Glitch found in Final Fantasy VIII

[02.27.99] » Under the right set of circumstances, a bug in Final Fantasy VIII could cause the game to freeze.

   Only a few weeks after the game's release, a substantial bug has been found within Final Fantasy VIII which causes a complete software freeze, should a series of conditions be met. According to the Nikkei Newswire, Square of Japan's stocks fell 400 yen to 2,200 yen a share following an earlier report that over 1,000 units were returned due to the bug. A spokesperson for Square of Japan denied the report, claiming no copies were returned or recalled. The company is reportedly gathering affected customers' memory cards to further investigate the issue.

   Square's website has since been updated to inform customers of the issue. The bug occurs on the third disc when one must finish a given area within a certain amount of time. Should the time limit expire during a regular battle, and the player chooses to return to the entrance and try again, the game freezes, forcing the player to reset the system.

   The glitch will certainly be corrected in time for a North American release, thankfully. Further details and conditions for the error are revealed on Square's Japanese website, but to avoid spoiling certain areas of the game, we've employed the powers of Highlight-O-Vision to divulge specific details. Simply highlight the text below for a more in-depth description. Thanks goes to Alissa Takaya for the news tip.

   The bug occurs on Disc 3 in the Sentora Ruins. The ruins must be completed within a certain amount of time, but instead of presenting the standard "Game Over" when the time expires, an choice between "Start over from the beginning" and "Game Over" is available. If the time expires during a regular battle and the player chooses to return to the entrance, the game freezes. The freeze does not occur if the time expires during the Sentora Ruins boss battle, or while in the overhead exploration mode. Additionally, the bug only occurs if the Sentora Ruins area is attempted after Torabia Canyon -- if the Canyon is ignored until after the ruins are completed, the game will function as expected.