Trivia Thread
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
e-ko Trivia #1:
A mid-boss was planned for the West Arena. As shown in this art, it seemed to be a large amorphous shadow with dark tendrils emerging from it. In a 2002 interview Fumito Ueda had with Nice Games Magazine, he mentions that this segment was impossible to make, due to time restrictions.
— November 19, 2024 at 12:39 AM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
e-ko Trivia #2:
Placeholder data for a cut weapon, labelled as the Insect Net, remains in the game files. It's a bare wireframe that was never modeled or button mapped. While we know it was going to be a secret weapon in place of the Spiked Club, its intended use remains unclear.
— November 19, 2024 at 5:52 PM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
e-ko Trivia #3:
As first uncovered by dark0ssx in a YouTube video now 15 years old: Activating the 'Skeleton' feature of e-kos Debug Menu reveals a developer in-joke. An invisible wireframe office fan was placed in each map to help display the direction and speed of the wind.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sf0vlvAhe_s&t=25s
— November 20, 2024 at 11:19 PM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
e-ko Trivia #4:
Junichi Hosono, who has worked alongside Fumito Ueda for each of his projects, says that Ueda derived yorudas name from Hilda, a character from the 1968 Toei film, 太陽の王子 ホルスの大冒険 (The Great Adventure of Horus, Prince of the Sun).
Image taken from Page 84 of the art book: 神話を紡ぐ
— November 21, 2024 at 9:25 PM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
While not stated, we can infer that 'yoruda' came about because Hilda, in Japanese, is pronounced ‘Hiruda’. 昼 (hiru) is a Japanese kanji character meaning ‘daytime’. Its opposite would be 夜 (yoru) meaning ‘night’. Thus, switching out the ‘hiru’ in Hiruda for its opposite gives us ‘Yoruda’.
— November 21, 2024 at 9:25 PM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
e-ko Trivia #5:
In the final battle against The Shadows, the spirits emit a set of pained sounds when struck. In previous battles, they did not make a sound upon their defeat.
When you listen closely, the new sounds seem to be distorted copies of e-kos own pained grunts.
— November 26, 2024 at 12:45 AM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
e-ko Trivia #6:
According to an IGN Preview, there was a point in development where: "[yoruda] has been placed under a powerful spell. She cannot see well, if at all, and she's incapable of finding her way out of the dungeon."
-Douglass C. Perry, June 14, 2000
https://web.archive.org/web/20010606032733/http://ps2.ign.com/previews/14833.html
— November 28, 2024 at 6:42 PM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
Douglass would later clarify in a follow-up posted to the same page on May 25th, 2001:
"Back then, American Producer Darren Yager gave us as much information on the game that was comprehensible..."
So we can infer that this information about the spell on yoruda came from him.
— November 28, 2024 at 6:42 PM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
While not the most direct source, Darren Yager was presumably sharing info about the game that he gathered from Kenji Kaido and/or Fumito Ueda’s translators. What might’ve been lost in the game of Telephone, we can’t say. But an ounce of truth likely remains in this statement.
— November 28, 2024 at 6:42 PM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
Addendum: Fritz Fraundorf from GIA corroborates this
"Your mission is not just to escape a castle, but to guide a captive princess out as well. The catch? The princess is blind, so your hero will have to carefully guide her through the many traps and hazards."
— December 2, 2024 at 6:33 PM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
Addendum: Russian gaming magazine "Страна игр" corroborates this on Page 33 of Issue 72 (August 2000).
"Дело в том, что девушка находится под воздействием хитрого заклятья и в данный момент практически ни черта не видит."
— July 5, 2025 at 5:22 PM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
e-ko Trivia #7:
In Co-op Mode, yoruda can throw pots, bombs, and barrels at enemies to deal very light damage to them. This can also hurt e-ko, prompting a unique hit animation. But surprisingly, he was also programmed to be capable of blocking the damage from these ranged attacks.
— November 30, 2024 at 8:14 PM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
e-ko Trivia #8:
The Queen's Sword has a scabbard in the game's opening cutscene. But later, the scabbard is missing. As a result, an oft forgotten aspect of the blade's design is that the upturned end of the S-shaped crossguard is meant to connect to the scabbard, forming a cog-like handle.
