title: Final Fantasy VII

text: The team discussed continuing the 2D strategy, which would have been the safe and immediate path compared to the radically new development paradigm behind the industry's imminent shift toward 3D gaming. The team took the riskier option to make a 3D game on new generation hardware, with their main choices being the cartridge-based Nintendo 64 or the CD-ROM-based Sony PlayStation. The team also considered the Sega Saturn console and Microsoft Windows. Their decision was influenced by two factors: a widely successful technology demo based on "Final Fantasy VI" using the new Softimage 3D software, and the escalating price of cartridges which had already limited Square's audience. Tests were made for a Nintendo 64 version, which would use the planned 64DD floppy drive peripheral though Nintendo had not yet produced 64DD development kits due to the prototype's changing hardware specifications. This real-time version was discarded during early testing, as the Behemoth monster's 2000 polygons placed excessive strain on the Nintendo 64, causing a low frame rate. It would have required an estimated thirty 64DD disks at about each to run "Final Fantasy VII" properly with the data compression methods of the day. Faced with the state of technology, and impressed by the increased storage capacity of CD-ROM when compared to the Nintendo 64 cartridge, Square shifted development of "Final Fantasy VII" and all other planned projects, onto the PlayStation with pre-rendered movies.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: In contrast to the visuals and audio, the overall gameplay system remained mostly unchanged from "Final Fantasy V" and "VI", but with a researched emphasis on player control. The initial decision was for battles to feature shifting camera angles. Battle arenas had a lower polygon count than field areas, which made creating distinctive features more difficult. The summon sequences benefited strongly from the switch to the cinematic style, as the team had struggled to portray their scale using 2D graphics. In his role as producer, Sakaguchi placed much of his effort into developing the battle system. He proposed the Materia system to provide more character customization than previous "Final Fantasy" games. Battles no longer revolved around characters with innate skills and roles in battle, because Materia could be reconfigured between battles. Artist Tetsuya Nomura contributed to the gameplay by designing the Limit Break system as an evolution of the Desperation Attacks from "Final Fantasy VI". The Limit Breaks serve a purpose in gameplay while also evoking each character's personality in battle.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: Square's developers retained the passion-based game development approach from their earlier projects, but now had the resources and ambition to create the game they wanted. This was because they had extensive capital from their earlier commercial successes, which meant they could focus on quality and scale rather than obsessing over and working around their budget. "Final Fantasy VII" was at the time the most expensive video game ever produced, with a development budget estimated between and . Development of the final version took a staff of between 100 and 150 people just over a year to complete. As video game development teams were usually only 20 people, the game had what was described as the largest development team of any game up to that point. The development team was split between both Square's Japanese offices and its new American office in Los Angeles; the American team worked primarily on city backgrounds.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: The game's art director was Yusuke Naora, who had previously worked as a designer for "Final Fantasy VI". With the switch into 3D, Naora realized that he needed to relearn drawing, as 3D visuals require a very different approach than 2D. With the massive scale and scope of the project, Naora was granted a team devoted entirely to the game's visual design. The department's duties included illustration, modeling of 3D characters, texturing, the creation of environments, visual effects, and animation. Naora later defined the art style of "Final Fantasy VII" as "dark" and "weird". The Shinra logo, which incorporates a kanji symbol, was drawn by Naora personally. Promotional artwork and the logo artwork were created by Yoshitaka Amano, an artist whose association with the series went back to its inception. Though he had taken a prominent role in earlier entries, Amano was unable to do so for "Final Fantasy VII", due to commitments at overseas exhibitions. His logo artwork was based on Meteor, though he was initially not sure how to turn it into suitable artwork. He finally created multiple variations of the image and solicited the staff members' preferences. The green coloring represents the predominant lighting in Midgar and the color of the Lifestream, while the blue reflected the ecological themes present in the story. Its coloring directly influenced the general coloring of the game's environments.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: Another prominent artist was Nomura. Having impressed Sakaguchi with his proposed ideas, which were handwritten and illustrated rather than simply typed on a PC, Nomura was brought on as main character designer. Nomura stated that when he was brought on, the main scenario had not been completed, but he "went along like, 'I guess first off you need a hero and a heroine', and from there drew the designs while thinking up details about the characters. After [he'd] done the hero and heroine, [he] carried on drawing by thinking what kind of characters would be interesting to have. When [he] handed over the designs [he'd] tell people the character details [he'd] thought up, or write them down on a separate sheet of paper". The chibi sprite art could not be carried over from earlier games, as that would not fit with the new graphical direction. Naora, in his role as an assistant character designer and art director, helped adjust each character's appearance so the actions they performed were believable. When designing Cloud and Sephiroth, Nomura was influenced by his view of their rivalry mirroring the legendary animosity between Miyamoto Musashi and Sasaki Kojirō, with Cloud and Sephiroth being Musashi and Kojirō respectively. Sephiroth's look was defined as ""kakkoii"", a Japanese term combining good looks with coolness. Several of Nomura's designs evolved substantially during development. Cloud's original design of slicked-back black hair with no spikes was intended to reduce polygon count and contrast with Sephiroth's long, flowing silver hair. However, Nomura feared that such masculinity could prove unpopular with fans, so he redesigned Cloud to feature a shock of spiky, bright blond hair. Vincent's occupation changed from researcher to detective to chemist, and finally to a former Turk with a tragic past.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: Sakaguchi was responsible for writing the initial plot, which was substantially different from the final version. In this draft for the planned Super NES version, the game's setting was envisioned as New York City in 1999. Similar to the final story, the main characters were part of an organization trying to destroy Mako reactors, but they were pursued by a hot-blooded detective named Joe. The main characters would eventually blow up the city. An early version of the Lifestream concept was present at this stage. According to Sakaguchi, his mother had died while "Final Fantasy III" was being developed, and choosing life as a theme helped him cope with her passing in a rational and analytical manner. Square eventually used the New York setting in "Parasite Eve" (1998). While the planned concept was dropped, "Final Fantasy VII" still marked a drastic shift in setting from previous entries, dropping the Medieval fantasy elements in favor of a world that was "ambiguously futuristic".


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: When Kitase was put in charge of "Final Fantasy VII", he and Nomura reworked the entire initial plot. Scenario writer Kazushige Nojima joined the team after finishing work on "Bahamut Lagoon". While "Final Fantasy VI" featured an ensemble cast of numerous playable characters that were equally important, the team soon decided to develop a central protagonist for "Final Fantasy VII". The pursuit of Sephiroth that comprised most of the main narrative was suggested by Nomura, as nothing similar had been done in the series before. Kitase and Nojima conceived AVALANCHE and Shinra as opposing organizations and created Cloud's backstory as well as his relationship to Sephiroth. Among Nojima's biggest contributions to the plot were Cloud's memories and split personality; this included the eventual conclusion involving his newly created character of Zack. The crew helped Kitase adjust the specifics of Sakaguchi's original Lifestream concept.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: Regarding the overall theme of the game, Sakaguchi said it was "not enough to make 'life' the theme, you need to depict living and dying. In any event, you need to portray death". Consequently, Nomura proposed killing off the heroine. Aerith had been the only heroine, but the death of a female protagonist would necessitate a second; this led to the creation of Tifa. The developers decided to kill Aerith, as her death would be the most devastating and consequential. Kitase wanted to depict it as very sudden and unexpected, leaving "not a dramatic feeling but great emptiness", "feelings of reality and not Hollywood". The script for the scene was written by Nojima. Kitase and Nojima then planned that most of the main cast would die shortly before the final battle, but Nomura vetoed the idea because he thought it would undermine the impact of Aerith's death. Several character relations and statuses underwent changes during development. Aerith was to be Sephiroth's sister, which influenced the design of her hair. The team then made Sephiroth a previous love interest of hers to deepen her backstory, but later swapped him with Zack. Vincent and Yuffie were to be part of the main narrative, but due to time constraints, they were nearly cut and eventually relegated to being optional characters.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: Nojima was charged with writing the scenario and unifying the team's ideas into a cohesive narrative, as Kitase was impressed with his earlier work on the mystery-like "Heracles no Eikō III: Kamigami no Chinmoku", an entry in the "Glory of Heracles" series. To make the characters more realistic, Nojima wrote scenes in which they would occasionally argue and raise objections. Though this inevitably slowed down the pace of the story, it added depth to the characters. The graphical improvements allowed even relatively bland lines of dialogue to be enhanced with reactions and poses from the 3D character models. Voice acting would have led to significant load times, so it was omitted. Masato Kato wrote several late-game scenes, including the Lifestream sequence and Cloud and Tifa's conversation before the final battle. Initially unaffiliated with the project, Kato was called on to help flesh out some story scenes. Like each of the individual scenario writers, Kato, after thoroughly discussing the story with the entire project team, wrote his own scenes according to his tastes that were later approved after verifying that they were up to standards.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: With the shift from the Super NES to the next generation consoles, "Final Fantasy VII" became the first project in the series to use 3D computer graphics. Aside from the story, "Final Fantasy VI" had many details undecided when development began and most design elements were hashed out along the way. In contrast, with "Final Fantasy VII", the developers knew from the outset it was going to be "a real 3D game", so from the earliest planning stage, detailed designs were in existence. The script was also finalized, and the image for the graphics had been fleshed out. This meant that when actual development work began, storyboards for the game were already in place. The shift from cartridge ROM to CD-ROM posed some problems: according to lead programmer Ken Narita, the CD-ROM had a slower access speed, delaying some actions during the game, so the team needed to overcome this issue. Certain tricks were used to conceal load times, such as offering animations to keep players from getting bored. When it was decided to use 3D graphics, there was a discussion among the staff whether to use sprite-based character models or 3D polygonal models. While sprites proved more popular with the staff, the polygon models were chosen as they could better express emotion. This decision was influenced by the team's exposure to the 3D character models used in "Alone in the Dark". Sakaguchi decided to use deformed models for field navigation and real-time event scenes, for better expression of emotion, while realistically proportioned models would be used in battles. The team purchased Silicon Graphics Onyx supercomputers and related workstations, and accompanying software including Softimage 3D, PowerAnimator, and N-World for an estimated total of $21 million. Many team members had never seen 3D development technology before.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: The transition from 2D graphics to 3D environments overlaid on pre-rendered backgrounds was accompanied by a focus on a more realistic presentation. In previous entries, the sizes for characters and environments are fixed, and the player has a scrolling perspective. This changed with "Final Fantasy VII", in which environments shift with camera angles, and character model sizes shift depending on both their place in the environment and their distance from the camera, giving a sense of scale. The choice of this highly cinematic style of storytelling, contrasting directly with Square's previous games, is attributed to Kitase, who was a fan of films and had an interest in the parallels between film and video game narrative. Character movement during in-game events was done by the character designers in the planning group. Designers normally cooperate with a motion specialist for such animations, but these taught themselves motion work, resulting in each character's movements differing depending on their creators—some designers liked exaggerated movements, and others went for subtlety. Much of the time was spent on each character's day-to-day, routine animations. Motion specialists were brought in for the game's battle animations. The first characters the team worked with were Cloud and Barret. Some of the real-time effects, such as an explosion near the opening, were hand-drawn rather than computer animated.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: The main creative force behind the overall 3D presentation was Kazuyuki Hashimoto, the general supervisor for these sequences. Being experienced in the new technology the team had brought on board, he accepted the post at Square as the team aligned with his own creative spirit. One of the major events in development was when the real-time graphics were synchronized to computer-generated full motion video (FMV) cutscenes for some story sequences, including an early sequence where a real-time model of Cloud jumps onto an FMV-rendered moving train. The backgrounds were created by overlaying two 2D graphic layers and changing the motion speed of each to simulate depth perception. While this was not a new technique, the increased power of the PlayStation enabled a more elaborate version of this effect. The biggest issue with the 3D graphics was the large memory storage gap between the development hardware and the console: while the early 3D tech demo had been developed on a machine with over 400 megabytes of total memory, the PlayStation only had two megabytes of system memory and 500 kilobytes for texture memory. The team needed to figure out how to shrink the amount of data while preserving the desired effects. This was aided with reluctant help from Sony, who had hoped to keep Square's direct involvement limited to a standard API package, but they eventually relented and allowed the team direct access to the hardware specifications.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: "Final Fantasy VII" features two types of cutscenes: real-time cutscenes featuring polygon models on pre-rendered backgrounds, and computer-generated imagery (CGI) FMV cutscenes. The FMVs were created by an international team, covering both Japan and North America and involving talent from the gaming and film industry; Western contributors included artists and staff who had worked on the "Star Wars" film series, "Jurassic Park", "", and "True Lies". The team tried to create additional optional CGI content which would bring optional characters Vincent and Yuffie into the ending. As this would have further increased the number of discs the game needed, the idea was discarded. Kazuyuki Ikumori, a future key figure at the 1999-founded CGI studio Square Visual Works, helped with the creation of the CGI cutscenes, in addition to general background design. The CGI FMV sequences total around 40 minutes of footage, something only possible with the PlayStation's extra memory space and graphical power. This innovation brought with it the added difficulty of ensuring that the inferiority of the in-game graphics in comparison to the FMV sequences was not too obvious. Kitase has described the process of making the in-game environments as detailed as possible to be "a daunting task".


