FFVIII - Missable & Optional Content

Every missable in the game, bundled together with things I considered worth mentioning cause why not.

This guide is structured by location in the order you reach them. Spoilers. Obviously.

Introduction

Self esteem booster

Remember to give it a thumbs up and favorite if it helped you, I need that stuff for self validation :)

Save Slots

Use them. That's it... this section's only purpose is the first -and last- friendly reminder that you have a ton of save slots over two "memory cards" to be safe and back up your data.

Also, do try to prioritize the missables over anything else, this will save you headaches having to reload any of the aforementioned backups :)

SeeD

SeeD Exam

Let's begin this guide with the most boring ♥♥♥♥ imaginable since we can "miss" it almost as soon as the game begins as you will get assigned a SeeD Rank based on several categories divided across the first two areas you visit.

Do note it is not vital to succeed at any of these since you can just do written tests to max out your Rank.

Judgement
The closest the timer is to 0:00 when defeating -and naming- Ifrit on the Fire Cavern.

For a perfect score you would have to defeat Ifrit and then keep track of the timer on your head while on the Ifrit naming screen to confirm naming within the last 7 seconds or so.

Conduct
The more time to spare you have either by reaching the beach during the evacuation of Dollet, or defeating the boss.

For a perfect score you want 25:00+ so defeating the boss may be impossible.

Attack
How many monsters your team (not your GFs) killed during your visit to Dollet.

For a perfect score you want 75+

Spirit
How many times you fled from the boss X-ATM092 during the field exam at Dollet.

For a perfect score you can only escape once during your first encounter with the monster, you know... when it is mandatory to do so...

Attitude
Specific actions will affect this one, for a perfect score:

• Do not talk to anyone during the Field Exam unless it is mandatory dialogue you did not have a choice in initiating.
  
• Obey Seifer on the ship trip to Dollet.
  
• Wait until Seifer orders you to head for the Comm Tower.
  
• Do not jump after Selphie, instead take the path to the right like a lame nerd.
  
• Save the dog in town square during the X-ATM092 chase.
  Killing the boss before this point counts as a success.
  
• Do not hide in the pub from X-ATM092.

Extra
Defeating X-ATM092 will give you another 100 points plus a couple of items.

Keep in mind X-ATM092 is immortal during the first encounter, after which it will only repair itself 5 times so that you can kill it during that one fight.

TEST

Congratulations on becoming a SeeD, now it is time to increase your rank to get paid more Gil, starting at Rank 1 with 500G and maxing out at Rank A with 30,000 Gil.

This is done by performing amazing feats in combat and being a great tactical... oh no wait that is not it at all, this is done by getting a perfect score on stupid written tests :)

Do note you can only take tests up to Squall's level.

Lv	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Q5	Q6	Q7	Q8	Q9	Q10	Salary
1	Y	N	Y	Y	Y	N	N	Y	N	N	500G
2	Y	N	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	N	N	1,000G
3	N	N	Y	N	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	N	1,500G
4	N	Y	Y	Y	N	N	Y	Y	N	N	2,000G
5	N	N	N	Y	Y	N	N	Y	Y	Y	3,000G
6	Y	N	Y	Y	N	N	Y	Y	N	Y	4,000G
7	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	N	5,000G
8	N	Y	N	N	Y	Y	N	N	Y	N	6,000G
9	N	Y	N	N	N	N	N	N	Y	Y	7,000G
10	Y	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	Y	N	8,000G
11	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	N	Y	N	N	Y	9,000G
12	N	Y	N	N	Y	N	Y	N	Y	N	10,000G
13	Y	N	N	N	Y	N	N	N	N	N	11,000G
14	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	N	Y	N	12,000G
15	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	Y	N	Y	12,500G
16	Y	N	N	Y	N	Y	N	N	Y	N	13,000G
17	Y	N	N	N	Y	N	N	Y	N	N	13,500G
18	Y	N	N	N	Y	N	N	N	N	N	14,000G
19	Y	N	N	Y	N	N	N	N	N	Y	14,500G
20	Y	Y	N	Y	N	Y	Y	Y	N	N	15,000G
21	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	Y	Y	Y	N	15,500G
22	N	N	N	Y	N	N	N	Y	Y	N	16,000G
23	Y	N	N	N	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	16,500G
24	Y	Y	N	N	Y	Y	N	N	N	Y	17,000G
25	Y	N	Y	Y	Y	N	N	Y	N	N	17,500G
26	Y	Y	N	Y	N	Y	N	Y	N	N	18,000G
27	N	Y	N	N	N	N	Y	N	Y	N	18,500G
28	Y	N	N	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	N	N	19,000G
29	N	N	N	Y	Y	N	N	N	Y	N	19,500G
30	N	Y	N	N	N	N	Y	N	N	N	20,000G

