞   Cancel

+5 hours 55 minutes” and “-7 hours” do not exist in the final puzzle. If these options were ever intended to be used they were clearly discarded because of the tediously extended waiting time they would have caused.



Get The Key! (KURO_7)

The spirit here is called keyman in the game code. His only unused bit is instead recycled in a used entry.

“Nyum, nyum…” 「ねむねむ……」
“Nyum, nyum…” 「ねむねむ……」
☞   Rest ☞    休む
☞   Save ☞    記録
☞   Forget it ☞    用はない


Jumping down to the lower levels simply requires that you position Cloud correctly and then press the OK button. A slower method that froze Cloud on the spot was first planned.

{Cloud} CLOUD
“It probably won’t hurt 「ここなら飛び降りても
if I jump from here…”  痛くなさそうだな……」
☞   Jump ☞    ジャンプ
☞   Don’t do it ☞    やめとく
Jump to the lower level 【○ボタン】で下の段へジャンプ!
with [OK]!

Cloud, you survived the fall down to Aeris’ church. I think that small jump won’t hurt you.



Cloud’s Insanity, Partial Duplicate (KURO_8)

Many parallels can be drawn here with the CHORACECHORACE2 dynamic. KURO_8 is used for the scene where Sephiroth cuts down Tseng, then for when the party first enter the mural chamber and follow Sephiroth to the altar with the pyramid model. After this point, the visually identical field KURO_82 is used, starting with the scene where Cloud loses his mind for a moment.

This scene with Cloud’s mental breakdown partially exists in KURO_8 but with a few noticeable differences.

Just like with the CHORACE duplicate scene, all the actions by the party members exist separately but the scene choreography that binds them all together does not. It has to be copied and adapted from KURO_82, otherwise teleporting to this field at the scene’s intended PPV (which is 621) will result in no scene at all. Cloud will be frozen on the spot as he is teleported to above the walkmesh.


What? I have to WORK to unlock this scene too?!

I should mention that the part with the sound effect of the beating heart and the screen going red, all which could be seen in the related video, are effects copied from KURO_82 and not something that was there from the start in KURO_8.

You will notice first that Cloud does not have a translucent double that acts out of phase with the solid Cloud.


KURO_82 (used rendition) versus KURO_8 (unused rendition).

KURO_8 simply lacks an extra Cloud model. The mental instability of our protagonist is clearly demonstrated in a much more powerful way in the used scene by adding that duplicate model.

The KURO_82 rendition also adds to the eariness by letting the “Who Am I” theme play here. KURO_8 does not have the data for this theme and will instead keep on playing “Those Chosen by the Planet” from the previous field.

{Aeris} AERITH
“{Cloud}!!” 「CLOUD!!」
{Barret} BARRET
“Hey!! 「おい!!
{Cloud}!!”  CLOUD!!」
{Tifa} TIFA
“Hey, {Cloud}!” 「ねえ、CLOUD!」
{Red XIII} RED XIII
“{Cloud}!” 「CLOUDっ!」

KURO_82 Version

{Red XIII} RED XIII
“{Cloud}! 「CLOUDっ!
What’s wrong!”  どうしたんだよぅ!」
{Yuffie} YUFFIE
“{Cloud}! 「CLOUD!
What are you doing?”  なにやってんだ?」
CAIT SITH
“{Cloud}! 「CLOUDさん!
What’s going on with you?”  どないしたんや!」

KURO_82 Version

{Cait Sith} CAIT SITH
“{Cloud}! 「CLOUDさん!
What’s wrong with you!?”  どないしたんや!」
{Cid} CID
“What the hell is going on?” 「どうなっちまってんだよ!」
{Vincent} VINCENT
“What are you doing?” 「なにをしているのだ?」

The lines by the optional party members are mostly the same, but the biggest differences lies in their animations. The partial duplicate scene generally has fewer animations for the optional party members to perform and aside from Barret and Tifa they all remain on the same spot.

{Cloud} CLOUD
“Ha ha ha… 「クックックッ……
Black Materia”  黒マテリア」

KURO_82 follows with the line below which does not exist in KURO_8 at all.

{Cloud} CLOUD
“Ha ha ha…… 「クックックッ……
Call Meteor.”  メテオよぶ」
{Aeris} AERITH
“{Cloud}!!
“{Cloud}!! 「CLOUD!!
Get a hold of yourself!”  しっかりしなさい!」

The English KURO_82 line here by Aeris doesn’t have the unnecessary extra “Cloud!” exclamation.

{Cloud} CLOUD
“{Cloud}…” 「CLOUD……」
“I… 「俺……
{Cloud}…”  CLOUD……」

Cloud grabs his head and continues to shake…for eternity. The scene choreography ends here and completely lacks the part where Cloud regains his senses. Despite even missing the text for the part that immediately follows (in the used scene at least) one final, locked line can be found.

{Cloud} CLOUD
“Is this Meteor?” 「これがメテオか?」

KURO_82 Version

{Cloud} CLOUD
“So this must be Meteor, right?” 「これがメテオだな?」



Origin of the Summons (KURO_82)

The room begins to shake and the screen darkens. The party reacts to this and get ready for battle.

Sephiroth セフィロス
“Ha ha ha… 「クックックッ……
It is not me.”  私ではない」

After this is when you battle the “Red Dragon”, then pick up the “Bahamut” Summon Materia. The unused text here was either intended for before or after the boss battle.

セフィロス Sephiroth:
「かつて古代種がさかえたころ During the time when the Ancients
 豊富な魔晄の光をあびて prospered, there existed beings that
 育った種族がいた」 were brought up bathed in the light of abundant Mako.
セフィロス Sephiroth:
「自然な形の純すいなモンスターたちだ。 They were pure creatures of natural
 いまでもいくつかの種族は残っている」 shape. Several types remain even now.

“Pure creatures of natural shape” means that these are beings naturally born from the Planet, so they are not artifical or man-made.

セフィロス Sephiroth:
「ある種族は、マテリアのなかに Some of these beings sealed their life energy
 自らの命を封じこめ、生を永遠に変えた」 within materia, altering their lives forever.
AERITH Aerith:
「召喚のマテリア……」 The summon materia…
セフィロス Sephiroth:
「然り。 Correct.
 理解のはやい娘だ」 Such a clever girl.
セフィロス Sephiroth:
「この神殿を守るものは The creatures who protect this
 古代種の時代から時をこえ temple have lived long, relics
 生きながらえてきたモンスター」 from the age of the Ancients.
セフィロス Sephiroth:
「おまえたちよりも They belong to this planet
 この星にふさわしい種族たちだ」 even more than you do.
Sephiroth セフィロス Sephiroth:
“Ha ha ha… 「クックックッ…… Heh heh heh…
You should know…”  思い知るがいい」 Keep that in mind.

In no other part of the game is the origin of the summons even hinted at. I consulted a friend who knows Japanese and who has read through most official FFVII guide books; he could not recall a single page where the FFVII iterations of these summoned beasts have been explained. This empowers the above unused text as a true gem!

The text is a bit on the vague side though. For one, it is not clear if the “creatures that protect this temple” are summon creatures, beings that could turn into summons or something completely different. One interpretation would be that the Red Dragon enemy is one of these “pure natural creatures” and that upon defeat it turned into the summon Materia “Bahamut”. This would explain the transition of finding the summon Materia after defeating this boss.

EDIT 2019-06-06:
Translator Squall_of_SeeD has taken a look at the line that was vaguely translated as “pure creatures of natural shape” and come to the following conclusion.

