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The FFX Shortlist

Or, “Can we cut to the chase already?”

Introduction

What follows is my personal cribsheet for playing Final Fantasy X (North American edition for PlayStation® 2). I haven’t the heart to attempt a full walkthrough, with rejection almost guaranteed anymore. My quibbles with the existing FFX FAQs are tiny, in truth, limited to a few omissions and the choice tidbits being scattered across so many files. Perhaps my notes can assist another player as well, but by no means is this an “expert” guide. That said, welcome and enjoy your game.

This is a living guide. What you’ll find here has been verified over several playthroughs, but you can still expect things to change from time to time. Errors are possible too, of course, though hopefully nothing too ghastly. If you spot something amiss, by all means, please feel free to offer a correction. Status: Idle. Recent Changes.

Spoilers

There be spoilers here, arrrh. I’m pretty good about keeping things in minimal context (no “OMG! I can’t believe ’e did that!” commentary, thank you), but this guide is aimed at those who, like myself, have played the game a time or two and only need a few reminders rather than wading through every guide for a tip they once saw. Reminders may rekindle memories, though. Mea culpa.

Seriously, first-timers have one opportunity to play FFX (or any RPG) with a sense of discovery and wonder. Before hurling your controller to the mat, sure, look for tips, but look away the moment you have a clue. Don’t forsake your chance at a little adventure.

Greatest Hits Edition

Whether you play the original or the Greatest Hits edition matters not to this guide. The diffs are in the packaging (and the black-and-white manual), not the gameplay.

With that said, however, the original edition’s full-motion videos (FMVs) played erratically on my console and at times froze my system entirely. How erratically? When Yuna jumps, the vid stops as she opens her arms; at the pond, the vid cuts out as the music begins—mighty confusing, storywise. Could be a quirk of that copy (most likely) or my console, or something odd from the disc’s early production run, but I have no such problems with the Greatest Hits disc.

And if you play FFX HD, you may need to make adjustments. So pay heed to any mention of the PAL or International releases, any tips known are mentioned, for those differences probably apply to your FFX HD release. I still play on PS2, with the original soundtrack and eyes.

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General Game-Play Tips

A few things to remember throughout the game.

Save before anything indelible

Save Spheres (pictured in the FFX manual, pg. 3) are commonly placed right before you face a pivotal choice or something big occurs. Before stepping forward, save. Should things go other than your way, or you’d like to see the result of taking different actions, reset and reload your saved game. Remember, like many Square games FFX includes a soft-reset command: On your controller, hold all four shoulder buttons, then tap both Select and Start (L1+L2+R1+R2+Select+Start).

Tip! Resetting the game is faster than resetting the console. Also, a soft reset reshuffles random factors used in various computations, such as with Yojimbo and Threaten. But if things won’t seem to improve, try a hard reset of the console.

Talk to every NPC until text repeats

Many NPCs give you items, but they may not cough over the goods until they’ve had their say. And in several places NPCs wander into an area right on Tidus’s heels, so hold still for a few seconds before rushing onward.

Many of the walkthroughs cover treasure chests found, but few detail every gift-giving NPC. Anthony Charles Ambrose’s Secrets/Sidequests FAQ includes an Item Checklist, but more comprehensive is the Checklist section found in Fabian Chang’s Item Database.

Scout NPCs, too

And while you have the NPC’s ear, press and see if the NPC has a scout screen. Though the game won’t tip you to scouting until after you’ve left Luca, you can scout NPCs (with some notable exceptions) from the very beginning of a new game.

Scouting is part of FFX’s imbedded sports game, blitzball, and NPCs who mention blitzball can often be scouted. Even if you normally detest sports games (like yours truly), blitzing can be an enjoyable diversion, and it’s essential for learning Wakka’s overdrives and fully powering up his celestial weapon, World Champion. Treasure hunters can find goodies galore in the blitz arena, too.

Scouting has its own levels and initially all you’ll learn are some basic statistics and, more important, where Free Agents are found for future recruiting. Free Agents may move after storyline milestones, but usually only slightly. For example, Linna, the Al Bhed on the steps at the beginning of the long ice bridge to Macalania Temple, moves to the temple’s steps after you’ve visited Highbridge from the airship.

If you hate blitz, recruiting is especially important for minimizing the hours spent in the sphere pool—bring in the best players and you can quickly rack up the prizes. If you find yourself enjoying the game, however, an entire subculture surrounds blitzball, which may offer a few previously unexplored avenues.

Abuse Tidus’s overdrives

After the in-game tutorial on using overdrives, use Tidus’s overdrive every single time his overdrive meter fills. Tidus is the only party member who learns new overdrives through using his existing overdrives (a la FFVII)—doesn’t matter which one either. His last overdrive is without question his most potent (and most difficult to obtain), so getting it sooner means having it up your sleeve for unsuspecting early bosses. Remember: Emptying the meter is what counts, not how much damage is done, so don’t ration out his overdrives only for the Big Bad. Not until you have Blitz Ace in your arsenal, at least.

And if Blitz Ace is still missing once you have full control of the airship, put Tidus in Slayer overdrive mode to quickly cross the final distance. Energy Rain takes out trios of early-area fiends while Slayer refills his gauge by more than half, meaning you can unleash Swordplay every other battle. Very cool.

These numbers are cumulative. For instance, after receiving Slice & Dice you need twenty more overdrive uses (for thirty total) to get Energy Rain. Again, any overdrive use counts—keep Spiral Cutting, if you like. Getting accustomed to the smaller target is better, however. Blitz Ace can be acquired as early as Besaid’s lagoon, if Tidus defeats all comers up until then with Swordplay coupled with an item-farming bonanza.

The one place using overdrives doesn’t count is Fiend Info on the occasional terminal. The terminals are great for filling overdrive gauges, but not for using Swordplay.

Terminals: Fiend Info

In case you missed that, the blue information terminals found in shops and inns include a Fiend Info command in many places, offering mini-tutorials on select tough guys roaming the vicinity. (The first to do so is found in the Luca Sphere Theater.) This is a great place to quickly fill up everyone’s overdrive gauge, aeons included! Pick the biggest bad listed, preferably one that can take a real pounding, and have at it. Lather, rinse, and repeat.

Take care with Yojimbo, however. The moment his overdrive meter fills, Dismiss him. Otherwise he’ll use his overdrive (and, argh, empty the gauge) on his very next turn.

Take your time, fight the fights

FFX can be incredibly frustrating. The sheer number of random encounters at times (barely a bar of music cycles, then blam, you’re in another fight) can make you want to scream, but if you don’t take your time you won’t have a fighting chance against the next boss down the road. Getting creamed by a minor boss then running around in circles just to level up sufficiently is not only frustrating, it’s boring—better to get it done little by little. You’ll handle the minor bosses easily, but leave enough of a challenge with the beefier bosses.

And remember, overkills increase the AP earned and double the number of spheres. Falling short on red spheres is a pain; better to have too many and need sell off a few (at a paltry 1 gil apiece) or boost some aeon attributes, than to find yourself out of stock.

Stay CTB Aware

Every action taken during battle may change the turn order represented in the CTB window (FFX manual, pg. 8). As you highlight commands, a good idea of the expected effect is displayed. Be aware that some refinements, such as a fiend’s resistance or counterstrike capabilities, are not reflected and the turn order during and after the command’s actual execution can vary.

Keeping an eye on the CTB window is especially vital against Monster Arena creations, or anywhere you’re exploiting a succession of Quick Hits (“the motion of the ocean”).

Run away, run away!

And if things go really bad, far from a Save Sphere and losing a random encounter, have party members press → and choose Escape. Escape doesn’t always work—never works in boss fights—so keep at it. If one party member gets free, you prevent a Game Over even if the others die grisly deaths. A good precautionary measure early on before trading blows with Cactuars and Magic Pots.

Flee is another option for a quick bail-out, but you take the entire party with you.

Level Everyone

Work everyone into every boss fight without fail, and most of the mundane encounters, too. Take out the annoyances, then cycle through all of your party members. Even if they only press to Defend, they’ll get a share of the spoils. Go for the AP, so you can….

Work the Sphere Grid

Unless you’re playing a “No Sphere Grid” (NSG) challenge, the Sphere Grid is your best friend. Each party member, with one exception, starts on the grid at the beginning of a logical arc, leading them toward their best abilities. Tangents are Legion, however, and the very best abilities may require sidetracking a bit. After filling the grid through to the target or sidetrack, use Friend or Teleport Spheres to swap places into another member’s section, then follow that track in reverse.

My own grid strategy, for example, focuses on getting Tidus to Hastega as quickly as possible. Auron usually finishes his section before Tidus gets to Quick Hit and they cross that last expanse together, continuing over to Cura before I send Tidus over to Auron’s section. I have Auron backtrack to Shell and Protect, improving Auron’s weak Magic stat along the way, before taking up Tidus’s section. Here are a few suggestions.

Yes, Kimahri is the exception. He starts out in the circle around Ultima and most of the paths leading outward are blocked, requiring key spheres. So make Kimahri your keymaster. Follow the circle around and have Kimahri use the Lv.1 and Lv.2 Key Spheres as you obtain them. Snag Steal or Mug along the way (definitely) and other nearby abilities, but stick to the circle until all the locks are sprung, excepting the Lv.4 locks around Ultima itself (the combo of Copycat, Doublecast, and Full-Life is a better deal while Lv.4 keys are in short supply). I usually send him after Lulu then.

Kimahri’s circuit is also a good place for using any lavender spheres you might pick up—central, easily accessible by other party members, with many empty (or soon to be empty) nodes. Keep an eye out, too, because other concentrations of empty nodes are scattered across the grid. Why use multiple Teleport Spheres when one will suffice, yah?

Conserve any White or Black Magic Spheres you gain. Use these yellow spheres to proliferate Holy and Ultima to as many members as possible, using the Magic stat as your guide. Hastega, Copycat, Doublecast, and Auto-Life, too, are worth proliferating, but using Teleport Spheres is more economical.

Spam Special abilities

Special abilities like Cheer and Focus are widely considered among the top must-haves in the game. For example, casting Cheer five times reduces the damage done by foes down to a mere quarter of their usual potency, all by increasing your Defense stat. Cheer likewise increases the damage you inflict in turn by jumping up your Strength stat.

Get as many stat-affecting Specials on as many party members as you can—and every aeon, too. They’re relatively cheap aeon abilities, give you a means for using up excess red spheres, and can prove a big help when facing Belgemine and Isaaru’s aeon duels.

They target only the current party, though, something to remember when swapping folks out. But against high-AP foes with devastating counterattacks, using these Specials is also a safe way to cycle through party members so everyone benefits, and often it’s far more advantageous than pressing to Defend.

Hold off on blitzball

Yes, you heard me right. Unless you’re a blitz fanatic on a recruiting drive, blitzball is best left completely untouched until you can recruit Wakka—especially if you’ll only blitz enough to get Wakka’s celestial weapon, overdrive reels, and the Jupiter Sigil. Blitzing before then allows opponents to level up and since Wakka is one of your best recruiting possibilities early on (Nimrook of the Al Bhed Psyches is another) you don’t want to waste time playing catch-up.

Recruit Wakka your first trip on the airship—after Home and before Bevelle. More storyline blitzball tips follow, but read my Blitzball Tech Primer for more basic info on winning matches. No stat spamming, promise.

Cloisters of Trials

I highly recommend Adagio’s walkthrough for the easiest-to-follow steps for each Cloister of Trials. She never misses a Destruction Sphere. And I suspect most other guides copied her work, because one exception exists in most of them.

The exception comes in the Djose cloister. Rather than going up, pushing in the pedestals, then going back down for the Destruction Sphere, just pick up the Destruction Sphere and take it up with you the first time. You can still push in all the pedestals while holding the sphere, and save yourself a few steps.

Al Bhed Primers

Since you’ve played the game before (and if you haven’t, heh, shame on you for using a guide!), I recommend using a compilation sphere to save yourself the headache of collecting all the primers again. Doing it once is plenty challenging enough. I’ll only point out the “missable” primers as I go along.

Section [07] in enigmaopoeia’s Al Bhed Language Guide provides good details on finding the primers, if you’re determined (or feeling masochistic).

Double AP, Triple AP, & Gillionaire

The character wielding equipment with Double AP, Triple AP, or Gillionaire abilities must be in the active party when the fight ends. Just cycling the char through ain’t enough; they need to have participated in the battle and need to be standing over the dead bodies to get the goodies.

Note. According to the in-game help texts, Gillionaire wielders need only participate in the battle, while Double AP and Triple AP is computed for each enemy defeated. The above behavior, however, is what I’ve observed. If Rikku (wielding a fully powered Godhand) isn’t in the front line, a dead mimic coughs over only 50,000 gil, not the anticipated 100,000. And Yuna’s Nirvana garners the extra AP regardless of defeating a single fiend.

Aeons & the Celestial Weapons

Don’t wait until you have both the crest and the sigil before powering up a celestial weapon. The crest alone (and the weapon itself) is enough to enable an aeon’s Break Damage Limit. A huge bonus, definitely worth an extra trip. You needn’t ever equip the weapon or power it up further to get this boon.

Randomization

Encounter rates and other random-seeming details can vary profoundly by a factor set when a game is loaded. That factor remains intact for the entire session, never getting better or worse. So if, for instance, you’re trawling for tonberries but none are forthcoming, consider saving, resetting, and reloading your saved game. Threaten not working? Reset and reload. You get the picture. Don’t dig in hoping things will get better. Ten iterations of whatever you’re attempting is more than long enough—reset and save your sanity.

The same applies for when things are dropping like crazy, of course: They’ll stay great for the session, until you reset.

Note. Squaresoft wasn’t yet employing the console’s RNG, so a hard reset isn’t necessary. Same goes with most Square games, in fact: If soft reset is included, it’s plenty good enough to shake up the “random” odds. A hard reset works too, of course, if slower, and seemingly necessary more so on so-called “slim” console models. Worth a shot, certainly.

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Abbreviated Walkthrough

Not at all comprehensive, a few highlights often overlooked. For a good end-to-end guide that doesn’t simply rush from boss fight to boss fight, I highly recommend Adagio’s walkthrough. I find A I e x’s walkthrough a good complement, providing a nice balance overall to Adagio. And once upon a time I also referred to Spira’s walkthrough for a third perspective and the highly visible Lancet reminders.

What you’ll no doubt find pitifully light here are boss strategies, since I’ll only make note of strange or unusual aspects. For a thorough guide, I recommend Gestahl’s Boss FAQ. The guide has a propensity for exclamation and numerous holes still, but unlike other boss references, Gestahl presumes your party members are typical for the direct course of gameplay, not über-fighters who’ve maxed out every stat. Quite refreshing.

FWIW, these days—circa 2015—I refer most often to the following guides:

• Monster Encyclopedia by CB!
• Equipment Remodeling by CB!
• Monster Arena by CB! (you may smell a pattern, ya?)
• Item Database by KADFC, with area-by-area checklists too
• Game Script by Shotgunnova, even includes most NPC dialogue, a real treasure
• Blitzball by Endless_Dusk
• And this shortlist, of course.

Tip! Whenever FFX first loads or after resetting, as soon as the Squaresoft logo displays on a white background you can press Start to immediately display the title menu.

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Zanarkand

Sets up the story’s hero and presents several small tutorials.

Zanarkand: Floating House Boat

You can’t move onward until you’ve spoken with both the group of kids and the group of girls. However, you’ll move onward almost immediately thereafter, possibly missing the other conversations. Talk with the girls first, pick a name for Tidus, and then avoid the group of kids until after you’ve spoken with everyone else. You can talk to the girls individually after the group gab (one asks for a date) and the fayth hovers at the back, near the bottom of the screen.

Zanarkand: Stadium Approach

Try to chat up the kids trotting past—goodness knows, I’ve never pulled it off.

Also, watch for a lady in pink who runs from group to group. She’ll fork over Potion x2 for promising her a ticket. All but two of the walkthroughs on GameFAQs miss this boon (Adagio doesn’t).

Zanarkand: Sinscales

Ignore the urgency conveyed and fight a bunch of ’em. Leveling up early goes a long, long way in most RPGs. You won’t be leveling up here per se since “growth” is multifaceted in FFX, and these fights won’t earn you any AP or sphere levels (S.Lvl). You can, however, begin compiling a good selection of overdrive modes to aid you.

The first two groups of sinscales—one alone, then two together—aren’t replaced as they fall, so carve through them as Auron advises. But with the third set—three fore, two aft—the row behind will regenerate, while the row before will not. Keep one foe alive in front to stave off moving on to the next fight. The real advantage in this fight is that after the opening salvo, a solitary Spines attack, the sinscales don’t attack. Not once.

Tidus can learn Slayer and Warrior overdrive modes right here, with Loner and Daredevil modes needing only a little setup. The former two modes are easily learned by Auron, too, less catch-up for later since he bows out of things for a while. And both can at least chip away on Healer mode (tossing potions at each other; self-healing doesn’t count). Not enough potions to do more, and best deferred to the tanker fight in fact; even then be sure to keep one or two potions in reserve, “just in case.”

Note. Working on Loner and Healer modes can adjust your affection level with Auron. In Fabian Chang’s Affection Guide read more about how healing and KO might change things.

So fight ’em in critical health to work on Daredevil mode. Since Escape is disabled, just have Tidus and Auron attack themselves (press ↓) until their health gauges display in yellow. (Tidus is too quick for Auron to hit.) After Auron learns Slayer and Warrior modes, have him again attack himself until he’s KO’d. Have Tidus fight on alone to learn Loner overdrive mode on the way to Daredevil. When it’s time to move on, don’t bother to toss Auron a Phoenix Down; he’ll automatically recover when you move forward, albeit with only 1 HP.

For more on overdrive modes, Paul Friedman’s Overdrive FAQ has lots of good info, though he lists Loner mode as Solo for some reason. But I usually turn to Anthony Charles Ambrose’s Secrets/Sidequests FAQ, which provides quick & dirty tips as well (and lists Loner as Loner).

Note. Exploiting this and the tanker fight that follows, Tidus can easily obtain Slayer, Loner, and Warrior modes, with Daredevil not far behind.

Zanarkand: Sinspawn Ammes

The first sinspawn in the game has Demi at its disposal, but nothing else. It can’t KO you. And there’s a Save Sphere just past it, too, so don’t bother using up your potions.

Zanarkand: Save Sphere refresher

And speaking of Save Spheres, a quick refresher. Examining the sphere—standing next to one and pressing —is all that’s needed to restore everyone’s HP & MP, even if you press and cancel without choosing any of the sphere’s offerings. I remember first reading a FFX walkthrough and trying to figure out how the heck you’d only “touch” a Save Sphere (which is what Tidus is shown doing; I was being too literal).

Zanarkand: Tanker

As soon as you take out the tanker, the story moves on and it’s bye-bye to Auron for a while. So fill up your overdrive gauge and anything else you want done before targeting the tanker. (Four hits from Tidus can knock it over.) Both the front and rear rows regenerate this time, but the sinscales all attack now, too. Very good opportunity to get in a few licks for Daredevil mode if you like or work on Healer mode, but jump on the twitchers pronto, as their Spines attack wields double damage.