— December 7, 2024 at 7:06 PM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
e-ko Trivia #9:
Shadow Creatures disintegrate instantly when they make contact with most bodies of water. This is not easily noticed, because maps with water are where the Shadows tend to avoid ambushing players.
https://youtu.be/APfu3hUy0GU
(It's easy to tell this is my oldest video, isn't it?)
— December 10, 2024 at 10:33 PM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
e-ko Trivia #10:
The voice of e-ko, Kazuhiro Shindō, was also the child voice actor for ‘Boku’ from the original ぼくのなつやすみ (Boku no Natsuyasumi PS1). But his biggest role was, undoubtedly, voicing Hogarth Hughes in the Japanese dub of The Iron Giant.
— December 13, 2024 at 10:33 AM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
Ironically, Fumito Ueda once stated (in a 2005 interview with CONTINUE magazine) that he felt the English dub of The Iron Giant was more moving than the Japanese dub. Though to be specific, that was only because he couldn’t understand what was being said in English.
shmuplations.com/ueda/
— December 13, 2024 at 10:33 AM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
e-ko Trivia #11:
According to the game's producer, Kenji Kaido:
今だから明かすけどICOのCMのプレイ動画は僕と上田さんと細野くんで撮ってるんです！プレイ係とカメラ操作係で手分けしてた！
https://x.com/kenji_kaido/status/1348168052517478402
So the lead director, producer, and planner of the game are responsible for all the footage seen here.
https://youtu.be/NZ5lPBzoJ_g
— December 16, 2024 at 7:37 PM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
e-ko Trivia #12:
If yoruda is far away, tapping R1 will make e-ko call out for her. If you do this while moving, e-ko will run faster, in order to close the distance between himself and yoruda.
This was used in a speedrun for the first time on Nov. 21st, 2015. Run by カレクサ.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCRdC7j-zac
— December 18, 2024 at 4:37 PM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
ICO Trivia #13:
The Japanese Manual refers to these horsemen as 神官 (shinkan). This translates to 'shinto priest', but Japanese Wikipedia clarifies:
"In fantasy media, the term is often used to refer to clergymen in the fictional religion depicted in the story"
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%A5%9E%E5%AE%98
— December 19, 2024 at 6:00 PM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
This term is also reflected in the game’s files, where the models are labeled Shinkan A, B, and C. Strangely, these characters are never addressed in the credits. Consequently, their animators are unspecified and the voice actor of Shinkan A (who speaks two lines in the opening) is uncredited.
— December 19, 2024 at 6:01 PM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
I’m wondering now if perhaps this was a play on the「陰麻の葉」pattern. According to its Japanese Wikipedia entry, the Asanoha pattern has been used for many purposes, but a notable one was as a shrine crest (神紋), which would be a fitting usage for these three priests.
https://ja.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%BA%BB%E3%81%AE%E8%91%89%E6%96%87%E6%A7%98
— January 11, 2025 at 10:42 AM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
ICO Trivia #14:
In one of Yorda's idle animations, she inspects her arm. This has been a point of confusion for some players.
But, as briefly seen in GenDESIGN's 20th Anniversary YouTube Upload, and explained on Page 83 of the Official Japanese Guidebook:
「ヒロインの腕の模様に注目。ヒロインの肘を見る仕草はこの設定が名残になっている。」— December 26, 2024 at 10:14 PM
Miscellaneous Informative Posts
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
Something I forgot to mention in the 'Familiar Pattern' video. The sofas in e-ko also seem to include just the smallest portion of the Main Gate's design on them, in the very bottom right corner of the texture work. At least, it seems that way to me. The second image is edited for comparison.
— October 24, 2024 at 6:47 PM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
It's almost impressive just how elusive footage of ICO from E3 2000 and 2001 is. Most of the footage I've found online is from gamestore VHS tapes.
It was likely the recorder's job to capture a few minutes of every game so that the gamestore(s) could run footage for all the anticipated releases.
— January 20, 2025 at 6:17 PM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
But if that wasn't your job, ICO was invisible. Magazine reviewers present at both events described it as 'hidden away'. Which baffles me, given how impressive it looked.
I'm not saying it should've been front and center, but evidently its positioning was so poor that few registered its presence.