It seems clear to me he’s saying that these were “innocent monsters” formed by nature.

He’s creating a deliberate contrast between them and something else — either
a) the unnatural monsters brought about by Shin-Ra’s experiments and mako leaks
b) perhaps humankind
c) both

Probably both given his comment about the summons belonging to the planet “more than you do.”



Altar, Temple Model (KURO_9)

{Aeris} AERITH
“They said that the Temple 「この神殿そのものが
itself is the Black Materia.”  黒マテリアだって」
{Aeris} AERITH Aerith:
“If we could only move this, 「これを動かせば If we could only get this to move,
we could take the Black Materia.”  黒マテリアを持ち出せる」 we could take the Black Materia.
“But, the Temple would collapse.” 「でも、神殿、くずれちゃうの」 But the temple would collapse.

It is unclear if this “collapse” of the temple is the same type that the final game describes which, rather than a falling and crumbling of the temple, has it shrink continuously. The used script tells us that the Ancient Temple itself is the Black Materia, which is another statement that may or may not be true for this locked piece.


The mechanism by which the temple prevents the Black Materia from being stolen is part of the game’s used text, but I believe it hints at a scrapped or forgotten idea. Let’s take a look.

{Cloud} CLOUD Cloud:
“What do they mean?” 「どういうことだ?」 What does that mean?
{Aeris} AERITH Aerith:
“So, this whole building 「だから、この大きな建物自体が It means this enormous building
is the Black Materia?”  黒マテリア、なんだって」 is actually the Black Materia.
{Cloud} CLOUD Cloud:
“This huge Temple? 「この、でかい神殿が? This huge Temple?
This is the Black Materia!?”  これが黒マテリア!?」 This is the Black Materia!?
“Then no one could take it.” 「それじゃあ、誰にも持ち出せないな」 If that’s the case, no one will be able to take it.
{Aeris} AERITH Aerith:
“Hmm, it’s pretty hard. 「う~ん、むずかしいところね。 Yeah, that’s the tough part.
You see this is a model of the Temple.”  ここにあるのは神殿の模型なの」 This thing right here is a model of the temple.
“And inside it is a device, 「この模型には、しかけがあって The model has a trick to it.
which gets smaller  パズルをといていくと As you keep solving puzzles,
each time you solve a puzzle.”  どんどん模型が小さくなるんだって」 the model will get smaller and smaller.
“As the model becomes smaller, 「模型、小さくなると、神殿自体も小さくなる。 As the model shrinks, the temple shrinks too.
you become smaller too.”  どんどん、おりたたまれていって、最後には You keep on compressing it, and eventually
“Until it’s small enough to fit  手のひらにのるくらいにまで小さくなるの」 it will fit in the palm of your hand.
in the palm of your hand.”
{Cloud} CLOUD Cloud:
“So, if we solve the puzzles, 「つまり、この模型のパズルを解けば In short, once we solve the model’s
the Black Materia will get smaller and smaller  黒マテリアは小さくなって puzzles, the Black Materia will be
and we can take it out?”  持ち出せるようになるわけだな?」 small enough to take with us?
{Aeris} AERITH Aerith:
“Yes, but there’s one thing…” 「そう、でもね……」 Yes, but there’s one thing…
“You can only answer the puzzles 「パズルを解くのは、この場所でしか You can’t solve the puzzles
inside the Temple.”  できないの」 from a distance.
“So, anyone who solves the puzzle 「だから、パズルを解くと、その人は That means that whoever solves
will be crushed by the Temple.”  この神殿、いいえ、黒マテリア自体に the puzzles will be crushed by
 押しつぶされちゃうの」 the Temple… no, the Black Materia.
{Cloud} CLOUD
“I see… 「なるほど……
the Ancients didn’t want  危険な魔法を簡単に持ち出させないための
dangerous magic  古代種の知恵か……」
to be taken out of the Temple so easily…”

Curiously, no puzzle solving ever happens. All we see is that the temple crumbles when the hovering temple model at the altar is touched. Quite possibly, puzzles were meant to be implemented but the idea was ultimately left behind.



Mural Chamber, Partial Dupe (KURO_82)

The duplicate text here is used in KURO_9 in the final game. The Japanese text is the same in both KURO_82 and KURO_9, except for the order in which the text entries are placed.

{Cait Sith} CAIT SITH Cait Sith:
“The Ancients went out of their 「古代種さんたち The Ancients sure did a
way to make this great machine.”  こんなシカケ good job making this
 よう作りはったなぁ~」 mechanism.
{Cait Sith} CAIT SITH Cait Sith:
“I’m saving this Planet too! 「ボクも、この星を守るんや! I’m protecting the Planet too!
I’m a little embarrassed…”  なんや、照れるなぁ……」 Jeez, it’s kind of embarrassing when ya put it that way.
{Cait Sith} CAIT SITH
“This must be it!” 「これやな!」

The English translation is different between the two so here is the used KURO_9 text for comparison and to show how the “This must be it” line is placed at the beginning rather than at the end.

KURO_9 Version

{CAIT SITH} CAIT SITH
“This must be it!” 「これやな!」

KURO_9 Version

{Cait Sith} CAIT SITH
“The Ancients sure did a 「古代種さんたち
great job making this.”  こんなシカケ
 よう作りはったなぁ~」

KURO_9 Version

{Cait Sith} CAIT SITH
“I can protect the Planet too! 「ボクも、この星を守るんや!
I’m kinda embarrassed…”  なんや、照れるなぁ……」



Temple, Outside (JTEMPL)

{Aeris} AERITH
“{Cait Sith}…” 「CAIT SITH……」



The Field Identification Numbers Story

In preparation for a point that will be made later in this article, we have a short lesson ahead of us.

As I’ve hinted at earlier, each field in the game has a specific ID#. The post-JORG game uses field identification numbers from 0-786. While the first section of this long list of fields looks chaotic, it soon presents some form of order. To explain better and more in-detail, here is how the list of fields can be divided.

#0 – DUMMY:
Unused field with very basic coding.
#1-64 – The “WM” Files:
These are not actually maps, but rather files that teleport you to various spots on the Overworld (or the “World Map” as it were).
#65-115 – Debugging & Single Overworld Areas:
Debugging Fields, the Highwind, Gelnika and single areas accessed from the Overworld like the Materia Caves, Chocobo Sage’s House etc.
#116-768 – The Ordered List:
Fields are presented, mostly, in the same order as you visit them throughout the game.
#769-786 – The Hindsight List:
Fields that were added late during development. Many random fields here, plus the maps for the scenes added post-JORG.

So there are two important points to bring home here.
Firstly that just by looking at the field list from #116-768, you can get a somewhat good summary of the game’s natural progression.
Secondly, some fields were added late in development and did not get grouped in the “ordered” list. I speculate this to be because adding fields in the middle of the list would cause faulty map jumps, just like when the text in the unused Honey Bee Inn rooms got messed up when new kanji symbols were added in the middle of the kanji table.

One such field that was added late is actually JTEMPLC. JTEMPLB has ID#601 while JTEMPLC has ID#775.



Temple Hole (JTEMPLB)

When Sephiroth says “Wake up!” the screen goes white and the game then jumps to JTEMPLC. There the scene unfolds with Cloud giving the Black Materia to Sephiroth.
If you delete the jump to JTEMPLC, the aforementioned scene will take place here in JTEMPLB instead.