Balamb Garden: Zell's Love Quest

Before heading to the Fire Cavern we will begin a small sidequest that will go through most of the game, which involves heading into Balamb Garden's Library and talking to the "Library Girl with a Pigtail". With the exception of step 1 we will assume Zell to be present in your party for all other steps unless stated otherwise.

It is worth mentioning that none of the scenes are required to get the final reward (Combat King 003), both it and the Mega Phoenix you get during one of the scenes can be obtained elsewhere so its worth clarifying you are doing this only for the world building.

On the topic of world building, at some point in the quest Zell will be given a Love Meter result based on how many times you visited the library, you want more than 50 if this matters to you.

• Sidequest (Zell's Love 01): Talk to the Library Girl before meeting Quistis at the gate to head to the Fire Cavern.
  She will explain the library rules.

Note: You may notice there are no screenshots for this sidequest unlike most other things in this guide, that's because I found out it existed (by being told so) waaay too late to take them. It is also worth mentioning this sidequest is very poorly documented and you can easily find conflicting info across many sources. If you notice such thing please let me know.

You may also want to pick up the Occult Fan while you are at the library, we will pick it up later anyways if you dont want to for some reason.

• Item (Occult Fan I): Grab it from the bookshelf in the library.

Dollet

Availability: During the SeeD Field Exam.

• *Story: During your fight with Biggs you will miss an interaction between him and Wedge if you kill him too fast.
  
• *GF (Siren): Draw from Elvoret.
  
• *Items (Misc): Defeat X-ATM092 after fleeing the first encounter to get 50 AP, a random GF ability item and 100 pts.

Balamb Garden

Availability: After returning from the SeeD Field Exam.

IMPORTANT: Make sure to not leave the garden even once before advancing Zell's Love sidequest or the Library Girl will not be around.

• *Key Item (Battle Meter): Talk to Cid again after becoming a SeeD.
  
• Item (Weapons Monthly, April Issue): Grab it from your desk the morning after the party.
  
• Item (Occult Fan I): Grab it from the bookshelf in the library.
  
• *Item (Magical Lamp): Talk to Cid once again after being given the password for your mission in Timber.
  
• *GF (Diablos): Use the Magical Lamp and defeat him in battle.
  
• Sidequest (Zell's Love 02): Talk to the Library Girl again after hearing the timber mission briefing.
  She will talk with Zell about "Good-bye Pururun".
  
• Card (MiniMog): Defeat the kid hanging around the garden's map to take this card.
  
• Card (Quistis): Defeat the guy in the back at the dinner tables, or any of the three groupies really.
  
• Card (Seifer): Defeat Cid in his office.

Balamb

Availability: After returning from the SeeD Field Exam.

• Card (Zell): Head into Zell's house and beat his mom until you can take her son's card.

Timber

Availability: After returning from the SeeD Field Exam.

• Card (Angelo): Beat the green pants guy once you board the train.
  
• Item (Pet Pals Vol. 2): After meeting Rinoa head back to her room and grab the magazine.
  
• Item (Pet Pals Vol. 3 & 4): Purchase both at the Pet Shop when you are back in town.
  
• *Item (Girl Next Door): On one of the magazine piles once you enter the Timber Maniacs building.
  Later in the game you will have the option to trade this unique item. Do not do that.
  
• Item (Timber Maniacs): Head into the back room of the building and interact with the magazine piles on the right side.
  
