"Full" is inappropriate in the name of an item that provides only partial recovery. The ethers have it worse, though.

This name change I cannot comprehend. Not when the original name works just fine, and not when there's a different item that literally fully recovers MP.

See? If anything was going to be renamed "Full Ether", this should have been it.

Like the Final Fantasy IV English and EasyType versions, general status cures are easy to come by. Unlike Final Fantasy IV, this game was designed that way.

Ugh. The NA version makes it sounds like it cures some kind of status effect, when the original means an unknown recovery. It unpredictably recovers either some HP or some MP for a single character. I think it randomly acts as any of: Potion, Middle Potion, High Potion, Ether, Middle Ether, High Ether.

I've seen claims that a character can't have both Protect and Barrier status at the same time. I've done some testing, though, and this doesn't seem to be true. Only the Barrier status will display, but both work just fine.

Except for Atropos's ribbon raising Robo's Speed by 3, using these is the only way that base Speed will ever increase.

Flower Petals, Fangs, Horns, and Feathers are found in Prehistoria and used to trade for equipment.

Found in Arris Dome. Gives the inhabitants hope.

Get from Don. Activates the Jet Bike.

Marle's pendant. Opens seals once energized later in the game.

Stabilizes Gates for safe travel. Lucca creates it early in the game.

A fragment of the Prismatic Shell. Proves the King's innocence in the Prismatic Shell sidequest.

Manipulates time. Used to undo Crono's death.

Give to a carpenter in Middle Ages Choras to get the ruins repaired. Received in Modern Age Choras.

Feeds the army in the Middle Ages. Get from the Head Cook.

Buy in Modern Age Palepoli for 9900G. Give away in Middle Ages Pareypoly as an object lesson in generosity. Also has a red herring use in Guardia Castle.

Needed to reforge the Grandleon. Get from Ayla in Prehistoria.

Found in the #32 Ruins. Also enables the second racing mode and prizes for scoring well.

Impotent Solar Stone. Win from the Son of Sun in the Future Solar Temple.

Recharged from the Darkness Stone. Used to make powerful equipment.

Get from Bosch in the Ancient Era to stop the Nether Relic.

Found after beating Yakra XIII. Used to free the real chancellor.

Win at the minigame tent, collect at Crono's house. Used in undoing Crono's death.

"Doppel" is, of course, short for "doppelganger".

Get from Toma in Middle Ages Choras. Pour on his grave in Modern Age Choras to reveal Giant's Claw.

[sarcasm]You mean Toma drinks ALCOHOL at those bars? No way![/sarcasm]

Ten spare item slots, probably kept in reserve during development in case they decided to add more items, then never used.

Several weapons inflict extra damage to "magical creatures". The following monsters have the flag set that causes this to affect them (NA version names in parentheses): Nu, Albino (Octobino), Eater (Krakker), Egger (Egder), Juggler, Zeal Mage (Mage), Klein (Jinn Bottle), Scouter, Sorcerer, Million (Jinn), Billion (Barghest), [unnamed alternate Nu], Scouter Red (Red Scout), Scouter Blue (Blue Scout).

There's a subtle naming difference between Crono's swords and Frog's swords that doesn't translate. For Crono's swords, only terms that originated in Japanese (katana, etc.) are used. Frog's swords, on the other hand, use terms taken from English. This is probably because Crono uses Japanese-style curved single-edged blades, whereas Frog uses European-style straight double-edged swords.

Crono's katanas have a 10% critical hit rate, except where noted otherwise.

"Lode"?

Kurenai could also be a name. And it's ironic that the only sword with "katana" in the NA name is one that doesn't say "katana" in the JP version...

It doesn't seem possible to get this without cheating. Considering the attack power, it would have to come after the Soysaw Katana (early in Magus Castle), but before the Ancient Sword (trade in Ioka just after Magus Castle), so it should be somewhere in Magus Castle, but there's no sign of it... unless that's what the inactive chest graphic hiding under layer 1 in Mystery Mountain was meant for.