Sephiroth
“Wake up!” 「さあ、目をさませ!」 Now, awaken!
{Cloud} CLOUD
“Sh…shut up!” 「だ、だまれ!」
{Cloud} CLOUD Cloud:
“The…noise…” 「う……うるさ……い……」 Be… Be… quiet…

You gain control over Cloud’s younger self and can trigger these two pieces below by talking to older Cloud, just like in JTEMPLC.

“No!” 『だ~めだよぅ!』
“Don’t be afraid–!” 『こわがっちゃだめー!』


Sephiroth セフィロス
“There, {Cloud}…good boy.” 「さあ、CLOUD……
 良い子だ」
{Cloud} CLOUD
“Wa…aaaa…aaa…” 「う……あ……ぁ……」


JTEMPLC version (used) versus JTEMPLB version (unused)

Gave “Black Materia” to Sephiroth! 『黒マテリア』をセフィロスに手わたした!
Sephiroth セフィロス
“…Well done.” 「……ごくろう」
{Aeris} AERITH
“{Cloud}, are you all right?” 「CLOUD、だいじょぶ?」

Due to having no prompts to stop it, the camera will still be moving up and down and the screen tone will be darker than if scenes had gone by as they do in the final game.



Temple Hole, Close-Up (JTEMPLC)

As was mentioned in the “The Field Identification Numbers Story” segment, JTEMPLC was (probably) a field added in hindsight. This is understandable as having this perspective closer to the characters allows for more dramatic, better discernable scenes.

A great deal of the code that exists in JTEMPLB also exists in JTEMPLC. The field is most imperfect when you try to unlock the dialogue prior to Sephiroth’s descent into the hole. Cloud lacks many of the actions and animations seen in the used version of these scenes, plus the field does not even set the PPV condition for these first scenes to happen. Like with CHORACE-CHORACE2 and KURO8-KURO82 before it, actions need to be copied from JTEMPLB to JTEMPLC and then adjusted accordingly when unlocking the scene. Out of these three examples of duplicate scenes, the necessary code adjustments to make the first unused half of scenes in JTEMPLC to flow are the most extensive.

One neat observation can be made though with the benefit of this close-up perspective. The Black Materia field model is not round at all but rather looks like two step-pyramids pressed together. It has this appearance in all the fields where it is present. This is quite different from both the official art and the FMV shot on disc 2.


The model in-game versus in a model viewer.



Black Materia in FMV compared to its artwork from the FFVII International ‘Perfect Guide’


The second half of unused material in this field is much easier to unlock. Simply disable jump to JTEMPLB and you will see familiar events unfold in JTEMPLC instead.

Script comparisons between JTEMPLB and JTEMPLC do not yield much. In comparison, the JTEMPLC script is missing a few brackets and sometimes uses 。 where there should be 」. Pointing these out shall be reserved for future comparison documents.

Location Name

Temple of the Ancients 古代種の神殿
{Cloud} CLOUD
“That’s the Black Materia…” 「あれが、黒マテリア……」
{Barret} BARRET
“Hey! 「おう!
I’ll keep watch here!”  オレはここでみはってるぜ!」
{Tifa} TIFA
“I’ll wait here.” 「私、ここでまってるね」
{Red XIII} RED XIII
“I’ll be sittin’ out here.” 「おいら、ここで
 おすわりしてるよ」
{Yuffie} YUFFIE
“Heh heh…this looks majorly boring, 「エヘヘ……興味ないから
so I’ll stay here.”  ここにいるよ」
{Cid} CID
“I’m gonna have a smoke out here!” 「ここでいっぷくしてるぜ!
“Ahhh!! 「クッ~!!
It’s great‚having a smoke  こういうとこでいっぷくすんのは
at a place like this.”  たまんねえ~!」
{Vincent} VINCENT
“I’ll be looking around here.” 「私はここで見物していよう」
Got Key Item “Black Materia!” キーアイテム『黒マテリア』を手にいれた!
{Cloud} CLOUD
“As long as we have this, 「これを俺たちが持ってるかぎり
Sephiroth won’t be able to use Meteor.”  セフィロスはメテオを使えないってわけだ」
{Cloud} CLOUD Cloud:
“Mmm?” 「ん?」 Huh?
{Cloud} CLOUD Cloud:
“Can you guys use it?” 「俺たちは使えるのか?」 Could we use it?
{Aeris} AERITH Aerith:
“We can’t use it right now. 「ダメ、今は使えない。 No, we can’t use it right now.
You need great spiritual power to use it.”  とっても大きな精神の力が必要なの」 You’d need great spiritual power.
{Cloud} CLOUD
“You mean lots of spiritual energy?” 「たくさんの精神エネルギーってことか?」
{Aeris} AERITH Aerith:
“That’s right.” 「そう、ね。 That’s right.
“One person’s power alone won’t do it.” 「ひとりの人間が持ってるような One person’s power alone won’t do it.
 精神エネルギーじゃダメ」
“Somewhere special. 「どこか特別な場所。 You’d need to use it somewhere special.
Where there’s plenty of the Planet’s energy…”  星のエネルギーが豊富で……」 A place where the Planet’s energy was abundant…
{Aeris} AERITH
“Oh yeah!” 「あっ!」
{Aeris} AERITH
“The Promised Land!!” 「約束の地!!」
{Cloud} CLOUD
“The Promised Land!!” 「約束の地だな!!」
{Cloud} CLOUD Cloud:
“No, but…” 「いや、しかし……」 Except…
{Aeris} AERITH
“Sephiroth is different. 「セフィロスは、ちがう。
He’s not an Ancient.”  古代種じゃない」
{Cloud} CLOUD
“He shouldn’t be able 「約束の地は
to find the Promised Land.”  見つけられないはずだ」
Sephiroth セフィロス
“…Ah, but I have.” 「……が、私は見つけたのだ」
Sephiroth セフィロス Sephiroth:
“I’m far superior to the Ancients.” 「私は古代種以上の存在なのだ。 I’m far superior to the Ancients.
“I became a traveler of the Lifestream and 「ライフストリームの旅人となり I became a traveler of the Lifestream and
gained the knowledge  古代の知識と知恵を手に入れた」 gained the knowledge and wisdom of the Ancients.
and wisdom of the Ancients.”
“I also gained the knowledge and wisdom of those 「古代種滅びし後の時代の I also gained the knowledge and wisdom
after the extinction of the Ancients.”  知恵と知識をも手に入れた」 of the era that followed the destruction of the Ancients.
“And soon, I will create the future.” 「そしてまもなく未来を創り出す」 And soon, I will create the future.
{Aeris} AERITH Aerith:
“I won’t let you do it! 「そんなこと、させない! I won’t let you do it!
The future is not just yours!”  未来はあなただけのものじゃない!」 The future doesn’t only belong to you!
Sephiroth セフィロス Sephiroth:
“Ha, ha, ha…I wonder?” 「クックックッ……どうかな?」 Heh heh heh. I wonder…?
Sephiroth
“Wake up!” 「さあ、目をさませ!」 Now, awaken!


We have now reached the used, default scene of JTEMPLC.

{Cloud} CLOUD
“Sh…shut up!” 「だ、だまれ!」
{Cloud} CLOUD Cloud
“The…noise…” 「う……うるさ……い……」 B… Be… Quiet…
“No!” 『だ~めだよぅ!』
“Don’t be afraid–!” 『こわがっちゃだめー!』
Sephiroth セフィロス
“There, {Cloud}…good boy.” 「さあ、CLOUD……
 良い子だ」
{Cloud} CLOUD
“Wa…aaaa…aaa…” 「う……あ……ぁ……」
Gave “Black Materia” to Sephiroth! 『黒マテリア』をセフィロスに手わたした!
Sephiroth セフィロス
“…Well done.” 「……ごくろう」

By disabling the map jump to JTEMPLB we now see the rest of the events unfold in JTEMPLC instead.