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Submerged Ruins

Arrival time: 1:30 approx. Tidus, 4 ODM + full ODG; Auron 3 ODM + ¾ ODG

Several more small tutorials. First clue in a long string of blue markers. Find the chests and the solutions to moving onward. Another staged fight. Introduces swimming and the antiheroes of Spira’s populace, the Al Bhed. Later on, this area is known as Baaj.

Oh, and the menu (press ) is finally available.

Tip! Switch overdrive modes to Warrior if learned and if you like.

Submerged Ruins: Learning Al Bhed

When you get control of Tidus, swim over to the right and up a ways is a platform you can climb. Examine the dark-blue marker on one pillar. Gibberish, eh? At the other end of the platform, pick up the chest. Then get back in the water and swim over to the far left side, where you’ll find another set of stairs to climb. Near the top of the stairs is a cyan, er, dot—it’s a sphere, but there are lots of different kinds of spheres. This one is an Al Bhed Compilation Sphere and examining it lets you port in any Al Bhed Primers you’d already found in other playthroughs. Nifty. Oh, and there’s another chest up here, too. Pick it up before heading back to read the Al Bhed marker on the pillar.

Technical. The Compilation Sphere does a one-time comparison and ticks off each known primer as “found” in the saved game you’re currently playing. No link is established, if that’s a concern, so deleting other saved games from the memory card won’t have any repercussions on the current save.

By the by, these markers are clues to pinpointing secret places with the airship’s navigation system. Try figuring them out on your own, if you hadn’t previously. An astounding number of guides presume you can’t be bothered. (Anthony Charles Ambrose explains them all in his Secrets/Sidequests FAQ.) Not that I’ll point them out either, you understand. I’ll only alert you when an area is hiding any markers.

Submerged Ruins: Thieving

After the Use tutorial during the fight against Klikk, don’t bother using grenades again—well, one against Tros (upcoming) if really pressed, but even that’s rarely needed. Instead, have Rikku spend most of her turns thieving from the fiends and tossing an occasional potion. She can’t hit for diddly-squat at this point, she won’t be around long (nor will anyone learn Steal or Mug for a while yet), and she won’t turn up again until you’re halfway across Spira. Likely, no one else will have learned Use by then, either. Snag the grenades anyway, because you can sell them for good bank and buy things you do need. When you get to Bikanel and Gagazet later, you can stock up on grenades to overflowing again easily enough.

Remember, not being able to steal anything doesn’t mean the fiend’s stocks are exhausted. In FFX fiends aren’t limited to a single item (as they are in FFXII, for example) and random odds determine whether each successive Steal succeeds, so keep at it.

Note, too, that you begin earning AP and accumulating S.Lvls for defeating Klikk.

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Al Bhed Salvage Ship

You learn Rikku’s name and a bit more about the Al Bhed. Some good exposition. Mostly this section is about item and experience farming, and learning what S.Lvls are good for on the sphere grid.

If you’re concerned with how specific events might alter affection levels throughout the game, now’s a good time to consult Fabian Chang’s Affection Guide. KADFC’s detailed list begins right here on the salvage ship, but theories found late in the guide are worth reading, too.

Tip! While engaged in any farming, switch modes to Slayer right away—as soon as possible, at least—and Tidus should get his Slice & Dice overdrive soon after.

Al Bhed Ship: Potion Trick

When Tidus must work for his keep, after jumping into the drink swim down the chain to the next screen, then turn right around and return to the prior screen. As soon as the prompts are displayed, press to climb back aboard the ship. Talk to the guy standing nearest the Save Sphere and he’ll give you Potion x3…again. Talk to Rikku to jump back into the water and repeat ad nauseam. Remember, a maximum of 99 of any one item can be held in inventory, so stop at 90-ish and leave room for chests and gifts along the way.

If you’re collecting overdrive modes and feeling so inclined, this is a good time to work on Healer mode for both Tidus and Rikku. Have each toss potions on the other (self-medicating still doesn’t count) and alternate in trips topside to restock. Again, for more tips on overdrive modes I recommend the Secrets/Sidequests FAQ.

And when you’re fully stocked on potions, continue thieving from the piranha-buggers until your grenade supplies are topped off as well. The fishies are good for Ability Spheres, too; around a dozen now nicely hedges against droughts ahead. Get everything done before going inside and triggering Tros; after that, your time here is pretty much done. (Immediately after beating on the computer you can get out again, but no further forward.)

By the by, if you max out potions and grenades you’ll likely earn Slayer and Warrior modes by this point, if you hadn’t already.

Al Bhed Ship: Tros

Before this fight switch modes to Warrior if you got it or back to Stoic. Make sure Tidus’s overdrive gauge is full. You’re introduced to Trigger commands. Make good use of the Stand By trigger and save a potion or two before employing the Pincer move. Have Rikku steal to restock any grenades used, but you needn’t bother with Use unless you’re really pressed.

[3/2012: Rikku immediately mixed a Blast Mine (grenade + red sphere), which did just over 1,000 nonelemental damage and put Tros to sleep. Tidus got in Cheer thrice and Rikku stole back the grenade before Tros awoke. She hit Tros twice while he brought Cheer up to five times, then (after a Nautilus Charge) his Slice & Dice got the overkill. Neat, even got in the trigger command tutorial. Rikku gets a full OD gauge at Moonflow later all the same.]

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Besaid Island

Arrival time: 3:30 approx. Grenades x99; Potion x91 after Aurochs; Tidus on Agility node.

Welcome to the mainland of Spira. Well, the beginning of the contiguous world, at least. Find a blue Al Bhed marker along the ruins. Before leaving the island Tidus will have gained all but two of his permanent allies.

By the way, don’t mind the white squares on the overhead map between the village and the promontory. Those Save Spheres can only be reached by airship later.

Besaid: Moon Crest

After the FMV, stay in the water and swim to the right. Around the headland, go ashore and open the chest for the Moon Crest, a Key Item that later on powers up Yuna’s celestial weapon, Nirvana.

Besaid: Wakka & the lagoon

Avoid Wakka until you’ve spoken with everyone else (multiple times, remember?) and fully explored the beach (aye, there’s a chest).

When Wakka pushes Tidus off the cliff is the only time in the game you can explore Besaid’s lagoon, so make the best of it and find all three chests underwater before following the red indicator anywhere near the exit—the segue triggers early, about halfway across the final pool (shortly after swimming between two tall formations). This is also the last chance to level up for a while, so fight the piranhas until Wakka can take out groups in one shot—not always practical, but usually a good measure of “enough”.

Besaid: Shop

In FFX a shop’s offerings are static. The inventory may change at set storyline milestones, but their stock is neither increased by what you sell nor depleted however much you purchase.

If you maxed out grenades, sell off most of them in the Besaid shop. Keep a few for Rikku’s return (and to maintain sort order, if that’s your preference). And if you maxed out potions, sell at least twenty to leave room for upcoming gifts and the like (did you already miss out on some of the Aurochs’ presents?). Keeping a max of 70 on hand is a good rule of thumb, but on an average run 30–40 leaves more room for collecting sellable goods and reduces the risk of filling up before reaching the next buyer. If you’ve played FFX before, then you know when dry periods are upcoming and when to stockpile—before Bikanel, for instance.

Tip! Buy a handful of any new restoratives encountered, but don’t bother purchasing stockpiles of anything before reaching Mushroom Rock Road. A certain merchant, if properly tithed, offers deep discounts along that rocky road. Also, an opportunity nears with the ferry for obtaining Potion x20 for free; sell off all but a few as needed.

Besaid: Valefor’s second overdrive

After the last event on your first visit to Besaid, you’re dumped outside the village to make your way toward the dock. Instead, turn around and enter the village again. Visit the shop (first hut on the left) and speak with the shopkeeper. Whether you buy something or not, when you’re finished she mentions that her dog found something. Find the dog in the weaver’s hut (last hut on the right), talk with the beast, and the mutt drops something slobbery in your mitts—Valefor’s Energy Blast overdrive, which is considerably more robust than Energy Ray.

Or if you read ahead, you can wait until reaching the shore before backtracking, if you prefer. But if you look for this much later on instead, both girl and dog are near the temple.

Besaid: Beating Kimahri

It can be done. If you’ve been taking your time and working the grid, Tidus is more than powerful enough. Make sure his overdrive gauge is full before reaching the ruins and start the fight by casting Cheer a couple of times. Unleash Spiral Cut (or better still, Slice & Dice) and you may overkill the Ronso.

[8/2012: Tidus learned Energy Rain in this fight, though I’d whizzed through faster than normal up until now. Fewer fights, more diligent with overdrive uses.]

Besaid: Back from the beach

Before boarding the ferry, hike back to the village. The shop now sells equipment, and has since completing the three tutorial battles according to Kevin Burkholder’s Shop List, though technically they become an option after defeating Kimahri (before Yuna’s tutorial). Worth the trip? Maybe, depending on what Kimarhi dropped. The weapons offer a tiny 3% boost and the armor adds 5% HP, better than nothing with a boss just ahead, but the shop in Kilika offers the same armor.

Also, since you can obtain as many as Potion x20 on the ferry, sell off your entire supply. Potion x20 is usually far more than I ever need. An opportunity for farming red Power Spheres lies on the near horizon as well.

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S.S. Liki

Arrival time: 6:30 approx.

The ferry runs between Besaid and Kilika. Face your first multi-staged boss fight with a semi-full party.

S.S. Liki: O’aka XXIII

You face three significant gil drains in your first pass through Spira and O’aka is the first. Early on he takes donations and if you give him enough over the few chances offered, he rewards you later on in a few specific ways. You’ll probably spend no more than 500 gil in Kilika before entering the woods, so keep 1,000 gil in reserve now and give everything else to O’aka.

The upper donation goal is 10,001, which gets you a 70% discount with O’aka later on. O’aka appears in four different locations (noted as we go) so you can spread the gifts around. Burkholder’s Shop List includes good info for O’aka as well.

Remain aware of the biggest drain upcoming, however—in the Cavern of the Stolen Fayth. The third drain arrives sooner, for as much as 11,100 gil before entering Mushroom Rock, but many decide that pledge isn’t worth the payoff. Some evidence supports that O’aka may not be worth the expense either, but I usually choose to promote his aid to and affection for Lady Yuna.

Note (11/2010). Anymore, I go with the 1,001 gil donation, recommended if you too buy only a couple pieces of equipment from O’aka, plus some items. The Mushroom Rock section now includes a full price-comparison table of his command center offerings. (6/2011). Skip all three drains is my current thinking, though I still ply O’aka with 1,001 gil. The gear Wantz offers up on Gagazet has a greater appeal and you can go back for Yojimbo later.

S.S. Liki: Suitcase

Through the door opposite O’aka lies a suitcase. Repeatedly kicking the valise yields a batch of potions, up to 20, but only if you’re potions-poor. If you already have 20 or more potions you get bupkiss, 19 potions gets you one more, and so on.

S.S. Liki: Sin’s Fin & Sinspawn Echuilles

Sinscales appear in triplets. Take out three and three more appear, but taking out only two leaves just one to bother you. Nice, makes it easy to cycle everyone into the fight (using L1) to get a share of the AP. Work in as many Specials, like Cheer, as you can while Yuna keeps everyone healed. The fin can be attacked—arrow around until it’s targetted—but only magic, Wakka, and Valefor can reach it. Don’t worry about how many times the cutscenes show Sin shifting directions; it’s just windowdressing.

Once the fin is damaged enough, Tidus and Wakka handle Sinspawn Echuilles underwater, along with more sinscales, though this time the scales constantly replenish. Have Tidus spam Cheer while Wakka uses his dark skill on the boss (not the scales). Keep healed with potions and unleash your overdrives. Go for yellow with Wakka’s reels—lightning is almost always a good bet underwater.

Tip! In a farming mood? The bottomless supply of sinscales can yield a ton of power spheres. (11/2010: Came out of this fight with 99 of ’em! A bunch of other spheres, too.) The sinscales are great for filling overdrive gauges and for obtaining the next of Tidus’s overdrives if you’re close but don’t already have Energy Rain.

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Kilika

Find another blue Al Bhed marker in the woods. Face an optional boss, and a not-at-all-optional boss. Meet another summoner and two rival blitzball teams. Another temple to visit, another aeon to acquire.

Kilika: Shop

Once the shop opens, you can buy and sell equipment (but not items). A couple party members have some featureless armor that’s best replaced, or sport none at all. Tidus, Wakka, and Kimahri find better equipment just ahead, however.

Why wait for “bag full” woes before ridding yourself of antiquated hardware? Hang on to a couple throw-away items per member, stuff with a free slot or two to customize in a pinch (such as before entering basilisk country without stone ward gear), but dump anything you would never again use. Lightningstrike weapons are handy against machina (if not mechs) and for your swimmers, but how often do you actually switch to an icestrike sword to take out a bomb, hmm? Multi-element armor is good, as are like weapons (not self-nullifying as it might seem; a fiend’s elemental weakness has precidence over elements it absorbs or halves). Might as well be ruthless with your inventory from the get-go.

Note. Tidus’s slotless Longsword is quasi-unique. Completists may want to refrain from selling this weapon, though strangely a replacement (also slot-free) can be purchased your first pass by the Lake Macalania travel agency.

Kilika: Lord Ochu

Two schools of thought to dismiss up front. One says to avoid the big bad, go to Kilika Temple first, get Ifrit (fire and plants don’t mix after all), then fight Ochu on the way back. Ifrit’s Hellfire makes for an easy overkill and tons of AP, but you miss some goodies, valuable stuff at this early point in the game, so slam dunk that thought unless you’re hurting for levels. The second says to avoid Ochu coming and going, only to return much later and bribe the boss for a big bunch of remedies. Again you miss the early goodies and by the time you can bribe him, remedies are readily purchased.

Go around the woods avoiding Ochu, finding the chests and talking with the NPCs lurking about—Luzzu and Gatta, plus two other stationary crusader types. Save and then defeat Ochu. Revisit each of the NPCs for more goods—the stuff you would’ve missed—and refill overdrive gauges before moving onward.

Tip! Engage Lord Ochu by approaching from the left, or west on a compass rosette. Take a whack or two, then either have each party member Escape or have Tidus use Flee. The nearby crusader dashes to your aid with Phoenix Down x3. Sweet. Doesn’t happen if the battle begins from any other direction, by the by, and this too is missable once the crusaders clear out.

Kilika: Sinspawn Geneaux

Esuna is your friend for this fight, or use up a few antidotes. Pound the tentacles into pudding, then fire away (literally, Lulu) until the boss comes out of its shell.

[3/2012: Tidus learned Energy Rain after unleashing his overdrive on this boss. 11/2012: Post-Ochu and before this fight this time.]

By the way, is that a statue of Sin overlooking this plaza? How strange.

Kilika: Blitz-onius Monk?

Be sure to scout the monkish fellow in one of the temple’s antechambers. You can actually recruit Mep later, but who would expect finding an ex-pro blitzer among the Yevonites? Just goes to show, yah.

Kilika: Oh Dona

Looking for ma Dona? “I’m not bad; I’m just drawn that way,” Dona? Heh, definitely not a sixteen-year-old virgin. Bartello is a favorite, though; he knows who’s cool. Okay, moving right along.

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S.S. Winno

Arrival time: 10:00 approx.

The ferry runs between Kilika and Luca.

S.S. Winno: O’aka XXIII

Donate some of your spoils to O’aka. Ahead in Luca, whether you donate or no, he offers equipment and items for sale finally, including a weapon (for 3,050 gil) that’s invaluable in NSG challenges. Gauge accordingly.

S.S. Winno: Mystery Affection Event

According to the Affection Guide by KADFC and ragnarokesper, Yuna potentially has a scene with Wantz (#15). Often presumed to be the scene with Yuna confronting the Goers and defending Zanarkand’s existence, Wantz snapping sphereshots in the background, since the guide mentions that scene rather than Wantz as a stop event (#16). One report I’ve read of something possibly new topside in the Final Mix...er, HD PS3 reissue (no PS3, can’t test it), but not linked to Wantz. How to trigger this scene remains a mystery...or a typo in the original source. Holler if you discover it.

Another tiny scene before the next challenge. Annoy Kimahri repeatedly and eventually Tidus does something that makes Yuna laugh.

S.S. Winno: Jecht Shot Challenge

No excuses, just get the darned thing—especially if you loathe blitz but still want Wakka’s reels and best weapon. Jecht Shot makes mincemeat of opponents early on, which is precisely when those goodies turn up. It also gives you a better chance at humiliating the Goers (a nice bonus) and sending the crystal cup home to Besaid. The strength sphere is nothing to sneeze at either.

Don’t go near the blitzball on the forward deck until you’ve saved below deck first. Nothing else is up there anyway so you might as well get everything else done aboard ship—like eavesdropping on Wakka and Lulu. Then save and have at it. If the ball bonks Tidus on the head, reset, reload your game, and try again. Reportedly, eleven comments need be cleared to succeed, a running theme on this ferry.

After winning the mini-game, approaching Yuna moves the story forward, so steer clear of her until you’re ready for Luca.

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Luca

Arrival time: 10:30 approx.

The home of blitzball in Spira. Meet the maesters. Endure the humiliation of a 23-year losing streak. Loads of chests and places to explore. Plus a big game to play and yet another memorable entrance by Auron.

Luca: O’aka XXIII

About time, O’aka is finally selling stuff. In fact, he has a habit of turning up on the precipice of a fight. Buy (and sell) what you will—Stunning Steel is very useful in NSG, SCC, and speed runs—then donate a goodly chunk to his cause. He remains on Dock 1 until the main event begins. There is a kiosk merchant out near the sports bar you may want to check out before exhausting your funds on O’aka, however. After the big game merchants inside the great hall become available and have varied offerings, but O’aka has moved on by that time.

Luca: Bonanza on Dock 4!

Immediately prior to battling Oblitzerizer is a splendid, one-time-only opportunity to farm a full supply of Hi-Potions. After the mandatory fights with pairs of worker machina, use the temporary Save Sphere on Dock 4 but do not proceed beyond it. Rather, backtrack to Dock 3. Worker machina are now random encounters on Docks 2 and 3 (and 4, but not advisable), and each drops either a Hi-Potion or occasionally an X-Potion. Nul-element gear can be plentiful if fortune favors you. Hi-Potions aren’t available for purchase until Macalania, a great distance from Luca. Harvest a full stock and then sell a dozen (or more) for ready cash as you go. Consider giving Lulu the Magic sphere found on Dock 5 for lightning-fast overkills, whether with plain Thunder or Fury.

Luca: The Big Game

Right up front, this match against the Goers is not typical in many ways (the Goers aren’t such hot shit, for one).

With that said, the game can be won without too much difficulty. Save in the locker room before talking to Wakka. If you want the win (Strength +4 is definitely worth the effort), you can always reset and try again. Especially vital, the moment you have possession of the ball press and select the topmost Manual option so you can swim around as you see fit. See my blitzball guide for even more info, if you like.

To use Jecht Shot in this match, spend the entire first half passing the ball back and forth between Tidus and another Auroch. (Tidus has a lousy passing stat, so pick someone close, like Jassu.) Swim toward your own goal on the right side and stay away from the Goers. At the half if Tidus has reached at least Level 3, replace Sphere Shot with Jecht Shot. You’ll have less than 3 minutes to get off a shot in the second half and score before Wakka kicks Tidus out of the game, so get to the Goers’s goal (nearly inside it) as soon as possible, allowing no more than two defenders. Tidus has enough HP for a single Jecht Shot. Tidus or Datto can still shoot again, but you need to be standing right inside the goal to actually score.