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: The musical score of "Final Fantasy VII" was composed, arranged, and produced by Nobuo Uematsu, who had served as the sole composer for the six previous "Final Fantasy" games. Originally, Uematsu had planned to use CD quality music with vocal performances to take advantage of the console's audio capabilities but found that it resulted in the game having much longer loading times for each area. Uematsu then decided that the higher quality audio was not worth the trade-off with performance, and opted instead to use MIDI-like sounds produced by the console's internal sound sequencer, similar to how his soundtracks for the previous games in the series on the Super NES were implemented. The Super NES only has eight sound channels to work with, and the PlayStation has twenty-four. Eight are reserved for sound effects, leaving sixteen available for the music. Uematsu's approach to composing the game's music was to treat it like a film soundtrack and compose music that reflected the mood of the scenes, rather than trying to make strong melodies to "define the game", as he said that approach would be too strong when placed alongside the game's new 3D visuals. As an example, he composed the track intended for the scene in the game where Aerith Gainsborough is killed to be "sad but beautiful", rather than more overtly emotional, creating a more understated feeling. Uematsu additionally said that the soundtrack had a feel of "realism", which also prevented him from using "exorbitant, crazy music".


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: The first piece that Uematsu composed for the game was the opening theme; game director Yoshinori Kitase showed him the opening cinematic and asked him to begin the project there. The track was well received in the company, which gave Uematsu "a sense that it was going to be a really good project". "Final Fantasy VII" was the first game in the series to include a track with high-quality digitized vocals, "One-Winged Angel", which accompanies a section of the final battle of the game. The track has been called Uematsu's "most recognizable contribution" to the music of the "Final Fantasy" series, which Uematsu agrees with. Inspired by "The Rite of Spring" by Igor Stravinsky to make a more "classical" track, and by rock and roll music from the late 1960s and early 1970s to make an orchestral track with a "destructive impact", he spent two weeks composing short unconnected musical phrases, and then arranged them together into "One-Winged Angel", an approach he had never used before.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: Music from the game has been released in several albums. Square released the main soundtrack album, "Final Fantasy VII Original Soundtrack", on four Compact Discs through its DigiCube subsidiary in 1997. A limited edition release was also produced, containing illustrated liner notes. The regular edition of the album reached third on the Japan Oricon charts, while the limited edition reached #19. Overall, the album had sold nearly 150,000 copies by January 2010. A single-disc album of selected tracks from the original soundtrack, along with three arranged pieces, titled "Final Fantasy VII Reunion Tracks", was also released by DigiCube in 1997, reaching #20 on the Japan Oricon charts. A third album, "Piano Collections Final Fantasy VII", was released by DigiCube in 2003, and contains one disc of piano arrangements of tracks from the game. It was arranged by Shirō Hamaguchi and performed by Seiji Honda, and reached #228 on the Oricon charts. A 40-minute symphony in three movements consisting of music from "Final Fantasy VII" premiered in 2013 as part of the "Final Symphony" concert series and was recorded a year later by the London Symphony Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios. Nobuo Uematsu was on site and advised on the production. The album entered the Classical Album Top 5 of both the Billboard Charts and the Official UK Charts.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: "Final Fantasy VII" was announced in February 1996, along with early screenshots of the game. Square president and chief executive officer Tomoyuki Takechi were fairly confident about Japanese players making the game a commercial success even on a new platform. A playable demo was included on a disc giveaway at the 1996 Tokyo Game Show, dubbed "Square's Preview Extra: Final Fantasy VII & Siggraph '95 Works". The disc also included the early test footage Square created using characters from "Final Fantasy VI". The initial release date was at some point in 1996, but to properly realize their vision, Square postponed the release date almost a full year. A playable demo of "Final Fantasy VII" was included with Squaresoft's "Tobal No. 1" in 1996.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: "Final Fantasy VII" was released on January 31, 1997. It was published in Japan by Square. A re-release of the game based on its Western version, titled "Final Fantasy VII International", was released on October 2, 1997. This improved "International" version would kickstart the trend for Square to create an updated version for the Japanese release, based on the enhanced Western versions. The "International" version was re-released as a physical disc as part of the "Final Fantasy 25th Anniversary Ultimate Box" Japanese package on December 18, 2012.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: While its success in Japan had been taken for granted by Square executives, North America and Europe were another matter, as up to that time role-playing games were still a niche market in Western territories. Sony, due to the PlayStation's struggles against Nintendo and Sega's home consoles, lobbied for the publishing rights in North America and Europe following "Final Fantasy VII"s transfer to PlayStation—to further persuade Square, Sony offered a lucrative royalties deal with profits potentially equaling those Square would get by self-publishing the game. Square accepted Sony's offer as Square itself lacked Western publishing experience. Square was uncertain about the game's success, as other Japanese RPGs including "Final Fantasy VI" had met with poor sales outside Japan. To help with promoting the game overseas, Square dissolved their original Washington offices and hired new staff for fresh offices in Costa Mesa. It was first exhibited to the Western public at Electronic Entertainment Expo 1996 (E3).


