In Final Fantasy VIII, weapons are no longer found in tucked away treasure chests or purchased from shops, but rather upgraded from previous equipped weapons by finding items and parts found in the field. When you defeat enemies, some will leave behind various items used in weapon modification like, Screws, Steel Pipes, Malboro Tenticles, Mesmerize Blades, Sharp Spikes, and Energy Crystals. You can also get these items by using Quezacotl's Card-Mod Ability to turn certain Triple Triad cards into what you need, but the quantity of a particular card needed for a rare item is usually high. Some of these rare items are damn near impossible to get, but when obtained pay off. Weapons are modified at Junk Shops which are usually located in every city and town. Modifying weapons can increase your strength and Hit% and allow new Limit Breaks for some characters.

To gain the ability to improve your weapons you will have to find and read all the issues of "Weapons Monthly" that are scattered throughout the world. After reading the issues you will gain the ability to modify your weapons at the Junk Shops for a small fee.