If you tie the game, you enter a five-minute, sudden-death overtime period that ends when either someone scores or time runs out (and another overtime period begins). This playthrough, the Aurochs won in OT, 3-2; last time Aurochs won 2-1 without OT; Tidus scored only once in both. (11/2010, Auroch 3-1, no OT, Tidus 1 Datto 2, all before Wakka returned. 3/2012, got it in one try, Aurochs 3-1, 1 per shooter, Abus scored at the last second, grr. 11/2012, 2-1 one try in OT, Wakka for 2. 3/25/2014, 3-0, Datto in 1st half, Tidus at the fadeout in the second (no buzzer even), then Wakka for 3.)

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Mi’ihen Highroad

Arrival time: 13:30 approx.

The next Save Sphere is a long, long way away. Yuna can easily run short of MP, so abuse Pray, use a few potions, and have Kimahri rely on Lancet for healing. Random encounters may drive you mad, but you can take it because talking to everyone (three times each in most cases) is profitable. Dual horn fiends are a good source of Ability Spheres, and scarce times lie ahead. Find another blue Al Bhed marker within some ruins you can climb into.

Highroad: Return to Luca

Save if you like, but don’t play blitzball and don’t move forward just yet. Turn around, reenter Luca, and make your way to the Aurochs’ locker room. Examine each locker, facing this way and that, until you are rewarded with the Jupiter Crest.

Highroad: Save Sphere Upgraded

Note. The upgrade becomes effective upon entering the Highroad, but the one-time-only announcements are displayed with whichever Save Sphere is used next, such as in the locker room above.

Yep, they finally tell you about scouting. Now you can recruit, too. Be aware you can only recruit two Free Agents for the Aurochs, and if you want Wakka back on the squad (if you have little interest in blitzball, Wakka is a pretty good choice) be sure to hold off filling your recruiting slots. Consider refraining from playing blitzball until you can recruite Wakka, in fact, if you go that route.

By the by, Jumal (found near Luca’s café) is a good recruit when blitzing only for Wakka’s goods, a far better starting goalie than Keepa and half as costly as Durren. Several good recruits are found around Luca, in fact, of interest to budding blitz aficionados.

Tip! If you’re an earliest-chance player, rarin’ to go with blitzball, meeting the required number of random battles is arduous at this point—even with my usual grinding—and obtaining World Champion needs a Key Item far distant yet. Read Endless Dusk’s sound advice for help later, but for now in Luca hire Jumal (as goalkeeper) for three matches and obtain Attack Reels. If the League prize is something else, reset and reload, then hold off for now; you haven’t met the battle requirement.

Highroad: Belgemine

When you see Belgemine ahead, top off overdrive gauges for Yuna and, in this case, Valefor before approaching her. She’s placed too far from a Save Sphere for resetting, but Belgemine kindly heals Yuna’s aeons prior to duelling.

Have Yuna use Grand Summon to get in two of Valefor’s overdrives back-to-back and end the fight in a hurry. Otherwise, choose Shield just before her Ifrit gets to overdrive and you should still win handily.

Parental aside: Belgemine never springs out at you; you must approach her if you want what she can offer. You must decide between the value of the encounter and the value of resetting. She exhibits honor with the free healing. Her words challenge, encourage, and praise, not begrudgingly and without belittling, even if you lose. Nice lessons to slip into a game, eh?

Highroad: Choco Feasting

Chocobo Eater is a fairly straightforward fight. Frontline of Tidus, Auron, and Lulu; haste Lu first, then Auron; swap in Yuna and haste her, too. Swap in other chars, of course, but have Lu stay in from the start, casting Fire as fast as she can. (Getting behind makes this a very long fight.) Yuna is there to heal the fiend, or others can toss Potions at it, until you can push it over the cliff.

Don’t get pushed off yourself or KO the beastie. Lv. 1 Key Sphere x2 are a real boon for sending Kimahri after Steal, and a few characters may reach stat-helpful doglegs behind Lv. 1 Lock nodes ’round this time. Djose Highroad is soon enough for teaching Kimarhi how to Steal (petrify grenades), if others are impatiently tapping their heals.

Highroad: Chocobo Secrets

The hike to the travel agency is enough leveling up for the moment. When offered a free chocobo ride, take it. As you ride north, free of random fights, keep an eye out for sickle-shaped yellow feathers. Find one on the main Newroad, and then two more on the Oldroad. Travel the Oldroad to its very end, where you’ll find the Mars Crest. Talk to O’aka again on the way back for your last chance to get your total donation up to 10,001 gil if you so desire.

You can open chests and talk to people as you ride, but if you dismount folks may say something different—Shelinda and Maechen, for instance. Also, if you think you missed anything going toward Luca, a chocobo makes catching up fast work. Bit of an eerie ride, with the Highroad cleared out.

Highroad: Help Clasko

On arriving at the North End (and after speaking with Dona), approach Luzzu’s cart for a brief scene of the cart leaving. Talk with the guard ahead before backtracking for another scene. Return to talk to Clasko and this time you’re offered the opportunity to help him find his cohorts on your chocobo. Elma is outside the agency and Lucil is down the Oldroad. Find either one and you and your chocobo are automatically returned to the North End for a scene.

No idea of any significance behind this mini-quest, probably no more than a missable scene. They survive either way.

Tip! There’s another one, too. When Clasko blocks the way beyond the checkpoint, after saying “I’m just doing my job” twice, he goes off on a pity party and you have the option to cheer him up. (Had not seen that in prior games.)

Highroad: Operation Donation

Just before the exit to Mushroom Rock paces a crusader on a pledge drive. He accepts your gil at three levels, each returning a gift for your good intentions. All come with no frills, no empty slots, so gauge accordingly.

Even after succumbing with the gil, he continues asking for donations so you needn’t necessarily choose only one of his options. Give at all three levels, if you like, and receive all three pledge gifts. Do so before proceeding beyond the checkpoint, however, for his grace’s passage is a one-way ticket.

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Mushroom Rock Road

The crooked course is a pretty straightforward leveling ground. Auron or Yuna may seem to earn extra AP if they’ve languished on that front. Almost everyone met has something to give. You’ll make a life-or-death choice before reaching the command center, then participate in the big operation.

Mushroom Rock: O’aka XXIII

O’aka appears three times before you reach the Djose Highroad. If you’ve donated most generously to his cause, first up he offers restoratives at a goodly discount, 35 and 70 gil. If you’ve planned on stocking up to overflowing, this is an opportune moment; you won’t see such bargains again for a very long time. Otherwise, his item prices are inflated; don’t get stung.

He offers different gear at the command center—start looking for a dark-inducing weapon for Tidus, though that need won’t arise for a time yet. O’aka appears again in the aftermath, with only items, but find him before approaching your crew else the opportunity is lost.

(5/30/2011). Gear offered at the entrance to Mushroom Rock Road (donation 1,001):

(11/2010). For comparison’s sake, if the Avenger weapon and Lucid Armguard are all you purchase, then a top donation to O’aka costs you more gil than donating nothing (14,148 v. 11,850). But remember, donating a little (101 or 1,001 gil) considerably lessens the gouging (to 150% or 120%), a far better choice (at 8,988 or 8,111) than the 200% markup donating nothing yields. (T.K.O. is fun, and Sentry may be worth it for NSG, SCC, or low-level runs.) At the command center, the pricing breaks down thusly but don’t forget to add the donation:

Mushroom Rock: Gatta

Don’t let Gatta get away from you after his weak-ass “welcome” to the command center. Talk to him twice more and make your choices. If you had him rebellious last time, will you advise him to honor his duties this turn? Or vice versa? Different results, all heart-rending stuff, all worth seeing.

Reminder. Disobey twice to change the result. All other combinations yield the same outcome.

Mushroom Rock: Seymour’s Requiem

This is your only chance, but is seeing Seymour’s overdrive worth it? Not really spectacular, but not difficult to achieve, only a little tedious. So you might as well if you haven’t seen Requiem before. And it’s fun (if petty and marginally evil) beating up on Seymour to fill his gauge. And what happens if he’s KO’d? If he gets no AP from this fight, will he be so tough later? (No difference really, though he definitely gets no AP if he’s KO’d, if that’s any consolation.)

Mushroom Rock: Aftermath

When Tidus first awakes on the raggedy shore, the single other living soul is found at the top of the middle finger reaching north—right of the two leftmost fingers to be exact. (Heh, coincidence, or cultural ignorance of flipping the bird?) The story advances automatically, so examine everything else first.

Later, when Tidus stands on the lonely beach, head straight up toward the Save Sphere and talk to Lulu. Go a few steps toward the exit and a cutscene occurs. Now talk to Yuna beside the Save Sphere (or whoever’s affection level you prefer to raise), then circle to the shore and talk to everyone else before approaching Auron, who triggers the next scene. Go out of order and folks will be elsewhere; I never seem to remember the order.

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Djose

Arrival time: 20:30 approx. Lulu, Fira; Kimahri, Steal.

Another straightforward leveling ground, but look out for the basilisks (they love tagging Auron). Make sure Kimahri uses Lancet on ’em and Yuna wears her Soft armor. Watch, too, for spots where the diving birds appear; they’re a tough-find for later arena-capturing. Cool cutscene when approaching the temple.

Djose: Tricky chest

Partway down the road, as the camera angle gradually shifts, watch for a nook in the rockface revealing the barest corner of a chest. (Okay, it’s a pretty obvious gouge on the overhead map.) For future note, this is also a good locale for simurgh spotting.

There are two other slightly sneaky chests, one behind the temple shop and another before an antechamber inside the temple. A couple more are partly obscured here and there, but you’re accustomed to that, no doubt.

Djose: Luzzu or Gatta

Easy to miss, he’s cowering in abject desolation to the right outside the temple entrance. A bush almost conceals him. Before departing Djose, enter the temple and you’ll find he’s recovered his composure, somewhat.

Trivia. Before entering the temple, visit the shop. See the prone figure lying abed behind the monk? Stays the same regardless of your choices in this matter. Reportedly easier to spot in HD on a PS3, the hair and clothing more distinctive, but the gaffe exists with NTSC U/C on PS2. Make the monk gesture for a slightly better view.

Djose: Destruction Sphere

If you follow Adagio’s walkthrough (or another guide with a similar extra step), taking the platform up and down isn’t necessary. Pick up the Destruction Sphere (step 13) before taking the platform up (step 11). Keep holding the sphere as you push in the five pedestals (step 12), then insert the Destruction Sphere into the new pedestal that appears (step 14).

Djose: Back to…Luca?

After events are played out in Djose the way is open for walking all the way back to Luca. At the other end of the Djose Highroad on the lonely beach (now with random encounters) you can climb over the wreckage, an exit blocked earlier by a wounded crusader, to a path that leads right back to the Mi’ihen Highroad, the route Clasko blocked earlier. You’ll find a chest just past the wreckage and a secret in an alcove Clasko was unwittingly guarding (requiring a Key Item you don’t yet possess).

Why would anyone trudge all the way back to Luca, you might ask. Well, you can rent a chocobo once you hit the Mi’ihen Highroad so it’s not much trudgery, but this is the first opportunity to take the ferry between Luca and Kilika—the ferry was closed when last we were in Luca—to pick up Ace Wizard and try again for the Jecht Shot. Those wacky blitzers. Bet they ferry all the way back to Besaid just to recruit what’s-her-name, Vilucha, yah?

Note (11/2012). Still no Status Reels prize as yet.

Seriously, though, for repeat players going the distance at least once is highly recommended. The long trek reveals a few interesting details, trivia such as the namesakes of the two ferries and some disturbing turns around Luca. Takes about two hours solid to reach Besaid Temple speaking with NPCs along the way, and considerably less returning to Djose Temple. PAL, International, and HD players should delay the reverse trek until Macalania Woods, however, and pick up Jecht’s spheres en route; some nasty surprises can delay their collection later.

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Moonflow

Arrival time: 22:00 approx. (Up to 26:00 hours with Besaid sidetrack.)

Yet another straightforward leveling ground, with another visit with Belgemine. Oh, and Rikku returns. Try mixing a Frag Grenade (Power Sphere + Power Sphere) and save the rare materials for aeon upgrades or customizing.

Moonflow: Buyer Beware

Before being tempted to buy anything on the south wharf, compare each merchant’s item prices to O’aka’s so you know just how badly you’ll be ripped off. That said, there’s an additional merchant who is easily missed. Move forward until you witness the chocobo knights’ scene. Exit and return to find a red-headbanded seller standing in their place. The Fatal Cait Sith may be tempting—nothing compares with watching a stuffy take down an iron giant with one blow—but O’aka offers a better version much cheaper up ahead in Guadosalam.

Late in the game this same location is where the best prices are found for the most basic restoratives. And the Fatal Cait Sith is dirt cheap then, too.

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Guadosalam

Arrival time: 24:00 approx. (28:00 with Besaid sidetrack.)

A strange sojourn with the dead. Customize is added to the menu. Find all the Guado blitzers, clad different from the usually flamboyant Guado; some are well hid inside rooms. O’aka is found in the Guado item shop, cheeky fellow, offering his inventory for less. And my, isn’t Seymour the smooth operator.

Guadosalam: Hidden Chests

Before going in to dinner at Seymour’s take either wing of stairs and directly at the top, to the right of Seymour’s chambers, the chest is found against the back wall (not the rail). When you get past the guard to the Farplane, at the beginning of the next screen check behind the left edge for a chest that’s completely out of sight.

Guadosalam: Venus Crest

And when you can finally leave for the Thunder Plains return to the Farplane instead. The crest lies in a chest on the left side of the viewing pavilion, near the sneaky photographer or grieving parents. Lulu’s communing on the right side; if she’s not there, you’ve returned too soon. Wantz’s scene is intriguing if you’ve played FFX-2. Related, entering the Item Shop may treat you with Kimahri commentary.

Tip! Return to the Farplane often as the main story progresses for a plethora of small scenes. Inconsequential, but interesting stuff.

Opening the way forward opened the way back, as well. The shoopuf awoke as soon as events in Guadosalam concluded, after running into Shelinda and informing your party of her news, even before entering Thunder Plains. If backtracking is on your agenda, consider pursuing it now. Events ahead close the way back through Guadosalam for a long time.

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Thunder Plains

Arrival time: 25:30 approx. (29:30 with Besaid sidetrack.)

A good place to level up if your nerves can take it. Practice your dodging, but for serious prizes (like the Venus Sigil) wait until you have a piece of No Encounters equipment. You take no damage from the lightning strikes, by the by, save to your pride.

Thunder Plains: Qactuars

Qactuars are the ancient progenitors of Cactuars, but are only found on the Thunder Plains. Initially no Qactuars at all can be seen, however. If your party members have less than 1,000 HP, think long and hard before changing that status and praying (by pressing ) at the glowing Qactuar stones, since Qactuars can hit for 1,000 in damage. But they also pay out exceptional AP (Ixion’s Aerospark is a sure way to catch them, with your strength and speed so low yet) if you can take the hit and they fork over chocobo feathers for Rikku (giving Haste to aeons soon enough). Me, I usually release the Qactuars now.

Stones across the plains glow for a time, but the mist may shift to another stone. To get Kimahri’s Spirit Lance you need pray at three stones (an animation shows clearly when each succeeds) followed by pressing before the broken tower (which Maechen points out; he’s here this visit only), but you can’t open the chest without the Celestial Mirror so this can all be delayed. Each time you pray at a stone, however, you also release Qactuars for random encounters: Pray at one stone and you may face one Qactuar; two stones, groups of two Qactuars; three stones, groups of three Qactuars, which can present a party of weaklings with a very quick Game Over.

Tip! Qactuars are susceptible to Provoke. The provoker is often toasted in short order, but the cute little fiends won’t run away. Recovery and Spiritual armor is good grinding wear, and Hope gear, which does both, is a rare boon.

Thunder Plains: North

If you follow Adagio’s walkthrough, she misses an X-Potion at the beginning of the northern section. To find the chest, leave the agency by going north, then U-turn down the right fork. (Alternatively, leave the agency going south, then enter the northern plains via the northeastern route.) The chest containing the X-Potion is immediately east, on the far right. This is a good example of why you benefit from consulting multiple walkthroughs. A I e x, for example, misses the Ether behind the northern rest spot where Yuna has her say.

Another blue Al Bhed marker is affixed to a lightning tower in this section, by the by, the tower beside the Save Sphere.

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Macalania

Arrival time: 27:30 approx. (31:30 with Besaid sidetrack.)

Relaxing after the plains, but still fraught with random fiends. A mini-game revealed. The boss fight that sent me looking for help my first time through FFX. A rather active section overall—four boss fights all told. Along the icebridge approach, arguably the most beautiful scenery in the game, make note of the temple’s bottom-most section—you can just make out the walkway to the Chamber of the Fayth.

Macalania: Butterflies

Adagio correctly points out this mini-game comes in three flavors. But you can’t win the Saturn Sigil at this early stage. 1) Before Spherimorph yields one set of prizes; 2) after Spherimorph earns different rewards; and 3) after you have airship access is when you can beat both sections and win the Saturn Sigil. Even short of the sigil they’re (mostly) good prizes worthy of your efforts.

Good route maps for both sections of all three variations were published in the FFX Ultimania guides, scans of which can still be found. Tip! Though the maps show a sinuous line and the butterflies flutter about, take the points marked literally and use straight angles instead.

Macalania: O’aka XXIII

You’ll run into O’aka four times around Macalania, twice on the road and twice at the temple.

The first time, after the northern butterflies but before Spherimorph, take a look at his weapons but buy nothing and cancel. (4/2010: Here, I was reminded why I compiled this guide. Forgot to cancel. Ouch.) When he asks if prices are too high, agree and he’ll drop the prices significantly.

Sonic Steel is a sound purchase, but over by the Macalania agency and in the temple O’aka offers the same blade with a tiny strength upgrade, albeit for considerably more gil. One strategy against the globular boss upcoming calls for this blade and it’s vital for select challenge runs, so read ahead and you decide. Me, I take the cheaper model even if I’m flush with gil or I have a Return Sphere and could customize First Strike. Neither model is an everyday fighting weapon on a casual run and the next Return Sphere outside the sphere pool is distant indeed.

A tip to the wise. For items, the travel agency offers better prices than O’aka. Stock up on restoratives, especially Phoenix Downs. Take pains to avoid item use for the remainder of this time in Macalania. Also, an extra sixty eye drops are needed to Customize one of Tidus’s throwaway weapons with the Darktouch ability, useful in the near future.

The agency’s hardware is nothing special, good if you need a throwaway though. Over the first three encounters, O’aka offers interesting equipment in addition to items. His middle two encounters provide identical selections, you can safely buy or hold off until you look it over.

The last time, however, on the temple doorstep before you run, O’aka’s inflated item prices are all you get. The only game in town and still better than nothing if you missed the earlier chances—you won’t be buying anything from anyone for a while and you won’t have Cure or Life at your disposal (unless you sidetracked Kimahri for them). And if you miss every chance, all is still not lost—just more difficult. You will have enemies dropping Hi-Potions left and right, as well as Rikku’s Use command and a steady supply of Al Bhed potions. These restore 1,000 HP to each of your entire front line and cure a few minor status woes to boot (not Dark or Confuse, blast it). The Use command only works in battle, however.