— January 20, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
If you were in attendance at E3 2000 or E3 2001 and remember capturing footage of ICO, for even a second, please, do what you can to preserve and share that recording.
That would be incredible.
— January 20, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
In Game Informer Issue 100, they show a screenshot from a prototype of ICO where the Queen's shadowy attire looks very different. Her headdress resembles feathers rather than twisting spikes. She seems to have very puffy sleeves of lattice-like shadow as well.
— January 30, 2025 at 10:05 PM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
I've only seen this design once before, in a PlayStation Underground 'Making Of' video for the game. They apparently gathered a lot of footage from this prototype, so there are all kinds of weird effects and evident meddling (such as having The Queen's Sword early). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZHKam_H4H0
— January 30, 2025 at 10:07 PM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
An additional shot of this design, at a bit of a distance, from Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine, Issue 47 on page 120.
— January 31, 2025 at 12:05 PM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
The PAL manual claims that the priests come to take Ico away on the morning of his 12th birthday and it specifically takes them 'many hours' of riding to reach the Castle...
But that's still on the same day. So according to that manual, the game consists of Ico experiencing the worst birthday ever.
— February 14, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
I don't know much about music theory, nor am I great at picking out notes, but I would like to draw attention to the leitmotif used primarily in Castle in the Mist, but found in various songs throughout ICO's OST: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kwH_OjCqlGlnulrypDLAbgH64HGvbqoJ0
Impression, Who are you?, Impression (Reprise), Collapse
— February 19, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
I think it relates to Yorda in most of its appearances, which is why it's interesting that Impression (Reprise) is dedicated to the moment that Ico rediscovers The Queen's Sword.— February 19, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
In Game Developer, Volume 16, Number 3 (March 2009), David Sirlin writes:
"I learned all this from Ueda’s 2004 presentation, but there was one more detail that stuck with me. He showed us a screenshot of one room in the castle and asked us what was wrong with it. I thought it looked pretty good.
— March 21, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
"Ueda then pointed out that there was a chair in the screenshot that didn’t look very good. He said when something like this happens, you have to decide whether you have the time and resources to fix it (make the chair more beautiful and believable) or cut it. In this case, he cut the chair."— March 21, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
If we never got NG+ translations of Yorda’s Runic Language from the developers, I swear, we would still be struggling with it. So many strange, minor choices and rules were applied, in addition to the backwards-romanized words and removed letters, that my head is spinning as I overlook it.
— April 17, 2025 at 11:46 PM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
This gets even more egregious with cut dialogue. Take this cut Queen line ききわけのない子だ ("Disobedient child") which was written in Runic as:
ONK WKQ ADPV
Reversed this becomes:
KNO QKW VPDA
We have to start in the middle here. Q=K so it's actually KiKiWa (ききわ) Then we go back to the start.
— April 18, 2025 at 10:10 PM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
KNO is KeNO (けの).
Then we jump to the end, with the baffling VPDA. In Japanese, the "v" sound is usually represented by the "b" sound.
So it's possible this is actually BPDA, but even if it were... how does it tie into "naikoda" (ない子だ)? The only part that matches is 'DA'.
ない子 = VP??? How exactly?
— April 18, 2025 at 10:10 PM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
I've mentioned it before, although I have a new addendum to add:
The painting that ICO's Japanese cover is based on, "Tropique du Cancer", was painted by Ramsès Younan, who was taking clear inspiration from Giorgio de Chirico and other surrealist-esque painters of the era, such as Salvador Dalí.
— April 22, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
Recently, a number of members in the Team ICO fan community took notice of a picture featured in the Shadow of the Colossus art book, which showed a prototype cover of a game with Giorgio de Chirico's "Nostalgia of the Infinite" on it. (Page 203)
We can guess this was a prototype cover for ICO.
— April 22, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
If that guess is correct, it might explain why Ueda has been confidently stating the Japanese cover art was based on 'Nostalgia of the Infinite' by Giorgio de Chirico. That concept was considered, but not used.
It's very possible that Ueda mixed up the title/artist between the two paintings.
— April 22, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Fan-site Archive Thread
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
I've just realized this platform is a good spot to, on the fly, share some of the old e-ko fan-sites I've stumbled across in my research. Below will be an ongoing thread of archived sites. Some may be entirely in Japanese. Some may have very few working images. But they're all fascinating to me.
