The 5 Best Final Fantasy VII Enemy Skills

Now I love using enemy skills during my playthroughs of Final Fantasy VII - some of them are invaluable during early stages of the game and many provide an effect that cannot be replicated by a single spell or item - or can’t be replicated at all. One thing that always intrigued me about enemy skills was the level of secrecy involved in collecting them… Playing the game in the late 90s/early 2000s when the internet was in its infancy, all I had to guide me was the Brady Guides strategy guide - which for all it did help with - is very incomplete and lacks a lot of information, especially about enemy skills. So I would go around manipulating everything in sight, always on the lookout for new attacks I’d never seen used before in the hope of finding a new skill. I’ve already made a list of my top 5 WORST enemy skills - today we’re doing the opposite - my top 5 BEST enemy skills!

5 - Magic Hammer
Firstly we have Magic Hammer - an enemy skill that drains 100 MP from an enemy and then gives it to the caster to refill their own MP. Not only is this enemy skill a useful alternative to wasting precious ethers or turbo ethers when you’re not within hiking distance of an inn but it can also be used on powerful enemies and bosses in order to “use up their skill power” and stop them casting the high-damaging spells that could cause instant deaths. At 3 MP per cast, it’s also very economical, restoring up to 97 MP per cast and can be used multiple times on the same target until they have been sapped of all their magic power. Also, unlike many enemy skills that quickly become obsolete once you’ve learned higher level spells to replace them, Magic Hammer is useful from disc one right the way up to fighting high level creatures in the Northern Cave.

4 - Trine
In fourth place we have Trine, a lightning-element spell that damages all opponents. It costs 20 MP per cast and unlike spells from the Bolt family, is unaffected by reflect. Trine’s base power is equal to 2.125x base magic damage and can easily wipe out whole groups of weaker enemies and does well at holding its own against early bosses. It even comes in useful against later bosses who are weak to lightning damage such as the Carry Armour. The only problem with Trine is that it can only be learned from 3 enemies in the whole game, two of which are bosses and one that is native to Gaea’s Cliff, an area that becomes inaccessible upon completion.

3 - Aqualung
Next we have Aqualung, a water-element spell that damages all opponents in battle. It costs 34 MP per cast and is one of only two spells you can cast that are water-elemental. Aqualung’s base power is equal to 3.25x base magic and is useful against both groups of weaker enemies and bosses. As many creatures, especially fire-based ones like dragons have a weakness to water - Aqualung remains useful throughout large sections of the game and has multiple opportunities to be learned. It can also be used as a healing spell against a party who are set up to absorb water damage (i.e. with elemental-Leviathan or wearing the water ring.)

2 - White Wind
In 2nd place we have White Wind, an enemy skill that restores the caster’s current HP to all party members, in addition to curing over 12 different status effects, including slow-numb, petrify, frog and small. If the caster has a large amount of HP, i.e. is high-leveled, wearing HP plus materia etc, White Wind can actually be more effective at healing than the restore materia. In addition to being useful for healing party members, it can also be used offensively against enemies that are weak to holy magic. As well as causing damage, it will also inflict the status effects it can cure. Most enemies in the Cave of the Gi in Cosmo Canyon can be instantly killed with White Wind as it will petrify them. White Wind wins out against Angel Whisper for numerous reasons - namely that White Wind can be learned early in disc 1 and remains useful for the rest of the game, whereas Angel Whisper is learned far too late in the game to be of any real use. A final-attack revive combination can easily negate the usefulness of Angel Whisper - while White Wind is useful whether you’re level 19 or level 99.

1 - Big Guard
And the best enemy skill in Final Fantasy VII, in my opinion of course is Big Guard - a spell that costs 56 MP and casts barrier and magic barrier (also known as Wall) and haste on all party members. The MP cost alone proves how useful this spell is, as Wall alone costs 58 MP to cast. Also useful to note is that this skill can be learned as soon as you leave Corel Prison, as soon as Cait Sith has joined the party and blessed you with his manipulate materia. Big Guard can be learned before you are able to even BUY the barrier materia, let alone level it up high enough to be able to cast Wall in the first place. The convenience of casting both Wall and Haste is an invaluable skill to have in later fights and boss battles and can help you to defeat bosses even when you’re under-leveled. The only downside of Big Guard is as you also cast haste, the barrier and magic barrier will drain faster than usual - but I think that’s a small price to pay.