Macalania: Spherimorph

This is the boss fight that introduced me to Adagio as well as GameFAQs. FFX was my first Final Fantasy, after all. What did I know from elemental weaknesses? It’s also the fight where Sonic Steel, the weaker version of which O’aka sold a moment ago, may come in handy—see Gestahl’s Boss FAQ for that strategy.

After the fight, watch the first of ten Jecht’s spheres. (Too bad each one isn’t a Key Item and rewatchable; a welcome improvement in FFX-2.) Auron receives his second overdrive, Shooting Star.

Note. Auron hacking open the way to this fight also partly cleared the obstruction to the shimmering path through the woods, which can be passed once you put Paid! to the boss. A second Jecht sphere (two of ten) can be had right now, but the chocobo knights still block paths northward.

Macalania: Last Chance Agency

Reaching the Lake Macalania travel agency marks the last opportunity for backtracking all the way to Besaid until the airship is permanently at your beck and call. Once events beyond the agency are triggered, the way back into Macalania Woods closes (first by Clasko, then a Guardo guard) and later access into Guadosalam is denied. If you forgot something, go get it now or wait—your choice. Making the trek is strongly recommended for PAL, International, and HD gamers, to collect Jecht spheres; even though Besaid’s cloister can’t yet be reentered.

Macalania: Crawler & Negator

Once you’ve worked everyone into the fight, have Yuna summon Ixion and nibble away at the Crawler. Keep healed with Thunder spells. Shield if Mana Beam is activated and up in one move. But once you have its HP down enough, one overdrive should overkill the thing. Last time through, Ixion was hitting for 9,999 already by this point and I wasn’t grinding, just regularly working Yuna into random fights while making sure to talk to everyone.

After vanquishing the boss, you can hike back to the agency and pillage the two treasure chests en route, if you like, but a Guado functionary allows your squad to go no further.

Also, after watching Jyscal’s sphere but before entering the cloister, step out onto the temple’s “doorstep.” Fiends are encountered right on the carpet now.

Macalania: Temple Fight

(That’s all the protection from spoilers you’ll get.) Tidus, Yuna, and Wakka all have Talk trigger commands that beef up their stats, so work them in before everyone else (and make sure they target Seymour, not a guardian). Have Rikku in to steal from the guardians, then again at every stage as the players change. Shiva, as yet unnamed, makes short work of Anima. Nibble away until Anima’s gauge is nearly full then unleash the ol’ Diamond Dust overdrive for the overkill. Do the same to the maester, with Shiva or not; two or three overdrives (but not Kimahri’s!) should get an overkill on him, too.

Seymour can drop Special Spheres instead of Black Magic Spheres. If you acquired an Alchemy weapon from Crawler (for anyone other than Yuna), Use makes a very nice complement in the dry stretch ahead. Or add two more thieves to your party, what the hey.

Note. Take the stairs up to continue. The stairs down return to the Save Sphere (where the maester fell) and resets the cloister, though you need not acquire the destruction sphere again if its treasure is already acquired. The Chamber of the Fayth can’t be approached yet.

Macalania: Wendigo

Make sure Kimahri is not in the active party entering this fight. Including Tidus and Rikku should ensure you get the first move (equip someone on the front line with a First Strike weapon, if you wanna be sure). If both come up before the guardians in the CTB window and Rikku’s first, have her steal from a guardian. Then for Tidus’s turn or if he’s up first, swap in Kimahri and have the Ronso unleash Stone Breath—he is at overdrive, right?—to stop the Guado guardians from casting any and all of their annoying spells—stoned, they can’t even get off their parting shots, man. (If you picked up a Petrify Grenade, that would work, too.) The fight becomes one of attrition at this point, though switch to magic when his fists are raised.

All of my favorite guides, including GameFAQs’ highest rated walkthroughs, are missing this strategy, by the by. Sad.

Macalania: Lake Bottom

Order counts here. You have very little leeway if you want everything, so save often and reset if things get away from you. Factoring in the preferred target of your affection can be tricksome.

Talk to Lulu, any answer will do. Then talk to Auron, Wakka, and Kimahri, then Rikku, noticing the chests behind Kimahri and Rikku. Once the long scene plays out, save, then approach Yuna. Now get the two chests before talking to anyone else, carefully since both are now out of sight. Wakka (pick either answer), Lulu, Rikku, Kimahri, and Yuna. Lastly, speak with Auron. Walk back toward the others and…so long Macalania.

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Bikanel Island

Nice oasis. If you go through Fiend Info (near where you find Wakka) to fill overdrive gauges, be sure not to use up any items. Save Spheres are your best friends in the desert. Good time for using any HP Stroll equipment you might have. Cactuars are susceptible to Provoke and pay good AP, and Wakka and Tidus have a decent chance of tagging them. (They hit hard with 10,000 Needles, but usually only show up solo in the open desert.) The better chests all seem to like southwestern corners for some reason. All right, time to remember how the desert is laid out.

Note. What happens if you don’t go right for Kimahri? Well, Rikku turns you back and won’t change her tune until Kimahri has joined you.

Bikanel: Staged Zu Fight

Equip a sword with Darktouch, or you can customize one if you have enough eye drops. Blinding Zu gives you a chance at taking down the fiend on your own. Cast Slow on Zu, then Haste on Tidus and alternate in Cheer five times. Auron and Lulu show up at the end once big bird falls. Or if you just take the hit (ouch, straight to critical), Auron turns up right away with Lulu not far behind to share in the AP. Save before moving on.

Running into nonstaged Zu later, keeping it in the dark is a big MP drain. Some prefer to Flee or Escape instead this early, except in….

Bikanel: Sanubia Central

West of the Save Sphere, the fiends are often accompanied by one (or two!) chests. On the downside, the fiends are mostly all Zu and the blubberous Sand Worm that take a good chunk of time defeating. Lulu’s Noxious Cait Sith is handy for expediting their demise, if you prefer not to pick their proverbial pockets and take it on the lam. Look for another blue Al Bhed marker in this area, too.

Bikanel: Sanubia North

West side of the area, watch the overhead map for a narrow entrance into a circular area. The chest of Hi-Potions is obvious, but beyond that is a sinkhole with a chest in its depths. Open the chest for the Mercury Crest. West of there are two more chests, not just the one atop the far dune.

Up through the middle of the main area are two more sinkholes that suck in chests, but these contain big-bad plant monsters who like confusing everyone. Très nasty. The chests are good gets (south, Megalixirs; north, Teleport Spheres), but they’ll still be here for pillaging later, if you wanna skip ’em for the time being. Once upon a time I couldn’t pass them up myself, but later with Confuseproof and Master Thief gear, stealing Musk x10 is a cinch. And that’s worth a thought. You must face one of these bad boys as it is, in the narrow passage north to Home.

Bikanel: Home

When you regain control, first thing examine Keyakku’s body at Tidus’s feet for Hi-Potion x2. Save but don’t move on just yet.

Consider everything in Home as “missable.” Don’t leave screens until you’re certain you have everything; you can’t backtrack once you enter the door beside each Save Sphere. Unlike other primers, the three secreted here (19 on the doorstep, 20–21 inside) won’t turn up anywhere else, except on your next playthrough. The chests are mostly good gets, too. Four are locked Al Bhed chests that need deciphering, all inside rooms, and five chests are the regular sort, the last of which is in the Summoners’ Sanctum.

One tricky spot is where Rikku runs ahead and the camera looks up at where Tidus is left standing at the top of stairs. See the blue-green light over a door behind him? You need to go backward to reach that room, but you must descend the stairs before you can. At the bottom of the stairs, however, look for a regular chest concealed in smoke.

Note (3/2012). Incidentally, Tidus learned Blitz Ace after the tricky-spot room this time around. 12/2013, back at one of the optional sandragora.

Have Kimahri in regularly to Lancet everything that moves. Several bits of blue magic can be obtained here.

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Airship

Arrival time: 35:30 approx. (39:30 with Besaid sidetrack.)

Generally things happen on the airship when you enter or leave rooms. There are two Save Spheres, use them often. The terminal has no Fiend Info, so when fiends invade spend some quality time filling gauges and the like. The eyeballs are a great source of musks, for instance, but only two other types come aboard, dual horns and bombs (Kimahri can Lancet skills from both if you missed ’em at Home or way back on the Mi’ihen Highroad).

Airship: Talking Order

Ah, another instance where talking with someone sets things in motion. Following is the order; work everything else into this sequence.

When you first arrive, make one circuit talking with everyone in the vicinity on the bridge—without leaving the bridge, Auron at the furthest—and speak with Cid last. Now talk to everyone again, and all throughout the ship this time. Returning to the bridge, a scene occurs. Talk to Cid and your party members again, including Auron and Kimahri, but leave Brother for last. Talk to him for a brief cutscene, then everyone on the bridge (again), because when you try to leave the bridge, Rin enters with bad news. Talk with everyone throughout the ship once more. An NPC on the observation deck now gives out Al Bhed Potion x4, so sell a few to Rin first if you’ll need room for them. Careful, walking farther down the observation deck triggers a look at the big bad. When you do go to the back for the boss fight, talk to Rin. Now you know the sequence, read on.

Airship: Recruit Wakka

First things first. Walk over to Wakka and press . Alleluia, Wakka finally shows scout info. When asked if you want to recruit him, select Yes and set the duration to 99 games.

Feel free to start blitzing for Wakka’s reels and sigil (which can be obtained in as few as 44-46 matches, and many of those may be forfeited; fewer, employing Reset Data), if not for the fun of it, though blitzball’s disabled for the moment. The Al Bhed Psyches are all on board, including the best goalie in the game (Nimrook) if you want to plot recruitment when his contract is up, as are two Free Agents (Brother and Rin).

Airship: Shop

Find Rin (to benefit rebuilding Home) and speak to him several times, whether you buy anything or not. If you’re complete on primers, this is the first opportunity for him to gift you with Underdog’s Secret x99. They can be sold for 5,000 gil a pop, or used for customizing weapons with Double Overdrive, or for Rikku’s Mix. And if you’re as yet collecting primers (masochist ;j), he’ll still be on the airship later.

Rin does offer distillers, though, so if you’re running low on any red spheres, especially mana spheres, stock up now. A quick refresher: If you need mana spheres, say, when you enter a fight have someone choose Item then Mana Distiller and target a fiend. Instead of the regular sphere payoff, the fiend drops mana spheres; double, if you overkill it.

Before you buy out Rin for customizing (except perhaps antidotes for Poison Wards or softs for Stone Wards; Rin has some okay throw-away equipment if needed) keep in mind that negotiating with Yojimbo and other expenses still lie ahead…and Rin’s prices are inflated.

Airship: Evrae

Note (11/2012). This time, Tidus learned Blitz Ace while prepping for this fight.

See if Cid can get off all three volleys. The darned thing dies before I ever can. Everyone worries about poison in this fight, but the boss has a stone gaze that can be pretty annoying, too. Early source of a few water gems, and a stonetouch weapon is a nice drop.

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Bevelle

Talk about an entrance. Nice clutch of FMVs start off your brief time in Bevelle. While you should consider everything here as missable—the closest you’ll get to Bevelle and the Via Purifico for the rest of the game is the Highbridge—the only item that’s truly missable is the Al Bhed primer after taking the long circular staircase down and before entering the cloister.

Bevelle: No Encounters

Any of the warrior monks—whether wielding rifle or flamethrower—may rarely fork over a purifying salt to your thieves, which makes this the first opportunity in the game to customize a piece of No Encounters armor. At least thirty (30) purifying salt items are needed, however, a tough and tedious grind—obtaining a single purifying salt across all five battles is fortunate—but if you must have it now be prepared to hunker down. More monks appear later on the Highbridge post-cloister and pre-Natus (can be rare; save and reset if they don ’t), so a little better luck there.

Bevelle: Thrust Kick

The first time you face the tall mech that can Thrust Kick, before reaching the wedding party, get Kimahri in there to Lancet the skill. (If you miss YKT in Bevelle now, Kimahri won’t have another chance until much later.) Remember, YKT needn’t use Thrust Kick for Lancet to work, and it only kicks someone out if it’s the last foe on the field. Don’t let that happen.

Bevelle: Temple & Cloister

If you are missing Al Bhed Primer XXII, make sure you pick it up before entering the door beside the Save Sphere.

The cloister, as always, can tax your patience. Just remember, everything loops. Notice how the two chests at the end are auto-opened for you. Considerate, yah?

Bevelle: Via Yuna

For some reason all aeon overdrive gauges may be flat empty. (Chalk it up to vague, distant memory at this point.) So your first order of business is summoning each aeon in turn and filling those gauges. If Yuna’s overdrive gauge is depleted, make sure it’s topped off, too. But take care with Mana Spheres, running low by now after the recent drought. Toss a Mana Distiller at a fiend that doesn’t already oblige you if needs be.

The red corridor by the Save Sphere in back is a good place for a bit of leveling if you’re struggling. You face a single larva each time: Yuna, NulTide (or toss a Mana Distiller); Kimahri, Mug (or Steal if that was your preference); Yuna again, but switch in Lulu, Thundara; Auron, Attack. Pretty boring, but think of it as a Zen activity, oohm. Don’t cross the last red light until you’re ready.

For Isaaru, you really don’t need any extra leveling. How you match his summons all depends on how you’ve been leveling Yuna. Just taking your time and keeping everyone leveled so far, you may need only sic Shiva’s overdrive on his Bahamut, but unleash ’em all if you like. Overkills are good; with these duels you get AP.

Bevelle: Tidus Purifico

Don’t miss the Al Bhed chest tacked to the wall opposite the first Save Sphere. Make sure you have a couple of Phoenix Downs to spare. If you have any piercing weapons, equip them. But it’s a short stretch to the second Save Sphere and other than stealing and staying alive, refilling any depleted overdrive gauges…yeah, you do that a lot.

Ignore the trigger commands when you meet up with the big zombie—they only block you from getting a couple of chests holding counterattack weapons for Tidus and, more important, Wakka. Rikku can Steal or Mug, but have the guys each toss a Phoenix Down at the boss and its day is done. Quickest boss fight in the game. Take the long unopposed swim to collect the chests and exit before the quiet gets to you.

Bevelle: Highbridge

Hey, if it isn’t O’aka XXIII, at your disposal. Bet you were missing him, too. Make sure you have a supply of Softs.

Bevelle: Natus & the Mortibody

Hmm, do I smell Jenova cells on Seymour’s breath? I’m reminded of Glenn Morrow’s interesting guide that, among other things, ponders the links between the worlds of FFVII and FFX. Section 21 is definitely worth reading. But I digress.

Yuna, Tidus, and Auron all have Talk trigger commands that boost one of their stats. Get Haste on Yuna right away. Natus dismisses your aeons posthaste; you have the one turn to fire off an overdrive, but nothing more. Null magic may seem a natural, but Mortibody’s Desperado dispels everyone if it senses too many beneficial spells on all three party members, so keep one member unprotected at all times. Seymour is susceptible to Provoke, as well. Very handy during the early going, when Morti previews the magic next up and Seymour follows a pattern.

This is one of the very few chances you have at Tetra Elementals, take extreme advantage of it. Have everyone with Steal in to tag Seymour; Mug yields a counterstrike so avoid Mug. Keep cycling your thieves in to steal whenever you have a chance, even drawing out the fight to keep at it. Mortibody has nothing to steal.

Attack Mortibody, not Seymour. But cast Reflect on Seymour early on because he’ll eventually try healing himself once his sidekick leaches away enough HP. (Yes, my Yuna usually has Reflect by this point, if barely, and Steal, too.) And since the pair mostly attack with magic, cast Reflect on Yuna and friends, too—but again, not everyone. Use items for healing. Remember, Flare can be reflected. Seymour has a nearly childlike little squeak.

The pair have a quasi-combo attack: Seymour casts Break and petrifies someone, then Mortibody hits someone with its claw, which should shatter the stoner and reduce the number of party members. You have one chance inbetween, however, to either cast Esuna or throw a Soft. Keeping Yuna in Haste is essential, and her Stoneproof gear foils Break, too. Mortibody often slashes at the wrong target—not only when no one is stoned, either—and may even miss. You know the end is near when this is their only attack. Osmose could bring this on sooner, but you’re overleveling if you have Osmose this soon. Lancet can exhaust Seymour’s MP, too, come to think of it.

Once Seymour’s HP is down below 7,000 (or a little lower to get in another Steal or two), have Auron end things with his Shooting Star overdrive. Overkill is likely.

Note (5/2011). Thinking of this fight and harvesting key spheres later, I sent Kimahri after Steal rather than Mug. Put him close to Cure and null magicks, too, which helped on Bikanel and in la Via. An alternative worth revisting.

Bevelle: Post Interlude

The borrowed game disc I first played (thanks for the loan, JMS; see what you started?) would hard-freeze during the FMV. (It skipped most of Yuna’s dive earlier, too, but it didn’t freeze so I only learned that later.) But FFX was in Greatest Hits status by then, so I bought a new copy for m’self, returned the loaner, and finally saw what the heck happened.

Anyway. Before moving on to the next section, get the chest where y’all slept then backtrack into Macalania Woods. Just before the Save Sphere, about where Lucil blocked the road earlier, lies a Jecht sphere (two of ten), mentioned earlier. You can also take care of the wayward family at this time and loot the chest Clasko had blocked outside the agency.

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Calm Lands

Arrival time: 43:00 approx. (47:00 with Besaid sidetrack.)

Summoners get lost in the Calm Lands, and so can you. Too much can slow you down, so much you lose the story.

A suggested itinerary then: Go straight for the central travel agency, doing everything there. Hit the trainer only enough for a chocobo. Tag Belgemine, then ride to Remiem; get the mirror and scepter. Jump over to the arena, buy and equip capture weapons. Then make a brief trip back into Macalania Woods to power up the mirror, needed to acquire celestial weapons. Race and beat the trainer; get a ride and get Caladbolg. (Return to the trainer and continue racing for the Sun Sigil, if you like, but you need the Sun Crest up ahead before the sigil does anything.) Capture one of every local fiend and get Yuna’s Nirvana. Make another trip to Macalania to power up Nirvana with the Moon Crest, so Valefor can Break Damage Limit. Make sure you have enough gil to negotiate with Yojimbo, if you want him now.

All optional, of course, and gone into in more detail in what follows.

Tip! The chocobo trainer moves after the mandatory event in the gorge ahead, and that eliminates most of the leg work. If blowing through Calm Lands appeals, first train a chocobo enough for a free ride, then return after defeating the boss blocking the gorge. Any more, this gamer makes a quick jaunt up to Gagazet too, so Kimahri can farm a clutch of Lv.3 Key Spheres, sorely needed by now.

Also of note, three Al Bhed primers and five blue Al Bhed markers are scattered across the plains. Find the first marker on the spike near Svanda, a blitzer who tells a tale about the scar. Remember to hold to walk rather than run, but not while riding a chocobo of course. Anacondaur, the local basilisk fiends, are particularly nasty with their Sonic Tail attacks, so save often to safeguard any juicy gear you collect.