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: To promote the game overseas, Square and Sony launched a widespread three-month advertising campaign in August 1997. Beginning with a television commercial by TBWA\Chiat\Day that ran alongside popular shows including "Saturday Night Live", "The Simpsons", "Late Night with Conan O'Brien", and "Prime Time Sports", the campaign included numerous articles in both gaming and general interest magazines, advertisements in comics from publishers such as DC Comics and Marvel, a special collaboration with Pepsi, media events, sample discs, and merchandise. According to estimations by Takechi, the total worldwide marketing budget came to ; $10 million had been spent in Japan, $10 million in Europe, and $20 million in North America. Unlike its predecessors, "Final Fantasy VII" did not have its numeral adjusted to account for the lack of a Western release for "Final Fantasy II", "III", and "V" — while only the fourth "Final Fantasy" released outside Japan, its Japanese title was retained. It was released in North America on September 7, 1997. The game was released in the United Kingdom on November 14, and in continental Europe on November 17, becoming the first main-line "Final Fantasy" game to be released in Europe. The Western version included additional elements and alterations, such as streamlining of the menu and Materia system, reducing the health of enemies, new visual cues to help with navigation across the world map, and additional cutscenes relating to Cloud's past.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: Square developed a PC port, to maximize the player base. Many Western consumers did not own a PlayStation, and Square's deal with Sony did not prohibit such a port. Having never released a PC game, Square treated it as a sales experiment. The port was handled by a team of 15 to 20 people, mostly from Costa Mesa and with help from Tokyo, after the console version was finished. Square was hiring staff to develop the PC version from early 1997, including job adverts published in video game magazines at the time, and by the time Square signed a publishing deal for the PC version at the end of 1997, the Costa Mesa group had already been working on it for seven months.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: The team needed to rewrite an estimated 80% of the game's code, due to the need to unify what had been a custom build for a console written by multiple staff members. Consequently, programmers faced problems such as having to unify the original PlayStation version's five different game engines, leading to delays. The PC version came with a license for Yamaha Corporation's software synthesizer S-YXG70, uniformly delivering high-quality sequenced music to a chaotic hardware market. The conversion of the nearly 100 original musical pieces to XG format files was done by Yamaha.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: To maximize chances of success, Square searched for a Western company to assist with releasing the PC version. Eidos Interactive, whose release of "Tomb Raider" had turned it into a publishing giant, agreed to market and publish the port. It was announced in December 1997, along with Eidos's exclusivity deal for North America and Europe at the time, though the port was rumored to happen as early as December 1996, even prior to the PlayStation version's release. To help the product stand out in stores, Eidos chose a trapezoidal shape for the cover and box. They agreed on a contract price of $1.8 million, making initial sales forecasts of 100,000 units based on that outlay. The PC version was released in North America and Europe on June 25, 1998; the port was not released in Japan. Within one month, sales of the port exceeded the initial forecasts. The PC version would end up providing the source code for subsequent ports.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: Localization of "Final Fantasy VII" was handled internally by Square. The English localization, led by Seth Luisi, was completed by a team of about fifty people who faced a variety of problems. According to Luisi, the biggest hurdle was making "the direct Japanese-to-English text translation read correctly in English. The sentence structure and grammar rules for the Japanese language is very different from English", making it difficult for the translation to read like native English without distorting the meaning. Michael Basket was the sole translator for the project, though he received the help of native Japanese speakers from the Tokyo office. The localization was taxing for the team due to their inexperience, lack of professional editors, and poor communication between the North American and Japanese offices. A result of this disconnect was the original localization of Aerith's name—which was intended as a conflation of "air" and "earth"—as "Aeris" due to a lack of communication between localization staff and the quality assurance team.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: The team also faced several technical issues due to programming practices which took little account of subsequent localization, such as dealing with a fixed-width font and having to insert kanji through language input keys to add special characters (for example, vowels with diacritics) to keep the code working. Consequently, the text was still read as Japanese by the word processor, so the computer's spellcheck could not be used, and mistakes had to be caught manually. The code used obscure kanji to refer to main character's names, which made unintuitive for the translators to identify characters. Translated text usually takes up more space than the Japanese text, though still had to fit to the screen appropriately without overusing page breaksfor example, item names, which are written in kanji in Japanese language, could overflow message windows in translated text. To mitigate this problem, a proportional typeface was implemented into the source code to fit more text into the screen. Swear words were used frequently in the localization to help convey the original Japanese meaning, though most profanities were censored in a manner described by Square employee Richard Honeywood as the "old comic book '@#$%!'-type replacement". The European release was described as being in a worse condition, as the translations into multiple European languages were outsourced by Sony to another company, further hindering communication. For the PC port, Square attempted to fix translation and grammar mistakes for the North American and European versions but did not have the time and budget to retranslate all the text. According to Honeywood, the success of "Final Fantasy VII" in the West encouraged Square to focus more on localization quality; on future games, Square hired additional translators and editors, while also streamlining communication between the development and localization teams.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: Some months prior to the game's North American release, Sony publicly stated that it was considering cutting the scene at the Honey Bee Inn due to the salacious content, prompting numerous online petitions and letters of protest from RPG fans. Square subsequently stated that it would never allow Sony to localize the game in any way. In addition to translating the text, the North American localization team made tweaks to the gameplay, including reducing the enemy encounter rate, simplifying the Materia menu, and adding new boss fights.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: The "International" version of "Final Fantasy VII" was released on PlayStation Network (PSN) as a PSOne Classic in Japan on April 10, 2009. This version was compatible with both PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable with support for PlayStation Vita and PlayStation TV coming later. "Final Fantasy VII" was later released as a PSOne Classic in North America, Europe, and Australia on June 2. The PC version was updated by DotEmu for use on modern operating systems and released via Square Enix's North American and European online stores on August 14, 2012. It included high-resolution support, cloud saves, achievements, and a character booster. It would later be released via Steam on July 4, 2013, replacing the version available on Square Enix's North American and European online stores. The PC version would be released in Japan for the first time on May 16, 2013, exclusively via Square Enix's Japanese online store with the "International" version title. It has features unavailable in the western version including high-speed mode, no random encounters mode, and a max stats command. A release for iOS, based on the PC version and adjusted for mobile devices by D4 Enterprise, was released on August 19, 2015, with an auto-save feature. After being announced at PlayStation Experience 2014, the PC version was released for PlayStation 4 on December 5, 2015. DotEmu developed the PS4 version. A version for Android was released on July 7, 2016. A version for the PlayStation Classic was released on December 3, 2018. A version for the Nintendo Switch and Xbox One was released worldwide on March 26, 2019.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: The game received universal acclaim from critics upon release, scoring 95% or higher in most publications at the time. It was referred to by "GameFan" as "quite possibly the greatest game ever made", a quote selected for the back cover of the game's jewel case. "GameSpot" commented that "never before have technology, playability, and narrative combined as well as in "Final Fantasy VII"", expressing particular favor toward the game's graphics, audio, and story. The four reviewers of "Electronic Gaming Monthly" unanimously gave it a 9.5 out of 10 and their "Game of the Month" award, lauding its rendered backgrounds, use of FMV, battles, and especially the story line, though they expressed disappointment that the ending didn't resolve all of the loose ends. They also considered the North American localization a dramatic improvement over the original Japanese version. "GamePro" gave it a perfect 5.0 out of 5 in all four categories (graphics, sound, control, and fun factor), calling the storytelling "dramatic, sentimental, and touching in a way that draws you into the characters", who "come alive thanks to sweetly subtle body movements". Both "GamePro" and "Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine" ("OPM") said the ATB system gives battles a tension and urgency not usually seen in RPGs.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: The game's visuals and use of FMV cutscenes were lauded by critics. "IGN"s Jay Boor insisted the game's graphics were "light years beyond anything ever seen on the PlayStation", and regarded its battle system as its strongest point. Critics also praised its gameplay and writing. In "Computer and Video Games" magazine, Paul Davies said the "thrilling" and "magnificent plot" would "rock your emotions" and "revolutionise your belief of what a video game can achieve" while Alex C praised the dramatic story and well-developed characters. In addition to calling the graphics "bar none the best the PlayStation has ever seen", "Next Generation" said of the story that "while "FFVII" may take a bit to get going, as in every entry in the series, moments of high melodrama are blended with scenes of sheer poetry and vision". Uematsu's soundtrack also attracted acclaim. "Edge" noted that "Final Fantasy VII" had come close to being an interactive movie in playable form, praising its combination of a complex story that went against Western graphic adventure trends and "excellently orchestrated chip music". "RPGamer" praised the game's soundtrack, both in variety and sheer volume, stating that "Uematsu has done his work exceptionally well" and saying that it was potentially his best work.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: "Digitiser" praised the size of the game world, calling it the "largest video game" of all time, while considering the game "Perfect in almost every respect." Dan Toose of "Hyper" magazine praised the "sub-games" or minigames, particularly the motorbike minigame which reminded him of the anime film "Akira" (1988).


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: "Final Fantasy VII" has also received some negative criticism. "OPM" and "GameSpot" questioned the game's linear progression. "OPM" considered the game's translation "a bit muddy" while RPGamer cited the game's translation as "packed with typos and other errors which further obscure what is already a very confusing plot". "GamePro" also considered the Japanese-to-English translation a significant weakness in the game, and "IGN" regarded the ability to use only three characters at a time as "the game's only shortcoming".


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: Reviewers gave similar praise to the PC version but criticized its various technical faults. "Computer Games Magazine" said that no other recent game had the same "tendency to fail to work in any capacity on multiple [computers]". "Computer Gaming World" complained that the music quality suffered on PC sound cards and "Next Generation Magazine" found the game's pre-rendered backgrounds significantly less impressive than those of the PlayStation version. However, "Next Generation" found the higher-resolution battle visuals "absolutely stunning", and "Computer Games Magazine" said that they showed off the potential graphical power of PCs. All three magazines concluded by praising the technically flawed game, and "PC Gamer" summarized that, while "Square apparently did only what was required to get its PlayStation game running under Windows, ["Final Fantasy VII" is] still a winner on the PC".


