I was watching an FF8 video recently to fact-check a recent post, and I forgot how much I love the menu sounds in Final Fantasy VIII. In this post, we are gonna appreciate those sound effects.
Helllll yeah. This is the sound of an excellent adventure beginning. When you hear this sound, everything will be okay.
This one is a classic. I’m pretty sure it’s the same sound from Final Fantasy VII, and one of the best sounds in that game too (apart from the “battle menu opens” sound). If it ain’t broke, don’t fix.
Ohohohoho what’s this? The sound of a menu window quietly sliding away. Not just closing, but slinking away to reveal the rest of the screen. This is the official sound effect of struggling to make sense of the Junction system.
The delicate joy of hitting a save point. Doesn’t hit you over the head. It’s soothing and welcoming.
MMMMMM that’s a good ka-chunk sound right there. Good junction. Good shit.
There’s something unique about this battle ready sound that I love. It’s a little bit chimes, a little bit Windows 98 alert sound. It’s the perfect battle menu sound for 1999. Square really should’ve made an official Final Fantasy VIII desktop theme.
OOHHHHHHHHH SHIT. I love the Limit Break sound because compared to FF7 where limit breaks are a regular part of the combat, you don’t get limit breaks in FF8 unless you’re in danger, which makes the sound effect that much more impactful. Again: OOHHHHHHHHH SHIT.
This is the sound that plays when your SeeD level goes down and it’s not clear why.
Your GF just leveled up some random ability you assigned it to learn! I don’t even care what it was, it’s a satisfying noise. brr-rr-rring!
I looked it up, and the credited Sound Editor for FF8 is Eiji Nakamura. Someone needs to give him the Noble Prize in The Most Satisfying Sound Effects Ever Made. Hardcore FF8 players probably dread leveling up, but why WOULDN’T you want to level up if it means you can hear this bit of twinkly goodness?
Ending on one that’s not really a menu sound, but it’s such a potent sound effect still. The agony and ecstasy of playing Triple Triad, rolled up in one sound effect.
Final Fantasy VIII just sounds silky as hell. Like crushed velvet coming out of your speakers. I want to live in these sounds. And if science proves me right, I WILL.