Note (8/2012). Tidus earned Blitz Ace shortly after arrival (42:38), barely able to ride a chocobo and with capture weapons in hand, but not even to the agency yet.

Calm Lands: Hover Shop

Rin’s hovercraft has some interesting offerings, including a buckler with Magic Counter (normally a weapon ability; pretty handy capturing). This branch office vanishes right away, maybe as soon as you move out of its sight. But remember, Yojimbo is now very near.

Calm Lands: Let’s Blitz!

When you save at the central travel agency, notice that blitzball is now available again. (The command dims again through Gagazet and Zanarkand, so if you want Wakka’s reels before those events, now is the time.) Every major walkthrough writer seems to hate blitz, but frankly it’s the only sports game I enjoy. The blitz FAQs tend to bury you in statistics, which is offputting, but you needn’t sink into a trading-card–swapping morass.

For all of Wakka’s goods, you’ll play a minimum of 44 games (read my guide first to see how; yes, there’s a trick). Two five-minute periods per game, seven and a half hours all told (less, if you forfeit select matches). Bet you spend more time hunting down certain fiends for the arena, am I right? Get it done in dedicated sessions or spread it out, your choice. For now, I’ll relegate the specifics to the sidequesting section later. And even that can be pared down if you don’t mind starting over from scratch for each piece.

By the by, Split Infinity includes an interesting how-I-did-it on blitzing in the latter part of his walkthrough, recently (10/2010) combined into a single file. Searching for “QUICKLY ATTAIN ATTACK REELS” finds the right spot. Split writes for the PAL release and lots doesn’t apply, but this section is appropriate enough.

For right now, you need only play 2–3 matches to obtain the Attack Reels overdrive for Wakka, which is very useful on the climb ahead. Play Blitzball and then choose Cancel several times to open up the first Tournament, where Attack Reels is the first-place prize. By the by, the next overdrive is a League’s first-place prize, so you need to clear out the current League in some way after fighting enough random battles.

Calm Lands: Choco Training

You need the Cloudy Mirror, but you need to ride a chocobo to get it. When you work with the chocobo trainer, remember that completing the training requires only the first task—running straight (wobbly). Go through dodging balls (dodger) and dodging birds & balls (hyper dodger), if you like. After that, choose “I Quit” and leave the race against the trainer (catcher) until after you have the mirror (and have it powered up). That way, you can get Caladbolg the very first time you best the trainer. Imagine beating the trainer at better than 0:0:0 without the Celestial Mirror in hand; ’nough said.

Tip! If training is a pain, one trick is to use the D-pad and continually shift pressure between ← and → as needed. Don’t let up until your bird crosses the finish line. With dodger, the balls come in threes; hyper dodger, watch the birdie, not the balls.

On the first pass through the Calm Lands, the trainer is always located at the northwest promontory. When you exit to Macalania Woods and return, she’s still at the northwest promontory. (Longing for the airship yet? ;j) She won’t move until events beyond are triggered, which this gamer attends to as early as possible these days (2015).

Riding a chocobo, be wary of exits from the Calm Lands. If you get too close, you’ll dismount automatically and your chocobo may appear to vanish, poof. They don’t, but the default placement can be out of sight and may not suit your needs very well. If you dismount on your own, however, the chocobo stands right there until you either mount up again or walk out the south or northeast exits. At the central travel agency, the passage to Remiem, and the Monster Arena your chocobo also auto-dismounts and awaits your return from all three places.

Calm Lands: Remiem

Before heading to the lost temple, find Belgemine by a big spike on the plains and beat her Shiva.

Get your Cloudy Mirror, quick and dirty, then the prizes for one, two, and three-chest races. Four is a lot tougher, five is usually a close-run thing, and six is only theoretically possible. Route maps were published in the Ultimania guides and scans are floating around out there.

Another reason to come to Remiem is facing off against Belgemine. You can challenge her aeons up to Bahamut at this point, and beating the ’Mut is worth the Flower Scepter to you. Remember to visit the Save Sphere outside after winning each battle; seriously, don’t skip this precaution. For the rewards received from these battles, I again defer to Anthony Charles Ambrose’s Secrets/Sidequests FAQ.

Note. Magus Sisters remain unobtainable until the two other optional aeons are yours, as well.

Calm Lands: Monster Arena

Ride a chocobo to the arena. Never walk if you can help it. Me, I squirrel away gil all the time so I usually have enough to buy capture weapons for everyone and forget about worrying who’s equipped and who gets the kill, except by magic. To fill the blank slots, I customize Tidus with First Strike, Yuna and Lulu with Sensor or something magic-related (Deathtouch maybe?), and Wakka and Auron with Piercing. Sometimes I hold off with Rikku for Gillionaire and pick something relevant for Kimahri’s path this time around or Initiative, or again just go with Sensor and Piercing. Status-inflicting abilities are always helpful, of course, especially for farming the Tactician overdrive mode.

And here’s a tip best learned early: Always put your thieves and a First Striker in your front line and save before talking to the arena keeper. If he’s created a monster, take the free opportunity to steal like mad from the new fiend. Hastega if you’ve got it, but don’t waste any overdrives, summons, or items since the fiend will doubtless toast you all with its first hit. Whatever you get is a gift, simple enough. Then remember to save again because your thieves are sitting on only 1 HP; don’t chat up the keeper again until you do. Saving first is also a safeguard in case you forget about leaving room for the keeper’s big gifts; reset, then use up or sell items at the travel agency, as needed.

Tip! An ideal candidate for the frontline is a character with First Strike equipped and both Hastega and Steal learned. Mug is like to trigger a nasty counterstroke, but some fiends take Steal just as poorly.

Seeking out specific fiends proving a nightmare? Remember, the game’s random calculations play a big part in what fiends appears when, how frequently, and in the quality of its droppings. Reset the game, or even the console, when nothing’s falling your way.

Calm Lands: Defender X

Hastega your side. Cheer x5, Armor Break, and Provoke do wonders here, especially if Auron sidetracked a bit for Provoke. (If not, Rikku’s Mix can double Tidus’s Vitality.) Don’t kill Defender too quickly. Wear him down until he uses Mighty Guard and then make absolutely sure Kimahri gets in to Lancet the boss.

Update, 4/2010. Nix that. Could not Lancet the boss for Mighty Guard. Tried with Kimahri in the party, out, and with Reflect on the boss (which doesn’t reflect Mighty Guard, of course) and Kimahri in the party, but no dice. Fiends and fellow Ronso only, it seems.

Calm Lands: Vanishing Free Agent

Go down into the rend. Beware the cave opening for the moment. Find the Rusty Sword along a narrow trail. A couple of crusaders are in the area (one strolling, one stationary). Talk to—and scout—both of them. Reportedly the Free Agent, Durren, vanishes late in the game, never to be seen again save in the blitz pool. Eerie.

Note. Mason Rhudy’s Missable Item FAQ puts the vanishing point out beyond Sin’s fins. Also, for completists farming blitzball techniques, Durren is touted as helpful for some rarities; search the blitzball split board for help there.

If you loathe blitzball or like collecting everything at the earliest possible instance, Durren makes a decent recruit as goalkeeper for your Aurochs squad, the default lineup’s weakest link at the start. Durren’s plenty good enough for obtaining all of Wakka’s sphere-pool spoils before climbing the mountain, though Jumal is as good (and costs less) if he was recruited back in Luca.

Calm Lands: Cavern of the Stolen Fayth

Time for the cave. It’s a valuable training ground, but before bothering, do you have 250,000 gil or near to it on hand? That’s the fayth’s lowest opening bid for Yojimbo’s services. Also, he’ll toss in a couple of Teleport Spheres if you pay triple his asking price. Stuff to consider, though you can of course scour the cave without bargaining for the ronin.

Note. There is a wealth of info on Yojimbo out there, mostly about how he behaves once you secure his services. Your responses during negotiation have a bearing on all that, however, so if Zanmato is important to you find out your options now. So you know, my concern is getting him early and cheap so I can power up Nirvana sooner.

Now that’s out of the way, enter the Sunken Cave with capture weapons in hand. Tonberry only shows up rarely; be a shame to miss him. He most often appears where the dirt looks green and may return repeatedly, worth circling the area for a bit. Kimahri can Lancet his Doom from Ghost (another elusive bugger) and Fire Breath from Valaha. Ghosts also drop No Encounters gear from time to time (your second-earliest opportunity). Don’t waste elixirs on Magic Pots; that doesn’t work in FFX. If you wanna try for its goods, first put on Protect and then have two characters Escape to safeguard against Game Over.

Tip! Magic Pots are quite accommodating for cultivating turn-based overdrive modes since they never attack, even two or three different modes at once.

Just beyond the Save Sphere, you face off against Yojimbo. If you’ve fought your way this deep, the fight should be a breeze. Poke at him until his head droops (no AP or gil for this sad duty) and Bahamut’s overdrive should one-hit him for the overkill. Take the pad into the two side chambers (???) for some good chests. Save first—a wise precaution—then head north into the Chamber of the Fayth and let the negotiation begin.

Important! One good reason to postpone negotiations, however, is partaking of Wantz’s gear up ahead. You could easily spend 300,000 gil up on the mountainside, which may prove more valuable in the short term. Call it a strong recommendation to return here later instead—in fact, I’ll likely move this section at some point.

Okay, ready? To begin, the fayth asks your purpose, offering three responses. A one-time choice, so choose wisely or reset before saving your game again.

1. To train as a summoner.
2. To gain the power to destroy fiends.
3. To defeat the most powerful of enemies.

For which option to choose, again, read the two Yojimbo FAQs posted at GameFAQs.com. Your negotiations now have a bearing on his performance in battle later, and this is a complex topic not to be glossed over. Or simply pick a different response from last time, what the hey.

Update, 2011. The following numbers have been confirmed firsthand in actual gameplay. Anything lower at each stage gets dismissed, “No deal!”

Pay that final amount and Yojimbo joins Yuna’s stable. Triple his final price if you want the two Teleport Spheres. (Update, 9/2012. Confirmed, 571,050 netted the spheres, along with something more than “Adequate.”) If you feel like experimenting, you needn’t reset if he balks before trying again.

†Exception: One PS3 HD gamer reported needing 141,751 gil in place of 141,750, one gil extra. Update, 9/2015: A reader also playing the PS3 HD reissue kindly confirmed needing the one extra gil, and further that 141,750 resulted in “No deal”. The reader also reported the final figure remained the same, 190,350 gil, and paying triple—plus 1 gil for safety’s sake; long time, no save—got the teleport sphere x2. Big thanks, Will!

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Mount Gagazet

Arrival time: 57:00 approx. Cavern included; no negotiations. (61:00 with Besaid sidetrack.)

Once you leave the valley the stroll up to the mountain is fiend-free. After your entrance take a few steps back and talk to the three Ronso, one of whom is the acting shopkeeper.

Gagazet: Biran & Yenke

Check your supply of Hi-Potions—Kimahri will need a dozen or two—then climb past the last Ronso. I like Hunter’s Spear (over Knight Lance) and Red Armlet for equipment, though it all depends on how Kimahri trod the Sphere Grid. Scan ’em both so you can monitor their HP. Lancet anything you’re missing from the pair. Wear them down so they use Mighty Guard and White Wind; these two skills must be used before Lancet can appropriate them. And don’t forget to Mug (or Steal) like crazy for Lv.3 Key Spheres, which is why I started having Kimahri get Mug.

Some actual results on thieving. 11/2010: Came away with eleven of ’em this time. 6/2011: fifteen, woot, then only nine on a storyline run. 3/2012: eleven; timed, took 42 minutes and the last one took longest; pure stubbornness. 8/2012: thirteen in nothing flat. 2/2015: only eight, but Piercing weapons for both Tidus and Wakka; Geos beware! And so on. I now prioritize this fight to earliest-possible (as soon as I can ride a chocobo in Calm Lands), since I almost always have someone hovering at a Lv.3 lock.

Tip! Rook overdrive mode is easy in this fight if Kimahri cut over for Cure. After every magic or rage attack, have Kimahri recast its Nul-magic. He’ll learn Rook by the time you have ten Lv.3 Key Spheres.

Many tough encounters lie ahead, so trigger the singalong if you like but return to the Save Sphere before proceeding onward.

Gagazet: Blossom Crown

Gagazet is a huge area: Snowy trails, underground caverns, water passages, and the early part of the ruins beyond. Capture at least one of every fiend, though, because getting the Magus Sisters depends on receiving the Blossom Crown, a Key Item, from the Monster Arena keeper.

Gagazet: Snowy Doglegs

Following the snowy trail, keep an eye on the overhead map for wide shoulders with summoner remains to examine and narrow paths leading off to dead-ends. At the end of the first such dogleg lies Braska’s Sphere (3 of 10). Auron also receives his third overdrive, Banishing Blade, which applies all four Breaks, any of which are guaranteed to hit if the target has anything less than 100% immunity.

Gagazet: O’aka XXIII

Wait one damn minute, Jim. That’s not O’aka XXIII, merchant extraordinaire. (That’s not even Cyrano Jones.) No, he’s Wantz, mad spherographer, standing in for his brother. Don’t miss talking with Wantz here (seeing him earlier visiting the Farplane doesn’t count) or you’ll miss out on your chance to purchase empty four-slot equipment from him later. Stock up on Phoenix Downs and Holy Water. Zombie-protection gear for Yuna and Auron is useful and Booster Cactuar for Lulu is pricey, but just ahead you face arguably the toughest boss fight in the game.

Gagazet: Flux & Mortiorchis

Much has been written about this fight and many controllers are broken here.

Start with Tidus (wearing Sonic Steel) to sneak in Hastega, Yuna and Kimahri for their Talk trigger commands. Then have Kimahri use his Mighty Guard overdrive. Swap in the others (Tidus or Auron casting Haste while Yuna casts Protect). Steal elixirs from Seymour and apply Cheer whenever you can work those in.

Another quasi-combo to evade—Flux zombiestrikes then Morti casts Full-Life—but with Haste on you have time to toss a Holy Water. If this fight gets to you, have Lulu cast Bio on Seymour; the pair is immune to everything else and have some nasty magic-counters. I usually go for the overkill instead. Except for working everyone into the fight, countering zombie effects, and Dispelling any Reflect Seymour casts, this fight can be over with two or three aeon appearances.

Aeons have their one turn to unleash an overdrive, true, but Mortiorchis then drains Seymour, making the hit that much sweeter. If you powered up Nirvana, remember that Valefor can hit for more than 9,999 now too, so you may want to start with him, but save Bahamut for the overkill, especially if Mortiorchis gets into its countdown.

[4/2010: Oops, came into the fight without a full gauge for Bahamut. Silly mistake. Wakka barely survived Total Annihilation to toss a Mega Phoenix, then Auron’s Banishing Blade got the overkill. 3/2012: Never saw Total Annihilation. Cycled through everyone, didn’t futz around. One Cross Cleave, one Mega-Potion. Ifrit took his 9,999 bite; Bahamut, over 30,000 in damage.]

Gagazet: Saturn Crest

After defeating Seymour, look for the chest containing the Saturn Crest between the pillars that line the way to the next Save Sphere. After saving, you can go activate the mountain trail transport panel now or revisit Wantz (ugh, two slopes farther down) before moving on if you like. Earliest chance to power up Spirit Lance its crest, but easier transport is available just ahead.

Gagazet: Sanctuary Keeper

Hmm. I may be overleveled. Valefor’s overdrive just one-hit this boss for over 45,000.

Must’ve been all those sinscales in dreamy Zanarkand, and trawling for potions on the salvage ship. No, those don’t involve Yuna. Well, I made a couple extra passes under Besaid’s trio of waterfalls; a full circuit around Kilika Woods, to the Luck Sphere and back around; a couple larva runs before Isaaru; oh, and I ran into Tonberry heading for Yojimbo, so I circled that room until I captured him five times. And that’s it. Honest. (The biggest stat on my crew is Lulu’s Magic Defense, 78.) I simply never neglected Yuna.

[4/2010. Was prepared for a quick fall this time, so played around a bit before calling in the ’Mut. Hadn’t made any grinding runs or extra passes anywhere since swimming with Rikku, still not a difficult fight.]

However scintillating that may be, keep your preferred secret weapon off the frontline—Yuna for aeons, Auron for Banishing Blade, or whomever. The keeper’s opening move, Photon Wings, inflicts Curse on your party. Puts the kibosh on overdrives right quick, but is easily alleviated with Holy Water.

Tip! Now is a good time to backtrack to pick up Kimahri’s Spirit Lance, if still needed, and power up the weapon with the Saturn Crest, enabling Break Damage Limit for Ixion. Very handy for bosses ahead. With Sanctuary Keeper defeated, the transport panels are again working. And Wantz is still standing on the slopes.

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Zanarkand Ruins

Arrival time: 64:30 approx. (68:30 with Besaid sidetrack.)

Back to the beginning. All of Tidus’s narrations so far have been from this point. Food for thought, storywise.

Zanarkand Ruins: Spectral Keeper

Equip berserk protection on Auron and have him Provoke the keeper. Nibble away. Once it has less than 20,000 HP, Yuna summons Bahamut for the overkill.

[4/2010. Tidus this time. Took a bit longer, his HP was lower and he needed healing at every turn.]

Zanarkand Ruins: Yunalesca

First, a tip. After going through Yunalesca’s bit about choosing, backtrack to the Save Sphere and save before climbing those stairs. That’s at least one long scene you needn’t sit through again if things go ill.

Got Holy? Before this fight have Lulu use a White Magic Sphere and learn Holy.

Keep a close eye on Yunalesca’s HP and when a form is near to dying, summon an aeon. Especially effective when she enters her third form and insta-kills the party, since aeons are immune. Have Auron use Threaten; it may work across all three forms. Holy can do mighty damage, unlike black magic. Bring in aeons to take big chunks of her HP, but dismiss them as soon as possible after their overdrive, just in case—Yuna can always Grand Summon a lucky survivor again. Save Bahamut for the overkill of her final form.

Note (4/2010). Lulu was the only one hit with Regen, so the only one I kept using Holy Waters on. Yuna hadn’t reached Holy yet, but Rikku had, so Lu had it too. No Yojimbo (gil poor), but only needed the three elemental aeons anyway. Then Valefor closed this show—Energy Blast hit for 60,000 plus. 1/1/2014. No Holy at all, but three aeons with Break Damage Limit enabled—Bahamut, Valefor, plus Ixion.

Still under the starry, starry night, walk to the far side of the platform, away from the camera. Walk down the semihidden stairs and, whoosh, Tidus appears at the top of stairs in the front. Go back to the far side and at the top of the stairs now sits a chest, which contains the Sun Crest. (Keep on whooshing back and forth, if you like. The effect continues until you leave this screen.) Walk toward the camera to leave, even though that staircase looks like it abruptly ends. Make your way past Auron’s revelations, all the way outside for another scene.

Zanarkand Ruins: Airship

Save on the bridge and learn about the latest (and last) Save Sphere upgrade. After you make a circuit through the airship—at one point Rin has some nice things to say—and Cid activates the NavMap system, equip your capture weapons once more and go right back to Zanarkand Ruins. Use the teleport panel for a shortcut to the Dome. You may run into Dona and Bartello, depending on how your conversation with Dona went on the airship post-Home (otherwise, they appear in Djose). Solve the cloister’s new puzzle to reveal the Destruction Sphere and then move the sphere to where the Besaid Sphere was originally found (second room, right side of the dais). Unlike several other Chambers of the Fayth there are no other new goodies here, even after Highbridge, though you can pick up the Sun Crest if you forgot it.