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: In the months leading up to the game's release, the game had a high level of anticipation. The "Final Fantasy VII" demo included with "Tobal No. 1" helped push that game to the top of the Japanese sales charts, selling 752,000 copies to become Japan's eighth best-selling video game of 1996. In the weeks leading up to the release of "Final Fantasy VII" in January 1997, PlayStation consoles had sold out across Japan. The game had over pre-orders about ten days before release, increasing to pre-sales shortly before release. On its first day of release in Japan, the game sold copies, grossing about or . In two days, it sold over copies, grossing about () or . Within three days of release, copies were sold, setting the record for the fastest-selling game ever at the time. "Final Fantasy VII" had a high attach rate, with the PlayStation having an install base of around in Japan at the time. It was a killer app for the PlayStation, with "Computing Japan" magazine noting that it was largely responsible for the PlayStation's global installed base increasing from 10million units sold by November 1996 to 16million units sold by May 1997 (an increase of 60%). The game sold nearly units by April, more than by July, and 3,447,500 units by August 1997. The game helped push PlayStation sales ahead of the Sega Saturn in Japan, after the PlayStation and Saturn had been very close in Japan prior to the game's release.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: In North America, it was the most anticipated game at the time, with its popularity inspiring thousands of retailers to break street dates in September to meet public demand for the game. In the game's debut weekend in North America, more than 330,000 copies were sold and grossed ( adjusted for inflation), which was higher than any video game (surpassing "Star Fox 64" at 300,000 sales) and most Hollywood blockbuster movies to date. "Final Fantasy VII" reportedly went on to sell copies in North America during its first week of release. It helped the PlayStation break a long spell of Nintendo 64 dominance in North America; the game topped the monthly sales chart and entered the top three on the video game rental chart, the first time a PlayStation title entered the top five after months of Nintendo 64 games dominating the rental charts. Business analyst Edward Williams (from Monness, Crespi, Hardt & Co.) commented, "Sony redefined the role-playing game (RPG) category and expanded the conventional audience with the launch of "Final Fantasy VII"." It held the North American opening weekend sales record up until "Resident Evil 2" (1998), and it was the highest-grossing "Final Fantasy" game in North America until "Final Fantasy XV" (2016). It also set sales records in the United Kingdom, where in its first two days of release it had sold 48,000 copies and grossed or , faster than any video game previously released on the PlayStation, Saturn, Nintendo 64 or PC. It also topped the UK sales charts. In Germany, it received a Gold award from the Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland (VUD) in August 1998 for sales above 100,000 copies.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: Worldwide, it was the best-selling video game of 1997. It sold more than copies by 1998, becoming the best-selling PlayStation game up until then. The PlayStation version went on to sell copies worldwide by 1999, and units by March 2003, including 3.9million units in Japan and 5.44million units abroad (with over in North America and over in Europe). This made it the highest-selling "Final Fantasy" game and the best-selling Square Enix title. By the end of 2005, 9.8 million copies had been sold worldwide, including 4 million sales in Japan and 5.8million sales abroad in North America and Europe. In 2006, 158,458 copies of "The Best"s bargain reissue of the game had been sold in Japan, and 63,770 units of the 2006 "Ultimate Hits" release were sold in Japan by 2007, bringing total sales of the PlayStation version to more than 10 million copies worldwide.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: The original PC version surpassed Eidos's expectations of 100,000 units, quickly exceeding sales of one million units, garnering royalties of more than for Square. More than 100,000 downloads were sold of the PSN version during its first week of release in 2009. By August 2015, more than 11million units of the PlayStation and PC versions had been sold worldwide. Steam Spy estimated more than 1.2million downloads on Steam as of April 2018, with a later Steam leak estimating it had 1.14million players on the platform as of July 2018. Google Play has had more than 100,000 downloads. By 2019, more than 12.3million units had been sold across all platforms. As of February 2021, the game has sold more than 13.3million units worldwide. As of March 2022, the game has topped 13.9million units worldwide.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: "Final Fantasy VII" was given numerous Game of the Year awards in 1997. At the second CESA Awards, it won the Grand Prize, Scenario Award and Sound Award. During the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences's first annual Interactive Achievement Awards (now known as the D.I.C.E. Awards), "Final Fantasy VII" won in the categories of "Console Adventure Game of the Year" and "Console Role Playing Game of the Year", and was nominated for "Interactive Title of the Year", "Outstanding Achievement in Art/Graphics", and "Outstanding Achievement in Interactive Design". In the Origins Awards, it won in the category "Best Roleplaying Computer Game of 1997". "Final Fantasy VII" was awarded Game of the Year by magazines including "Game Informer", "GamePro", and "Hyper". It was also awarded the "Readers' Choice All Systems Game of the Year", "Readers' Choice PlayStation Game of the Year" and "Readers' Choice Role-Playing Game of the Year" by "Electronic Gaming Monthly" ("EGM"), which gave it Editors' Choice Awards for "Role-Playing Game of the Year" and "Best Graphics" (plus a runner-up slot for "Game of the Year"), and also gave it awards for "Hottest Video Game Babe" (for Tifa Lockhart), "Most Hype for a Game", "Best Ending", and "Best Print Ad". "Digitiser" ranked it the second best game of 1997 (after "Super Mario 64") and "RPGFan" awarded it Best Overall RPG.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: Since 1997, "Final Fantasy VII" has been selected by many game magazines as one of the top video games of all time, listed as 21st in "EGM"s "100 Best Games of All Time" the same year it was released, 91st in "EGM"s 2001 "100 Best Games of All Time", tenth in "Game Informer"s 2001 "Top 100 Games of All Time" list, and as fourth in "Retro Gamer"s "Top 100 Games" in 2004. "Final Fantasy VII" was included in "The Greatest Games of All Time" list by GameSpot in 2006, and ranked as second in "Empire" 2006 "100 Greatest Games of All Time", 76th in "IGN" 2007 "Top 100 Games of All Time" list, as third in "Stuff"s "100 Greatest Games" in 2008, and as 15th in "Game Informer"s 2009 "Top 200 Games of All Time" list. In 2012, "Time" named it one of their "All-Time 100 Video Games". In 2018, it was ranked 99th in "IGN" "Top 100 Games of All Time" and as third in "PALGN"s "The Greatest 100 Games Ever". In 2019, "Popular Mechanics" ranked it he second best game of all time.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: "Final Fantasy VII" has often placed at or near the top of many reader polls of all-time best games. In 1997, it placed 9th in "EGM"s readers' top 10 games of all time, which the publication noted was startling because the game had not been released in the United States (where "EGM" was published) at the time of voting. It was voted the "Reader's Choice Game of the Century" in an "IGN" poll for PlayStation games in 2000, and placed second in the "Top 100 Favorite Games of All Time" by Japanese magazine "Famitsu" in 2006 (it was also voted as ninth in "Famitsu" 2011 poll of most tear-inducing games of all time). Users of GameFAQs voted it the "Best Game Ever" in 2004 and in 2005, and placed it second in 2009. In 2008, readers of "Dengeki" magazine voted it the best game ever made, as well as the ninth most tear-inducing game of all time. In March 2018, "Game Informer"s "Reader's Choice Top 300 Games of All Time", it ranked in 7th place. In a 2021 poll conducted by TV Asahi, polling over 50,000 Japanese users, it was voted the third best console game of all time, below "" and "Dragon Quest V".


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: It has also appeared in numerous other greatest game lists. In 2007, "Dengeki PlayStation" gave it the "Best Story", "Best RPG" and "Best Overall Game" retrospective awards for games on the original PlayStation. "GamePro" named it the best RPG game of all time in 2008, and featured it in its 2010 article "The 30 Best PSN Games". In 2012, GamesRadar also ranked it as the sixth saddest game ever. In March 2018, "GamesRadar+" rated "The 25 best PS1 games of all time", "Final Fantasy VII" was ranked in 12th place. On the other hand, GameSpy ranked it seventh on their 2003 list of the most overrated games.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: The game inspired an unofficial version for the NES by Chinese company Shenzhen Nanjing Technology. This port features the "Final Fantasy VII" game scaled back to 2D, with some of the side quests removed. The game's popularity and open-ended nature also led director Kitase and scenario writer Nojima to establish a plot-related connection between "Final Fantasy VII" and "Final Fantasy X-2". The character Shinra from "Final Fantasy X-2" proposes the concept of extracting the life energy from within the planet Spira. Nojima has stated that Shinra and his proposal are a deliberate nod to the Shinra Company and that he envisioned the events of "Final Fantasy X-2" as a prequel to those in "Final Fantasy VII". The advances in technology used to create the FMV sequences and computer graphics for "Final Fantasy VII" allowed Sakaguchi to begin production on the first "Final Fantasy" film, "". The game introduced a particular aesthetic to the series—fantasy suffused with modern-to-advanced technology—that was explored further in "Final Fantasy VIII", "The Spirits Within", and "Final Fantasy XV". Re-releases of Square games in Japan with bonus features would occur frequently after the release of "Final Fantasy VII International". Later games that would be re-released as international versions include "Final Fantasy X" and other follow-ups from the franchise, as well as the "Kingdom Hearts" series.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: Several characters from "Final Fantasy VII" have made cameo appearances in other Square Enix games, such as the fighting game "Ehrgeiz" and the popular "Final-Fantasy"-to-Disney crossover series "Kingdom Hearts". Additionally, fighting video game "Dissidia Final Fantasy" includes "Final Fantasy VII" characters such as Cloud and Sephiroth, and allows players to fight with characters from throughout the "Final Fantasy" series, and its follow-up, "Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy", included Tifa as well. Cloud is also a playable character in "Final Fantasy Tactics". In December 2015, Cloud was released as a downloadable content character for the Nintendo crossover fighting games "Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS" and "Wii U", along with a stage based on Midgar. He returned in the 2018 sequel, "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate". Sephiroth was added to "Ultimate" as downloadable content in December 2020 as part of the "Fighters Pass Vol. 2" lineup, alongside 9 additional music tracks from "Final Fantasy VII", three additional Mii Costumes based on Aerith, Barret and Tifa, thirteen new Spirits themed around "Final Fantasy", and a new stage based on the Northern Cave, the final area in the original game. On television, "Final Fantasy VII" was parodied in the second season of "Robot Chicken" in 2006.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: "Final Fantasy VII" is credited as having the largest impact of the "Final Fantasy" series. In 2002, "GameSpot" ranked it as the second most influential game ever made. In 2005, "Electronic Gaming Monthly" ranked it the 6th most important game since they began publication in 1989, stating it was "the first RPG to surpass, instead of copy, movielike storytelling" and taught gamers "how to cry". In 2007, "GamePro" ranked it 14th on their list of the most important games of all time, and in 2009 it was ranked the same place on their list of the most influential and innovative games of all time. Bill Loguidice and Matt Barton listed "Final Fantasy VII" among the 25 most influential games of all time. Samuel Roberts of "Retro Gamer", writing for "GamesRadar", called "FFVII" "one of the most important and influential RPGs of all time" in January 2020. "IGN" said the game "revolutionised" role-playing games. In 2018, The Strong National Museum of Play inducted "Final Fantasy VII" to its World Video Game Hall of Fame.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: The game is credited with allowing console role-playing games to gain mass-market appeal outside of Japan. Role-playing video games were a niche genre in North America up until "Final Fantasy VII" introduced the genre to a mainstream audience there, and it is the first main-line "Final Fantasy" game to have been released in Europe, where its success generated mainstream interest in RPGs. It popularized Japanese role-playing games outside of Japan, in addition to opening up the game console market for Western computer role-playing game developers such as BioWare. According to Gene Park of "The Washington Post", "FFVII" "single-handedly put role-playing video games on the global map". It also boosted sales of the original PlayStation, and demonstrated the advantages of CD-ROM media over ROM cartridge media. According to Sony Computer Entertainment founder and PlayStation architect Ken Kutaragi, "Final Fantasy VII" was "a driving force that propelled gaming forward" along with the PlayStation, and the game contributed to growing global awareness of Japanese popular culture along with anime. According to Matt Alt, "Final Fantasy VII" injected "a megadose of Japanese sensibilities" into the American mainstream, including "big-eyed bushy-haired anime" characters, manga-style melodrama, "androgynous heroes" and "the very idea that video games could be meditative explorations as well as thrill rides."