• Card (Choice): When talking to the drunk guy at the bar you can get different rewards based on your choice:
  
  1. Card (Forbidden): Buy him a drink.
     
  2. Card (Tonberry): Tell him about the card.
• *Questline: Head back into town after finishing the events at the TV Station, then talk to the man outside the Timber Maniacs building and reply "No way" when prompted.
  We will return to this man after theMissile Base.

Dollet: Triple Triad

Availability: After leaving the TV Station.

Final Fantasy VIII Remastered Method

User Patastrophic has noticed the Remastered edition of the game approaches RNG differently, so the original method may not work for you.

Messaggio originale di Patastrophic:

What I discovered was that if I saved and reloaded, the result was always the same (nothing happens). If I followed the instructions exactly, the result was also always the same (Spread Open, then Spread Same).

I tried saving outside of Dollet and after reloading I got her to Abolish Element.

My hypothesis is that the RNG is determined by how many times you've changed areas. **since loading the game. Not from the start of your file.

I will try to find time (and an old save) to test this at a later point *, however it seems you need to Spread Open first based on my research so far, lucky for us Patastrophic also figured that one out.

* If you happen to test this before I get the chance, please share the results in the comments so we can update this section accordingly.

Messaggio originale di Patastrophic:

For example the result I got if I spoke to the guard in Timber then drove to Dollet and beelined for the lady at the hotel, save or no save, was always "Spread Open", then "Spread Same" the second time.

Now we can actually do what we came here to do.

Messaggio originale di Patastrophic:

I got her to abolish Random finally after saving outside of Dollet, loading, entering Dollet, entering the square with the fountain, then going up one screen and down one screen again twice in a row.

Then, entering the hotel, and challenging the lady to a match and quitting on the triple triad screen.

Original Method

We will take a brief detour to abolish a Triple Triad rule for the sake of continuing to have fun.

1. Head into Timber and challenge the left guard at the entrance.
   
2. Head into Dollet's hotel and save inside.
   
3. Challenge the girl to the right of the save spot to a card game but leave on the Triple Triad screen before actually playing the game.
   
4. Do the above three times and one of two things will happen:
   
   • A rule will spread.
     
   • A rule will be abolished.
5. If the rule that spread is Open then head back to Dollet and repeat all previous steps.
   
6. If the rule that was abolished is Random then save.

Go check Random is not in Dollet either if you are paranoid and then enjoy not having this ♥♥♥♥ antithesis of a rule for every card game in existence.

Deling City

Availability: After visiting Galbadia Garden.

• Item (Location Displayer): Purchase from the guard for 5,000 Gil before giving him the Student ID Number.

Tomb of the Unknown King

Availability: After the guard requests for you to get the Student ID Number.

• GF (Brothers): Complete this dungeon's puzzle.
  
  An easy way to do so is to hug the right wall at all times to visit all rooms.
  
  • East room has a battle against Sacred upon examining the statue.
    
  • North room is where you can open the sluice.
    
  • West room has a wheel for you to alter the water.
  Now take a right once, head forward and right once more to reach the center area which you can now enter for a boss fight that will reward you with your GF.

Deling City: Assassination

Availability: After retrieving the Student ID Number.

• Item (Weapons Monthly, May Issue): Open the man-hole right next to save spot and the crates you use to head up to the second level, then go west until you find the magazine.
  
• GF (Carbuncle): Draw during the Iguion boss fight (the two brown/green mutant iguanas).

Note: Finishing this area will conclude Disc 1.

Winhill: Laguna

Availability: After starting Disc 2.

• Misc: Pick "...Tell me about Julia" when prompted in conversation.

D-District Prison

Availability: After Laguna's sequence.
This is a one time area. Be sure to pick everything you want up before making your way up.

Worth mentioning:

• Floor 1: Save Spot and Combat King 001.
  
• *Floor 2: Pet Nametag and Str Up.
  
• Floor 5: Beat the prisoner on the right cell at Triple Triad until he gives you a Lck Up.
  
