Japan was the first country to publish the International Version on January 31, 2002; Europe followed shortly after (the European release was titled “Final Fantasy X”). This updated game version has new features, such as an Expert Sphere Grid, which makes it possible to access abilities more easily but results in slower overall stat growth. The box art for the Japanese version of the game is also different. Both the Standard and the Expert Grids have been updated with new abilities. In addition to the addition of the formidable Dark Aeons and Penance, numerous minor adjustments were made to the dialogue, scenes, characters, and armor, as well as weapon customizations such as Ribbon. These adjustments were made in addition to the addition of the mighty super bosses.
Additionally, the release comes with a bonus disc containing behind-the-scenes making-of features for Final Fantasy X and a special movie prologue for Final Fantasy X-2—Expert Sphere Grid in the international version of Final Fantasy X’s Sphere Grid. The names of the Celestial Sigils and Crests have remained the same in the European version of the game, despite the addition of new features such as the Dark Aeons and Penance and new equipment abilities. As with previous installments of Final Fantasy that were converted to PAL, this version of the game suffers from noticeable black borders and a slower running speed as a direct result. The black-label edition comes with a bonus DVD titled Beyond Final Fantasy. On this disc are several interviews with the game’s creators, as well as interviews with two of the English voice actors. RIKKI performs the song “Suteki da ne” in a music video, which is also included in the package, in addition to game trailers from a variety of Square games, an art gallery, brief biographies of both Nobuo Uematsu and RIKKI and the song itself.