Cloud has the song “Banana Phone” stuck in his head.

{Aeris} AERITH
“{Cloud}, are you all right?” 「CLOUD、だいじょぶ?」
{Cloud} CLOUD
“…I gave the Black Materia 「……俺はセフィロスに
to Sephiroth…?”  黒マテリアを……?」
{Cloud} CLOUD
“Wha…what did I do? 「お、俺はなにをしたんだ……
Tell me, {Aeris}.”  AERITH、教えてくれ」
{Aeris} AERITH
“{Cloud}… 「CLOUD……
“{Cloud}…be strong, OK?”  しっかり、ね?」
{Cloud} CLOUD
“Urrrrrrgh… 「ウヘヘヘヘ……
What have I done!”  俺はなにをした!」
{Aeris} AERITH Aerith:
“{Cloud}… 「CLOUD…… Cloud……
“{Cloud}…
you haven’t done anything.”  あなた、なにもしていない。 you haven’t done anything.
“It’s not your fault.” 「あなたのせいじゃない」 It’s not your fault.
{Cloud} CLOUD
“I…I’m—!” 「俺は! 俺はーーーっ!」

Cloud proceeds to beat the wits out of Aeris. The drama of the scene goes home much stronger than in the bird-perspective field of JTEMPLB. One can’t help but notice though that in both the used and unused scene, Cloud appears to rather be hitting Aeris’ legs than her upper body.

Cloud’s young self appears again and the player takes control of this character. Talk to older Cloud to trigger these two pieces which are of course familiar from JTEMPLB.

“Waaaa~!!” 『うわ~ん!!』
“What are you doing!?” 『なにすんだよぅ~!!』


{Tifa} TIFA
“{Cloud}–!!” 「CLOUDー!!」
{Tifa} TIFA
“{Cloud}, what are you doing!?” 「CLOUD、何してるの!?」
{Barret} BARRET
“Urrggggggh!!!! 「んがーー!!!
{Cloud}!!”  CLOUD!!」
{Barret} BARRET
“HEY! {Cloud}, you #$#&@!” 「おい! CLOUD
 てめえ!」
{Red XIII} RED XIII
“{Cloud}!!” 「CLOUDっ!!」
{Red XIII} RED XIII
“{Aeris}, are you all right!?” 「AERITH、だいじょうぶ!?」
{Yuffie} YUFFIE
“What!? 「おろっ!?
{Cloud}!”  CLOUD!」
{Yuffie} YUFFIE
“{Aeris}! 「AERITH!
{Cloud}, what’re you doing!?”  CLOUD、なにやってんだよっ!」
{Vincent} VINCENT
“…!!” 「……!!」
{Vincent} VINCENT
“{Cloud}!” 「CLOUD!」
{Cid} CID
“Hey, EY!!” 「おいおいっ!!」
{Cid} CID
“{Cloud}! 「こらっ、CLOUD!
What the hell are you doing!?”  なんてことしてんだよ、てめえは!」

Cait Sith then has two extremely similar lines; one for if he was in your party versus one if he was not.

If Cait Sith Was Not Your Party

{Cait Sith} CAIT SITH Cait Sith:
“Oops! 「あかん! こりゃ Oops! Looks like I came
This looks like a bad time!”  たいへんなときにきてしもたわ! at a bad time!
“I’m {Cait Sith} No. 2. 「ボク、CAIT SITH>2号機です~。 I’m Cait Sith No. 2.
Pleased to meet you all!”  ほな、よろしゅうたのむわ~!」 Pleased to meet you all!

If Cait Sith Was In Your Party

{Cait Sith} CAIT SITH Cait Sith:
“Oops! 「あかん! こりゃ Oops! Looks like I came
This looks like a bad time!”  たいへんなときにきてしもたわ! at a bad time!
“I’m {Cait Sith} No. 2. 「ボク、CAIT SITH2号機です~。 I’m Cait Sith No. 2.
Pleased to meet you all!”  なかよくしてな~!!」 Right pleased to meet you all!
{Cait Sith} CAIT SITH
“{Cloud}!! 「CLOUDさん!!
What are you doin’!!”  なにしてまんねん!!」

JTEMPLB, Used, Version

{Cait Sith} CAIT SITH
“{Cloud}!! 「CLOUDさん!!
What are you doin’!!”  なにしとんや!!」


On one hand, using the JTEMPLC field for this scene can be confusing because the optional party member is not always in view. On the other hand, it provides a good close-up persective of Cloud’s mental breakdown. The question is certainly raised if JTEMPLB was favored because the scene with Cloud beating up Aeris was deemed too strong when seen up close.


JTEMPLB, used version.



JTEMPLC, unused version.

Cloud gets knocked out by the optional party member.

{Cloud} CLOUD Cloud:
“Everything is white…” 「まっしろだ……」 Everything is white…
“What did I do? 「俺はなにをした? What did I do?
I don’t remember anything…”  おぼえていない…」 I can’t remember…
“My memory…since when? 「記憶…いつからなのか…?
If everything’s a dream, don’t wake me.”  すべてが夢ならさめないでくれ」

In summary, no major textual differences between JTEMPLB and JTEMPLC. The enjoyment lies in the watching familiar scenes in alternate fields.



Mystery Lines (SLFRST1)

Cloud has a dream sequence with Aeris in the Sleeping Forest.

Sephiroth セフィロス
“We must stop that girl soon.” 「そろそろあの娘にも…」
{Tifa} TIFA
“…{Cloud}.” 「……CLOUD」

The final game has Cloud wake up in Gongaga without the call from Tifa.


The script here is part of a huge duplicate group that includes the Sleeping Forest, the Forgotten City and a few other random fields. The two entries below are the last in these fields and placed right after the dream sequence in the Sleeping Forest, hence why they are presented at this point in the article series. The full context of their planned use is not clear though.

{Var1}万年前の地層 {Var1}10,000 Y.O Stratum

地層 = stratum/geological. It is clear that a very old geological stratum is referred to here but we can only speculate which old formation is being referred to. {Var1}, again, can represent any value from 0 or higher. The value can act as a multiplier so if {Var1}=2, then the age of the stratum would be 20,000. Were the writers unsure of how old this formation was to be or does this represent the player digging through different geological layers? We can only guess.

ルナハープゲット Obtained Lunar Harp

Was Cloud to receive the Lunar Harp via the dream sequence? Was Aeris to leave it behind for the party before she left? Indeed we are not lacking in fodder for speculation.



Digging Field (BONEVIL2)

BONEVIL is the default Bone Village field. BONEVIL2 is used for the digging minigame.

Location Name

Bone Village ボーンビレッジ



Bone Village (BONEVIL)

“This town’s motto is not to think 「この村のルールは This town has a rule:
about anything.”  何も考えないこと」 Don’t think about anything.
“Just live. 「ただ、生きる。 Just live.
Eat, work, and sleep.”  喰って、畑仕事して、ねる」 Eat, till the fields, sleep.
“It’s pretty hard not to 「何も考えないのは It’s pretty hard not to
think about anything.”  けっこう、むずかしい」 think about anything.
“Want to buy something?” 「なにか買ってくかい?」 Won’cha buy somethin’?
“Want to buy something?” 「なにか買ってくかい?」 Won’cha buy somethin’?
☞  I want the Lunar Harp ☞  ルナ・ハープが欲しい ☞  I want the Lunar Harp
☞  Don’t want anything ☞  何もいらない ☞  Nah.
“Thanks! 「まいど!
Now, the forest will awaken.”  これで森の目もさめるよ」
“Everything already excavated is in 「ハックツ品は上のテントわきのハコの中にあるぜ」 The things we excavated are in
the box next to the tent.” the box next to the tent up here.