• *Floor 10: Save Spot. Beat the prisoner on the right cell at Triple Triad to receive the Character Report.

IMPORTANT: After escaping this location you will reach a point where you need to split the party across two groups led by Squall and Selphie due to the missile attack, take Zell with Squall if you care about Zell's Love sidequest.

Balamb Garden: Revisit

Availability: After clearing out the Missile Base as Selphie.

• Sidequest (Zell's Love 03): Talk to the Library Girl after defeating the monster in the library.
  She will give Zell a Mega Phoenix, or Squall a Remedy if Zell is not in the party.
  
• Sidequest (Zell's Love 04 - Part 01): Talk to Ellone at the 2nd library room BEFORE the NORG boss fight.
  
• GF (Leviathan): Draw this GF during NORG's boss fight.
  
• Sidequest (Zell's Love 04 - Part 02): Talk to the Library Girl once Squall has no party members (technically we only care about Zell not being around) after the whole missile attack situation is over.
  She will be teased by a fellow Commitee member about her crush on Zell while she is talking to the Conceited SeeD.

Fisherman's Horizon

Availability: After the Garden lands.

• Sidequest (Part 1): Once we land at FH we should start a small quest before advancing, long story short:
  
  1. Take the ladder downstairs on the left side of the water tank (the one that has the elevator down).
     
  2. Choose anything when talking to the Master Fisherman. You will get Occult Fan III.
     
  3. Talk to him again to be asked to talk to his pupil.
     
  4. Head to the docks and talk to the kid in the boat (The docks are on the right area of the save spot on the train tracks).
     
  5. Choose "Sort of", "I saw him" and "I was sort of... impressed".
     
  6. Keep speaking to the pupil until he stops casting.
• Triple Triad (Quezacotl): Take it from the Mayor when talking to him.
  
• Sidequest (Part 2): After seeing the mayor and fighting the boss BGH251F2 Squall will be alone, we can finish this sidequest before returning to the Garden.
  
  1. Talk to the pupil again at the docks.
     
  2. Speak to the Master Fisherman again.
     
  3. Go to the Inn and head upstairs.
     
  4. Answer "Why not...?"
     
  5. Head to the dock again and speak to the shopkeeper. Pick any option.
     
  6. Talk to the Master Fisherman again, choose what you consider best when asked if you need help getting back. You will get a Megalixir.
• Extra: During the Garden Festival you can pick the instruments to be played, it does not matter who plays them but you will want either of the combinations below if you care for it to sound pretty.
  
  • Eyes on Me: Sax, Electric Guitar, Piano, and Bass Guitar.
    
  • Irish Jig: Guitar, Violin, Flute, and Tap.
    
  • Sidequest (Zell's Love 05): Once you gain control of Irvine during the preparations for the Garden Festival head back to the library and speak with the girl.
    She will ask Irvine how Zell is doing.

Overworld: Sidequests

Availability: After the Garden Festival.

Balamb Garden

• Sidequest (Zell's Love 06): Head to the library with Zell in your party but without Rinoa, then talk to her.
  She will ask Zell if he has put in a request for a book.
  
• Sidequest: Win 15 Triple Triad matches at Balamb Garden (The Library, Cafeteria and 2F Classroom do not count for some reason) and prepare for FFVIII's version of the Battle City Tournament:
  
  1. Jack: The male student that shows up at the main hall, defeating him on a card game will begin the questline.
     
  2. Joker: Male student that randomly shows up on the bridges at the right side of the Training Center. He has Leviathan.
     
  3. Club: Male student on the 1F path that leads to the Dormitory.
     
  4. Diamond: Pair of female students on the hall where you fought Jack. They need to have stopped walking.
     
  5. Spade: Male student on the 2F Hallway sitting near the elevator.
     
  6. Heart: Female student on the Garden's Bridge. She has Carbuncle.
     
  7. King: Head to the Infirmary and defeat Kadowaki, then go sleep to your room and wake up to fight this game's Seto Kaiba who has Gilgamesh.
• Sidequest (Zell's Love 07): Head to the library again with Zell in your party to have the Commitee Members
  They will hold a questionnaire about Zell, our answers here will give us a spell at a later point.
  