— November 17, 2024 at 10:58 PM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
想空（そら）の彼方
This site has so many wonderful pictures of a pair of dolls designed to resemble Ico and Yorda. There's so much passion here, in both the craft and the posing of the characters. It warms my heart to see these.
https://web.archive.org/web/20050908025746/http://www.geocities.co.jp/Playtown-Part/1228/
— November 17, 2024 at 11:06 PM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
ICO room
I adore this site for many reasons. Chief among them is the link labelled「ＩＣＯってなぁに？」in which the author provides very cute character profiles. I'm also fascinated by the presence of a full fanfic novel. But I don't have the time to translate it myself.
http://web1.nazca.co.jp/hp/gennmai/ico/icotop.html
— November 17, 2024 at 11:17 PM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
ＩＣＯ攻略研究サイト
This one is some speedrunning history. Where Japanese fans detailed the tricks they were picking up and discussing on 2Channel. They even have an illustration for the jump you must make to skip climbing the pipe at Gondola.
https://web.archive.org/web/20160614151824/http://www50.tok2.com/home/icoico/ico.htm
— November 17, 2024 at 11:27 PM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
daruyo2000
All the credit in the world to this fan. daruyo was doing what I do long before I was capable of doing it. In-game experimentation, analysis, observations, it's all here! I'm not a fan of their「考察」page, but otherwise, it's a great site to browse.
https://web.archive.org/web/20050327184259fw_/http://www.geocities.jp/daruyo2000/index.html
— November 17, 2024 at 11:45 PM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
ICO Search
Like I mentioned before, this thread is ongoing, but if you want to look around for yourself, this here is probably the best site to do it with. It functions as a massive keyring for so many Japanese fansites. Checking under 内容 will find you lots of stuff.
https://web.archive.org/web/20071227012603/http://titi.milkcafe.to/icosearch/
— November 17, 2024 at 11:54 PM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
You Were There
I can't believe I forgot to share this one at the initial setup of this thread! I just assumed I had already.
It's a well organized site with unique perspectives on the lore. It shares an objective with my own site, to inform and celebrate the narrative presented.
youwerethere.com
— December 15, 2024 at 10:32 PM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
ポルダーの画像保管庫
Not exclusive to ICO fanart, but certainly a site worth sharing.
http://kantakuchi.blog56.fc2.com/?cat=1
I particularly adore this page, created in 2006, and dedicated to the many outfits of Yorda as shown in the NICO DVD's ICO PS1 video.
http://kantakuchi.blog56.fc2.com/blog-entry-20.html
— December 28, 2024 at 5:47 PM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
剣と女王
A site well worth exploring. The fanart gallery is really impressive, and another section hosts an example of perhaps one of the earliest Runic Font recreation efforts by fans.
I also personally enjoyed reading through the 100 questions section.
https://web.archive.org/web/20030203222559/http://titi.milkcafe.to/ico/
— January 16, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
ICO - ICO - ICO
Unfortunately, the MIDI files seemingly weren't preserved by the Wayback Machine, but the gallery is filled with wonderful sketches and art.
The 'takaramono' (宝物) section has art that other artists made for あおみら (aomira), the site admin.
https://web.archive.org/web/20021201094344/http://www.d4.dion.ne.jp/~tonkey/ICO/=TOP=.htm
— January 16, 2025 at 11:50 AM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
It may not be a fansite, but if you have an interest in the early fan community, this will be worth looking into: A page filled with Japanese user reviews of ICO, from Late 2001 to Early 2005.
https://web.archive.org/web/20050306175719/http://www.mainichi-msn.co.jp/it/game/etc/library/ps2/ii/20011206gamlib005010000c.html
— June 20, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Mystic_Ode
@icoshrine.neocities.org
Ecil@, a Japanese player of American McGee's Alice (known as "Alice in Nightmare" in Japan) created a Yorda skin to download and install in the PC version.
http://ftradio.ddo.jp/textstyle/illust_aliceskin02.htm
http://ftradio.ddo.jp/textstyle/illust_aliceskin02_2.htm
You can see a video of the skin in use here:
https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm8301273
— July 17, 2025 at 4:00 PM