Go to the nearest Save Sphere and return to the airship. Very convenient. Talk to everyone again and if you have trouble finding Rikku, she’s standing down the narrow aisle to Brother’s right.

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Airship & Sidequesting

Arrival time: 69:00 approx. (73:00 with Besaid sidetrack.)

The airship is finally at your beck and call, so it’s time to do a little bit on the sidequests. Not too much, mind. If your party is hitting as hard as mine seems to be, you can go straight to the end without worries. Subsections beginning “Sidequest” are completely optional, but I aim to obtain….

With one exception, I won’t be harping on about Kimahri’s overdrive anymore. If he has more than the one vacant slot (for Nova), Chapter One of Anthony Charles Ambrose’s Secrets/Sidequests FAQ includes a pretty comprehensive list of what foes Kimahri can Lancet. Cross-check the Item Checklist while you’re looking for anything else you may have missed, as well as some late-arriving new goodies.

Any more I like keeping sidequesting to a minimum at this point, and I dislike repeated visits if I can avoid them, so let me break it down by area. You just did Zanarkand Ruins, so that’s one down.

Speedy Delivery! For a very tight storyline run, I suggest the following as a barebones sidequesting itinerary.

• Limited capturing, at most one of each species in any regular area you visit
• Zanarkand: (as already completed) Destruction sphere; Dona maybe
  Teleport panels zip you forward encounter-free.
• Highbridge: Scenes, and another scene
• Airship: Secret destinations, solitary chests
• Baaj: Geosgaeno, No Encounters; Onion Knight; Anima
  The No Encounters gear greatly speeds up the remainder.
• Optional. Omega Ruins: entry scene only
  Al Bhed Primer XXVI if needed, strictly under No Encounters. Fiends are simply too tough.
• Optional. Bikanel: Cactuar Village sidequest, Mercury Sigil
  If you’re gil-poor and yet need Yojimbo. Make an extra stop early to power up Godhand.
• Besaid: Temple scene, chests; Jecht sphere
• S.S. Liki: Clasko scene, item; Jecht sphere
• Kilika: Temple scene, chests
• S.S. Winno: Scene, gear; Jecht Shot
• Luca: O’aka scene; World Champion; Jecht sphere
• Mi’ihen Highroad: Jecht sphere
• Mushroom Rock Road: chest; Masamune; Auron’s sphere
  Shortest route is to land at Djose and climb over the debris.
• Djose: Temple scene, chests; Dona maybe
• Moonflow: Jecht sphere
• Guadosalam: Scenes; Venus Crest
• Thunder Plains: Spirit Lance; Jecht sphere
• Lake Macalania: Temple scene, chests
• Mount Gagazet: Maechen scenes (important to the story); curseproof armor
• Calm Lands: Gorge, Yojimbo, scenes, item
• Calm Lands: Caladbolg; Arena, Blossom Crown, Mars Sigil maybe
• Calm Lands: Remiem, Magus Sisters, scenes, item; Moon Sigil
• Macalania Woods: Power up celestial weapons; Wantz
• Continue…

This nets you in timely fashion Auron’s final overdrive, all celestial weapons and crests, a sigil (or three), Break Damage Limit for all aeons, and all of the direct storyline bits. The history imparted on landing in Omega Ruins can be safely skipped. Excise everything needed to obtain the secret aeons too, if you like, and the Moon Sigil as well. Playtime of under sixty hours—well under, with selective party leveling—is quite managable.

Airship: Bevelle Highbridge

Note. Small extra scenes can be seen approaching any of the temples prior to events at Highbridge. Landing at Lake Macalania, for example, if you take one step beyond Linna, the Al Bhed blitzer on the steps, the camera pans over the temple and a scene occurs at the temple steps. Then the theme changes and the chase begins anew. Is it worth it? As Maechen says, who knows.

So the temples themselves can’t be revisited until Yuna speaks with the fayth in Bevelle. You’ll land at the near end for a change, and the other end is blocked for now. To hear everything, answer the fayth: I think so; The Hymn of the Fayth; and then, Defeat Yu Yevon. (Pick any kind of No idea response, and the fayth restarts the conversation from the beginning; skip the bit about the hymn, the fayth goes straight to the end and won’t prompt you for it.)

You’ll find yourself back on the airship. Time to chat up everyone. Berrick of the Psyches knows some things about Baaj. Wakka has a little scene with Cid. And from now until you’re indeed ready for the final showdown with Sin (Cid, get your dentures refitted already, please), be careful engaging the NavMap, since the first item on the List is now Sin.

Return to Highbridge once more for another scene. The way back shows an interesting camera angle. (The far end may have opened again. If not, try again after choosing Sin on the NavMap but before actually fighting Sin.)

If you proceed with sidequesting, keep Auron’s Mars Sigil in mind. You need to capture fiends enough to unlock any ten area or species creations (original creations don’t count). Since the airship rarely drops you exactly where you’re heading, most capturing can be done along the way. Area creations are easiest, since they only require one of each fiend, but the counts needed for each species creation are included in the Monster Arena checklists.

Sidequest: Baaj

Let’s take care of a secret area. On the airship, talk to Cid and choose Search. You have X, Y, and Z axes to control. Set X to somewhere between 11–16, and Y between 57–63. (As in the sphere pool, the Z axis goes unused. Pity.) After a bit of tapping around for the right combo, the computer should ping that something was found. Go back to List and choose the new option, Baaj Temple.

Several things to be done here, where Tidus started out in Spira. First a boss fight with a prized drop, then a sunken chest, and finally a hidden aeon. Also, if you walk toward the camera you can pick up anything you missed in the water or reread the Al Bhed marker if you like. Otherwise, get ready to rumble (did I really say that?) and save (this is vital).

Geosgaeno. A bonus of this fight, one not to pass up, is that the boss has a high probability of dropping a weapon—not armor—with the No Encounters auto-ability, a must-have for completists and very helpful in a number of sidequests. It’s the easiest way to get this auto-ability, too. Equip your water team with elemental weapons and stone ward armor. Piercing weapons are also beneficial, better than counterstrikers. Save again when you’re ready, since getting the gear may require resetting. (You can press to climb out of the water if you already jumped in.)

Walk to the end of the rockway to automatically jump in. After the scene, swim toward the green square on the overhead map to trigger the boss fight. (Alternatively, climb ashore first and save again.) Geos can inhale a party member and assimilate any status cast on that character, so don’t bother with Haste. Cheer and its like are not as helpful as Quick Hit—just end the battle before Geos can inhale twice. Unless someone has their celestial weapon fully powered or another weapon with Break Damage Limit, getting an overkill isn’t possible. When the fight is over, check the bottom of Item > Equipment > Manual for what you received. If not a weapon (auto-reflect armor is nice, but not as useful), reset and try again.

Note (6/2011). With Wakka’s usefulness in a pending cactuar sidequest, if the weapon is for Wakka then extra care may be needed. Not enough bother for a reset now, however.

Onion Knight. Don’t immediately swim toward the exit. Instead, find Lulu’s celestial weapon. On the overhead map, swim to the very bottom of the circular layout and in the square left of the center line, the camera angle changes to a close-up of an alcove. Note what may look like a sunken chest on the left. Getting the weapon actually involves descending further and turning to the right, nosing up under the overhanging slab in front, before pressing triggers the Celestial Mirror and opens the chest.

Anima. Now swim toward the green square, dive, and finally move onward. Follow the passage and surface on the left to climb the stairs. Enter the door. Okay, you need to approach each of the six statues before the barrier at the far end lets you pass. Bad news, if one of the statues doesn’t light up you missed using the Destruction Sphere (and getting its concealed goodie) in some temple somewhere. The gem colors are clues, as are the animations once solved, but here’s an overhead view:

A chest is found beside each of the Zanarkand and Kilika statues, for Mega Phoenix x4 and a Megalixir. Get ’em before entering the Chamber of the Fayth for a revealing scene and the aeon. Remember to fill the old girl’s overdrive gauge at the first opportunity. For now, retrace your, er, strokes out of the temple and back to the Save Sphere.

Sidequest: Bikanel Island

Next up, a secret spot. On the airship talk to Cid and again choose Search. Set X to between 12–16, and Y inbetween 41–45. Go back to List and choose the new item, Sanubia Sands. Head’s up, fiends of all sizes attack ’round here. The chest holds Tidus’s Ascalon, a Double AP sword. Return to the airship.

Capture weapons ready? Return to Bikanel Island and hike north to the farthest screen (Sanubia West). If you skipped the sandpit-plants before visiting Home, get ’em now, stealing Musk x10 if you have a Master Thief. Equip your No Encounters gear while tackling the Village of the Cactuars mini-game. I again recommend Anthony Charles Ambrose’s Secrets/Sidequests FAQ, and underscore the warning about Elio, and heartily agree on the camera work—always makes me smile.

After picking up the Mercury Sigil, the cactuar village is a good place to capture the big guys, Zu and Sand Worm. But first hike back to the nearest Save Sphere, because down in this valley cactuars can appear in triplets, and this is not where you want to experience a Game Over. Spectacular AP when they triple up, but get Wakka or a summon in posthaste to curb their numbers before using Provoke and working everyone into the fight.

Sidequest: Besaid Island

You’re dropped off at the beach. Put your thieves in the front line—no one will make level with the low AP here—and hike to the village. Watch the overhead map for white squares indicating Save Spheres; you’ll visit them in a bit. When you reach the Promontory you may run into Luzzu, or you’ll have a scene with Gatta in the Crusader Lodge, depending on your choices in Operation Mi’ihen.

New goods are available in the shop—in all shops for that matter. Some will be useful, some only tempting. The chance to buy empty four-slot gear is nearing, however, and we’ll be picking up a few choice goods from chests along the way. Lowest prices on elementary items also lie ahead at the Moonflow.

Enter the temple and solve the Cloister of Trials again. When you leave the cloister, you’re right at the exit, so be careful not to step the wrong way—or the cloister must be solved yet again. Climb the stairs into the Chamber of the Fayth for a scene and an Evasion Sphere. Open the four chests around the fayth before leaving, for Potion x2, Elixir, Wht Magic Sphere, and a Hi-Potion.

Warning. If the fayth’s scene was triggered but chests remained when you exited, reset your game and try again. Many if not all of the cloisters are sealed after you revisit the fayth and can’t be visited again. Not right away, at least.

Outside on the seaward side of the temple, Jecht’s sphere (4 of 10) lies on the ground. See their arrival in Besaid.

Let’s take care of the three secret spots on Besaid.

Use the Save Sphere to return to the airship. Talk to Cid and choose Input. Enter VICTORIOUS, yes, in all caps. (The clues are found on Besaid, Kilika, and Sanubia Central. Read about finding all three passwords in Anthony Charles Ambrose’s Secrets/Sidequests FAQ.) Go back to List and choose the new item, Besaid Ruins 1. Heh, watch your step up here while you hunt for the chest holding Rikku’s Victorious armor. The Save Sphere is your only exit.

Talk to Cid and again choose Input. Enter MURASAME, also in all caps (the clues are found in Submerged Ruins, a.k.a. Baaj, and Thunder Plains). From List, choose the new item, Besaid Ruins 2. Have fun reaching the chest, holding Auron’s Murasame blade (not to be confused with his Masamune), and returning to the Save Sphere.

And now for the last. Talk to Cid again, but this time choose Search. Set X to somewhere between 29–32, and Y inbetween 73–76. Go back to List and choose the new item, Besaid Falls. The chest holds Kimahri’s Dragoon Lance. Return to the airship.

When you’re done, return to the beach and board the ferry.

Sidequest: S.S. Liki

Depending on how you answered his question at the Lake Macalania travel agency, you may have a scene with Clasko on the foredeck and receive a Friend Sphere.

Find another of Jecht’s spheres (5 of 10) in the pilothouse. See the guys on their passage from Kilika to Besaid.

Sidequest: Kilika

Capture your way to the temple—one of everything for Auron’s sigil. Solve the cloister and enter the chamber. Watch the scene, receive a Luck Sphere. Open the three chests for Agility, Defense, and Accuracy spheres.

Hike back to town. Save before boarding the ferry for Luca, especially if you still need Jecht Shot. (This may be the closest reset point.)

Sidequest: S.S. Winno

If you missed getting the Jecht Shot earlier, approach the blitzball on the forward deck for another chance. If no blitzball is found, then you already won the Jecht Shot mini-game.

On the upper deck, talk to the observer and when asked the number of gulls, answer eleven (the count of all screens combined; yes, I know one looks like it overlaps for only ten). Prize? Ace Wizard, a maxed-magic weapon for Wakka.

Sidequest: Luca

In the hall outside the Aurochs’ locker room lies another of Jecht’s spheres (6 of 10). Jecht on blitz at the Lucan docks. Get the Jupiter Crest from a locker, if you missed it earlier.

Whether you’ve been at it gradually or have avoided blitzball altogether (presumin’ the latter), here’s everything you need to do to obtain Wakka’s World Champion, his overdrive reels, and the Jupiter Sigil. From any Save Sphere (like the one in the Aurochs’ locker room), choose Play Blitzball. The first time, League is available and Tournament is dimmed. If the prizes are nothing special, consider using Reset Data (this first time only), which wipes out whatever experience was gained in the Luca tournament (except Jecht Shot) but also resets league prizes. At the bottom of my blitz primer is a chart of who on the Aurochs can learn which techniques and when (Nap Shot 3 may sound nice, but no one can learn that tech early on).

Be sure to choose Back at match-end to save and then “stack the deck” in your favor, the trick described in my guide. Attack Reels should be the first tournament’s first-place prize. Status Reels top the next league prize list, with Aurochs Reels in a tournament thereafter. (Other requirements govern the appearance of the latter two reels, also detailed in the linked guide.) You can safely ignore tournaments while finishing out a reel-yielding league, but the reels must be learned in order. Once Wakka has all of his reels, Jupiter Sigil tops the next league’s prizes.

Tip! Scoring against the Al Bhed Psyches is nearly impossible at the start, due to their goalie, Nimrook. (Datto’s Nap Shot, from one line out, is quite effective.) It doesn’t always happen, but sometimes when Nimrook’s contract expires the Psyches let him go and sign someone else instead. When that happens, go Back, board the airship, and recruit Nimrook with all haste. You needn’t field him (except maybe against the Guados), but keep Nimrook on the Aurochs so you needn’t face off against him either. Gil well spent, believe me. The Psyches’ standings plummet without Nimrook.

Another tip. You can shorten the time spent on the first league. Once you’ve won five games (in any combo, league or tournament play), play and forfeit the remaining league games. Here’s how: Let the opposing team score. Then when you win the blitzoff immediately press and choose the Forfeit option. The blitzball must be in your possession and the Aurochs must be losing, 0–1 is enough. Much quicker than the usual ten-minute game, and useful for a later league while reels are the prize in a tournament. Take care to choose Back and save as needed, though.

Okay. Any time after you’ve won five matches, again in any combo, take a break and pick up World Champion from the barkeep in the sports bar, Celestial Mirror required. Hike out to the Sphere Theater while you’re out-and-about, where (if Highbridge events have already played out) you’ll find an old friend. O’aka has a brief story to tell.

Sidequest: Mi’ihen Highroad

The airship drops you at the central travel agency. Go outside and take a moment to gaze across the water at the ruins. You may see the glint of a secret Save Sphere. Back inside, return to the airship. (Okay, none of that was really necessary.) Talk to Cid and choose Search. Set the X axis between 33–36 and Y between 55–60. From List, choose the new item, Mi’ihen Ruins. Yep, that’s itty-bitty Tidus out there and the chest, containing Rikku’s Sonar weapon, is at the farthest left he can go. Reboard the airship.

Talk to Cid again and from List choose Mi’ihen Highroad. Rent a chocobo and head north. At the very end of the Oldroad lies one of Jecht’s spheres (7 of 10), this one about the chocobo eater. Be sure to dismount your ride on the Oldroad and capture a few rare species.

Sidequest: Mushroom Rock Road

The Jecht sphere is up near the big machina lift, which is now broken and makes a dead end. You can ride a chocobo up from the Mi’ihen travel agency, or the airship can drop you at the aftermath end of the Djose Highroad and you can climb over the debris on the beach.

Near the debris is a chest containing Soft x4 that you couldn’t reach previously. From there midway to the entrance of Mushroom Rock Road is another path (or if coming up from Mi’ihen Highroad, take the second left). This one leads to a round lift. Take the lift up to find a statute. When prompted use the Rusty Sword. A panel appears behind the statue and when examined, use the Celestial Mirror to obtain Auron’s Masamune.

Whichever way you come, as you travel up the canyon watch the overhead map for a white square you can’t reach. Go beyond the Save Sphere at the end and Auron’s sphere (8 of 10), surprise, is found where Wakka and Luzzu had their confrontation. Auron bids goodbye to Kinoc.

Use the Save Sphere to board the airship. Now let’s investigate that secret spot. Talk to Cid and choose Input. The password is GODHAND (the clues for which were found on the Mi’ihen Highroad and across five stops in the Calm Lands). From List, choose the new item, Mushroom Rock. Careful, fiends attack down here. When you find the chest use the Celestial Mirror and Rikku receives her Godhand. Get back to the Save Sphere and board the airship.

Sidequest: Djose

Before going down to the Djose Highroad, talk to Cid and choose Search. Set X between 39–43 and Y between 56–60. From List, choose the new item, Battle Site. The chest here contains the Phantom Bangle armor for Lulu. Return to the airship.

Talk to Cid and from the List choose Djose Highroad. If you skipped getting the chest with Soft x4 earlier, now’s a good time. Ease on down the Djose road. Watch for the simurgh birds, rare captures (they like sunny spots); capture at least four if you can, five is better.

Outside the temple shop, you may run into Dona and Bartello, depending on what you told Dona on the airship (otherwise they appeared at Zanarkand Ruins). The shop has a few interesting, if pricey, weapons.

Inside the temple (my, it seems overrun), visit both of the antechambers. Here’s another monk you can scout, though you can’t recruit Sonio. Jumbo sized critter in the same room, too.

Time to solve the cloister again. Enter the Chamber of the Fayth for a scene and a Luck Sphere. Before leaving, open the other two chests for a Magic Def Sphere and an Agility Sphere. Oh, and if you walk all the way to the top, the camera shifts for a nice overhead view of the entombed fayth.

Sidequest: Moonflow

On the South Wharf discounts can be had (contrary to a certain Shop List), but compare all the merchants to find the best deal. In fact, these are the best prices on mundane items through the balance of the game. On the screen with the Save Sphere lies another of Jecht’s spheres (9 of 10), oh sorrowful shoopuf.

Ride the shoopuf to the north bank and the short hike to Guadosalam.

Sidequest: Guadosalam

A brief scene with Tromell when you arrive. Visit the Farplane for another scene with him, and one with Lulu. Remember to grab the Venus Crest if you didn’t pick it up earlier.