  • Beef + Blue = Scan
    
  • Beef + Pink = Demi
    
  • Beef + Red = Meteor
    
  • Fish + Blue = Holy
    
  • Fish + Pink = Ultima
    
  • Fish + Red = Triple
    
  • Hot Dogs + Blue = Full-Life
    
  • Hot Dogs + Pink = Zombie
    
  • Hot Dogs + Red = Shell
  Note: You will need to revisit the library at least once from this point onwards so that the visit after Trabia Garden gives you the results.

Shumi Village

Located on the Trabia Continent.

• Sidequest Part 1: Head to Shumi Village.
  
  • Head to the last house at the west-most side of the village and interact for some dialogue near the statue.
    
  • Head into the elder's house and speak to him.(the one with the Moomba outside).
    
  • Speak to the Sculptor by the statue again and agree to help collect the stones.
    Blue: Behind Laguna's statue.
    Wind: On the gray boulder next to the Inn.
    Water: Press A when Squall comments while walking past the pond, talk to the Sculptor and then to the Artisan and examine the Sink.
    Life: On the roots next to the Elder's house.
    Shadow: On the shadows of the first area with the elevator down into the village.
    
  • Report to the Sculptor who will send you to the Elder.
    
  • The Elder will reward you with a Phoenix Pinion.
    
  • Choose to "Explain" when prompted.
• Sidequest Part 2: Head to the overworld and back inside the village again.
  
  • Talk to the Attendant at the Sculptor's Workshop.
    
  • Talk to the Elder.
    
  • Speak to the Moomba.
    
  • Return to the statue.
    
  • Go back to the Elder.
    
  • Talk to the Attendant.
    
  • Speak to the Artisan.
    
  • Go to FH and speak to Grease Monkey on the house by the abandoned train station.
    
  • Return to the Artisan.
    
  • Speak to the Elder for a Status Guard.

Centra Ruins

Located on the Centra continent.

• GF (Tonberry King): Head to Centra Ruins and defeat around 15 Tonberries, save and then keep defeating Tonbierries (and saving), soon the Tonberry King will show up at the end of the fight against one of his minions for round 2.
  Do note you can leave the area and come back to reset Odin's Timer.
  
• GF (Odin): You will be tempted to get Odin right now however I advise against it since he will be replaced by Gilgamesh by the end of Disc 3, which is much weaker and lamer.

Timber

Talk to the journalist outside of Timber again to get your Pet Nametag for cheering him up earlier.

Triple Triad

• Triple Triad (Rinoa): Go fight Rinoa's dad and lose Ifrit against him, then bully him into giving you Rinoa's card.
  
• Triple Triad (Ifrit): Since you lost Ifrit we need to get it back from Master Martine at FH after defeating BGH251F2 in town.

Balamb: Revisit

Availability: When returning to Balamb.

• Sidequest: Follow this if you want the Pandemona Card.
  
  1. Talk to the guy and girl at the house next to Zell's.
     
  2. Head into Zell's house and talk to the Big Bad Rascal twice and then to his mom.
     
  3. Talk to the guards at the Inn's entrance.
     
  4. Talk to the BBR again and he will leave.
     
  5. Talk to the guard preventing you from leaving at the entrance and hold the dialogue box open for the BBR to sneak around.
     
  6. The BBR will now let you sneak out whenever.
     
  7. Head to the neighboor's house again and challenge the little girl to a duel to take the only thing she has left.
• Extra: Take Selphie with you when visiting Zell's room for a moment of Selphie being the best character in the game as usual.
  
• GF (Pandemona): Draw during Raijin's boss fight.

Balamb Garden: After Trabia Garden

Availability: After watching the flashbacks in Trabia Garden.

• Sidequest (Zell's Love 08): Talk to the committee members for Zell to receive the results of the survey.
  You will give you an item based on the answers detailed on the previous step.

Galbadia Garden

Availability: During the battle between Gardens.

• GF (Cerberus): Fight the big dog in the middle of the garden.
  