The kanji for this one are probably 斬魔刀, literally "magic-killing sword" or "demon-killing sword". The idea fits the effect, and the NA version's name comes close to the meaning, though with a rather meh description. The name parallels the 斬馬刀 (zanbatou), literally "horse-killing sword", an actual type of Japanese sword (possibly) used to fight cavalry. 斬魔刀 is also Youjinbou's ultimate attack in Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2.

In addition to normal attack damage, the bonus also affects Whirlslash, Fierce Slash, and Frenzied Slash damage, when applicable.

こんごう here seems to be 金剛 (kongou), essentially an archaic or poetic term for diamond, or more generally any exceedingly hard and unbreakable material, though there's a bit more to it than that, and it's also associated with thunder. "Alloy" seems to have come from 混合 (also kongou), which means "mixture".

てんおう (ten'ou) is probably 天王 in kanji, though the usual reading for that is てんのう (tennou). The planet Uranus is 天王星 (tennousei) in Japanese, so there may be a connection. Also compare to the Magus's Darklord Scythe. I suppose the NA name isn't too far off, considering...

To summarize my findings on what yasha really means: Several dictionaries define it as a female demon or she-devil, some putting female in brackets to indicate that it's not necessarily female but generally is. Some sources refer to a mythical fearsome creature in Buddhism. Several sources on Japanese mythology say they're vampire bats thought to be reincarnated from women consumed by anger. Still others indicate a vampiress. My best guess is that the demonic meaning comes from Buddhism in general, and that the notion of angry women and bats came from mixing with Japanese folklore, so than in Japan at least, it's some of all of the above. I'd have to try asking around to confirm this, but I figure the concept of "yasha", like creatures in Westen mythology, isn't cleary defined even for natives. But it looks as though it would generally include the notions of evil, vampiric, and probably female. Too bad the sword doesn't leech life from its target.

And then there's "vedic". "Vedic"? I had to check that on dictionary.com. It's an adjective decribing ancient Hindu sacred texts, the variety of Sanskrit they're written in, or the culture that wrote them. And that has to do with "yasha"... how?

Onimaru would probably be 鬼丸 in kanji. The 鬼 (oni) is a certain type of demon generally depicted as a large muscular humanoid with horns, often with a massive spiked club. 丸 (maru) just means circle. Many older Japanese male given names also end in 丸, so there's a good chance that it's a name, perhaps of some swordsmith or other historical figure I'm not familiar with.

"Kali" seems to refer to a Hindu goddess of death. No apparent connection to the JP version name.

The Onimaru has a 20% critical hit rate, unlike the 10% that most of Crono's weapons have.

One of the four mythological Chinese gods who govern the four quadrents of the sky, Suzaku (朱雀 in kanji) appears as a firebird and rules over fire and the southern sky.

Shiva is fairly well known as a major Hindu deity. What's with the NA version and Hindu references?

The Suzaku has a 7% critical hit rate, unlike the 10% that most of Crono's weapons have, but each critical hit inflicts quarduple damage instead of double. This makes the average damage over time equivalent to a normal weapon with a 21% critical hit rate, if more erratic.

With two exceptions that are duly noted, Marle's crossbows all have a 20% critical hit rate.

ボーガン, literally "bow gun", refers to a crossbow that fires by pulling a trigger, like a gun. I had guessed this to start with, but have since confimed it with a Japanese-Japanese dictionary.

"Lode"?

Reference to Robin Hood?

In Norse mythology, the Valkyries guide the souls of slain heroes to Valhalla... and I think it's sad that the NA version can't spell "Valkyrie".

The Valkyrie has a 40% critical hit rate, unlike the 20% that most of Marle's weapons have.

All of Lucca's guns, except for one, have a 20% critical hit rate.