Tip! Tromell has scenes on the Farplane whenever events tumble out elsewhere from now on. Before Highbridge; after knocking Sin out of the sky; after Omnis. A quick practical test with the Farplane: If when you ascend the Farplane platform water tumbles off on either side, no new scene; if, however, the camera is closer in on Tidus, a new scene is likely. The other NPC groupings also trade out at various milestones, so after a little scene, exit and immediately return to find which NPCs are contemplating the vista.

Sidequest: Thunder Plains

As you pass the first lightning tower (presuming you’re walking from Guadosalam; arriving via airship you may miss the effect), if you prayed at three Qactuar stones you may see a ghostly green Qactuar appear and lead the way toward the broken tower, along the eastern edge. Stand in front of the broken tower and press . A chest appears. Examine the chest, let the Celestial Mirror do its magic, and Kimahri receives his Spirit Lance.

Next, look for Jecht’s sphere (10 of 10) near a tower farther up on the right and see dexterity in action. If you followed along, this was the last one and Auron learns his Tornado overdrive, too.

One other task can be done here and that’s dodging lightning for the Venus Sigil. It’s best accomplished with a piece of No Encounters gear, like the freebie from Geos at Baaj. You’ll also want pen & paper at hand, and perhaps sustenance and a beverage nearby. Eye drops, too, real ones, depending on how prone you are to not blinking.

Note. Playing FFX on a PlayStation 3 console can result in serious lag while dodging if your setup includes any display other than a real CRT. (Reportedly both LCD and plasma displays exhibit the problem.) Alter your setup or skip dodging—no other workaround is known, aside from waiting for a high-definition remake.

There are two very special places on the plains that are perfect for dodging. One is in the north plains, east-by-northeast of the rest stop at the midway point. Look for a smallish crater abutting the right edge of the path, almost as deep and as wide as Tidus is tall. Lightning strikes in this pit with astonishing regularity. If you have trouble finding it, search the web for a scan of the Thunder Plains map that was published in the FFX Ultimania guides. The larger circled cross is the rest stop and the pit is marked by a two-bolt icon. A similar pit is found in the south plains, though that one suffers the added distraction of random crashes of thunder. It’s slightly more difficult to spot, but also bears two bolts.

Here’s the trick. When you step into the middle of the pit, after a count of two, lightning strikes (one-thousand one, one-thousand crack). Press to dodge the bolt. Tidus lands on the rim, turns, and crack, lightning strikes again. That’s two down; 198 to go. Move back into the pit and repeat. After ten or twenty strikes, press Start to pause (yes, you can pause), mark down your progress, and give your eyes a rest. (Do not run to the Save Sphere; touching it does indeed break your record.) Do another set, then continue in this manner until you are well past any counting errors, say, at least 240 dodges. (There are no prizes beyond the Venus Sigil, but most players make a counting blunder at least once. There’s no glitch to blame, so allow room for human error.) Takes around twenty minutes when the rhythm is right. And when it’s not, either walk away for now or relieve some stress by intentionally getting hit 80 times—the pit is good for that prize too.

Finally, hike back to the travel agency. Outside its door is a chest. Examine it repeatedly until the Venus Sigil is yours.

Sidequest: Macalania

Just as you walk in from Thunder Plains, lo, but it’s Wantz. (Don’t see him? Didn’t talk to him on Gagazet, didja? Or perhaps you need to hie thyself to Highbridge, posthaste.)

Take the glimmering path to the fork and power up all of the celestial weapons. If you have any sigils, make sure to choose those players twice.

Go north from the fork instead of retracing your steps and follow the glimmering path to its end. South is the butterfly Save Sphere. Continue south and win both butterfly mini-games. The different routes were published in the FFX Ultimania guides and scans can be found by astute searchers. With the Saturn Sigil in hand, revisit the glimmering path to power up Spirit Lance once more.

From the butterfly Save Sphere, leave by the northwest exit to reach the travel agency and Macalania Temple beyond. Inside the temple, climb the stairs and walk forward on the icy path to trigger the Cloister of Trials. But wait. See the passage descending before you? Take it to emerge in the green room where you first fought Seymour. Exit the door opposite and take the path outside into the Chamber of the Fayth for a scene and a Magic Sphere. Open the two chests for Accuracy and Magic Def Spheres. Retrace your steps and solve the cloister. Use a Save Sphere to reboard the airship.

Sidequest: Highbridge Redux

Try to enter Bevelle for a scene with Maroda and Pacce, Isaaru’s brothers. No new perspective on the retreat toward the Calm Lands yet, as the guard won’t vacate the crossroads until you face Sin.

Sidequest: Calm Lands

Definitely arrive via airship, so the chocobo trainer is conveniently located just outside the travel agency.

If you have the patience or knack for it, race the trainer until you receive the Sun Sigil, if you haven’t already. Not once have I received this sigil, by the by; I’m lucky to beat the trainer to get the weapon itself. Recently (2008), however, a new Chocobo Racing Map appeared at GameFAQs, detailing several known layouts.

Next we need to visit the Monster Arena, but before that let’s recap. You already unlocked one Area Creation (Chimerageist, Farplane Wind x60), and if you’ve followed along several more critters have been unlocked: As many as 10 Area, 6 or 7 Species, and 4 or 5 Original Creations. Plenty for the Mars Sigil, plus the Key Item keeping Yuna from her final aeon is within reach. Review the complete list of Monster Arena Rewards, then spend some quality time with the Aeons and Customize menus, or the agency shopkeeper. KADFC’s Item Database is a big help.

Tip! Resetting and retracing a few steps is better than selling off good items only to discover you hadn’t quite unlocked a particular creation. One playthrough, for example, I sold off every Mega Phoenix, forgetting that four simurghs were needed to unlock Pteryx, not just three, and ended up making an extra trip through Djose to fix the blunder.

When you’re ready, talk to the trainer for a chocobo to ride and head for the Monster Arena. Save at the Save Sphere behind the arena keeper, then talk to the keeper. If you’ve unlocked enough creations, he hands over the Mars Sigil now. Save before talking to him again (or he may go straight into a creation). This could take some time, depending on how many creations you actually unlock (this time, 9/5/4) and how many surprises require resetting. Area and Species Creations come up randomly first and when the keeper exclaims, “I’ve created a monster!” only Original Creations remain. With each new monster, you have a free shot at the creation. Take it and steal like crazy from the beastie before your crew is wiped out. Some creations will ambush you—Malboro Menace springs to mind—so you may not get even that far. C’est la vie. Sell any items you steal (and expect to overflow) to the keeper before choosing Exit. Save and repeat.

At some time among the proceedings the keeper hands over another Key Item, Blossom Crown. And we have another sigil to collect before heading off to Macalania again. Exit, mount up, and head for Remiem. Go inside but steer wide of Belgemine for the moment. Circle around behind her to the door to the Chamber of the Fayth. Examine it, using the two flowery Key Items when prompted. The Magus Sisters join Yuna’s aeons. Enter the chamber for a scene and, ah, a Defense Sphere. Go outside and save.

Note. The chamber door won’t prompt you to use the floral items until Yuna has secured the services of both Yojimbo and Anima, regardless which you nab first. The Magus Sisters, the best, must be last.

Time to face off against Belgemine’s remaining three aeons. Return to the main area if you want to fill the sisters’ overdrive gauges, but you shouldn’t need to trouble. Her Yojimbo is helpful with that task. Her Cindy can cause problems; whoever you call, teach the aeon Dispel. When you’re all done—her Yojimbo & Anima are good sources of power & mana spheres for boosting aeon attributes—send Belgemine and receive the Moon Sigil.

Sidequest: Macalania Redux

Exit Remiem, rejoin your chocobo, and ride like the wind for Macalania Woods. Stop in the camping spot for a long convo with a Guado grandmother (and her grandson). Power up the weapons with sigils, as needed.

Find Wantz. Sell off equipment you won’t use and buy what four-slot gear you can, especially for those whose sigil you’re skipping this playthrough.

Sidequest: Cavern of the Stolen Fayth

Unless you’re filling out your capture quota or have yet to negotiate with the ronin, this is a quick trip. Use the transport panel in the entrance to zip to the back of the cave. Use the pad there to port into the Chamber of the Fayth. Take in the final temple scene and receive a Strength Sphere.

If your inventory is still shy a piece of No Encounters gear, stick around and fight a few Ghosts until they oblige you.

Sidequest: Gagazet

Since you’re this close, climb up to Gagazet. Talk to Maechen for one last storytelling session. Notice a transport panel now sits in the gate area. You may need to climb the mountain trail and find an additional pad on the path before Mountain Trail appears on the gate’s pad.

Oh, and the Ronso selling things now offers some Curseproof gear—the only time in the game you can purchase any. Heck of a lot easier than hunting down Tetra Elementals.

Sidequest: Omega Ruins

One sidequesty place remains. Several reasons for visiting the ruins: General leveling; capturing; gil farming; vanquishing Omega Weapon and getting Nova; finding the last Al Bhed primer; and trying for Warp Sphere x99. But do not dash off all willy-nilly. You have one shot at that last prize, and that one shot begins the moment you set down in the ruins for the first time. No second chances.

A tiny bit of preparation is in order. Equip your No Encounters gear and save on the airship bridge. The Omega Ruins Map may provide an assist, but I recommend a little recon instead. Just go down to the ruins and walk around. Remind yourself where the alcoves holding the groups of chests are located, where each room begins, and so forth. Experts say odds and a randomizer are all that’s at work here, but some believe there’s a pattern, much as with blitz’s Techcopy. Practice your timing in approaching the chests and opening them in sequence, or pray to the odds; whatever floats your boat. Then reset your game and do it for real. (And if you get ’em all while practicing, well heck, you meant to do that, right?)

Okay, got all that? Let’s go. Talk to Cid and choose Search. Set X between 69–75 and Y between 33–38. From List, choose the new item, Omega Ruins. After the scene, notice the Save Sphere behind you but don’t touch it. Rumor has it that doing so guarantees a mimic springs from the twelfth chest, even when everything else is spot-on. Go open the twelve chests, visiting the rooms in whatever order you like, but play it safe and ignore everything else until this is done. If opening a chest starts a fight, reset and reload your game, and try again. (Yeah, that scene can get tiresome.) Once you receive Warp Sphere x99 (or the best reward that strikes your fancy) hike back to the Save Sphere and use the blasted thing.

Update, 4/2010. Don’t bother with a save-and-reset approach. All twelve chests must be opened in one flawless pass to obtain the Warp Spheres. If you open chests, save, and then reset when a mimic fight is triggered, the list starts over from the top and you end up with multiples of the first goodies. Easy way to obtain several Lv.4 Key Spheres, however.

Al Bhed Primer XXVI lies near a lamp post where the four chests were found. Not too hard to see. (Remember to chat up Rin next chance you get, if needed.) After the ruins are mapped out and the Teleport Sphere picked up from the broken path—and you’ve again saved—is a good time for capturing and general leveling as suits you.

Tip! First Strike is very handy ’round these parts, worth customizing onto a capture weapon. Why? In Omega Ruins (unlike Inside Sin), Great Malboro always ambushes your party and its first move is always Bad Breath. Keep the first-strike wielder on and Yuna off your front line as you wander, so you can swap in Yuna to summon an aeon to face the bad news. Update, 6/2011. Or have your first-striker learn Provoke, then provoke the fiend and keep the provoker on the front line. Bad Breath is no worry when the fiend is provoked.

Remember you have a great opportunity here for some serious gil farming. The occasional chest in battle may yield a mimic, and a defeated mimic drops 50,000 gil. Better still, swap in Rikku and equip her fully powered Godhand (or anyone with a Gillionaire weapon) to double that amount to 100,000 gil. Yeehaw.

You have a choice before taking the pad at the back of the ruins and facing Ultima Weapon. Do you want to bribe it for Pendulum x99? (Winning the four-chest Remiem race also pays Pendulum x30.) Bribing Ultima Weapon takes from one gil shy of a million up to around 1.4 million, if you’re interested. If you choose to fight, Ultima is susceptible to dark and silence attacks, and Shell helps against the boss’s Core Energy attack. Whichever way you go, be sure to steal from the big guy, too.

Got past Ultima Weapon? Made your way past all the nasties? Great! Have fun with Omega Weapon—the fiend has 99,999 HP, not 999,999 as several FAQs state without qualification (he’s beefier in some later releases; CB!’s Monster Encyclopedia includes stats for both versions). But for Pete’s sake make certain Kimahri gets in to Lancet the boss for Nova! Only one other way exists to obtain this blue magic and that means defeating every single Monster Arena creation—not a flan-tastic proposition, I tell ya. After beating the boss, remember there’s a chest containing a Magic Sphere on the battle platform. Is it worth a revisit? Can you say “No Encounters”? I knew you could. Once the traitor falls, those platforms no longer trigger forced fights.

Airship: Sin

Arrival time: 69:00, no sidequesting. Wakka, Mug.

The beginning of the end, but still a good ways from the point of no return. If the story is a distant memory, consider returning to Besaid once more simply to talk to everyone.

Lose the capture weapons and equip powered-up celestial weapons, or anything with Double or Triple AP. Stealing is profitable and Wakka knowing Mug is very helpful. Invite a Gillionaire to help end each stage, and a Master Thief can snag many rare gem items. Avoid waterstrike weapons, such as Brotherhood. Confuse and stone protection is good; dark, slow, zombie, and poison may prove annoyances, too.

This is another boss fight in multiple stages. Basically you’re attacking three weak spots—on the left fin, the right fin, and its, er, nose—before knocking Sin out of the sky. AP and gil are awarded after each weak spot is defeated so get everyone in against each target, and an interlude precedes the fourth stage, back inside the airship where you can catch your breath and save.

Armor and Mental Break are useful against all weak spots. Negation is a pain, but keep reapplying Hastega and the breaks. The left and right fins come up first, one then the other. They start out far away, but Tidus and Rikku have trigger commands that let you move in on (or pull away from) the fin. Close in, Negation hits you too, while moving away interrupts the fin’s gravity attack. Protect helps against the fin’s physical attack.

Next up is Sin’s core, but this weak spot is protected by Sinspawn Genais, the last sinspawn in the game. The first priority is stopping Genais, and the core’s own gravity attack may help take it out—if Genais comes out of its shell in time. Tapping the sinspawn once may or may not help that happen. When in its shell, cast Reflect on Genais and someone may get free healing until Negation spoils things. Otherwise, physical attacks out of its shell; magic in the shell, unless you Reflected it, natch. Genais is susceptible to the opposite breaks as the core.

Make good use of the intermezzo. Go off and recharge overdrive gauges if needed—Guadosalam is a nice choice, dropped off right beside a blue terminal, and you may catch a brief scene with Tromell on revisiting the Farplace. If near to bag-full, make room for receiving (not in the next fight, but soon enough) a couple dozen pieces of equipment. This is the most convenient point if you anticipate playing through to the end without revisiting the airship.

Up until now, Sin’s gravity attacks couldn’t KO you. That’s changed. In fact, in the last stage Sin does next to nothing, other than fill its own overdrive gauge. Hastega is vital now, because Sin must fall before the gauge fills. Keep someone with stoneproof and confuseproof on the frontline and cycle everyone in, then hit it hard and fast—you’ll have opportunities aplenty to refill gauges, never fear. Heck, you may want to hold off just once to witness Giga-Graviton if you’ve never seen what happens. But remember, it’s a guaranteed game over.

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Inside Sin

You can walk all around the airship on only the first landing; thereafter, walking toward the airship auto-boards the vessel. Follow your teeny-tiny crew toward the Save Sphere for a perspective shift, perhaps the loveliest save point in the game. This is the return point, by the way, when choosing Sin from the airship’s NavMap.

Of course, if you’re a likin’-the-story person you may enjoy visiting the world and hearing reactions to Sin’s smoldering ruins. This is also a good time to revisit the Luca Sphere Theater. The entire set of spheres is now available, though with the music you need buy all 68 then talk to the guy again for a special collection of the last three tunes.

Capture weapons out? Alternate through multi-AP weapons, as most fights are worth a Sphere Level or two. Find all five chests across the vast pathless morass or flesh out the path wielding No Encounters gear; your choice. Watch out for Behemoth King, though, and Protect against its nasty parting shot.

Sin: Omnis & the Mortiphasms

Wait, climb the stairs but stop on the top step. One of the few times you can study the boss before confronting it. Also, press for the only time you’ll see the name of this platform. Okay, enough trivia.

Elemental eaters rule this fight, so re-equip and go downstairs to save. Seymour has Ultima in his bag of tricks, so Focus and Shell away, and keep everyone healed. Special bit of whining if Yuna summons Anima, so once you’ve played around enough, that’s a good way to get the overkill.

By the by, once Omnis is done in, Tromell has a new schtick on the Farplane. Remarkable, the attention to these sorts of small details paid by Squaresoft of old.

Sin: City of Dying Dreams

After the scene, Tidus faces a dismal cityscape. Take a few steps back and exit to the Save Sphere. Hmm, do the stairs seem to rise much higher now? Nah.

Eight chests total are secreted through the city. Up first, a glyph on a righthand wall marks a series of doors, each of which won’t open until a number of the local fiends are done in. (Once the glyph is triggered, fiends down in Sea of Sorrow do count.) Next, a blue-green panel separates a narrows and is actually an elevator; stand still for a couple seconds so it activates. Another panel lies near the lefthand wall ahead; examine it to push down a bridge. Keep watching the lefthand side for a dead-end hallway; examine the glyph there to expose the chest. In the center of the main path, find the ramp leading into the shallow pit. Get the chest to one side before standing on the glyph panel here, which shoots up to two more chests and another panel down. Advance to where floor sections spring up at you. Find the overlook to see the chest below, then backtrack to a square area on the overhead map for a recessed alcove and take the door in the middle. Nice slide, eh? Open the chest and climb the terraces back to the top (prompts appear when near enough). Alternatively, you can climb down the terraces, too, but who doesn’t like a good slide now and then?

One other oddity. Walking onward from the floor-springing area, the walkway collapses and seemingly blocks going back. Move on until the dip is out of sight then retrace your steps. Another ramp now leads up on the far side of the depression, against the lefthand wall.

Sin: Point of No Return

Arrival time: 9/2012; 85:04, storyline run, no optionals; Auron, Masamune; all others and crests.

Between the collapsing walkway and the terraces lies the final Save Sphere in the game. You can go north, trip the Tower of the Dead, and return here, but after looking up at the tower, hanging around or brushing against the pink glyph crosses the point of no return—you needn’t even examine it.

A bit of housekeeping before going forward. In the next area you’ll receive at least ten items, mostly equipment. If you’re sitting on bag-full and don’t feel like trudging to the airship and back, pick a dozen pieces of throw-away gear and manually move them to the top of the Equipment list. Makes things a little easier.

Stow the capture weapons, check everyone’s overdrive mode, save, and let’s go examine that there tower.

Note. The final sequence can take a while. A double-form boss fight, one battle for each of Yuna’s aeons, and the final confrontation all lie ahead. Lots of cutscenes and FMVs, too. Allow time for it all and banish the cat.

Sin: Tower of the Dead

Run into ten crystalline eggs, avoiding the spikes. Hit a spike, fight a battle. Besides picking up S.Lvls, there is one reason why you might want to intentionally hit an icicle, and that’s to face off against a Land Worm, unique to these parts. Otherwise, hold still until a glow underfoot signals an impending spike, then quickly take a few steps into the open. Don’t run around—let the camera pan and search for you, and only dash for it when an egg is visible. Tip! Don’t immediately dismiss the item award banners; you’re immune to the icicles while the banner is displayed, so let the camera pan into wide open spaces. One reward is received with each egg, either equipment or a rare sphere.

