Part 6 of an analysis of all the prerenders found in Final Fantasy VII. Some of the text is too small to be seen without zooming in and some of the pictures are larger than can be displayed on this page, so click here to download them for yourself or here to view them one by one in full.
The piano here always bothered me since it used the “do re mi” system for notes instead of the usual ABC you’d normally think in when playing this instrument. However, I later realized it was because in Japan they do use “do re mi” to signify the notes for the piano. An interesting cultural difference left in the game.
The symbol over the furnace at the back reads “fire” (火).
BrutalAl says: You can see from the background here that this room in the Shin-Ra mansion is a greenhouse (if all the plants didn’t make it obvious). Wonder who’s been looking after the plants?
This building is called “The London”. The buildings in Kalm also have similar, pub-like names.
The fateful photograph.
This map has some Greek writing which reads “smkin 3” (σμκιν 3), a reflection of the filename of another map, leading Robert Seddon to speculate that at one point in development, this map from the North Mako Reactor once belonged in the South Reactor. Check out his detailed analysis and conclusions here.
Interestingly, the map here is shown in a prerelease shot to be missing its ladder, meaning the now-functionless little box at the top of the bridge was once the entrance. Always found that suspicious.
There is a year (looks like “1998”) written on the top of the reactor. The background has a texture that reads “LEVEL 4”.
SpooX says: “N-8th” stands for “North – 8th sector”.
The pipes on the top are numbered 1-5.
The pipes have “0.57-S jenova” and “DANGER!!” written on them. The capsules have “LEVEL 5”. The sign above the door says “JENOVA”.
Shademp says: You actually fight these monsters in Crisis Core.
The text on the floor reads “JENOVA” and something I can’t quite make out underneath. I think it’s “DISCOVERY”.
“1970 SWEET”, says the wall.
The lights reflect the labels for each of the rooms.
Top left:
“Love Nest” (愛の巣箱)
Top right:
“Lovers’ Nest” (恋人の巣箱)
Bottom left:
“Club Nest” (団体の巣箱)
Bottom right:
“Queen Bee’s Nest” (女王蜂の巣箱)
What a lovely room!
Colourful! This map contains an unused scene.
The Gelnika has the Shin-Ra logo on the door. Wonder why these maps are called Q?
Poor helicopter didn’t survive the crash. =(
A sign next to the armor shop for the “Shanghai Stop” (上海亭).
The Tiny Bronco has “Bronco” written on it.
The rocket has “SHIN-RA” written on it. No surprises there!
A romanji version of “SHANHAI-TEI” (上海亭), the Shanghai Stop.
Why does it say “8iaXstation”?
Another picture of our pretty lady at the bottom left on the Gold Saucer sign.
Green sign:
“Stadium Grounds” (競技場)
The red sign looks to read “Amusement park” in Greek, according to Robert Seddon’s best guess.
The red submarine is labeled “1” (壱) and the blue one, “2” (弐).
Part 6 of an analysis of all the prerenders found in Final Fantasy VII. Some of the text is too small to be seen without zooming in and some of the pictures are larger than can be displayed on this page, so click here to download them for yourself or here to view them one by one in full.
The piano here always bothered me since it used the “do re mi” system for notes instead of the usual ABC you’d normally think in when playing this instrument. However, I later realized it was because in Japan they do use “do re mi” to signify the notes for the piano. An interesting cultural difference left in the game.
The symbol over the furnace at the back reads “fire” (火).
BrutalAl says: You can see from the background here that this room in the Shin-Ra mansion is a greenhouse (if all the plants didn’t make it obvious). Wonder who’s been looking after the plants?
This building is called “The London”. The buildings in Kalm also have similar, pub-like names.
The fateful photograph.
This map has some Greek writing which reads “smkin 3” (σμκιν 3), a reflection of the filename of another map, leading Robert Seddon to speculate that at one point in development, this map from the North Mako Reactor once belonged in the South Reactor. Check out his detailed analysis and conclusions here.
Interestingly, the map here is shown in a prerelease shot to be missing its ladder, meaning the now-functionless little box at the top of the bridge was once the entrance. Always found that suspicious.
There is a year (looks like “1998”) written on the top of the reactor. The background has a texture that reads “LEVEL 4”.
SpooX says: “N-8th” stands for “North – 8th sector”.
The pipes on the top are numbered 1-5.
The pipes have “0.57-S jenova” and “DANGER!!” written on them. The capsules have “LEVEL 5”. The sign above the door says “JENOVA”.
Shademp says: You actually fight these monsters in Crisis Core.
The text on the floor reads “JENOVA” and something I can’t quite make out underneath. I think it’s “DISCOVERY”.
“1970 SWEET”, says the wall.
The lights reflect the labels for each of the rooms.
Top left:
“Love Nest” (愛の巣箱)
Top right:
“Lovers’ Nest” (恋人の巣箱)
Bottom left:
“Club Nest” (団体の巣箱)
Bottom right:
“Queen Bee’s Nest” (女王蜂の巣箱)
What a lovely room!
Colourful! This map contains an unused scene.
The Gelnika has the Shin-Ra logo on the door. Wonder why these maps are called Q?
Poor helicopter didn’t survive the crash. =(
A sign next to the armor shop for the “Shanghai Stop” (上海亭).
The Tiny Bronco has “Bronco” written on it.
The rocket has “SHIN-RA” written on it. No surprises there!
A romanji version of “SHANHAI-TEI” (上海亭), the Shanghai Stop.
Why does it say “8iaXstation”?
Another picture of our pretty lady at the bottom left on the Gold Saucer sign.
Green sign:
“Stadium Grounds” (競技場)
The red sign looks to read “Amusement park” in Greek, according to Robert Seddon’s best guess.
The red submarine is labeled “1” (壱) and the blue one, “2” (弐).