Only one unused line is directly tied to an NPC. It belongs to the purple-dressed worker that is normally impossible to talk to. Only by deactivating a flag request will it be possible to trigger the line.

The way the flag request is written hints that this line was to be a response to a dialogue option.

“The memory of this planet is buried 「この地層に星の記憶が The memories of the Planet have been
layer by layer in this geological stratum.  積み重ねられているのよ。 accumulated in this geological stratum.
Kind of romantic, don’t you think?”  ロマンを感じるでしょ?」 Kind of romantic, don’t you think?

The talk-to circle of this NPC is too wide, meaning that while Cloud is on the ladder he can still talk to the excavator. This results in Cloud’s climb animation being discontinued.


“Just a while ago, a young girl 「すこし前に、若い娘さんが Just a little while ago, a young girl
asked me the same things.”  こうやってなんか話してたんだ」 was saying the same thing.
“Then the entrance to the forest made 「そしたらどうだい Then, somehow, the entrance to the
a funny sound, like ‘Grrrrrrgh!’.”  森の入り口がガーッって開いたんだよ」 forest opened with a loud noise.
“I thought that maybe I could do it, too.” 「おれにもできないかと思ってさ」 I wondered if I could do that too.
“Please, let me in!” 「おねがい、わたしを入れて!」

Judging by the unused text, the entrance to the forest itself was at one point sealed. If this excludes the element of also having to awaken the forest is not clear.

“While ago, a man in black came and 「すこし前にな、黒い服の男が A little while ago, a man in black
said this as he went into the forest.”  こうやって森の中に入っていったんだよ」 entered the forest like that.
“Nnnnnnghaah!” 「ぬぉぉぉおおお!」 NOOoooOoo!

While the Sleeping Forest is known to “confuse” visitors and make them lost, it is never a defined element of the forest that some terror exists within that would cause the black cape person to shriek. It certainly fits the black cloak NPCs better than Sephiroth.


Bone Village’s Ancient Forest Tutorial

To our surprise this excavating ground was once the tutorial for the Ancient Forest which we know as an optional area near Cosmo Canyon in the final game.

“If you learn the special qualities 「【古えの森】の生き物はその特性を知れば Once you know the characteristics of the
of the animals in the (Old Forest),  怖くはないのよ。知りたい?」 creatures in the Ancient Forest, there’s
there’ll be nothing to fear. nothing to be afraid of. Do you want to
Do you want to hear more?” learn?
☞  Yeah, tell me ☞  ああ、教えてくれ ☞  Yeah, please tell me.
☞  Not now ☞  今は聞く気分じゃない ☞  I don’t feel like it right now.
“What do you want to know about?” 「何の事を知りたい?」 What do you want to know about?
☞  About Pitcher Plants ☞  ウツボカズラの事 ☞  About Pitcher Plants
☞  About Scent Balls ☞  くす玉草の事 ☞  About Scent Ball Grass
☞  About ☞  大喰らいの事 ☞  About Big Eaters
☞  About Inchworms ☞  しゃくとり虫の事 ☞  About Inchworms


About Pitcher Plants

“It’s a strange plant that hangs 「上からぶら下がっている不思議な植物ね。 It’s a strange plant that hangs down from above.
down from above.  普段はフタが開いているけど Its lid is usually open in order
It’s mouth is usually open  あれは虫を食べるためなのよ」 to eat insects.
to catch insects.”
“When an insect gets in, 「いったん虫を取りこむとフタがしまるの。 Once it catches a bug, it closes its lid.
it closes its mouth, trapping it.  あのフタ、見た目よりも頑丈なのよ。 The lid is sturdier than it looks.
It’s lid’s stronger than  人が乗れるくらいにね。 Enough to hold a human.
it looks.  でも好き嫌いが激しいからはきだす事もあるわ」 It’s really picky, though, and sometimes it will spit things out.
It’s big enough to
hold a human.
But it’s really picky and
spits out lots of stuff.”

The description fits well with the final game, as you feed it frogs for its lid to close so you can step on the plant. After some time the plant will spit out the frog and the lid will open again.

About Scent Ball Grass

This response does not exist in the script data. I think this to be because the designers had not actually yet decided on the exact use of this plant.

In the art book Kusanagi IV, sketches of the Ancient Forest and its plant life can be viewed. None of the sketches showing the Scent Ball Grass include a scent ball on top. Perhaps originally the “scent grass” in the centre, as seen in the sketch, were meant to play a role. With the unused dialogue option reading “Scent Ball Grass”, coupled with the lack of the ball in the Kusanagi IV sketches, I speculate that the ball was a later conception in the design.

So in the final game we have this big “scent ball”, only ever depicted as a field model, which attracts flies. Somehow all the scent grass apparently curled together into this ball.

The purpose is to throw this scent ball into the jaws of the Big Eater so that its mouth closes and you can safely walk past it.


About Big Eaters

“Be really cautious with this flower. 「この花だけは気をつけてね。 Be really cautious with this flower.
It’ll snap at anything.  なんでもガブって食べちゃうわよ。 It’ll snap up anything.
If you’re going to go through here…  もしここを通り抜けるとしたら…… If you want to get through here, you have
do it the instant it closes its mouth.”  口を閉じている一瞬だけね」 to do it at the moment it closes its mouth.

It is described here that with timing one is able to walk past the Big Eater but this is not so in the final game. I speculate that this mechanic was removed when the scent ball was introduced and turned into a means to close the jaws of the Big Eater. If there is no scent ball you simply have to find a way around the Big Eater.


About Inchworms

“It may not look it…or maybe it does, 「みかけによらず……いや、みかけ通りかな?
but this insect is really timid.  おくびょうなのよ、この虫。
If you go near it, it’ll run away…  近づくと逃げちゃうし……
If you touch it, it’ll just turn in to a ball…”  さわるとかたまっちゃうし……」

In the real world, inchworms are a type of caterpillar. In the game’s case it’s a rather long caterpillar that in the final game catapults you into a new section or area of the Ancient Forest when you hold on to it.

Stricly speaking, it never turns into a ball, though its unused “concealed” form can be found in the Kusanagi IV Inchworm sketch.

No mechanic in the final game requires you to sneak up on the inchworm, as it never runs away or curls into a ball. One could argue though that it is trying to perform the latter when you use the inchworm to swing across the forest.


But why is the Ancient Forest tutorial here, so far away both in time and place from the actual forest? Because at one point in development the Ancient Forest was actually just beyond the Sleeping Forest!



The Ancient Forest & The Mystery Cave

Earlier in this article we went through the fact that the game’s fields are ordered in a way that (mostly) matches with the order in which the game introduces areas. When we look at the field identification numbers, we find that the Ancient forest is placed right after the Sleeping Forest and immediately before Coral Valley.

Not only the Field ID numbers, but also the Monster Attack names are ordered to fit this framework where the Ancient forest was an earlier, obligatory area. That coupled with the Ancient Forest tutorial in Bone Village are the three items that support our ultimate conclusion:

The inaccessible cave in Coral Valley was the exit from the Ancient Forest.