This weapon doesn't seem to be obtainable without cheating. The attack power would put it between Arris Dome (where they sell the One-Hand Gun) and the Factory Ruins (where the Plasma Gun is), but there's no sign of it in the #32 Ruins, the Underground Waterway, or the basement of the Arris Dome... The Underground Waterway was more extensive in the prerelease, so possibly this was meant to go there, but was cut when the area was reduced.

The damage this weapon inflicts varies wildly, and can be any of 10%, 50%, 100%, 200%, or 300% of the base damage. Additionally, the Miracle Shot has a 40% critical hit rate, unlike the 20% that most of Lucca's weapons have, making the damage even more unpredictable.

Assuming all five multipliers are equally likely, and taking the doubled critical rate into account, the Miracle Shot averages 128.33% of the damage a normal gun with the same unusually high base attack power would have. (the previously listed value of 154% incorrectly ignored the critical rate of a normal gun)

ブリキ (BURIKI) is a cheap tin-plated iron used in building and tin cans. This may also be a reference to the not-very-bright robot Burikin from ろぼっ子ビートン, a robot comedy anime from the late 70s.

All of Frog's swords have a 23% critical hit rate (not the 10% that most melee weapons have), and the Grandleon gets an even higher rate when equipped together with the Hero Badge.

This is the Grandleon as Frog starts using it shortly before Magus Castle.

"Masamune" just comes out of nowhere in the NA version. Yes, he was a famous swordsmith, and there are swords named after him in many other games, but this simply isn't one of them.

What's the matter, couldn't Nintendo's censors handle "evil" or "slayer"?

In addition to normal attack damage, the bonus also affects Slurp Slash and Jump Slash damage when applicable.

The NA version claims double damage against magical enemies for the Brave Sword. It's lying. Want proof? Try using this on a magical enemy and comparing it to weapons with the bonus (like the Demon Killer) and weapons without it (like the Rune Blade). Magic enemies include the Jugglers in Magus Castle, the Nu in the Hunting Forest, and most of the monsters in the Abyssal Temple.

This is the Grandleon after it powers up at Cyrus's grave. Frog MUST have both this and the Gold Stone equipped to use Grandream.

Like the Brave Sword, the NA version claims that this sword inflicts double damage on magical enemies. Given that the Grandleon seems to have antimagic properties, the bonus would make sense, but it just isn't there. On the other hand, once you get this sword, I think the only magical enemies you can still fight are Eggers in the Underground Waterway and a Nu in the Hunting Forest or Frog Monster's Forest. Try it out on them, as compared to, for example, the Demon Killer. The Grandleon does have special effects in certain specific battles, but that, rather disappointingly, is all.

All of Ayla's fists have 0 attack power, because her attack strength uses a special formula.

Ayla's current weapon is automatically set whenever she enters combat, based on her level as noted below. Modifying her current level to higher values than normally possible makes her weapon keep advancing down the item list, one for every 24 extra levels added.

Also has a random chance to inflict Confusion on the target.

Critical hits ignore defense and inflict 9999 damage (physical-immune monsters still cannot be hit to begin with).

ごうけん (gouken) is probably 剛拳 in kanji. It's a martial arts sort of term; 剛 (gou) is "strong", "firm", or "sturdy", and 拳 (ken) is "fist". In any case, it's not bronze. Bronze in kanji is 青銅 (seidou), and bronze fist would probably be 銅拳 (douken).

That defense-ignoring max-damage critical hit has the potential to violate the way you're supposed to fight certain enemies and even bosses. The low rate keeps it from being truly game breaking, though. Still, it's quite possible to kill certain things in the "wrong" order.

All of the Magus's scythes have a 10% critical hit rate.

ハーケン (HAAKEN), derived from German, refers to the very sharp tools used in rock and ice climbing that are stabbed into the surface being climbed to create a handhold. It looks like ハーケン was confused with ハリケーン (HARIKEEN) in translation for the NA version, though I'll admit I made the same mistake until finding out about the icepick meaning.