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: "FFVII" was one of the first video games produced at a blockbuster (AAA) scale. It was the most expensive video game ever developed up until then, and its expensive advertisement campaign was also unprecedented for a video game. It set a benchmark for video game graphics, full motion video, cinematic CGI production values, and movie-like presentation, along with its innovative blend of gameplay with dynamic cinematic camerawork. It also set a benchmark for orchestral video game music, with "Aerith's Theme" appearing on the Classic FM Hall of Fame at 16th place in 2012, and with Elizabeth Davis of Classic FM (UK) calling it "one of the most famous pieces of video game music ever written" and stating that "FFVII" helped introduce "a whole generation to the magic of orchestral music". The large number of minigames was also unprecedented for a role-playing game, inspiring numerous later titles to incorporate minigames.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: The game's storytelling was considered revelatory for its time and resonated with most of its audience. The depth of its storytelling, along with its character building, emotional scenes, and cinematic production values, made it a landmark for video game storytelling. Aerith's death in particular has often been referred to as one of the most significant moments from any video game. It is one of the most iconic deaths in video game history, is frequently cited as one of gaming's most shocking and emotional scenes, and cemented Sephiroth's status as one of the most infamous video game villains. The scene topped "IGN"s list of top 100 video game moments, calling it "a genre-defining moment" and representative of "gaming's emotional journey from kids' entertainment to modern storytelling medium". Brian Taylor, writing for "Kill Screen", described a cottage industry of fan theories for how to return Aerith to life or prevent her death. He compared these efforts to the letter-writing campaign to convince Charles Dickens not to let Nell, the endearing protagonist of "The Old Curiosity Shop", die at the end of the book. Taylor affirmed that the acts of discussing these fan theories and dissecting the game code to test them comprise a valid and important part of the experience of the game.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: The game has inspired numerous developers. "GameSpot" stated that "Final Fantasy VII" was "the RPG that would influence every role-playing game that would follow" after it, and that its cinematic approach to storytelling was widely adopted by later RPGs. Its Limit Break gameplay mechanic became a core mechanic in subsequent "Final Fantasy" games. According to Samuel Roberts of "Retro Gamer", the game's "character designs would shape Japanese RPGs for years to come". "Fable" creator Peter Molyneux considers "FFVII" to be the RPG that "defined the genre" for him. BioWare founder Greg Zeschuk cited "FFVII" as "the first really emotionally engaging game" he played and said it had "a big impact" on BioWare's work. Black Isle Studios cited "FFVII" as an inspiration for "" (1999). According to Maciej Miszczyk of "Hardcore Gaming 101", "FFVII"s spell animations and character quests may have influenced Western computer RPGs such as "Planescape: Torment" and BioWare's "Baldur's Gate II" (2000). Media Molecule's Constantin Jupp credited "FFVII" with getting him into game design. Tim Schafer cited "FFVII" as one of his favorite games of all time. Thatgamecompany founder Jenova Chen cited "FFVII" as one of the biggest influences on his work and the game that inspired his adopted name (from the character Jenova). Grinding Gear Games designer Chris Wilson cited the Materia system of "Final Fantasy VII" as an influence on "Path of Exile" (2013).


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: The game is noted for its cyberpunk themes, with "GamesRadar+" calling it one of the best games of the genre, and Harry Mackin of "Paste Magazine" comparing its cyberpunk city of Midgar to "Akira" and "Blade Runner". Aja Romano of "The Daily Dot" and Philip Boyes of "Eurogamer" cited "Final Fantasy VII" as an example of dieselpunk, a genre similar to steampunk. According to "Comic Book Resources", the game's environmental and climate change themes are more relevant and meaningful in 2019 than they were in 1997. William Hughes of "The A.V. Club" notes that Barret and his terrorist cell AVALANCHE are one of the few examples of "heroic pop culture terrorists" in video games, and that the game's "political relevance remains" in a post-9/11 world. Dani Di Placido of "Forbes" said the game was still relevant in 2020, drawing parallels between the game's events and contemporary issues such as climate change, environmental catastrophe, economic collapse, and the COVID-19 pandemic (comparing the latter to the game world after Meteor is summoned). According to Stephen K. Hirst of "Ars Technica", "Final Fantasy VII" inspired a generation of climate activists, including senior members of Greenpeace. Murray Clark of "Esquire" argues that several characters wore clothing which anticipated several contemporary fashion trends.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: "Final Fantasy VII" is noted for its use of the unreliable narrator literary concept, drawing comparisons to later films such as "Fight Club" (1999), "The Sixth Sense" (1999), "American Psycho" (2000) and "Memento" (2000). Patrick Holleman and Jeremy Parish argue that the game takes the unreliable narrator concept a step further, with its interactivity establishing a connection between the player and the protagonist Cloud, setting "Final Fantasy VII" apart from films as well as other video games. According to Holleman, "no RPG has ever deliberately betrayed the connection between protagonist and player like "FFVII" does." Ric Manning of "The Courier-Journal" noted elements of psychoanalysis in the game. Sharon Packer identifies Cloud as having mental illness in the form of dissociative identity disorder (DID), while Katie Whitlock identifies him as having involuntary memory resulting from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Harry Mackin of "Paste Magazine" called the game "a subversion that deconstructs and comments meaningfully on how we think about heroism, masculinity and identity in videogame storytelling". Jack Ridsdale of "PCGamesN" argues that Cloud is a deconstruction of the hero archetype and toxic masculinity, and compares the plot twist about his true identity to that of "Fight Club". According to Gene Park of "The Washington Post", with its "cyberpunk story about personal delusions, mental illness, climate change and class warfare, it was Blade Runner for millennials".


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: Pat Holleman's book "Reverse Design: Final Fantasy VII" (2018) examines the game's themes and topics in detail. He summarizes the game's plot as telling "a story about survivors". He explains that it is "a story about characters who have outlived the people, places, and things that gave them their identities" and that most of the characters are "motivated by the loss of something that once defined who they are". He notes that nearly all the major characters exhibit the "survivor's trio" which consists of losing "the world that defined" them, a "near-death experience" and "something that connects" them to their past. He also notes that the game is, "at times, a deconstruction of a revenge story" in the sense that it "dismantles the idea of revenge in an insightful way". He considers Barret's story to be the clearest illustration of the "tragic survivorship" and "survivor's trio" themes, such as the loss of his coal mining hometown, seeking revenge through militant environmentalism before eventually realizing revenge isn't the right motivation, and safeguarding a future for his adoptive daughter Marlene who is the only surviving connection to his past. He also considers the Limit Break mechanic to be a gameplay representation of the survivorship theme. He argues that these are themes which only adults can fully relate to, and were misunderstood by much of the game's predominantly adolescent audience upon release. Jessica Howard of "GameSpot" says that relationships, motherhood, politics and identity are central themes in "Final Fantasy VII", and that it is "an extremely punk game, abundant with political sentiments and messages regarding the distribution of power, our treatment of the environment, and the evil found in complicity."


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: The world of "Final Fantasy VII" is explored further in the "Compilation of Final Fantasy VII", a series of games, animated features, and short stories. The first game in the "Compilation" is the mobile game "", a prequel focusing on the Turks' activities six years before the original game. The CGI film sequel "", set two years after the game, is the first installment announced but the second to be released. Special DVD editions of the film included "", an original video animation that recounts the destruction of Nibelheim. "" and its mobile phone counterpart, "", are third-person shooters set one year after "Advent Children". "Dirge" focuses on the backstory of Vincent Valentine, whose history was left mostly untold in "Final Fantasy VII". The next game is the PlayStation Portable game "", an action role-playing game that centers on Zack's past.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: During the game's initial marketing campaign in early 1997, numerous merchandise related to "Final Fantasy VII" were produced in Japan. There were various different types of toys produced, including novelty egg dispensers, pin badges, action figures, video game music CDs, and guide books. Sega's "UFO Catcher" arcade crane machines also contained "Final Fantasy VII" character keyrings and toys. In 1997, Studio BentStuff wrote the game guide book "Final Fantasy VII Kaitai Shinsho", which sold over copies. In 1998, the "Official Final Fantasy VII Strategy Guide" was licensed by Square Soft and published by Brady Games.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: Releases not under the "Compilation" label include "Maiden Who Travels the Planet", which follows Aerith's journey in the Lifestream after her death, taking place concurrently with the second half of the original game.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: "Final Fantasy VII Snowboarding" is a mobile port of the snowboard minigame featured in the original game, featuring different courses for the player to tackle. The game is downloadable on V Cast-compatible mobile phones and was first made available in 2005 in Japan and North America. In September 2009 Jason P. Blahuta, Michel S. Beaulieu Wiley created "Final Fantasy and Philosophy: The Ultimate Walkthrough". This eBook is a philosophical guide as to why and how players use certain characters in the Final Fantasy series, explains how gamer's perception of a character's weapon and clothing designs can change how they use them. The writers inform the reader that this eBook will give them an in-depth understanding of themselves and the game which will enhance their gaming experience.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: "Final Fantasy VII G-Bike" is a mobile game released for iOS and Android in December 2014, based on the motorbike minigame featured in the original game. In September 2007, Square Enix published "Final Fantasy VII 10th Anniversary Ultimania". This book is an in-depth compilation of FFVII story-line and artwork. In 2018, the Universal Studios Theme Park in Japan changed their Space Fantasy roller coaster into a virtual reality ride based around "Final Fantasy" with characters from "Final Fantasy VII".


