Okay, Final Fantasy VIII's initial story is enough to keep you busy, but what if you want more? Like most RPGs FF8 has lots of secrets. To the most subtle story branch to the HUGE card collection there is to get. You can't ever get bored with FF8. There's too much to do. This section lays out ALL the secrets there is in the game in great detail. So check it out!
THE SECRET GFs
There are 11 GF that cannot be found by following the story. They are Brothers, Diablos, Bahamut, Doomtrain, Tonberry, Cactaur, Mog, Odin, Giglamesh, Chicabo and Eden. Wow. That's a lot, huh? There's also a rumor that there is a Moomba GF. I'll be looking for that. If I find it, I'll post it. Here's a small walkthrough to get each GF.
Brothers---Getting Brothers takes a lot of patience and time. (For me at least.) They dwell inside the Tomb of the Unknown King. First, travel over to the further right chamber and flip a switch there. Go to the very top chamber where the large tablet used to be. It should be gone now. Continue on into the room and you will see a statue of a Minotaur. Talk to it and it'll come to life!! A fight will ensue. A walk in the park. After the battle, the Minotaur will curse you and leave. Now, travel over to the left chamber. The tablet blocking that room should be gone now. Flip the switch on the left side of the pool. (It looks like a brown wheel) Water should pour into the pool. Finally, enter the central chamber. The door leading to the cubicle should be open now. Inside, you will find the pesky Minotaur. He'll call his brother and another fight will start. This is tough stuff here. Hope you have some Floats. After the battle, GF Brothers will be yours!
Diablos---A lot of people miss this one. Just before you leave Balamb Garden to go to Timber, Talk to Cid who is standing right outside the toll booth things. He'll give you a magic lamp. Choose the lamp in your item inventory and you will fight Diablos. He is VERY hard. So save before you do this. Oh, and Draw Demi and use it against him this will help SO much.
Bahamut---When you get the Ragnarok in disc 3, fly to the lower left corner of the world. You will find a big oil-rig type-thing. Fly over it and press the land button. If you have Zell with you, he'll give you some info about the 'Battleship Island'. Enter the hole in the wall and you will find a tube that's emitting a blue light. When the blue light is shining, don't move. Or you'll go into a battle. Walk only when there is no light. When you finally reach the tube. It will warn you. Choose to fight. After a battle, choose to fight again. After that battle, choose to fight again. After that, select the invisible 4 option and you will fight Bahamut. After the battle, you'll get Bahamut!
Doomtrain---On disc 3, go to Tear's Point in Esthar after Lunitic Pandora activates. In the very center, you'll find an old ring which is called the Solomon Ring. Combine it with 6 Malboro Tenticles, 6 Remedy+ and 6 Energy Chrystals. And you will recive Doomtrain!!
Tomberry---To get this super useful GF, Go to the Centra Ruins and kill 20 Tomberrys in a row. After you do that, you'll fight a large Tomberry called Tomberry King. Kill it and you'll get Tomberry GF
Cactaur---When you get the Ragnarok, fly to Cactaur Island. (Near Esthar) Run up to the big cactus that moves around the island and you will fight. When you beat it, You'll get Cactaur GF
Mog---I've never got this one, (you need a PoketStation) But I know you can get it by winning Chocobo World. You'll get an item that teaches the MiniMog ability that when in battle, summons Mog.
Odin---Go to the Centra Ruins and get to the very top of it in the alotted time. Solve the Gargoyle puzzle and enter the now-opened door. You'll fight Odin (very easy, but stressful because to the time limit) When you beat him, He'll join you. To use him, enter a battle and hope he shows up to help you. (It's random)
Giglamesh---If you have Odin when you fight Seifer in the Lunitic Pandora, Odin will start the battle off with a bang. But Seifer is faster, and slices Odin in half. When you beat Seifer on your own, A strange red swirl appears and transforms into a odd giant that looks like Gogo in FF6. He'll finish off Seifer for you and also replace Odin for the rest of the game.
Chicabo---Catch your first Chocobo in a Chocobo forest (You can ask the kid) and the kid will give you a baby Chocobo, called a Chicabo. You can summon it in battle if you have any Gesthyal Greems and you can make it stronger by playing ChocoboWorld.
Eden---The hardest (but most rewarding) GF to get, it dwells deep under water on 'Battleship Island'. After you beat Bahamut, Wait a while and then return to 'Battleship Island' (make sure you have Zell) Go into the hole where the blue tube used to be. Make your way down, dwon, down. Travel untill you reach the undersea grotto (forgot what it's called) Then travel some more untill you reach the very bottom. Make sure you have enough steam left in your reserve. Flip the switch and yo'll summon Ultima Weapon. You can Draw Eden from it.
DON'T MIND ME, I'M JUST ROBBING YOUR HOUSE
In Timber, Go to the small house by the railroad bridge where the Owl's Tears are. Check the cupboard. The old man will stop you. Check it again, and he'll tell you to bang on the cupboard. Bang on it. You'll find nothing in there. Look again, and you find 500 gil.