This conclusion assumes of course that rewards and enemy encounters in the forest were adapted to fit the late point in the game when this now optional area became available. It is also possible that the south path in the Coral Valley (SANGO1) was added later when the Sleeping Forest was made to immediately send you to the valley. It might also have been a shortcut back, but at present we do not have early sketches of the valley to confirm or deny this.

While the patch of ground in and around the unused cave entrance does have a functional walkmesh there is no additional remaining data, such as an unused map jump to the Ancient Forest, to help further confirm our suspicions. No data exists to activate the vine either that you were to climb.

Even so, I hold it as a very strong theory that the Sleeping Forest led to the Ancient Forest which in turn led you to the unused cave entrance/exit in Coral Valley.


To finish off this trek through the mysteries of the Ancient Forest, I will mention the unused “Ho-chu” battle encounter. This battle is technically irrelevant to this commentary as the battle could have been used in both the Ancient Forest’s old and final placement but I think it’s a neat detail worth mentioning. Back in October 2008, GarlandTheGreat uploaded a video showing this unused battle.

It is impossible to escape but the low HP and the quick death animation seems to counteract any notion that this would have been a boss battle. The enemy can be morphed into a Ribbon, which admittedly would have been a game-breaker if the encounter ever took place right after the Sleeping Forest.



The Capital of the Ancients (SANGO2/LOST1)


SANGO2 and LOST1

The unused text here is part of a big duplicate group. The best candidates among these fields where the text might have belonged are SANGO2 and LOST1. With the slight impression that Cloud is speaking of the city as though it is in the distance, I will say that SANGO2 is where this text was most likely to trigger.

{Cloud} CLOUD
“This place…!” 「ここは……!」
{Cloud} CLOUD Cloud:
“So that’s……the capital of the Ancients 「あれが……古代種の都 Could this be… the Forgotten City,
‘The Forgotten City’.”  『忘らるる都』なのか」 capital of the Ancients?
{Cloud} CLOUD Cloud:
“{Aeris} is in that ‘City’.” 「あの『都』にAERITHは That’s where
 いる……」 Aerith is…



We Can’t Leave Now (LOST1)

If you try to go northeast, to the mountains, before you’ve found Aeris then party member #1 will split from Cloud and stop you from moving further north. The scene is triggered by touching a border. A similar but unused scene exists in LOST1. Trouble is that the field has no border. Because I do not have the tools to create new borders, what I did was to tell the game to trigger the scene after a certain amount of time had passed. It is clear the scene was to take place at the southern path, but we can only estimate the area where the border might have been.


LOST2 (used version) versus LOST1 (unused version)

The first line by the party member is the same in both scenes. The second line differs greatly though; in LOST2 the characters will tell Cloud they need to find Aeris but in LOST1 they plead for some rest.

While these character lines are enjoyable I appreciate that the final game gave us the freedom to leave the Forgotten City at any point.

{Barret} BARRET
“Hey yo! 「お、おい。
Wait up.”  ちょっと待ってくれ」
{Barret} BARRET Barret:
“I hate to say it, but I’m beat. 「情けねぇが、つかれちまった。 I hate to say it, but I’m beat.
Isn’t there anywhere to rest.”  どっかひとねむりできる場所をさがそうぜ」 Let’s look for somewhere to rest.
{Tifa} TIFA Tifa:
“Hey, hey {Cloud}.” 「ち、ちょっとCLOUD」 Hey, hey, Cloud!
{Tifa} TIFA
“I’m…I’m so tired. 「わ、わたし、つかれちゃった。
Can’t we find somewhere to rest?”  どこか、休める場所を探さない?」
{Red XIII} RED XIII Red XIII
“Wait!” 「ま、待ってよ」 W, wait!
{Red XIII} RED XIII
“I’m exhausted. 「おいら、もうヘトヘトだよ。
Let me get some rest somewhere.”  どっかで、ひとやすみさせてよ」
{Cid} CID Cid:
“H…ey, {Cloud}” 「お……おい、CLOUD」 O, oi… Cloud!
{Cid} CID Cid:
“I gotta get some more rest. 「はずかしながら、つかれちまったぜ。 I’m ashamed to say it, but I’m beat.
Let me catch a snooze  どっかで、ちょいと眠らせてくれや」 Let me catch a snooze somewhere.
somewhere around here.”
{Yuffie} YUFFIE
“Ahhh— I can’t go another step!!” 「あ~、もーっ嫌っ!!」
{Yuffie} YUFFIE
“I’m so—-o tired! 「アタイ、つかれちゃったよ~!
If you don’t get me to a bed,  あたたかいベッドで眠らせてくんないと
I’m not taking another step!”  もう、一歩も動かないからね!」
{Cait Sith} CAIT SITH
“Wa——it!” 「ち、ちょっと待ってぇ~な」
{Cait Sith} CAIT SITH
“I’m exhausted. I’m sorry, 「わて、つかれてしまいましたわ。
but please let me rest somewhere.”  すまんけど、どっかで休ませておくれな」
{Vincent} VINCENT
“Wait, {Cloud}.” 「待て、CLOUD」
{Vincent} VINCENT
“…{Pause}I’m tired.” 「……{Pause}つかれた」


At night-time you will be blocked from going northeast, just like before. The same thing was to happen in LOST1 when going south but the final game lets you go free.

{Cloud} CLOUD
“We have to find {Aeris}.” 「AERITHをさがさなくては」



Ancient Realm (ANCNT1-4)


ANCNT1 ——— ANCNT2 ——— ANCNT3* ——— ANCNT4

*Note: ANCNT3 has been cut in height to better line up with the adjacent images.

The two locked snippets here belong to a duplicate group. Accordingly, all the relevant fields are displayed above since we can’t be absolutely certain where the lines belong.

{Cloud} CLOUD Cloud:
“Ugh…what are you making me do?” 「クッ……俺に何をさせる気だ」 Urgh… what are you trying to make me do?
{Aeris} AERITH Aerith
“…stay…back…” 「……来ない……で」 …Stay… back…
{Cloud} CLOUD
“…{Aeris}.” 「……AERITH」

Aeris is completely silent here in the final game.


Jenova ジェノバ
“Because, you are…a puppet.” 「なぜなら、おまえは……人形だ」
Jenova ジェノバ
“You are…” 「おまえは……」
{Cloud} CLOUD
“I’m…a puppet?” 「俺が……人形?」

In the English PSX version, Jenova’s used line reads “Beacause” but this was corrected for the 1998 PC port.


The location name in ANCNT1 is simply “Forgotten City“. ANCNT2 and ANCNT4 uses the following location name:

Location Name

Water Altar 水の祭壇

It only counts as unused in ANCNT4 though since you have menu access in ANCNT2.

ANCNT3 does not have a set location name and so it will adopt the “Water Altar” name from the previous field, ANCNT2.



Text-Only LOSIN2 Duplicate Scene

After the aquatic burial of Aeris a scene takes place in LOSIN2 where Cloud holds a speech to the other party members. Now, LOSIN2 itself is part of a big duplicate group of text which includes seven fields for the Forgotten City, plus SANGO2 that we saw earlier. Both in the English and Japanese game, the script for this scene is the same between all the files in this duplicate group.

What’s the twist? A different duplicate group, which consists of the ANCNT1-4 fields (plus a number of random areas throughout the game) also contain the script for the LOSIN2 scene! Except here Cait Sith’s lines are nowhere to be found; an oddity that we can only speculate on the cause behind. A ton of minor discrepancies between the old and the final manuscript can be spotted both in the Japanese and the English game. With the Japanese game, this demonstrates how the event planners took the time to make even minor edits when forming a scene.