• GF (Alexander): Draw from Edea.

Overworld: Sidequests

Balamb Garden

• Sidequest (Zell's Love 09): Talk to the Library Commitee Girls back at Balamb Garden's Library after the Battle of the Gardens is over.
  Head back to Balamb town after they tell Zell that the Library Girl is looking for him. A girl will near whichever entrance you used (train or foot) will tell Zell that the Library Girl is looking for him.
  Spend the night at the hotel to view the final scene of this questline and get the Combat King 003.

Edea's House

• Triple Triad (Edea): You can get her card from her at her house once you go there to meet with her and Cid.

Esthar

Availability: When you reach this location.

• Triple Triad (Ward): Challenge Odine to a card game.
  
• Item (Combat King 004): Talk to the soldier on the bridge for him to give you this item later.
  
• Misc: Visit every shop at the shopping mall for them to be registered on the Call Shop, otherwise some of them will be missed.
  
• Item (Occult Fan IV): Grab it at the Presidential Palace.

Overworld: Doomtrain

Availability: After your first visit to Esthar.

• GF (Doomtrain): Now that we have the four Occult Fan magazines we can ignore them and cheat our way into this GF by collecting the following items. (Magazine 1 and 2 were not missable and can be bought from Esthar's Bookstore).
  
  • Solomon Ring: Found in front of the statue at Tears' Point.
    
  • 6 Remedy+: Use Med LV Up on Remedies.
    
  • 6 Steel Pipe: Card Mod Elastoid cards.
    
  • 6 Malboro Tentacle: Card Mod Malboro cards.
  Now that you have all of this nonsense use the Solomon Ring from your inventory.

Esthar: Revisit

Availability: While Esthar is under attack.

• Item (Combat King 004): Talk to the same guy from your first visit to Esthar on the bridge.

Lunatic Pandora

Availability: When you board it.

• Item (Combat King 005): On the elevator 3 path.

Lunar Base

Availability: When you go to the ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ moon.

• Triple Triad (Alexander): Challenge Piet to a card game.
  
• Triple Triad (Laguna): Challenge Ellone to a card game.

Overworld: Sidequests

Availability: When you get the Ragnarok.

Misc

• GF (Cactuar): Head to the desert and catch up to the cactus that pops up at random on the small island to the Southwest.
  
• Ultimate Weapons: Now is a good time to get all ultimate weapons. Which by the way are covered perfectly by my good friend (who is not my friend and I do not actually know) Chaos Residue on his Steam Guide.
  
• GF (Bahamut): Head to the "secret" island on the bottom left corner of the world map and play a short game of Red Light, Green Light, then choose:
  
  • It's not our will to fight
    
  • Never
    
  • *Empty Space* This is the third choice which is "hidden".
    
  • (It's our nature...)
  Leave this area for now, eventually we will fight the things we left pending. Otherwise monster encounters will disappear.

Obel Lake Quest

I have no simple way of describing this, just head to the locations on the screenshots and do the thing. FFVIII has the worst sidequests in the franchise, I'd rather do Chocobo racing in 0 seconds 99 times in a row.

• Start the quest by going to Obel Lake which is a lake near Timber with a small awkward portion of land sticking out.
  
• Hum until someone talks to you and asks you to find their friend.
  
• Now skip rocks like a maniac until you get "The rock skipped many many times".
  
• Throw a rock in the forest near Dollet to be insulted for playing this game and receive U R H A E O.
  
• Head back to Mr. Monkey to receive clues on the next locations, there's only three clues that matter:
  
  • R E A I D R
    You’ll find something on an island east of Timber, too.
    
  • S T S L R M
    At the beach in Balamb, something special washes ashore at times.
    
  • E A S N P D
    There’s also something on top of a mountain with a lake and a cavern.

• Read from top right to bottom left: MORDRED PLAINS HAS TREASURE
  
• Now use all the clues on the plains north of Esthar by pressing A for a colored rock to talk to you. Red-faced rocks tell you the opposite direction, the other rocks can be ignored.
  
• You will get Three Stars for this chore.
  