My Top 5 Best Crash Team Racing Tracks

Ah, is there such a thing as too much Crash Bandicoot? I don't think there is. With the N Sane Trilogy coming to Steam this year, meaning I can FINALLY play the damn thing - there’s never been a better time for a nostalgia trip and revisiting classic PS1 era Crash after all, Crash Team Racing hasn’t been remastered… yet. I’ve already made a list of my most hated tracks, so today we’re doing the opposite. This is my top 5 personal favourite tracks from Crash Team Racing.

 5 - Coco Park
First on the list we’ve got Coco Park, which at first glance may seem like a generic or boring track from any old racing game - but Coco Park to me has the same appeal as Baby Park from Mario Kart. As it’s simplistic with large turns and wide roads, you’re welcome to experiment with lots of slides and turbos in order to build up maximum speed. It’s also a perfect track for practicing your aim with projectile weapons. Sometimes there’s nothing inherently bad about simplicity - and over complicating a track is worse, in my opinion. The music is also oddly addicting - very poppy and bouncy sounding and it suits Coco Bandicoot perfectly.

4 - Sewer Speedway
Next we have Sewer Speedway - a track that is clearly inspired by my favourite type of levels from Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, the sewer levels! With alternate routes, secret passages, crazy jumps and endless opportunity for sneaky overtaking or the downright evil yet hilarious tactic of placing explosives on track racers can’t avoid - Sewer Speedway is an awesome track to play with friends and CPUs alike. Also, managing to pull off a platinum relic using advanced driver Tiny Tiger is one of my prouder achievements in gaming - managing that near impossible slide, turbo, jump combo to reach the secret passageway that runs across the top of the level - amazing.

3 - N. Gin Labs
At number 3 we’ve got N. Gin Labs - one of the harder tracks in the game but also one of the more unique and frankly crazy. Let’s see - we’ve got turbo pads, huge ramp jumps, gigantic toxic waste barrels, 90 degree sharp turns and the amazing turbo tunnel that allows you to reach your maximum speed instantly as you race down it. A mix of careful navigating and reckless abandon to take risks is required if you ever hope to beat the platinum time trials on this track, or beat the hard CPU racers in arcade mode. Not only is the track fun to play against friends or CPU racers, it just fits N. Gin’s personality so well - with elements of science, industry and insanity. After Tiny Tiger, N. Gin is my favourite Crash Bandicoot villain - I’m a big fan of mad scientist types.

2 - Tiger Temple
Our runner up on this list goes to Tiger Temple - a track belonging to Pura the tiger and also bearing an uncanny resemblance to original Crash Bandicoot levels like Temple Ruins and Sunset Vista. The track is a mix of extra wide paths that allow for lots of jump boosts, sliding and launching from ramps and super narrow passageways that are full of fire-breathing gargoyles. However, the best thing about this track is the not-so-secret passageway. While not a secret to long time veterans, anybody new to the game wouldn’t spot it straightaway. To access this shortcut you must shoot this carving in the teeth with a projectile weapon like a bowling bomb or a potion thrown forward. He’ll part his teeth and you can squeak though, shaving off valuable seconds and crashing down on top of the clueless racers taking the long way round.

1 - Oxide Station
And my number 1, my personal favourite track in Crash Team Racing is Oxide Station. Though presented as one of the harder tracks in the game and the stage for the final race against Oxide himself, this track manages to balance complexity and hilarity with its frankly ridiculous amount of turbo pads, huge jumps and scrambled up box placements, often mixing fruit crates and item crates in together in one area. What’s not to like about a track where you’re hitting your top speed limit for half of the course and literally holding onto your car for dear life as you hurtle through literal space for the other half? Of course, the boss race against Oxide himself may sully your opinion on this track as he’s a cheating arsehole who begins the race before the flag is waved and hurls a near infinite amount of crap at you, beating his slimy alien arse and sending him packing is so damn satisfying.