Note. The prizes are awarded in random order.

Until you get the tenth egg, you can still press and access the menus. Use up everything you have, if you like; items used or gear modified won’t be recorded anywhere save your memory.

Even after the tenth egg, you transition onto a platform and can do any housekeeping you like—use every remaining yellow and lavender sphere, and warp around the grid to pick up whatever you can; no further AP will be awarded—before stepping forward to meet Braska’s Final Aeon (yes, another boss you can oogle first). But this is truly the last chance to do so.

Sin: Braska’s Final Aeon

This is the last boss fight that can result in Game Over, so hold nothing back. (Well, depending on how strong your team is hitting, maybe aeon overdrives if you want to make short work of the aeon battles ahead.) Throw every item in the book at Jecht, and at your side, too.

First thing, cast Slowga against the pagodas because they are a real pain. They fill up Jecht’s overdrive gauge in nothing flat when they work in concert. Pick one and attack it until it stops to disrupt their little duet. Ignore the pagodas thereafter (unless they sync up again), since they only come back with more and more HP, but keep Slowga applied.

Tidus has Talk trigger commands available at points throughout the fight that can deflate Jecht’s overdrive gauge, but in truth Talk only works the first two times it’s used. Save them until after Jecht switches to his second form—his overdrive then is much worse. Also, Talk takes a moment to kick in, so use them just after Jecht’s meter passes half full. Then do everything possible to end things before the gauge fills a third time.

Jecht’s susceptible to zombiestrike and breaks. His second form is a good target for character overdrives (Nova springs to mind). But having Auron deal the final blow is poetic, don’tcha think? (Typical Auron, saving Tidus from doing the deed, though he’d cite another reason of course.) Tornado is a nice choice, if you have the sequence down.

Sin: More Aeons on Parade

Against Yuna’s own aeons, don’t worry about their overdrives—the gauge is thankfully empty when they’re possessed. Worry about their unique attacks, however, because those can KO your entire party. Oh sure, you’re on auto-life, but hey, that still hurts. Easiest way past the critters is calling a remaining aeon and unleashing its overdrive. Save your weakest or least nimble elemental aeon for the last.

And when you get down to the remnant of Yu Yevon itself, immune to sensors but not breaks, the tick liked to Osmose my party this playthrough (9/2012, not much this time, but Jecht did). Coupled with the pagodas (Slowga, then disrupt their concert), quite annoying. Doublecasting Demi or Flare then Copycat pares him down nicely. Then Blitz Ace him into Farplane fodder. After all….

“I know it’s selfish, but this is my story.” —Tidus

Remember to wait out the credits for the final little tease. Then reset your game or console (th-that’s all, folks!) and queue up FFX-2 to continue the story, a fun diversion that starts out very light but sobers up and turns dark indeed.

fin

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Reference

No patience with prose? Just looking for lists of the good stuff? This is the place. If something list-worthy is missing, try—you guessed it—Anthony Charles Ambrose’s Secrets/Sidequests FAQ.

Reference: Mappage

A few good maps were published across several Japanese guidebooks. Following are sites where you might learn more, to be perfectly vague.

Vagary aside, the above links yield a wealth of info regarding these sidequests, much more than maps alone. But as a safeguard against a future outage, the diagrams themselves are mirrored locally, both by their original filenames (so astute searchers can find the same files along a different path) and as follows:

Reference: Temple Revisit Rewards

After events play out at the Highbridge and Yuna has again spoken with Bevelle’s fayth, revisit select temples’ Chamber of the Fayth for more scenes and rare spheres. You once more need to solve the Cloister of Trials in the first four.

† If you haven’t negotiated with Yojimbo, this could be interesting.

Reference: NavMap Input

The airship’s navigational system recognizes three passwords, divined from Al Bhed markers left all over Spira.

Contrary to rumor, the NavMap does not recognize AL BHED as a valid password, in any form.

Reference: NavMap Search

The airship’s navigational system can search for and find several secret locations. How they were divined I’m not sure, though I seem to remember they were published in some Japanese guide or magazine.

Reference: NavMap Complete List

Not sure I’ll leave this section in, but for now here’s the completed List of the airship’s navigational system.

Reference: Omega Warp Quest

Four rooms in the Omega Ruins hold multiple chests, for twelve chests all told. The chests do not contain static prizes; the first chest successfully opened contains the first prize listed below, regardless of the room or the chest’s placement within the room, or even if a mimic fight was triggered in a prior room and some chests vanished unopened. The second chest opened contains the second prize, and so on.

Reference: Monster Arena Rewards

An amazing amount has been written on the Monster Arena and item farming, but none seem to have this info in close proximity. For greater detail on unlocking and fighting these creations, I recommend CB!’s Monster Arena FAQ. For item farming, KADFC’s Item Database is helpful. Rewards listed here are for unlocking only. Hover your pointer over the area or species name for its fiend list.

Area Conquest: 13 Creations

Species Conquest: 14 Creations

Original Conquest: 8 Creations

Reference: Popular Culture

Besides tilting toward Whedonesque language, several pop culture references have slipped into the text. (Can you find ’em all, Bob?) No, seriously, they usually show where I was tired and a little punchy. In a few years’ time neither I nor anyone else may recognize them. So I’ve tagged them and included links here to refresh my (or your) memory.

Note. These are pared-down Amazon pages, minus most of the graphical overhead and all of the unrelated littering. I can’t imagine anyone doing so, but purchasing something kicks me back a pittance and helps me pay for a new game. If feeling particularly kind, you can copy one of the links and plug in any ASIN you like (B00006G8HX instead of B000083C49, for example, ST3 instead of ST4). And no, I haven’t upgraded to Blu-ray yet.

The original associate format was http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/[your_ASIN_here]/divisaderostreet/ in case they change it again.

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Recent Changes

Status: Idle
That’s enough for now. I probably won’t be back for many months, so let me know if you spot anything wrong.

Following are the most recent changes made to this page. Copy a heading to paste into your browser’s Find or Search command.

Note. Not at all comprehensive, just a help in finding the small stuff when no growth is obvious and during major overhauls.

9/28/2015–10/1/2015, Changed
• Calm Lands: Cavern of the Stolen Fayth; daggered PS3 exception, second report
• Also fixed a missing span tag and a typo

4/7/2015–4/18/2015, Changed
• Randomization: a little elaboration
• Abbreviated Walkthrough: added a current guide list this repeat-player still uses
• Greatest Hits Edition: heads-up, not an HD guide
• S.S. Winno: Mystery Affection Event; hedged it as probably a typo
• Plus a few inconsequential revisions and tiny elaborations

2/3/2015–2/14/2015, Changed
• S.S. Winno: Mystery Affection Event; added, the Wantz event, plus the backflip
• Djose: Luzzu or Gatta; added trivia
• Djose: Back to…Luca?; included HD (lots of this)
• Macalania: Last Chance Agency; noted exact triggers
• Gagazet: Biran & Yenke; updated accounting
• Gagazet: Sanctuary Keeper; Wantz reminder in the tip
• Sidequest: Guadosalam; tip on Farplane scenage

4/15/2014, Changed
• Reference: Monster Arena Rewards; named fiends (locations) in hover title
• A few minor adjustments

3/21/2014, Changed
• Introduction: Specified PS2, not the PS3 Remaster
• Gagazet: Sanctuary Keeper; added tip, power up Spirit Lance (2/21/2014)
• And adjusted a couple minor nitpicks and quibbles, a tiny bit of spackling

12/20/2013–1/7/2014, Changed
• Kilika: Shop; added priority to multi-element weapons
• Luca: Bonanza on Dock 4!; new, Hi-Potion & X-Potion farming opportunity
• Macalania: Temple Fight; noted Special Sphere rare drop
• Plus a handful of (very) minor edits

11/5/2012–11/21/2012, Changed
• Calm Lands; Verified chocobo trainer moves after Defender and no sooner
• Blitzball; Tracked earliest op, confirmed Jupiter Sigil by the gorge
• Lots of other little things

8/18/2012–9/3/2012, 66 changes
• Abbreviated Walkthrough; added a post-sidequest Continue
• Besaid: Shop; refined, lowered recommendations; expanded tip, freebie potions ahead
• Besaid: Valefor’s second overdrive; noted holding off backtracking until reading further
• Besaid: Beating Kimahri; noted Swordplay achievement for this time
• Besaid: Back from the beach; another note about freebie potions ahead
• Thunder Plains: North; added marker location, augmented note for this time
• Macalania: Last Chance Agency; confirmed backtrack blockage, reworded
• Bikanel: Home; named the body
• Airship: Shop; smiled and winked
• Bevelle: No Encounters; allowed for running into rare monks later; random not a given
• Calm Lands; added tips on when trainer begins shifting exits; marker on learning Blitz Ace this time
• Calm Lands: Cavern of the Stolen Fayth; confirmed, lowest figure x3 nets teleport sphere x2
• Gagazet: Biran & Yenke; noted spoils for this time
• Airship & Sidequesting; added links to sidequesting subsections, all tagged now for easy reference
• Sin: Omnis & the Mortiphasms; noted another Tromell moment
• Sin: Tower of the Dead; added tip, not dismissing banners helps
• Sin: Braska’s Final Aeon; break susceptible
• Sin: More Aeons on Parade; refined which to leave for last, what to doublecast; defined The End
• Added titles to more anchors
• Replaced most ellipses with hellip entities
• A few other minor edits. Fixed typos (Dark Touch, post haste; latent apostrophe; one plural issue)

3/16/2012–4/6/2012, Changed
• Walkthrough: Contents; added tip about pressing Start
• Walkthrough; added arrival times at the top of some sections, with select milestones
• Al Bhed Ship: Tros; suggested Mix tactic
• Mi’ihen Highroad; farming dual horns
• Highroad: Save Sphere Upgraded; suggested Lucan recruit
• Djose: Back to…Luca?; serious note
• Thunder Plains: North; added note on backtracking issues; ghosted strangeness note
• Macalania: Crawler & Negator; plus a last-chance warning here, too
• Bikanel: Home; incidental note on Tidus learning Blitz Ace
• Calm Lands: Monster Arena; capture weapon recommendations; randomizer reminder
• Gagazet: Biran & Yenke; timing mark; tip on Rook overdrive mode
• Sidequest: Luca; Datto’s Nap Shot to Nimrook tip
• Sidequest: Thunder Plains; PS3 lag; counting blunders, not a glitch
• Airship: Sin; underscored stoneproof (got hit lots)
• Sin: More Aeons on Parade; added a FFX-2 recommendation
• General; fixed column spacing in tables
• General; replaced “mini-map” (and one “minimap”) with “overhead map”
• Plus a few minor edits and this-time-around notations

11/28/2011–12/6/2011, Changed
• Kilika: Lord Ochu; added tip about Phoenix Down bonus
• Bikanel: Sanubia North; Musk-farming sandragoras
• Bevelle: No Encounters; added entry
• Calm Lands: Monster Arena; added tip on ideal early frontline
• Calm Lands: Defender X; added Mix/Vitality recommendation
• Calm Lands: Vanishing Free Agent; added a recruiting recommendation
• Calm Lands: Cavern of the Stolen Fayth; noted second op for No Encounters
• Calm Lands: Cavern of the Stolen Fayth; added link to green-areas map
• Zanarkand Ruins: Yunalesca; added opening tip to save
• Sidequest: Bikanel Island; musk-farming leftover sandragoras
• Just playing for fun this time, not making a full pass at this page

5/29/2011–7/15/2011, Changed
• Submerged Ruins: Learning Al Bhed; added technical info
• Highroad: Operation Donation; exact attributes of each gift
• Mushroom Rock: O’aka XXIII; equipment at entrance, 1,001 donation
• Mushroom Rock: Gatta; added a reminder
• Thunder Plains: North; correction on last chest
• Bevelle: Via Yuna; couple of minor corrections
• Bevelle: Natus & the Mortibody; clarified a few points
• Airship: Talking Order; slight fine tuning
• Calm Lands: Choco Training; auto-dismount behaviors, task names, tip
• Calm Lands: Let’s Blitz!; added right-now recommendation for Attack Reels
• Calm Lands: Cavern of the Stolen Fayth; added complete table for Yojimbo negotiations
• Airship & Sidequesting: added barebones speedy itinerary (goal: under sixty hours)
• Sidequest: Calm Lands; note about flowery key items not working, and why
• Sidequest: Omega Ruins; augmented first strike tip with provoke
• And adjusted a couple minor nitpicks and quibbles, a tiny bit of spackling

11/10/2010–11/20/2010, Changed
• Save before anything indelible, Tip; reshuffles random odds
• Randomization: inserted note about hard reset
• Zanarkand: Sinscales; note on affection levels
• Zanarkand: Sinscales through Tanker; refined for overdrive-mode farming
• Submerged Ruins through Al Bhed Ship; more overdrive-mode refinements
• Al Bhed Salvage Ship; reminder on affection levels
• Besaid: Back from the beach; added, shop inventory changed
• S.S. Liki: O’aka XXIII; note, new recommendations, prices ahead
• S.S. Liki: Sin’s Fin; noted bottomless supply of sinscales
• Highroad: Help Clasko; added, some unknowns outstanding
• Mushroom Rock: O’aka XXIII; price comparison table
• Macalania: O’aka XXIII; minor updates
• Macalania: Temple Fight; aeons are not auto-dismissed
• Bikanel Island; Rikku forces you back for Kimahri
• Bevelle: Natus; stoneproof works, minor refinements
• Calm Lands: Let’s Blitz!; updated link to Split’s walkthrough
• Calm Lands: Cavern of the Stolen Fayth; narrowed down the cost
• Calm Lands: Vanishing Free Agent; minor cleanup
• Scattered a few reminders about affection levels
• And adjusted a few minor format issues

4/23/2010—5/8/2010, Modified
• Opening Alert; copied status indicator in brief, faqs-top page too
• Kilika: Shop; confirmed, Longsword replacement also has no slot
• Kilika: Lord Ochu; Ifrit, overkill, tons of AP
• S.S. Winno: Jecht Shot; eleven to clear
• Highroad: Save Sphere Upgraded; where alert happens
• Highroad: Operation Donation; added one-way warning
• Mushroom Rock: O’aka XXIII; Fixed item pricing
• Mushroom Rock: Seymour’s Requiem; confirmed, Seymour gets no AP if KO’d
• Guadosalam: Venus Crest; connected FFX-2 to Wantz; added grieving parents
• Thunder Plains: Qactuars; added bit about low strength and speed
• Macalania: O’aka XXIII; overhauled; corrections, additions
• Macalania: Temple Fight; note about backtracking
• Bikanel Island; another use for Fiend Info; note on Kimahri
• Bevelle: Natus; avoid null magic
• Bevelle: Post Interlude; wayward family, too
• Calm Lands: Choco Training; fixed training requirements
• Calm Lands: Defender X; could not Lancet Mighty Guard
• Calm Lands: Vanishing Free Agent; needs more stressing
• Airship: Bevelle Highbridge; extra scenage beforehand
• Sidequest: Omega Ruins; how resetting affects the chests
• Contact Info; text link to gaming page
• Bosses; alternatives taken, results differing
• Fixed typographic error(s): 1

12/21/2009, Modified
• Updated all links to the Blitz Tech Primer
• Scattered span-reminders about soft-reset
• Contents; added a title
• Besaid: Shop; added a bit about inventory upgrades
• Airship: Recruit Wakka; fixed minimum blitz matches
• Calm Lands: Let’s Blitz! (same blitz fix)
• Reference: Mappage; added local-mirror links
• And adjusted a few minor format issues

9/9–10/21/2008, Modified
• Fixed the GameFAQs links
• And fixed several small errors up through Besaid
• Abuse Tidus’s overdrives
• Terminals: Fiend Info
• Take your time, fight the fights
• Hold off on blitzball
• Double AP, Triple AP, & Gillionaire
• Aeons & the Celestial Weapons
• Onion Knight (moved)
• Vanishing Free Agent (moved)
• Zanarkand: Floating House Boat
• Zanarkand: Sinscales
• Zanarkand: Save Sphere refresher
• Submerged Ruins: Thieving
• Al Bhed Ship: Potion Trick
• Kilika: Shop
• Kilika: Blitz-onius Monk?
• Kilika: Oh Dona
• Luca: O’aka XXIII
• Mushroom Rock: O’aka XXIII
• Calm Lands: Remiem
• Calm Lands: Monster Arena
• Gagazet: O’aka XXIII
• Airship & Sidequesting
• Sin: Tower of the Dead
• And a full edit pass on the final fights
• Reference: Monster Arena Rewards

10/24/2008, Added
• Highroad: Belgemine

10/21/2008, Added
• Reference: Popular Culture

10/20/2008, Added
• S.S. Liki: Sin’s Fin & Sinspawn Echuilles
• Kilika: Sinspawn Geneaux
• Gagazet: Snowy Doglegs

10/18/2008, Added
• Everything within Inside Sin

10/16/2008, Added
• Gagazet: Blossom Crown
• Reference: NavMap Complete List

10/9/2008, Added
• Run away, run away!

10/8/2008, Added
• Randomization
• Inside Sin
• Reference: Mappage

10/5/2008, Added
• Reference: Omega Warp Quest

9/29/2008, Added
• Reference: Monster Arena Rewards

9/28/2008, Added
• Highroad: Operation Donation
• Reference: NavMap Input
• Reference: NavMap Search

9/26/2008, Added
• Reference

9/23/2008, Added
• Save before anything indelible

9/21/2008, Added
• Zanarkand Ruins
• Airship & Sidequesting

9/19/2008, Added
• Mount Gagazet

9/17/2008, Added
• Celestial Weapons
• Calm Lands through Cavern of the Stolen Fayth

9/16/2008, Added
• Airship: Evrae
• Bevelle

9/15/2008, Added
• Highroad: Save Sphere Upgraded
• Mushroom Rock: Gatta
• Djose: Vanishing Free Agent
• Djose: Back to…Luca?
• Bikanel through Airship

9/14/2008, Added
• From Luca through Djose
• From Djose through Macalania

9/13/2008, Added
• Zanarkand: Tanker
• Besaid: Shop
• Besaid: Beating Kimahri
• Everything after Besaid through Luca

9/9/2008, Added
• Stay CTB Aware
• Recent Changes

Top / Contents

Contact Info

Your comments are welcome! Please use the Feedback form. Set To: to “Contributor to GameFAQs” and Regarding: to the “GameFAQs FFX” topic to ensure your message gets to me quickly and directly. Please send your feedback, suggestions, or corrections to falconesque [dot] gfaqs [at] gmail [dot] com. Be sure to identify the game in your Subject.

This guide is sporadically subject to fits of rapid change. If you don’t see your favorite tip—or the one thing you’re always forgetting—feel free to pass it along. If your way improves upon my own or provides a solid alternative, all due credit will be afforded you.

View my other gaming guides.

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Visitors (since Wednesday, February 14, 2007):

Established: Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Last modified: Thursday, October 1, 2015

Copyright © 2007-2015, Falconesque