• Finally head to a small island between Centra and Esthar where you'll find a Luck-J Scroll for your achievement.
  If you are having trouble finding it line yourself with Tears' Point, hug the coast connecting to the ocean and start making your way to Esthar Airstation, you'll find the island before going above Tears' Point.

PuPu Quest

I have no simple way of describing this, just head to the locations on the screenshots and do the thing. FFVIII has the worst sidequests in the franchise, I'd rather do Chocobo racing in 0 seconds 99 times in a row.

• Enable Enc-None from Diablos (Or the Remaster's No Encounter cheat) and head for the locations seen on the screenshots. This will trigger a random encounter with PuPu.
  
  WARNING: There is one more location not covered on the screenshots.
  

  Messaggio originale di SlowNail:

  There's one more site for the Pupu quest, next to Winhill.

  
  
• Head to the crater where Balamb Garden used to be and give PuPu 5 Elixirs.
  
• You will get the PuPu Card.

Chocobo Forest Quest

I love this game but I despise the sidequests. Head to Sweet Tooth's guide and thank them for me.

Queen of Cards Quest

Long story short, this sidequest works as follows:

1. Get the queen to move to Dollet. Her movement depends on how many rare cards she has.
   
2. Lose a specific rare card against her in Triple Triad.
   
3. Find her again in Dollet and ask her about her father so that he creates a new card.
   
4. Go get the new card.
   
5. Rinse and repeat.

So, what cards do we want to lose?

• MiniMog for Kiros to be won from a man in black across the street from the Weapon Shop in Deling City.
  
• Sacred for Irvine to be won from Mayor Dobe's wife Flo in Fisherman's Horizon.
  
• Chicobo for Chubby Chocobo to be won from the man sitting outside the library in Balamb Garden.
  
• Alexander for Doomtrain from the pub owner in Timber. He will rarely use this card so get ready to doubt it exists.
  
• Doomtrain for Phoenix from the Presidential Aide in the palace at Esthar.

What about the cards I lost :(?
Beat the ever living ♥♥♥♥ out of the queen's Son back at Dollet in a house across the pub, you want the brat that keeps placing a bone in the artist's painting.

♥♥♥♥ this sidequest D:<
I agree, scroll down to the Strategy section of the wiki[finalfantasy.fandom.com] for the "easiest and fastest way to complete the quest".

EXP & AP Farm

Messaggio originale di Mister Big Cat:

There is an island in game called 'island closest to hell' and it has tons of Malboro's on it. Although a bit annoying to deal with because of the bad breath, if you have the right status immunities then its the best EXP farm in the game. Every fight giving 1000 exp no matter your level (meaning guaranteed level up for whole party every battle.). Cactaur island (where you get cactaur GF) is also the best place in the game to farm GF abilities since every cactuar defeated gives 20 AP. Great for maxing all the GFs you can only get after acquiring the Ragnarok.

Messaggio originale di Magnus Bellator:

The "island closest to hell" is a small island that can be found just above the horn shaped part of one of the continents. You can only land on it with the ragnarok. Its been too long so I cant remember which continent it was, but its easy to check the names of places that you are by simply landing and checking your menu.

Point of no Return

Esthar

Availability: When you are ready to advance the story and back to this location.

• Triple Triad (Squall): Beat the president in a card game.

Point of no Return

The path after Elevator 1 will be as far as you can go if you do not want the world to suffer permanent changes.

This is the last opportunity to do anything you have left pending. Including the Queen of Cards sidequest.

Ultimecia Castle

Availability: You'll know when you get here.

• Misc: Get Ragnarok back by walking around a ton:
  
  1. Head back to the big chain where you came from.
     
  2. Enter the middle portal.
     
  3. Walk to the Forest of Solitude.
     
  4. Ride a chocobo and head to Kashkabald Desert by hugging the southwestern edge of the island.
     
  5. You will reach the Centra Continent, go past Edea's House into the desert.
     
  6. Board the Ragnarok.
• Card (Special): Head back to the Estharian Continent and into the Escape Pod's Crash Site, the Queen of Cards will be here and she will have any special cards that you don't for you to complete the collection by playing Triple Triad for hours.
  Do note that she will play them only once, regardless of you losing. So, don't lose.
  