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: "Final Fantasy VII" is featured in the "Final Fantasy Trading Card Game", making an appearance in its first Opus I set. "Final Fantasy VII" has made additional appearances in opuses II, III, IV, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, XIII, and XIV.


title: Final Fantasy VII

text: With the announcement and development of the "Compilation of Final Fantasy VII", speculation spread that a remake of the original "Final Fantasy VII" would be released for the PlayStation 3. This conjecture was sparked by the release of a video featuring the opening sequence of "Final Fantasy VII" recreated using the PlayStation 3's graphical capabilities at E3 2005. After a decade of speculation, it was announced at E3 2015. The game saw changes made to its story and combat system. The game is planned to be released over three installments, with the first part being released for the PlayStation 4 on April 10, 2020. The follow up, "Final Fantasy VII Rebirth", is set to be released Q4 2023/Q1 2024. "", a remaster of "Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII", which was released in December 2022, is also considered a prequel to the larger "Final Fantasy VII Remake" project.


title: Tequila

text: Tequila (; ) is a distilled beverage made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila northwest of Guadalajara, and in the Jaliscan Highlands ("Los Altos de Jalisco") of the central western Mexican state of Jalisco.


title: Tequila

text: The red volcanic soils in the region of Tequila are well suited for growing the blue agave, and more than 300 million of the plants are harvested there each year. Agave grows differently depending on the region. Blue agaves grown in the highlands Los Altos region are larger and sweeter in aroma and taste. Agaves harvested in the valley region have a more herbaceous fragrance and flavor. Due to its historical and cultural importance, the region near Tequila was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006, the "Agave Landscape and Ancient Industrial Facilities of Tequila".


title: Tequila

text: Mexican laws state that tequila can only be produced in the state of Jalisco and limited municipalities in the states of Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas. Tequila is recognized as a Mexican designation of origin product in more than 40 countries. It was protected through NAFTA in Canada and the United States until July 2020, through bilateral agreements with individual countries such as Japan and Israel, and has been a protected designation of origin product in the European Union since 1997.


title: Tequila

text: Aside from its geographical distinction, tequila is differentiated from mezcal in that it is made only from blue agave and the beverages are prepared in different ways. Tequila is commonly served neat in Mexico and as a shot with salt and lime around the world. Tequila must have between 35 and 55 percent alcohol content (70 and 110 U.S. proof).


title: Tequila

text: The distillation technology to produce mezcal from agave heart juice was first introduced from the coastal regions of what was then Nueva Galicia (present-day Aguascalientes, Colima, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Nayarit, and Zacatecas) into the highland valleys of Amatitán, Tequila, Magdalena, and El Arenal in the mid-1700s. The mezcal produced in these regions became distinctive enough as to become known as "tequila" (after the town).


title: Tequila

text: Spain's King Carlos IV granted the Cuervo family the first license to commercially make tequila. Don Cenobio Sauza, founder of Sauza Tequila and Municipal President of the Village of Tequila from 1884–1885, was the first to export tequila to the United States, and shortened the name from "Tequila Extract" to just "Tequila" for the American markets. Don Cenobio's grandson Don Francisco Javier gained international attention for insisting that "there cannot be tequila where there are no agaves!" His efforts led to the practice that real tequila can come only from the State of Jalisco.


title: Tequila

text: The first tequila distillery in the United States was opened in 1936 in Nogales, Arizona by Harry J. Karns, former Arizona state senator and Nogales Mayor.


title: Tequila

text: In a move to take ownership of the term "tequila", the Mexican government declared the term its intellectual property in 1974.


title: Tequila

text: Although some tequilas have remained as family-owned brands, most well-known tequila brands are owned by large multinational corporations. However, over 100 distilleries make over 900 brands of tequila in Mexico and over 2,000 brand names have been registered (2009 statistics). Due to this, each bottle of tequila contains a serial number (NOM) denoting in which distillery the tequila was produced. Because only so many distilleries are used, multiple brands of tequila come from the same location.


title: Tequila

text: In 2003, Mexico issued a proposal that would require all Mexican-made tequila be bottled in Mexico before being exported to other countries. The Mexican government said that bottling tequila in Mexico would guarantee its quality. Liquor companies in the United States said Mexico just wanted to create bottling jobs in their own country, and also claimed this rule would violate international trade agreements and was in discord with usual exporting practices worldwide. The proposal might have resulted in the loss of jobs at plants in California, Arkansas, Missouri, and Kentucky, because Mexican tequila exported in bulk to the United States is bottled in those plants. On January 17, 2006, the United States and Mexico signed an agreement allowing the continued bulk import of tequila into the United States. The agreement also created a "tequila bottlers registry" to identify approved bottlers of tequila and created an agency to monitor the registry.


title: Tequila

text: The Tequila Regulatory Council of Mexico (TRCM) originally did not permit flavored tequila to carry the tequila name. In 2004, the Council decided to allow flavored tequila to be called tequila, with the exception of 100% agave tequila, which still cannot be flavored.


title: Tequila

text: A new "Norma Oficial Mexicana" (NOM) for tequila (NOM-006-SCFI-2005) was issued in 2006, and among other changes, introduced a class of tequila called "extra añejo" or "ultra-aged" which must be aged a minimum of three years.


title: Tequila

text: A one-liter bottle of limited-edition premium tequila was sold for $225,000 in July 2006 in Tequila, Jalisco, by the company Tequila Ley .925. The bottle which contained the tequila was a two-kilo display of platinum and gold. The manufacturer received a certificate from The Guinness World Records for the most expensive bottle of tequila spirit ever sold.


title: Tequila

text: In June 2013, a Chinese ban on the importation of premium (100% blue agave) tequila into China was lifted, following a state visit to Mexico by Chinese Communist Party general secretary Xi Jinping. The entry of premium tequila into the country was expected to increase tequila exports by 20 percent within the decade above the 170 million liters in 2013. Ramon Gonzalez, director of the "Consejo Regulador del Tequila", estimates that each of the top 16 producers of tequila had invested up to $3 million to enter the Chinese market. On 30 August 2013, the first 70,380 bottles of premium tequila from ten brands arrived in Shanghai. The arrival happened during an event held at the House of Roosevelt, a well-known club located on The Bund– an area with a long tradition of importing alcoholic beverages in China.


title: Tequila

text: The latest version of the tequila standard (NOM-006-SCFI-2012) updated the standard to specify that the silver class of tequila cannot contain additives, to allow the aging time for the ultra-aged class to be displayed on the label, to prohibit the commercialization of bulk tequila through vending machines, and required registering the agave during the calendar year of its plantation and required annual updates.


title: Tequila

text: In 2018, the Mexican government approved a proposal to celebrate the third Saturday of March as National Tequila Day.


title: Tequila

text: Planting, tending, and harvesting the agave plant remains a manual effort, largely unchanged by modern farm machinery and relying on centuries-old know-how. The men who harvest it, the "jimadores" , have intimate knowledge of how the plants should be cultivated, passed down from generation to generation.


title: Tequila

text: By regularly trimming any "quiotes" (a several-meter high stalk that grows from the center of the plant), the "jimadores" prevent the agave from flowering and dying early, allowing it to fully ripen. The "jimadores" must be able to tell when each plant is ready to be harvested, and using a special knife called a "coa" (with a circular blade on a long pole), carefully cut away the leaves from the "piña" (the succulent core of the plant). If harvested too late or too early, the "piñas", which can average around in the valley to in the highlands, will not have the right amount of carbohydrates for fermentation.


title: Tequila

text: After harvesting, the "piñas" are transported to ovens where they are slowly baked to break down their complex fructans into simple fructose. Then, the baked "piñas" are either shredded or mashed under a large stone wheel called a "tahona" . The pulp fiber, or "bagazo" , left behind is often reused as compost or animal feed, but can even be burnt as fuel or processed into paper. Some producers like to add a small amount of "bagazo" back into their fermentation tanks for a stronger agave flavor in the final product.


title: Tequila

text: The extracted agave juice is then poured into either large wooden or stainless steel vats for several days to ferment, resulting in a wort, or "mosto" , with low alcohol content. This wort is then distilled once to produce what is called "ordinario" , and then a second time to produce clear "silver" tequila. Using at least two distillations is required by law. A few producers such as Casa Noble (for their "Crystal" expression) and Corzo (for their "añejo" expression) have experimented with distilling the product a third time, but this has not caught on as a trend, and some have said it removes too much of the agave flavor from the tequila. From there, the tequila is either bottled as silver tequila, or it is pumped into wooden barrels to age, where it develops a mellower flavor and amber color.


title: Tequila

text: The differences in taste between tequila made from valley and highland agave plants can be noticeable. Plants grown in the highlands often yield sweeter and fruitier-tasting tequila, while valley agaves give the tequila an earthier flavor.


title: Tequila

text: Unlike other tequila production steps, fermentation is one of the few steps out of the control of human beings. Fermentation is the conversion of sugars and carbohydrates to alcohol through yeast in anaerobic conditions, meaning that oxygen is not present during the process. Fermentation is also carried out in a non-aseptic environment which increases the bacterial activity of tequila. The participation of microorganisms from the environment (yeasts and bacteria) makes fermentation a spontaneous process which gives rise to many byproducts that contribute to the flavor and aroma of tequila.


title: Tequila

text: During the fermentation process, inoculum is added to the batch to speed the rate of fermentation. When inoculum is added, fermentation can take approximately 20 hours to 3 days. If inoculum is not added, fermentation could take up to 7 days. The rate of fermentation is a key factor in the quality and flavor of tequila produced. Worts fermented slowly are best because the amount of organoleptic compounds produced is greater. The alcohol content at the end of fermentation lies between 4-9%.


title: Tequila

text: Organoleptic compounds enhance flavor and aroma. These include fusel oil, methanol, aldehydes, organic acids and esters. Production of isoamyl and isobutyl alcohols begins after the sugar level is lowered substantially and continues for several hours after the alcoholic fermentation ends. In contrast, ethanol production begins in the first hours of the fermentation and ends with logarithmic yeast growth. The alcohol content in tequila is affected by three factors: the amount of isoamyl alcohol and isobutanol in the yeast strain, the carbon:nitrogen ratio (the higher the ratio, the more alcohol produced), and the temperature of fermentation.