めいおう (meiou) would probably be 冥王 in kanji. 冥王星 (meiousei) is the planet Pluto. Coincidence? Probably not. Also compare to Crono's Aetherlord Sword.

The connection with Pluto may be where the NA version name came from.

Stolen from a Nu. Probably just a joke item, as it doesn't seem to do anything unusual. It's something of a shame, really. Feels like a wasted opportunity. It would have been interesting if the Mop had, for instance, a 1% critical hit rate plus the 9999 damage on critical effect, but no. It's just weak.

The Broken Sword and its hilt are the pieces of the Grandleon. Bosch can repair it with Dreamstone. Both pieces have 0 attack and are unsuable.

This is the Grandleon before Frog claims it to open the way the Magus Castle. It can't be equipped and has 0 attack power.

"Masamune" again... oh well, at least they're consistent.

The Swallow has a 30% critical hit rate, unlike the 10% that most of Crono's weapons have.

The Soysaw Katana 2 has a 22% critical hit rate (why 22?), unlike the 10% that most of Crono's weapons have.

These were probably set aside during development to give the weapon list room to expand. Judging by the fact that some of Crono's swords are down here instead of with the others, they probably used what were previously a few of these slots.

This is probably the armor your characters "wear" when captive on the Blackbird. 0 defense power and no one can use it.

A dougi is a kind of outfit worn in martial arts. It looks sort of like a tunic, and you've probably seen them if you've watched any films with karate, etc.

I know "Platinum Vest" is too long to use in the NA version, but what's wrong with "Plati Vest"? Not only does "lode" sound odd, but "silver" was mangled into "lode" in some weapon names, making it sound like they're the same material...

Moonlight Armor is stronger, but the status lock on this makes it a better complement to a Protect Helm or Haste Helm, once the Prism Helm's magic defense bonus is no longer needed.

Provides Barrier status. That and the defense power make this easily the best general-purpose armor in the game.

A poor substitute for a Prism Dress, but you work with what's available. Less useful once magic defense hits maximum without boosts.

Another good general-purpose armor, especially given how common Fire damage is.

The lack of any special characteristics makes this generally inferior to the other options available.

All the armors with absorption work very nicely against enemies with predictable attacks. They're good for facing Specchio, too.

A lot of these have メット (METTO) in the name. It's the "met" from "helmet" and is used much like "helm" in English, so I'm translating it as "helm".

This is probably the headgear your characters "wear" when captive on the Blackbird. 0 defense power and no one can use it.

Should be Porre Beret in the NA version, as パレポリ (PAREPORI) is the name of the town on the far end of the continent south of Truce.

Refer to my above rant on the Platinum Vest.

They could at least have written "MDef" instead of "Def."... sigh. Still the best general-purpose helmet.

In addition to preventing status changes, the Helmet of Despair provides +1 Speed. The user's high innate magic defense makes this a better choice than the Prism Helm by level 53.

Provides Protect status. Works well in combination with the Nova Armor once magic defense no longer needs the boost from the Prism Helm.

This doesn't translate well. まどわず (madowazu) is the verb 惑う (madou, to be puzzled), in an archaic negative form. So it basically means "not being puzzled". That's then used to describe a hat to get the full name of the item. It's cleaner to say something like "Clarity Hat", but not quite as accurate, since the original emphasizes what's being prevented. Even "Calm Hat" would be pretty close, and that's short enough to fit in the NA version.

This doesn't translate well. わすれず (wasurezu) is the verb 忘れる (wasureru, to forget), in an archaic negative form. So it basically means "not forgetting". That's then used to describe a hat to get the full name. "Memory Cap" is a fairly good way to handle it, though it loses the emphasis the original has on what's being prevented.

That comma by "Stop" really ought to be on the outside of the quotation mark (or directly under it, but standard fonts don't do that).

Sort of the poor man's Prism Helm, but you can get them comparatively early.