• GF (Odin): Fly to the Centra Ruins, complete a mini puzzle and defeat Odin within the time limit:
  
  1. When you reach a large statue with a red eye grab the eye and take the stairs to the right.
     
  2. Use the eye on the second statue at the top of the tower to get a password.
     
  3. Go back to the first statue and use both eyes to input the password.
     
  4. Defeat Odin.
• Misc: Choose to release the seal for Draw as soon as possible to get our last GFs.
  
• GF (Eden): Jump on the golden bell on the clock tower, then continue your path and draw from Tiamat.
  
• Boss Fight: Let's do a small setup to prepare for this fight:
  
  1. Take your main party to the fountain outside the chapel.
     
  2. Take your secondary party to the East wing of the Castle, down the stairs and have them ring the bell by pulling from the string next to the wall.
     
  3. Switch to your main party and run into the chapel before the timer runs out.
     
  4. Defeat Omega Weapon.
• Misc: During the last part of the final battle you will be able to draw from the bottom of Ultimecia to cast Apocalypse.

Thank You

Hope this guide helped, now go play Final Fantasy IX.

[Abyss]

@Cpt. Salty Beard gotcha, updated the order.

[Cpt. Salty Beard]

I think that's the only possibility to do the "Sidequest (Zell's Love 05)" - at the point shown in the screenshots where it says "How about Quistis - Bass Guitar".

It says in your guide: Once you gain control of Irvine during the preparations for the Garden Festival head back to the library and speak with the girl.
>Just thought it might be missleading when that actually is.

[Abyss]

@Cpt. Salty Beard & @Renee again thanks to you both, for now ill leave it with the comments I added from your last feedback since Salty did extensive testing.

Also, Salty, what do you mean walk away with Irvine? what purpose does that fulfill?

[Cpt. Salty Beard]

Honestly I also don't know or considered this to be necessary, especially as you later in the story go to Ellone anyway (when the White Seed Ship appears) - but I replayed the part like 6 times and that was the only way for me to proceed with the Zells Love Story.

At the moment I'm just before Balamb: Revisit and the other parts from the Side Quest worked alright.

P.S. Maybe a hint that you have to just walk away with Irvine when you are selecting who plays which instrument would be good aswell ;)

[Renee]

Sadly talking to her throws you into the next part of the story. We'd need to confirm if that side quest still remains at that exact point after that.

[Abyss]

@Cpt. Salty Beard & @Renee thanks a lot to you both, I've added the extra step of talking to Ellone.

Fact checking this one sidequest proves to be a nightmare since I'm not replaying this game any time soon just for the one thing, so I appreciate any and all input you both have.

[Renee]

So I reloaded an earlier said from right before the NORG fight. Proceeded to when Squall was alone, and this time the library girl was there. I don't understand how or why it was different this time, I did everything the exact same way.

[Renee]

"Sidequest (Zell's Love 04): Talk to the Library Girl once Squall has no party members (technically we only care about Zell not being around) after the whole missile attack situation is over.
She will be teased by a fellow Commitee member about her crush on Zell while she is talking to the Conceited SeeD."

The moment you are finally alone, you are required to search for Ellone. She is in the library, whilst no one else is present, making this part of the guide unable to be followed/completed. First time this guide has let me down in my playthrough. Please let me know what I did wrong or could do differently if anyone knows.

Similar problem as described by the person who posted before me, Cpt. Salty Beard. I don't understand how they resolved it though.

[Cpt. Salty Beard]

Had Issues with the "Sidequest (Zell's Love 04)" during Balamb Garden: Revisit.

Playing the Remastered version and the 1st Library room was just empty for me (no people at all standing around).
Seems it's crucial that before you fight Norg (when you regain control over Squall alone after the Garden started flying away from the missiles ), you also have to go to the 2nd Library Room and talk to Ellone.

[Abyss]

@Benjamin updated, thanks!
@TankzThe12th against Rinoa's father or something different?