How to Get Screws in Final Fantasy 8 Remastered

Final Fantasy VIII does a lot of things to change up the FF formula, and one of them is how you go about upgrading your weapons. Despite the futuristic setting, you actually just get your weapons improved and refined by taking them to a local Junk Shop, providing you have screws.

There are a few specific ways of finding the crafting part, which is why we put this mini-guide together for finding screws in FF8.

Geezards

Combat

The easiest and earliest way to find screws in FFVIII Remastered is dealing with Geezards, sometimes (mistakenly) referred to as Geezer online. Geezards are common enemies in roughly the first half of the game.

You can usually find them around Galbadia and Deling City, and also near Dollet during the Dollet Exam in the area around the scripted Anacondaur fight.

Other areas include:

• The Missile Base
• The Vaulny Canyon in Timber
• Balamb Garden

Geezards have a 70% chance of dropping at least four screws at lower levels and the same chance for six or more screws from Level 30 up.

It’s worth noting the rare item equip option that sometimes grants more or different items doesn’t positively affect screw drops from Geezards.

Mugging

A better way of obtaining more screws from Geezards is by mugging them. Geezards have a 50% success rate for mugging, but if you do succeed, you’ll be rewarded quite well, because screws are the only item you get from mugging Geezards.

• Levels 1-19: Eight screws
• Levels 20-29: 12 screws
• Levels 30-100: 16 screws

Card Mod

If you’re looking for a more surefire but slightly more involved method of getting screws from Geezards, then try the Card Mod method.

Card Mod is a refine ability you gain from the Quezacoatl Guardian Force (GF). Quezacoatl is one of the earlier GFs you get in Final Fantasy VIII.

You can acquire it by entering the tutorials on Squall’s desk sometime before you first leave Balamb Garden. If you don’t, then Quistis gives it and Shiva to Squall as the party is exiting to the world map.

Using the Card refine action during battle lets you transform a monster into a Triad Card, and the Geezard card’s refine drop is five screws.

Other Monsters

There are a few additional, though not quite as effective, monsters you can harvest if you’re looking for screws later in the game.

The first is the GIM47N. You’ll find this one a bit later on, in the D-District Prison and Fishermans Horizon. It has a roughly 20% chance of dropping:

• Four screws from Levels 1-19
• Six screws from Levels 20-29
• Eight screws from Levels 30-100

Mugging doesn’t get screws, nor does refining the GIM47N Triad Card.

Finally is the GIM52A. You’ll first encounter this as a boss in D-District Prison, and it’s also a regular monster encounter there, in Esthar City, and in Lunatic Pandoria. It has a 70% of dropping

• four screws from Levels 1-19
• eight screws from Levels 20-29

This one stops dropping screws from Level 30 up.

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That’s all you need to know about finding screws in Final Fantasy VIII Remastered. For more on the upgraded version of the classic Final Fantasy game, be sure to head over to our review.