Avoid. Sure, the defense power is high, but the character wearing it will start all battles confused and steadily lose HP as combat continues. That's what the question marks hint at. パンツ (PANTSU) is derived from "pants", but it usually refers to underpants. No wonder they have such a foul effect!

Vinnegar's name was changed to Ozzie in the NA version, which is why the name is different.

Provides Haste status. Works well in combination with the Nova Armor once magic defense no longer needs the boost from the Prism Helm.

Obtained by stealing from Mud-Eaters. Only available briefly, but the quantity is potentially unlimited.

Obtained by stealing from the (blue) Mud-Eater L. Limit one per playthrough.

This is probably the accessory your characters "wear" when captive on the Blackbird. 0 defense power and no one can use it.

It has its uses, but in general, a Prism Helm or Nova Armor work just as well.

Good for hunting high-evasion enemies that lock out skills and items, but of limited use otherwise.

One of the best late-game accessories, given the cost of advanced skills.

This increases the success rate of Ayla's larcenous Flirt skill.

A personal favorite, especially in New Game+ when a counterattack will kill nearly anything.

I'll have to do some testing, but the raw item data suggests the activation rate should be 90%, not 80%. Even better!

Interesting in theory, but questionable in practice, as most skills and spells always hit.

The Mitsui Echigoya is a large and prosperous merchant group in Japan, dating back to the dry goods store Echigoya, established in 1673. Trump's Wallet might be a good American counterpart. Or perhaps Gates or Jobs would be more appropriate.

When any character in the active party wears Echigoya's Wallet, the party gains 0 experience points, but the money won is increased by the amount the experience would have been. A monster that gives 15 exp and 10G normally will give 0 exp and 25G when someone wears the wallet. This is ridiculously useful if you're attempting a low-level game.

Unlike some similar items in some other games, "once only" means once per battle, not that it's gone once used. The item remains after activating and will continue to work in later battles.

The amount healed is exactly 5 times the wearer's magic power.

Gives both Berserk (attack uncontrollably, damage +50%) and Protect (take 1/3 less physical damage) status. Therefore, the increased defense does not stack with a Protect Helm or anything else that causes Protect status.

Dark Eternal, a very powerful Dark attack, combines the Magus's Dark Matter, Marle's Icega, and Lucca's Figa.

Omega Flare combines Robo's Laser Whirl, the Magus's Dark Bomb, and Lucca's Flare into an immense Dark attack.

Strike Spin, a powerful physical attack against one enemy, combines Frog's Jump Slash, Robo's Robo Tackle, and Ayla's Tail Twister.

Poyozo Dance combines Ayla's Tail Twister, Marle's Provoke, and Lucca's Hypnosonic to hit all enemies with non-elemental magical damage (easily the rarest type) and Confusion status.

Grandream combines Frog's Frog Drop with Marle's Araise and Robo's Heal Beam. It inflicts physical damage proportional to how badly Frog is hurt. Frog must also have the reborn Grandleon equipped to use this skill.

Multiple sources claim that, to be exact, using the Hero Badge and the Gradleon (either form) together raises Frog's critical rate from 23% to 50%. I may test it eventually, but that seems right. Regardless, the Hero Badge has no effect on techniques.

Mayonnay's name was changed to Flea in the NA version, explaining part of the name change here. Censorship explains the rest.

This mysterious item has no description in either version of the game, and seems to be impossible to get without cheating. However, it doesn't appear to do anything beyond displaying enemy current/max HP, like the Search Scope.

This mysterious item has no description in either version of the game, and seems to be impossible to get without cheating. The wearer will periodically regain 5 MP during battles. All other animation stops (like during attacks, techniques, etc.) to show one little green "5" on a character, which looks very odd and may be part of the reason it was dropped. It's not that hard to get Ethers anyway.

The Solar Glasses cause the wearer to inflict 25% extra damage with both physical and magical attacks, but have no effect on healing techniques. Additionally, when using a cooperative technique, this affects only the portion of damage that the wearer contributes, not the total damage.