 

My Top 5 Worst Crash Team Racing Tracks

I’m a big fan of Crash Team Racing - I’m generally not all that interested in realistic driving games, I wasn’t interested in Ridge Racer on the PS1 in the 90s and I’m not interested in Forza Motorsport on the Xbox One today. However, I do enjoy playing the more wacky and silly driving games - namely those that involve anthropomorphic creatures, downright dangerous power-ups and items you literally throw at one another and any tracks that involve flying, inhuman jumps or being underwater, in space or at the top of a mountain - basically anything that’s super unrealistic… 

Crash Team Racing is one of my favourite driving games and one of my top PS1 games overall - I played it to death as a kid and still enjoy the odd spot of it now and then as an adult when I’m looking for a nostalgia trip. However, nostalgia goggles cannot hide the atrocity of the tracks on this list. This is my personal least favourites - this is my Top 5 Worst Crash Team Racing Tracks.

5 - Turbo Track
For me, this track is more of a disappointment than anything. I went into this track expecting turbo pads to the extent that Oxide Station has - multiple ones in rows for tons of speed boosts, crazy turbo jumps and basically a track where you’d always be going at your top speed. That’s not the case with Turbo Track - it only has a handful of boost pads, of which you’re expected to maintain your turbo between them - the gaps between them are also quite large and features some really tight turns that are near impossible for an advanced level driver. It’s also quite a generic and boring track when compared to the others that are decked out with Crash Bandicoot lore and loveliness - it’s just a boring circuit that would fit in with any realistic boring racing game - not Crash Team Racing.

4 - Dragon Mines
Next, we've got Dragon Mines - the home track of Komodo Joe - and also the track you race him on for his boss key. This track is a perfect mix of annoying tropes - water hazards, pit drops, large obstacles that can squash you, awkward turns and tons of blockades you can easily crash into and even some shortcuts that put you at a worse advantage if you use them! CPU opponents, oddly enough never get squashed by the minecarts, never slow down in the water and never fall off the rickety wooden platforms - but I can guarantee that you will! Also, why is a mine related to the Komodo Brothers? In Crash Bandicoot 2, they were depicted as samurai - not gold prospectors!

3 - Polar Pass
In third place, we've got the token ICE LEVEL. Every countdown of the hardest, worst or most frustrating levels in a game will no doubt feature an underwater level or an ice level. Thankfully, the underwater level Roo’s Tubes is actually a bearable track - but no such luck with Polar Pass. Crash Team Racing actually features TWO ice and snow tracks and a snow themed hub world. However, whereas Blizzard Bluff is more of a snow track, Polar Pass is an ice track through and through - complete with the traction, or lack of it that comes with driving on icy surfaces. What makes this track more annoying are the jumps, tight corners and the stupid seals that feel the need to CONSTANTLY get in your way… I've lost count of how many times I've crashed, span out or fallen off the glacier. The one saving grace of this track is seeing the annoying polar bear from Crash Bandicoot 2 encased in a block of ice.

2 - Cortex Castle
In 2nd place, it's Cortex Castle. Just look at this map. Did the designers use a protractor when they made this track? Look at all these tight corners - some of them are practically 90 degrees! It's almost impossible to take these turns at maximum speed whilst using an advanced driver. Even some intermediate drivers would find them difficult. Along with the corners, there's also lots of jumps, sudden drops and massive spiders that drop from the ceiling and cause your driver to spin out. The item boxes are placed in such a manner that the drivers in front will take all of them and not leave a single one for those in the back - in general the track is unfair when played against CPU opponents and hilariously infuriating when playing with friends.

1 - Hot Air Skyway
Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for the winner of the most obvious place award! The worst Crash Team Racing track, in my humble opinion, is Hot Air Skyway. This track is simply infuriating - it consists of a bunch of weird fabric pathways suspended in the air with infinite chances of falling off the edge or being pushed off the edge. Some like to say it’s the Crash Team Racing equivalent of Rainbow Road from Mario Kart. I’m inclined to both agree and disagree on this one. The equivalent Mario Kart of the time was Mario Kart 64 - the Mario Kart with the WORST Rainbow Road. Why? It had WALLS. Rainbow Road should never have WALLS. Thus, Hot Air Skyway wins the battle of the 5th-gen air suspended race tracks. To add insult to injury, you have to play this track a minimum of SIX times throughout adventure mode - once for the trophy, once for the CTR token, once for the relic, once for Pinstripe’s key, once during the yellow gem cup and once during the purple gem cup. It has one saving grace however. The music is pretty good.