title: Tequila

text: The higher the temperature, the greater concentration of isobutyl and isoamyl alcohols produced. Although if temperatures are too high, this can cause the yeast to become less effective. Similarly, if the temperature is too low, the process occurs too slowly. This can become a large issue in Central Mexico, most precisely the city of Tequila, Jalisco, where most tequila is processed. The average annual temperature in the city of Tequila can reach 31 °C. For this reason, tequila producers often use large stainless steel tanks for fermentation.


title: Tequila

text: The specific yeasts and the environments in which they act determine the resultant organoleptic combinations. The role of yeast is, through many enzymatic processes, to turn sugars and carbohydrates into alcohol. There are two steps, first in aerobic conditions, yeast is doubled in colony size every four hours. This process goes on for 24–48 hours. Next, yeast turns acetaldehyde into ethyl alcohol which is known as one of the organoleptic compounds produced in fermentation.


title: Tequila

text: The two main categories of yeast used in tequila are commercial brewers yeast and yeast that comes from precultivated existing yeast that has been preserved. The use of either type of yeast can result in different end products of tequila.


title: Tequila

text: Tequila is a distilled beverage that is made from the fermentation of the sugars found from the blue agave plant once it has been cooked, the main sugar being fructose. Through the fermentation process, many factors influence the higher alcohol content of tequila, which are molecules such as isobutyl alcohol and isoamyl alcohol, and ethanol. These parameters include the type of yeast strain, the age of the agave plant itself, temperature, and the carbon:nitrogen ratio.


title: Tequila

text: However, the type of yeast strain used and the carbon:nitrogen factors have the biggest influence on the production of higher alcohols; this is not surprising as higher alcohol and ethanol production is an intrinsic property of the metabolism of each strain. The type of yeast most commonly found in tequila is "Saccharomyces cerevisiae", which contains many strains. For example, CF1 agaves, a type of yeast, produces much more ethanol than a strain of CF2, as the two yeasts' metabolism mechanisms differ. This factor may be influenced from different agricultural practices that occur to cultivate the different yeasts strains. It was found that the higher the carbon:nitrogen ratio, the higher the production of higher alcohols such as isobutyl alcohol and isoamyl alcohol. A high ratio imparts that there is less nitrogen in the fermentation process, which results in deamination reactions of amino acids, leading to the synthesis of higher alcohols. The Ehrlich pathway is the name for this process, where alpha-keto acids are decarboxylated and transformed to aldehydes and to higher alcohols.


title: Tequila

text: The temperature of the fermentation process also greatly affects the alcohol content of the resulting product. For example, a study conducted by Pinal "et al." found that cultivating two strains at a temperature of 35 degrees as compared to a temperature of 30 degrees produced more isoamyl alcohol. The higher temperature suggests that this is a much more optimal condition for the yeast to ferment the distilled beverage.


title: Tequila

text: Lastly the age of the agave plant itself: the older the plant, the greater the alcohol production. It was shown in a study that the concentration of amyl alcohol increased as the plant aged by a factor 30%. However, a higher concentration of methanol is found when using younger plants. This may be due to differences in agricultural practices that occur when taking care of plants of different ages.


title: Tequila

text: Tequila comes in an abundant array of colors that ranges from a simple clear distilled beverage to a dark amber brown. The color of the tequila varies greatly depending on the aging process and the type of wood used for storage. The white version of tequila, known as silver tequila or blanco, is the product obtained without a (or with very short) aging process. As well, the spirit must contain 38–55% alcohol content, which is fermented from a wort that contains no less than 51% sugars from the agave plant. Silver/Blanco tequila provides the purest form as little aging has occurred. What is known as gold, joven or oro tequila is usually silver/blanco tequila with the addition of grain alcohols and caramel color; however, some higher-end gold tequilas may be a blend of silver/blanco and reposado. Rested (reposado) or aged tequila (añejo) is aged in wooden containers. The aging process can last between two months and three years and can create or enhance flavors and aromas. The aging process generally imparts a golden color.


title: Tequila

text: There are more than 300 known compounds in tequila, many of which are produced during the fermentation process, the raw material used, and to a lesser degree during the maturation. The components that make up tequila do not act individually to give tequila its distinctive flavor and aroma, but rather, depend on the interaction and quantity of each volatile compound. The volatile compounds responsible for the flavor and aroma profiles of the tequila are put into a category called organoleptic compounds and are known to increase in concentration with a slower fermentation process. The organoleptic compounds produced during fermentation include higher order alcohols, methanol, esters, carbonyls, terpenes, and furans.


title: Tequila

text: Higher-order alcohols have a strong aroma, and the quantity present in each tequila depends on the carbon:nitrogen ratio and temperature during the cooking and fermentation processes. Some of the most common alcohols present other than ethanol are: isoamyl alcohol, isobutanol, and 1-propanol. Methanol is thought to be mainly generated through hydrolysis of methylated pectin which is naturally present in the agave plant, but there has been speculation that it is also partly produced from the enzymatic reactions of yeast strains containing pectin methyl esterase enzyme, which break up the methoxyl group from the pectin. Nearly 50 different esters are identified in tequila, which together give rise to the fruit-like flavors and smell. One of the most abundant esters is ethyl acetate which is synthesized during fermentation by the yeast "Saccharomyces cerevisiae," using alcohol transferase enzyme which links acetic acid to ethanol.


title: Tequila

text: In general, the longer the controlled fermentation period, the higher yield of esters produced. During the fermentation process, ethanol is oxidized and one of the main compounds produced are acetaldehydes, which adds the flavor necessary for the final product of tequila. For example, isovalderaldehyde seems to produce a sweet, cocoa, and chocolate-like flavor. 2 and 3-methylbutanal produce a malty flavor. The agave plant contains many phenolics such as vanillin and syringaldehydes which presents a strong and fruity or herbal aroma. It also contains eugenol which can deliver a hint of spicy flavor to the tequila. Since the production of tequila involves heating, Maillard browning reactions occur, and furans are produced during the thermal degradation of sugar. The most prominent furanic compounds include 2-furaldehyde and 5-methylfuraldehyde, which can contribute to the smoky flavor of tequila. Guaiacol also seems to contribute to Tequila's smoky flavor. Beta-demascenone contributes to the woody, floral taste of tequila.


title: Tequila

text: Volatile compounds that contribute to the overall taste and aroma of tequila can be quantitatively assessed and evaluated by gas chromatography. Discrimination tests such as duo-trio and triangle tests are also used to evaluate the quality of the tequila.


title: Tequila

text: If silver or white ("Blanco") tequila is the desired final product, distillation is the final process it undergoes. Rested ("Reposado") or aged ("Añejo") tequila must be matured in 200-liter (or larger) white oak barrels for at least two months for the former and 12 months for the latter. There are, however, more than 50 different companies producing tequila in the Mexican province of Jalisco, with different maturation times according to the variety of tequila and desired quality of the final product.


title: Tequila

text: All companies producing tequila have their aging processes regulated and fiscalized by the Mexican government.


title: Tequila

text: The maturation process causes four main chemical transformations to the tequila compounds: (1) decreasing of fusel oils by the char in barrels, which acts as an absorbing agent; (2) extraction of complex wood constituents by tequila, giving specific aroma and flavor to the final product; (3) reactions among the components of tequila, creating new chemical compounds; and (4) oxidation of the original contents of tequila and of those extracted from wood. The final results of these changes are increased concentrations of acids, esters and aldehydes, and a decrease in fusel oil concentration.


title: Tequila

text: Reposado may be rested in oak barrels or casks as large as 20,000 liters (5,280 gallons), allowing for richer and more complex flavors. The preferred oak comes from the US, France, or Canada, and is usually white oak. Some companies char the wood to impart a smoky flavor or use barrels previously used with different kinds of alcohol (e.g. whiskey or wine). Some "reposados" can also be aged in new wood barrels to achieve the same woody flavor and smoothness, but in less time.


title: Tequila

text: "Añejos" are often rested in barrels previously used to rest "reposados". The barrels cannot be more than 600 liters (158 gallons), and most are in the 200-liter (52-gallon) range. Many of the barrels used are from whiskey distilleries in the US or Canada, and Jack Daniels barrels are especially popular. This treatment creates many of the aspects of the dark color and more complex flavors of the" añejo" tequila. After aging of at least one year, the "añejo" can be removed from the wood barrels and placed in stainless steel tanks to reduce the amount of evaporation that can occur in the barrels.


title: Tequila

text: TMA ("tristeza y muerte de agave" — "agave depression and death") is a blight that has reduced the production of the agave grown to produce tequila. This has resulted in lower production and higher prices throughout the early 21st century, and due to the long maturation of the plant, will likely continue to affect prices for years to come.


title: Tequila

text: Only certain "mezcals", usually from the state of Oaxaca, are ever sold "con gusano" (with worm). They are added as a marketing gimmick and are not traditional. The tequila regulatory council does not allow "gusanos" or scorpions (which are sometimes also added to mezcals) to be included in tequila bottles. The worm in some mezcals is actually the larval form of the moth "Hypopta agavis", which lives on the agave plant. Finding one in the plant during processing indicates an infestation and, correspondingly, a lower-quality product. However, the misconception that tequilas may contain worms continues, despite effort and marketing to represent tequila as a premium liquor.


title: Tequila

text: The "Norma Oficial Mexicana" (NOM) applies to all processes and activities related to the supply of agave, production, bottling, marketing, information, and business practices linked to the distilled alcoholic beverage known as tequila. Tequila must be produced using agave of the species Tequilana Weber Blue variety, grown in the federal states and municipalities indicated in the Declaration.


title: Tequila

text: Furthermore, the NOM establishes the technical specifications and legal requirements for the protection of the Appellation of Origin of "Tequila" in accordance with the current General Declaration of Protection of the Appellation of Origin of "Tequila", the Law, the Industrial Property Law, the Federal Consumer Protection Law and other related legal provisions.


title: Tequila

text: All authentic, regulated tequilas will have a NOM identifier on the bottle. The important laws since 1990 were NOM-006-SCFI-1993, the later updates NOM-006-SCFI-1994 and NOM-006-SCFI-2005 and the most recent revision published on December 13, 2012, NOM-006-SCFI-2012.


