Walkthroughs not doing the research.

[Skyblade]

Guides from the 16-bit to PSX generations are pretty notorious for missing things. The official FFVII Guide missed a few items (Cursed Ring and Behemoth Horn) mixed up how to obtain certain materia (Final Attack and Sneak Attack), the FFVI guide for the SNES missed a few items and side quests, Xenogears guide leaves out rare item drops from enemies and doesn't realize that several supposedly unwinnable battles are winnable and net you rare items. Stuff like this are common for RPG guides.

I think my favorite missing thing about the FFVII guide is the Rising Sun. It's not in their weapon list, nor is there any mention of it in the guide, or how to obtain it. But, if you look at all the screenshots, instead of just looking at the guide, you'll see a shot of it being stolen from Diamond WEAPON. So, clearly, someone knew it was there. Why wasn't it added to the official game list, and why didn't they tell you the specifics about stealing from him?

[Iceglow]

The OPM guide for FFVIII actually didn't tell you much, well it was a hints and tips book like think much like the one Paul and MJN are talking about. It did however give you all 32 SeeD test answers. The 13th test answers and the 8th test answers (along with some others I believe, but I've never needed to use all 32 tests since I kill too much and that keeps my rank up) are wrong and not just one or two wrong like 5 wrong answers.

There were other little wrong ones I remember. Front Mission 3 had a similar thing, the guide told you that you needed a certain password for a download on the "internet" in game that led to getting cool stuff. It did not however explain how you get the url for that website. Something which is actually not simply uncovered in story line play but required a sub story in itself. Vagrant Story had plenty of wrong stuff in it's OPM guide too.

Heck, lets face it...OPM sucked at writing guides a few years ago now.

I wouldn't mind finding a copy of the Prima/Brady games guide for Vagrant Story as the artwork alone would be worth it, though I have never owned a Brady/Prima guide book for any game. My mom basically raised me with the logic that it was fine to buy me the games but if I was going to keep getting brought games for presents then I had to be able to do them without game guides. She considered it cheating. In a sense that made me far more inquisitive in games and have far longer play time out of each game since I would actually work on getting through it bit by bit without cheating or using a guide book.

[Dr. rydrum2112]

I had the David Cassady guide for FF7 and in it, they had published you could win Sephiroth's Masamune blade from gold saucer- did anyone?

This was so far back in the day, that Cassady listed his email address in the back of the book- so I emailed asking him about it and he never responded...

[MJN SEIFER]

I had the David Cassady guide for FF7 and in it, they had published you could win Sephiroth's Masamune blade from gold saucer- did anyone?

This was so far back in the day, that Cassady listed his email address in the back of the book- so I emailed asking him about it and he never responded...

Yes you can, but it's just a collecters item like the 1/35 Solider, and some other items I'm too tired to mention. It's not the real sword and you can't use it - it's a toy.

[Dr. rydrum2112]

I had the David Cassady guide for FF7 and in it, they had published you could win Sephiroth's Masamune blade from gold saucer- did anyone?

This was so far back in the day, that Cassady listed his email address in the back of the book- so I emailed asking him about it and he never responded...

Yes you can, but it's just a collecters item like the 1/35 Solider, and some other items I'm too tired to mention. It's not the real sword and you can't use it - it's a toy.

thats weak- why would you want the coolest looking sword as a toy item that you can't see or use?

[Psychotic]

Come to think of it, that FFVII guide also thought "H051-whatever" was one of the Jenovas...

That's right! It was the same one! I remember mentioning it as Jenova (I think Jenova Specimen?) to my friends and they were like "Uh, no...?" I was always confused as to why it didn't have the Jenova music.

[MJN SEIFER]

That's right! It was the same one! I remember mentioning it as Jenova (I think Jenova Specimen?) to my friends and they were like "Uh, no...?" I was always confused as to why it didn't have the Jenova music.

Yeah, it was "Jenova Specimen" which is what Red XIII refers to Jenova as sometime you escape from the cells. I'm guessing they just thought it was that based on that line. Man, I really wish i still had it - I'm getting kinda nostalgia.

I used to think that maybe they didn't know about the "Help Window" until after Midgar, as "Armored Tank" seemed to be the last mistake they made, but like you say Carry Armor was missnamed, and I think one of the Hojos was called something stupid as well, so I dunno...

Also because I missed this:

thats weak- why would you want the coolest looking sword as a toy item that you can't see or use?

I think it was to make the FFVII world more real by allowing the player to have collectors items. I'm in to minds of the idea really.