This alternate version can’t be triggered anywhere and the only relevant fields in this duplicate group where it could have happened are the ANCNT1-4 maps.

In an attempt to make the script differences somewhat discernable, I show both variations next to one another. Used text entries are from the actual LOSIN2 scene, while locked text entries are from the other duplicate group.

{Cloud} CLOUD
“Everyone, listen to me.” 「みんな、聞いてくれ」
{Cloud} CLOUD
“Everyone, listen to me.” 「みんな聞いてくれ」

Unused Japanese line lacks a comma.

{Cloud} CLOUD
“I’m {Cloud}, ex-SOLDIER, 「俺はニブルヘイムで生まれた
born in Nibelheim.”  元ソルジャーのCLOUDだ」
{Cloud} CLOUD Cloud:
“I am {Cloud}, born in Nibelheim and 「俺はニブルヘイムで生まれた I’m Cloud, ex-SOLDIER,
formerly of SOLDIER.”  元ソルジャーのCLOUDだ」 born in Nibelheim.
{Cloud} CLOUD
“I came to settle up 「セフィロスとの決着をつけるために
with Sephiroth.”  ここまでやってきた」
{Cloud} CLOUD
“I came here to settle up 「セフィロスとの決着をつけるために
with Sephiroth.”  ここまでやってきた」
{Barret} BARRET
“What’re ya tryin’ to say?” 「……何が言いてえ?」
{Barret} BARRET Barret:
“……yeah, so?” 「……何が言いてえ?」 What’re ya tryin’ to say?
{Tifa} TIFA Tifa:
“…What’s going on?” 「……どうしたの?」 ……What’s wrong?
{Tifa} TIFA
“……What’s wrong?” 「……どうしたの?」
{Red XIII} RED XIII
“…Hmm?” 「……あん?」
{Red XIII} RED XIII Red XIII:
“……Huh?” 「……あん?」 …Hmm
{Cid} CID Cid:
“I heard that before.” 「まえにも聞いたぜ」 I’ve heard all this before.
{Cid} CID
“I’ve heard all this before.” 「前にも聞いたぜ」
{Yuffie} YUFFIE
“Why now?” 「こんな時に、どして?」
{Yuffie} YUFFIE Yuffie:
“What hit you so suddenly?” 「どしたの、急に?」 What’s this, all of a sudden?
{Cait Sith} CAIT SITH
“Why’re you being so formal? 「なんや、いきなりあらたまって。
Is something wrong?”  どないしたんですか?」
{Vincent} VINCENT Vincent:
“…You’re right.” 「……そうだな」 …That’s right.
{Vincent} VINCENT Vincent:
“……Yes.” 「……そうだな」 …That’s right.
{Cloud} CLOUD
“I came here by my own free will… 「俺は自分の意志でここまで
Or so I thought.”  やってきた……そう思っていた」
“However…” 「しかし……」
{Cloud} CLOUD Cloud:
“I came here on my own will………… 「俺は自分の意志でここまで I came here by my own free will…
or at least that’s what I thought.  やってきた……そう思っていた。 Or so I thought.
But……”  でも……」 However…
{Cloud} CLOUD Cloud:
“…To tell the truth, 「……正直に話す。 To be honest…
I’m afraid of myself.”  俺は自分が怖い」 I’m afraid of myself.
{Cloud} CLOUD
“To be honest…… 「……正直に話す。
I’m afraid of myself.”  俺は自分が恐い」
{Cloud} CLOUD Cloud:
“…There is a part of me 「……俺の中には ……There’s a part of me
that I don’t understand.”  俺の知らない部分がある」 I don’t understand.
“That part that made me give 「俺はセフィロスに黒マテリアを I gave Sephiroth
the Black Materia to Sephiroth.”  渡してしまった」 the Black Materia.
{Cloud} CLOUD Cloud:
“There’s a part of me I don’t understand.” 「俺の中には、俺の知らない部分がある」 There’s a part of me I don’t understand.
“Like when I gave away the Black Materia.” 「俺はセフィロスに黒マテリアを I gave Sephiroth
 渡してしまった」 the Black Materia.

Cloud’s next line is composed of two text entries in the alternate version. This happens again, further down.

{Cloud} CLOUD Cloud:
“If you hadn’t stopped me, 「みんなが止めてくれなければ If you all hadn’t stopped me,
{Aeris} might have been…”  AERITHをこの手で……」 …Aerith might have…
“…There’s something inside of me. 「……そういう自分が俺の中にいる。 …That’s what’s inside of me.
A person who is not really me.”  俺ではない自分が」 Something that’s not really me.

Literal translation: “These hands might have ___ Aerith.

{Cloud} CLOUD Cloud:
“And if you all hadn’t stopped me, 「みんなが止めてくれなければ If you all hadn’t stopped me,
……{Aeris} might have……”  AERITHをこの手で……」 …Aerith might have…
{Cloud} CLOUD
“……It’s something inside me.” 「……そういう自分が俺の中にいる」
{Cloud} CLOUD Cloud:
“That’s why 「だから俺はもうこの旅をやめた方が That’s why it may be better
I should quit this journey.”  いいのかもしれない」 for me to give up this journey.
“Before I do something terrible.” 「とんでもないことをしてしまうかも I might do something
 しれない」 unthinkable.
{Cloud} CLOUD Cloud:
“That is why, maybe I shouldn’t 「だから俺はもうこの旅をやめた方が That’s why it may be better
go on with this journey.”  いいのかもしれない」 for me to give up this journey.
“I may do something terrible.” 「とんでもないことを I might do something
 してしまうかもしれない」 unthinkable.
{Cloud} CLOUD Cloud:
But I am going.” 「でも、俺は行く」 But, I AM going on.
“He destroyed my hometown five years ago, 「5年前、俺の故郷を焼き払い Sephiroth burned down my hometown 5
killed {Aeris}, and is  たった今AERITHを殺し years ago, just murdered Aerith,
now trying to destroy the Planet.  そしてこの星を破壊しようとしている and he’s trying to destroy the
I’ll never forgive…Sephiroth.”  セフィロスを……俺は許さない」 Planet. …I’ll never forgive him.
{Cloud} CLOUD
“But, I AM going on.” 「でも、俺は行く」
{Cloud} CLOUD Cloud:
“Five years ago, he burned down my hometown, 「5年前、俺の故郷を焼き払い Sephiroth burned down my hometown 5
then he took {Aeris}.”  たった今、AERITHを奪った」 years ago, just murdered Aeris,
“And now he’s trying to destroy the Planet. 「そしてこの星を破壊しようとしている and he’s trying to destroy the
I won’t let him get away with it.”  セフィロスを……俺は許さない」 Planet. …I’ll never forgive him.
{Cloud} CLOUD
“I… 「俺は……
I must go on.”  俺は、行かなくてはならない」
{Cloud} CLOUD Cloud:
“……I must go on.” 「……俺は行かなくちゃならない」 …I have to go on.
{Cloud} CLOUD Cloud:
“…I have a favor to ask of you.” 「……頼みがある」 …I have a request.
{Cloud} CLOUD Cloud:
But……I have a favor to ask of you.” 「それで……頼みがあるんだ」 So…. I have a request.
{Cloud} CLOUD Cloud:
“Will you all come with me?” 「みんなも来てくれ……るよな?」 You’ll all come with me… right?
{Cloud} CLOUD Cloud:
“……Will you all still go with me?” 「みんなも……行ってくれるよな?」 You’ll… you’ll all go too, right?
{Cloud} CLOUD Cloud:
“…to save me 「……俺がおかしなまねをしないように I want you to watch me and make sure
from doing something terrible.”  見張っていてほしいんだ」 that I’m not acting strangely.
{Cloud} CLOUD Cloud:
“Please watch me so I 「……俺がおかしなまねをしないように I want you to watch me and make sure
don’t do anything horrible.”  見張っていてほしいんだ」 that I’m not acting strangely.