The 5 Worst Final Fantasy VII Enemy Skills

Now I love using enemy skills - some of them are invaluable earlier on in the game before you learn higher level spells or summons - and I thoroughly enjoy the scavenger-hunt of collecting all 24 of them. HOWEVER; not all enemy skills are created equally. Some are awesome yes, but the following 5 in this list are the worst ones - they’re either useless, learnt too late in the game to be of any use, or require some roundabout route to even get them to work. Let’s begin the countdown!

5 - ????

This enemy skill, which you can learn in the Shinra Mansion at first may seem useful - but bear in mind, the amount of damage you can do is based solely on the amount of damage you’ve taken. It essentially only has the potential to do 9998 damage, providing you can maintain having only 1HP, or even get hit with the correct amount of attacks to absorb 9998 HP of damage in the first place. If you have full health, regardless of your total number of HP, whether you have 900 or 9000, you will do 0 damage. In order for this enemy skill to even work, you have to let yourself sit with damage, potentially increasing the risk you’ll be killed.

4 - L4 Suicide

Although you learn this enemy skill very early in the game - it can be potentially your first, or one of the first ones you learn - its usefulness is incredibly limited. L4 Suicide inflicts critical damage and small status on all enemies whose levels are multiples of 4 - such as 12, 16, 20, 24 etc. So already there’s only a handful of enemies this will even effect. Now out of the enemies whose levels ARE a multiple of 4, many of them are immune to the small status effect - which again reduces the usefulness of this attack. Yes, it will do critical damage - but it will never kill anything - it will always leave enemies with at least some health.

3 - L5 Death

L5 Death is likely going to be one of the last enemy skills you learn - it’s in the collection of rare enemy skills that you can only find in the Northern Cave - right at the end of the game when there’s little to no opportunity left to use it. As the name suggests, only enemies whose levels are multiples of 5 will be affected by the enemy skill - level 50, 55, 60, 65 etc - which is even less of a range of enemies that are potentially affected by L4 Suicide - and far more creatures are immune to instant death than the small status. I don’t think I’ve ever used L5 Death in any of my playthroughs - to me, it just seemed like a massive waste of time that had the potential to rarely ever succeed, either by enemies not being the right level, or being immune to instant death in the first place.

2 - Chocobuckle

Considering how much of a puzzle it is to even learn the Chocobuckle enemy skill, you’d think it would be more useful than it is. In order to learn Chocobuckle, you have to find a Chocobo whose level is a multiple of 4, feed it some Memitt Greens and then cast L4 Suicide on it - this in itself can be a pain in the arse if you’re not sure what you’re looking for - and if it wasn’t for the strategy guide, I’d have never thought of doing this in the late 90s when I didn’t have the means to just Google these things. Anyway, Chocobuckle’s damage is based on how many times you’ve escaped from battle. That’s right - escaped once? 1 damage. Escaped 9999 times? 9999 damage. If you wanted to build Chocobuckle up, you’d have to run from battle 9999 times. It would be quicker to fight the 9999 battles and level up your characters so they did 9999 damage with their normal weapon!

1 - Roulette

And finally we have Roulette, the worst and most useless enemy skill in the whole game. First off, let’s talk about WHEN you acquire this skill. You can only learn it from one enemy in one place, the Death Dealer in the Northern Cave - A.K.A. THE END OF THE GAME - so even if you wanted to use this enemy skill in battle, you have very little opportunity to do so. Now let’s talk about what it does. Roulette, as the name suggests is a luck-based attack which makes your cursor flick rapidly between all three of your party members and all enemies you’re facing. The person or enemy the cursor stops on will be hit with instant death. Firstly, you’re potentially risking the lives of your party members, unless they’re wearing an accessory that protects against death, such as the Safety Bit - or you’ve already gone ahead and cast a protective spell like the Death Force enemy skill. And what if it does land on an enemy and that enemy is immune to death spells? Lots of enemies are, and certainly the majority of bosses and sub-boss creatures are. Learn the skill to complete your collection, then never touch it again. It’s ultimately useless and risks the lives of your party members to MAYBE cast instant death on an enemy - just use x4 cut or a powerful spell and get it over with!