title: Tequila

text: The number after NOM is the distillery number, assigned by the government. NOM does not indicate the location of the distillery, merely the parent company or, in the case where a company leases space in a plant, the physical plant where the tequila was manufactured.


title: Tequila

text: Unlike wine, whose character may change in taste over time and storage conditions, tequila does not change much once bottled, even without ideal storage conditions, much like most other distilled spirits such as whiskey, rum, or vodka. The quality characteristics (flavor, aroma, color, etc.) of a tequila are primarily determined during its aging in wood barrels. To maintain the utmost quality though, some conditions should be met: a constant and moderate temperature (60 to 65 °F), protection from direct sunlight, and maintenance of the integrity of the seal of the bottle. Improper storage conditions will have more effect on the taste of aged tequila rather than the un-aged version, due to tannins and other compounds introduced into the spirit from the aging barrel. For instance, if stored in improper conditions, the dark and more complex flavors of the añejo tequila are more likely to be tainted than the blanco or the silver tequila.


title: Tequila

text: Once the bottle is opened, the tequila will be subject to oxidation which will continue to happen even if no more oxygen is introduced. In addition, if the bottle has more room for air, the process of oxidation occurs faster on the liquor remaining inside the bottle. Therefore, it may be the best to consume the tequila within one or two years after opening. For the most part, the change in quality of tequila is due to extreme conditions of improper storage, not due to oxidation.


title: Tequila

text: The two basic categories of tequila are" mixtos" and 100% agave. "Mixtos" use no less than 51% agave, with other sugars making up the remainder. "Mixtos" use both glucose and fructose sugars.


title: Tequila

text: With 100% agave tequila, "blanco" or "plata" is harsher with the bold flavors of the distilled agave up front, while "reposado" and "añejo" are smoother, subtler, and less complex. As with other spirits aged in casks, tequila takes on the flavors of the wood, while the harshness of the alcohol mellows. The major flavor distinction with 100% agave tequila is the base ingredient, which is more vegetal than grain spirits (and often more complex).


title: Tequila

text: The "Consejo Regulador del Tequila" (Tequila Regulatory Council) reported 1377 registered brands from 150 producers for the year 2013.


title: Tequila

text: In Mexico, the most traditional way to drink tequila is neat, without lime and salt. It is popular in some regions to drink fine tequila with a side of sangrita—a sweet, sour, and spicy drink typically made from orange juice, grenadine (or tomato juice), and hot chilli. Equal-sized shots of tequila and sangrita are sipped alternately, without salt or lime. Another popular drink in Mexico is the "bandera" (flag, in Spanish), named after the Flag of Mexico, it consists of three shot glasses, filled with lime juice (for the green), white tequila, and sangrita (for the red).


title: Tequila

text: Outside Mexico, a single shot of tequila is often served with salt and a slice of lime or lemon. This is called "tequila cruda" and is sometimes referred to as "training wheels", "lick-sip-suck", or "lick-shoot-suck" (referring to the way in which the combination of ingredients is imbibed). The drinkers moisten the back of their hands below the index finger (usually by licking) and pour on the salt. Then the salt is licked off the hand, the tequila is drunk, and the fruit slice is quickly bitten. Groups of drinkers often do this simultaneously. Drinking tequila in this way is often erroneously called a Tequila Slammer, which is in fact a mix of tequila and carbonated drink. Though the traditional Mexican shot is tequila by itself, lime is the fruit of choice when a chaser must be used. The salt is believed to lessen the "burn" of the tequila and the sour fruit balances and enhances the flavor. In Germany and some other countries, "tequila oro" (gold) is often consumed with cinnamon on a slice of orange after, while "tequila blanco" (white) is consumed with salt and lime.


title: Tequila

text: If the bottle of tequila does not state on the label that it is manufactured from 100% blue agave (no sugars added), then, by default, that tequila is a "mixto" (manufactured from at least 51% blue agave). Some tequila distilleries label their tequila as "made with blue agave" or "made from blue agave". However, the Tequila Regulatory Council has stated only tequilas distilled with 100% agave can be designated as "100% agave".


title: Tequila

text: Many of the higher-quality, 100% agave tequilas do not impart significant alcohol burn, and drinking them with salt and lime is likely to remove much of the flavor. These tequilas are usually sipped from a snifter glass rather than a shot glass, and savoured instead of quickly gulped. Doing so allows the taster to detect subtler fragrances and flavors that would otherwise be missed.


title: Tequila

text: When served neat (without any additional ingredients), tequila is most often served in a narrow shot glass called a "caballito" (little horse, in Spanish), but can often be found in anything from a snifter to a tumbler.


title: Tequila

text: The Consejo Regulador del Tequila approved an "official tequila glass" in 2002 called the Ouverture Tequila glass, made by Riedel.


title: Tequila

text: The margarita glass, frequently rimmed with salt or sugar, is a staple for the entire genre of tequila-based mixed drinks, including the margarita.


title: Tequila

text: A variety of cocktails are made with tequila, including the margarita, a cocktail that helped make tequila popular in the United States. The traditional margarita uses tequila, Cointreau, and lime juice, though many variations exist. A popular cocktail in Mexico is the "Paloma". Also, a number of martini variants involve tequila, and a large number of tequila drinks are made by adding fruit juice. These include the Tequila Sunrise and the Matador. Sodas and other carbonated drinks are a common mixer, as in the Tequila Slammer. Other popular cocktails are the "Acapulco cocktail", Bloody Aztec Chimayó Cocktail, Mexican martini, Mojito Blanco and Vampiro.


title: Tequila

text: Under Canadian regulations (C.R.C., c.870, section B.02.90), any product labelled, advertised, or sold as Tequila must be manufactured in Mexico, as it would be for consumption in Mexico. However, once imported to Canada for sale, it is legal for Tequila to be diluted with distilled or otherwise purified water to adjust it to the desired strength and then sold.


title: Tequila

text: Similar to the law of Canada, the U.S. law (27 CFR 5.22 (g)) says that tequila must be "manufactured in Mexico in compliance with the laws of Mexico regulating the manufacture of Tequila for consumption in that country."


title: Parvati

text: Parvati (, ), Uma (, ) or Gauri (, ) is the Hindu goddess of power, energy, nourishment, harmony, love, beauty, devotion, and motherhood. She is a physical representation of Mahadevi in her complete form. She is also revered in her appearances as Durga and Kali. She is one of the central deities of the goddess-oriented sect called Shaktism, and the chief goddess in Shaivism. Along with Lakshmi and Saraswati, she forms the Tridevi.


title: Parvati

text: Parvati is the wife of the Hindu god Shiva. She is the reincarnation of Sati, the first wife of Shiva who immolated herself during a yajna (fire-sacrifice). Parvati is the daughter of the mountain-king Himavan and queen Mena. Parvati is the mother of the Hindu deities Ganesha and Kartikeya. The Puranas also reference her to be the sister of the river goddess Ganga, and the preserver god Vishnu. For Shaivites, she is considered to be the divine energy between a man and a woman, like the energy of Shiva and Shakti. For Vaishnavites, she is respected as "Vishnu Vilasini", or "she who dwells on Vishnu", as stated in the Mahishasura Mardini Stotram.


title: Parvati

text: Parvati is generally portrayed as a gentle, nurturing mother goddess, but is also associated with several terrible forms to vanquish evil beings such as Durga, Kali, the ten Mahavidyas, and the Navadurgas.


title: Parvati

text: Parvati is an embodiment of Shakti. In Shaivism, she is the recreative energy and power of Shiva, and she is the cause of a bond that connects all beings and a means of their spiritual release. She is also well known as Kamarupa (the embodiment of one's desires) and Kameshvari (the lady of one's desires). In Hindu temples dedicated to her and Shiva, she is symbolically represented as the "argha". She is found extensively in ancient Indian literature, and her statues and iconography are present in Hindu temples all over South Asia and Southeast Asia.


title: Parvati

text: "Parvata" () is one of the Sanskrit words for "mountain"; "Parvati" derives her name from being the daughter of king Himavan (also called Himavat, "Parvat") and mother "Mainavati". King Parvat is considered lord of the mountains and the personification of the Himalayas; Parvati implies "she of the mountain". Aparneshar Temple of Mantalai, Udhampur in the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is considered as the birthplace of Parvati and site of "Shiv-Parvati Vivah."


title: Parvati

text: Parvati is known by many names in Hindu literature. Other names which associate her with mountains are "Shailaja" (Daughter of the mountains), "Adrija" or "Nagajaa" or "Shailaputri" (Daughter of Mountains), "Haimavathi" (Daughter of Himavan), "Devi Maheshwari", and "Girija" or "Girirajaputri" (Daughter of king of the mountains).


title: Parvati

text: Shaktas consider the Parvati as an incarnation of Lalita Tripurasundari. According to Lalitopakhyana of Brahmanda Mahapurana, Parvati, Lakshmi, and Saraswati are the three incarnations of Lalita. Two of Parvati's most famous epithets are Uma and Aparna. The name Uma is used for Sati (Shiva's first wife, who is reborn as Parvati) in earlier texts, but in the Ramayana, it is used as a synonym for Parvati. In the Harivamsa, Parvati is referred to as Aparna ('One who took no sustenance') and then addressed as Uma, who was dissuaded by her mother from severe austerity by saying "u mā" ('oh, don't'). She is also referred to as "Ambika" ('dear mother'), "Shakti" ('power'), "Mataji" ('revered mother'), "Maheshwari" ('great goddess'), "Durga" (invincible), "Bhairavi" ('ferocious'), "Bhavani" ('fertility and birthing'), "Shivaradni" ('Queen of Shiva'), "Urvi" or "Renu", and many hundreds of others. Parvati is also the goddess of love and devotion, or Kamakshi; the goddess of fertility, abundance and food/nourishment, or Annapurna. She is also the ferocious Mahakali that wields a sword, wears a garland of severed heads, and protects her devotees and destroys all evil that plagues the world and its beings.