IRVINE VS GALBADIA
While you auditioning you party members for the big concert in FH. Leave the stage and go all the way to the Grease Monkey's house by the old railway station. A Galbadian soldier is trying to mug Greasie!!! Talk to him to PISS HIM OFF!! Leave the house and re-enter. The soldier will be unconcious on the floor. Check him for some cool, rare items!
DA CHARACTER CARDS
These are super-rare, super-powerful cards which you can only win from certain people.
Zell Card- Zell's mom
Squall Card- Laguna on the Ragnarok
Rinoa Card- Generall Caraway
Irvine Card- Flo in FH
Selphie Card- Selphie's best friend in Tariba Garden
Quistis Card- The student in the Balamb Garden Cafateria who is infatuated with her.
Seifer Card- Cid in Edea's House
Edea Card- Edea in Edea's House
Laguna Card- Ellone in the Lunar Base
Kiros Card- Card Queen: Lose your MiniMog card to her and then challenge the man in black in the Deling Shopping Arcade.
Ward Card- Doctor Odine in Esthar City
FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO KNOW SELPHIE A LITTLE BETTER...
In Teriba Gerden, go to the ravaged classroom. Walk to the wrecked computer screen. Turn it on, and the program will occasionally load Selphie's vital stats. Then, Selphie will rushed in and shut it off.
EEK! EEK! MR. MONKEY!
This is a verry looooong sub-quest whic I'm still doing. So it's not all written yet. During Disc 3, go to Obel Lake (The lake near Timber) and walk to the end of the small peninsula. You'll be given 2 choices, humm or throw a rock. Throwing a rock does nothing. Humming summons a black shadow that tells you about his friend, Mr. Monkey who took a train to Dollet. He askes you to find him for him. Go to the small patch of woods outside Dollet and you'll find Mr. Monkey! You are once again given 2 choices. Sing or throw a rock. Sing, and Mr. Monkey will tell you you suck and run away. Throwing a rock will do the same only he'll insult you even more. Go back to the shadow and he'll give you some encripted messages. You have to find 4 special rocks for Mr. Monkey. They are on Mandy Beach of Balamb, Eldbeak Peninsula of Tariba, Rinaul Coast (the island beside the Contintntial Bridge on Galbadia), and Monsterosa Plateau (on top of the plateau with the water coming out of it). After you find all these, go back to the shadow and throw rocks untill one skipps 'many, many times'. Then visit Mr. Monkey and throw a rock at him, he'll throw you another special rock. From here, go to Mordred Plains of Esthar. You'll find 4 colored rock who each tell you where a treasure is. Ignore all but the red rock and travel in the oposite direction it tells you to go. Eventually, you'll find a Three-Star.
(SNICKER) PUPU.
Pupu is the game's RAREST CARD. It can't be won from anyone and it takes a lot of searching and time to get. (If you have the Enc. None ability this is so much easier.) First off, I'm sure you've once got into a battle to see a UFO fly by. Well, htere are 4 UFOs you must first find. They are like normal battles, but you don't fight anything. They are in 4 specific locations: WinHill Bluffs, Kashabald Desert, and 2 other locations (I'll get em later.) After you find these 4 UFOs, fly to the giant forest the covers much of Esthar. Land on the mountain above the Chocobo Forest there and you should get into a battle with a UFO (You have to fight it.) After you win, fly to Balamb. Walk up to the crater where Balamb Garden used to be and you'll fight a cute little alien named Pupu. PLEASE!!! Don't kill it! If you do, all this time will be wasted. Feed it 5 elixers and it'll leave. You'll win the Pupu card!!!
OMEGA WEAPON!! NOO!!!
Omagea Weapon is your party's worst nightmare. It is so HARD TO KILL!!!! In Ultimecia's Castle, (the final dungeon) pull the string in the stair-room before the art gallery. Make sure you first position your fighting party (the characters you have mainly used through the whole game) one the switch-point near the fountain. Use the party swith-point near the string and switch to the other party and quickly rush to the chamber where the organ is. The misterious phenomena will have transformed into OMEGA WEAPON!!!! walk up to it to start fighting. This is one BAD-ASS MONSTER who is even harder than Ruby or Emerald weapon in FF7. I can't really give you a great stradegy, just hope you have some Holy Wars and lots of Aura spells. Use them like there's no tommorrow. One thing you MUST have Squall's ultimate limit break. Lionheart. You NEED this.
MAYOR DOBE'S PAST
Remember that dude you almost killed when Balamb Garden came crashing into Fisherman's Horizon? Well, you can meet him and learn about FH's hippie mayor. Shortly after you have come to FH (after the Galbadians attack) climb down the invisible ladder which is hidden into the wall of the walkway right before the elevator. (walk up and down the brown wall pressing X) You will go under the catwalks and will go to that place the fisherman-dude was fishing untill you came. He'll tell you a story. A nice story. Whee.
GOT BOATS?
When you first go to FH, go to the town section. Cut off the road to the docks where the weapons shop is. Talk to the kid fishing in the boat. He'll cast his line only to break a window in the weapons shop. Talk to him again, and he'll cast again. He'll break something else. Talk to him once more, and he'll cast once more. The line will choke the weapons store clerk. Squall will save him though. The clerk will give the fisherboy a BIG VERBAL PUNISHMENT.
