Japanese Style versus Localized Style
The disparities here primarily pertain to the difference in menu styles between the Japanese game and the localized editions. The game has been officially localized into English, German, French and Spanish. While images from the latter three are not used here, images from the English game still represent what the other Non-Japanese editions look and act like.
The Japanese PC version is yet to be researched. Discoveries regarding that release may or may not greatly alter the content of this page.
Menu Differences
Displays level, remaining and max HP & MP values of the character at the top slot.
Localization:
Displays level of the character at the top slot. HP and MP not included possibly for reasons of limited space.
Elemental- and status properties of a character is displayed on one and the same page.
Localization:
One page is devoted to elemental attributes while another is devoted to status attributes.
Japanese:
The section that shows max HP becomes occupied with the current status infliction. When under multiple status inflictions, the display cycles through all current inflictions. Like the text in the image above shows, both Cloud and Red XIII are inflicted with Slow. Red XIII also has Poison and his display will toggle between “Slow” and “Poison”.
Localization:
The function from the Japanese game is no longer present, due to reasons of limited space. To make it work, some status infliction names would have to be shortened.
Japanese:
Items are listed in two columns.
When picking selectable items, the party window will pop up on the opposite side of where the item was selected.
Localization:
Items are listed on a single column. The party window is always visible and always on the left side.
Japanese:
Items are listed on two columns, allowing six items at a time to be visible.
Localization:
Items are listed on one column, allowing only three items at a time to be visible.
Japanese:
Number of symbols are limited to 6, both for naming playable characters and chocobos.
Localization:
Symbol limit is 9 for playable characters, but remains at 6 for the naming of chocobos.
Japanese:
One page displays all the available items.
Localization:
English: Two pages together display the available items. The change appears to have been made for aesthetic reasons rather than due to necessity.
Ending Credits
The Japanese game is alone in having this image appear before the credits roll. It is not exactly clear which people constituted “Department #1”, if it was the whole staff or a select few, but one can speculate that it was removed for overseas releases because localizers, additional play-testers etc do not count under this “Dept. #1”.
This image does not appear for the credits to the Japanese PC version, where the credits appear to have been entirely borrowed from the English PC re-release.
Miscellaneous
Japanese:
Sephiroth’s theme “Those Chosen By The Planet” keeps on playing while the Highwind escapes from the Northern Crater.
Localization:
After the cave collapses, Sephiroth’s theme quickly fades out and we see the Weapon wake up without any background music playing.