The English PSX version of this locked line has Cloud say “…I want you all to watch me so that I won’t do anything funny.” instead.

{Barret} BARRET Barret:
“…I dunno, man…” 「……でもよ、なんだかよ……」 …But, well…
{Barret} BARRET Barret:
“……But, you know……” 「……でもよ、なんかだよ」 …But, well…
{Tifa} TIFA
“…But, {Cloud}” 「……でも、CLOUD」
{Tifa} TIFA
“……But, {Cloud}.” 「……でも、CLOUD」
{Red XIII} RED XIII
“…All right, {Cloud}.” 「……わかった、CLOUD」
{Red XIII} RED XIII
“……All right, {Cloud}.” 「……わかった、CLOUD」
{Cid} CID Cid:
“Well, we’ll face it 「ま、なんだな。 Well, we’ll face it
when it happens.”  そん時は、そん時だ」 when it happens.
{Cid} CID
“Well, if somethin’ happens, it happens.” 「ま、なんだな。
 そん時は、そん時だ」
{Yuffie} YUFFIE
“Leave it to me!” 「アタシにまかせな!」
{Yuffie} YUFFIE Yuffie:
“All right, we’ll watch you.” 「よ~し、しっかり見張ってるよ」 I’ll be keeping my eye on ya!

Yuffie acts more determined in the final rendition of the scene.

{Cait Sith} CAIT SITH Cait Sith:
“Watch you?…… 「見張るやなんて、そんな…… Watch you?……
We’re all in this together!”  おんなじ仲間やないですか~」 You’re still our friend, aren’t ya?
{Vincent} VINCENT Vincent:
“…I guess so.” 「……そうだな」 …Right.
{Vincent} VINCENT
“……I see.” 「……なるほど」
{Cloud} CLOUD Cloud:
“I don’t know how {Aeris} 「AERITHがどうやって I don’t know how Aerith
tried to save the planet  メテオを防ごうとしたのかは tried to save the planet
from the Meteor.”  わからない」 from the Meteor.
“And I guess now, 「今となっては And now, we have no
we’ll never know.”  俺たちにはそれを知る方法もない」 way of knowing.
{Cloud} CLOUD Cloud:
“I wonder how {Aeris} was going to save 「AERITHがどうやって I don’t know how Aerith
this planet from Meteor.  メテオを防ごうとしたのかはわからない。 tried to save the planet from the Meteor.”
We have no way of finding out now.”  俺たちにはそれを知る方法もない」 We have no way of knowing.
{Cloud} CLOUD
“But!” 「でも!」
{Cloud} CLOUD
“But……” 「でも……」
{Cloud} CLOUD Cloud:
“We still have a chance. 「まだ、チャンスはある。 We still have a chance.
We must get that Black Materia back  セフィロスがメテオを使う前に We’ll take back the Black Materia
before Sephiroth uses it.”  黒マテリアを取り返すんだ」 before Sephiroth uses Meteor.
{Cloud} CLOUD Cloud:
“We still have a chance. 「まだ、チャンスはある。 We still have a chance.
We need to get the Black Materia back  セフィロスがメテオを使う前に We can take back the Black Materia
before Sephiroth uses Meteor.”  黒マテリアを取り返せばいいんだ」 before Sephiroth uses Meteor.
{Cloud} CLOUD
“Let’s go.” 「行こう」

Cloud’s “Let’s go.” line has no equivalent in the unused version.



Disc Change, Old (BLACKBG3)

BLACKBG3 and BLACKBGB make up a small duplicate group. The former field is Keisuke Matsuhara’s debug room. BLACKBGB is used for:
– The tutorial before the bike chase minigame in Midgar.
– Switching discs and teleporting the player to the post-disc-switch areas.
– Jumping to 1) Cid’s house after the flashback sequences 2) The Gongaga inn after Cloud’s dream scene in the Sleeping Forest.

Being a duplicate group, the JORG version of the BLACKBG3 field has the courtesy to supply us with outdated prints of the disc switch text. The locked text below is thusly from BLACKBG3 (JORG) and the used text is from BLACKBGB. The English text in the tables is from the PSX version.

    ディスク交換が必要です     You must change discs.
( End of Disc 1 )         【 ディスク1が終了しました 】 Disc 1 has ended.
Please do not open the Disc Holder Please do not open the Disc Holder
until further instructions. 指示があるまで、ディスクホルダーを開けないで下さい until further instructions.

PC version reads “Please do not open the CD drive until further instructions.

ここまでをメモリーカードに Save your progress
   セーブしますか? to the Memory Card?
☞    はい ☞    Yes
☞    いいえ ☞    No
Save the game to this point ここまでのゲームの状態を
on the memory card? メモリーカードにセーブしますか?
☞    Yes ☞    はい
☞    No ☞    いいえ

PC version reads “Save the game to this point on your computer?“.

In the May 1996 issue of the GameFan magazine, page 23, the game is said to be a 2-disc adventure. (Read more about GameFan Vol 45 on GlitterBerri’s website).

If we trust this source, FFVII was originally meant to be played across two discs, not three. It now makes sense that the JORG line “You must change discs.” does not tell which disc, as in a 2-disc game this specification could be considered superfluous. The JORG version of BLACKBG3 doesn’t even have a “Disc 2 has ended.” text entry.



Unused Field, Disc Change (BLACKBGE)

What will happen if you teleport to this field without any additional modding is that an FMV will trigger, followed by a battle against Safer Sephiroth where your party consists of Cloud, Cloud and Cloud. Defeat our silver-haired villain and be brought to the game’s ending scenes, nothing surprising about this.

The text and game code reveals that aside from debugging the Safer Sephiroth battle the field was also planned for switching discs. It is easy to mod the game to replace the FMV and battle triggers with the unused prompt to save your game, plus reactivate the field’s unused request that you switch to the second disc.

Please change the disc.     ディスク交換が必要です。    
Save your game? ここまでをメモリーカードに Save your progress
     Yes    セーブしますか? to the Memory Card?
☞    No ☞    はい ☞    Yes
☞     ☞    いいえ ☞    No
Please insert disc two.    ディスク2に交換してください。    Please switch to Disc 2.

Due to not matching the text rows when the unlockable line was translated from Japanese to English, the English pointer has you believe that it is pointing at the “No” option when it is in fact pointing at the “Yes” option. Toggling down makes the pointer disappear as it moves outside the text window’s border.


You still haven’t saved your game. 現在はまだここでセーブできません。 You still can’t save your game here right now.
Continue playing? このままゲームをつづけてください。 Please keep playing.

The retranslation makes this sound like a debugger’s note, telling the test player that the option to save the game here is not implemented yet.

There is reason to speculate, as we shall see in the next article, that the switch to the second disc was to happen in the Northern Crater instead of shortly after Aeris’ death. There are however not enough items to back up this theory, hence why I decided to place the unused “Change the Disc” text here rather than later.



For now we say goodbye to the Forgotten City but we shall see it again. The adventure through the unused text of FFVII continues on the second disc, in Part 9. See you there!