THE 4 VASE PEICES OF WINHILL
There are 4 vase peices in Winhill and 9t's up to you to find them!!!! First, talk to the guy standing on the stairs in the Winhill mansion to start the quest. Here are the following locations of the peices.
1. In the flowers inside the house with all the flowers in it. (with the old lady)
2. Hit the tiny chocobo untill you get it in the chocobo crossing.
3. In the house that used to be Raine's, talk to the woman on the second floor twice. Then, go down to the first floor to see the ghost of Raine! Talk to the cat and it'll leave the vaise peice.
4. To get this one, you must not remame anyone. (don't ask) talk to the medival armor standing in the mansion. It'll give you the vase peice.
RETURN TO DOLLET MOUNTAIN
This can be done any time after the Dollet exam. Talk to the green soldier blocking your way to the mountain path. Talk to him again, and his leg will cramp up (or somthing like that). You can travel so far up the mountain untill a Galbadian soldier stops you and gives you 2 options. (These may not be right. It's been a long time since I did this) "I stumbled up here." or "I'm here to cause trouble" I chose the second option. The Galbadian soldier will send another X-ATM092 (crab robot) after you, but it will make a giant hole and fall off the cliff. The soldier then sends ANOTHER one after you but it tripps and tumbles onto it's back.
OCCULT FAN
Somewhere in the world, there are 4 para-normal investigation magizines called Occult Fan. They offet some clues on how to get Doomtrain, info on the UFOs and the "Ultimate GF" These are the locations.
Occult Fan #1---In the Library in Balamb Garden on a bookshelf (right end of the shelf closest to the wooden chest)
Occult Fan #2---In a pile of old magazines in the Dollet Casino (beat the owner to gain access)
Occult Fan #3---Given to you by the Master Fisherman in FH
Occult Fan #4---Esthar: Talk to the presidential secritary. She'll walk away and leave the Occult Fan 4
TIMBER MANIACS
There a many magazines around the world along with the Occult Fan, each one has an old article written by our bumbling friend, Laguna. Once you find one, Laguna's article in it is instantly put on Selphie's website in the Balamb Garden classroom. They're really amusing to read, so I suggest looking for them if you're bored. (*HINT: There's almost always on hinding somewhere is a hotel room. So check all the hotels in the cities.)
A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE
Once you gain access to the Dollet Casino, look at the piles of magazines. You'll find some old diary enteries and letters that tell about the casino owner's life and how his wife died. There is also a entery talking about he whupped Laguna's butt in a card game. There are some common cards and potions too.
TWO WORDS. NAUGHTY MAGAZINES
When you go to the Timber Maniacs headquarters in Timber, search the piles of old magazines to find a porno magazine called Girl Next Door. Later in the game, when you reach the White SeeD ship, you can trade this with Zone for a ton of cash or the Shiva card.
HEVAN AND HELL
Are you're characters wimps? Always losing battles because you're levels are too low? I have an answer. The Island Closest to Heaven and The Island Closest to Hell. On these islands, there are TONS of draw points which contain precious spells like Ultima, Aura, Triple, Meteor, etc.. These are really useful for Junctioning. Also there are really powerful monsters here that give your characters a level-up almost every battle. Check my atlas for the locations for these islands.
BALAMB GARDEN CC CLUB
You've probaly heard of the CC Club once or twice in your game, but have you wondered how to get in with them? After you win 10 or so card matches in the Garden, talk to the student who occasionally walks around by the Directory. He'll reveal himself as Spade, the first CC Club member. After you beat him, all you have to do is seek out the rest of the members and beat them. These are the locations of them:
Joker----Randomly shows up on the small dock in the Training Center.
Club----The guy who gave you the training pack of card in the beginning of the game. Hangs out on the bridge leading to the 2F Classroom.
Heart---The 2 girls who hang around the Directory.
Diamond---The quiet SeeD who walks around the halls near the dormitiries.
Queen---It's Xu! You know where she is. See if you can win the Giglamesh card from her.
King---I don't feel like telling you who it is, but to access the King, beat all the other CC members and talk to Dr. Kadowaki. Then, take a nap. That night, the King will visit you and challenge you to the ultimate battle!!
THE RAGNAROK CREW
By the time you get your Ragnarok back in disc 4, you'll find it's chillingly empty. With the lack of people in the world now, it can get really lonley. There's a way to get the Ragnarok's crew. Beat all the Garden's CC members in cards on disc 3 and they will accompany you in you airship at the end of the game.
SHUMI VILLAGE'S STONES
In the north-most part of the world, there's a blue dome called Shumi Village. Inside, you'll find NORG's people. Don't worry, the're nice. They will give you a initiation into thier town where you must find four rocks scattered about the village. They are in the following locations..
Blue stone: Right behind the Laguna statue!
Wind Stone: Among the rocks next to the hotel
Life stone: Climb the huge root near the elder's house
Shadow stone: Go to where you have to pay to draw Ultima and search the right wall near the base of the stairs
Water stone: Look in the Artisan's sink
After this initiation, and surprisingly long and deep sub-plot unfolds. It's up to you if you want to continue it.