Ico
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Ico (pronounced ee-ko) is the first video game created by Team Ico. It was first released in September 2001 for North America and in December for Japan later that same year. Europe finally show the title's release in March 2002. Ico was later re-released, four years after the original release, in PAL territories to tie-in with the release of Shadow of the Colossus. Despite numerous critical acclaim, the title was not a commerical success in North America. Nevertheless, Team ICO eventually released a "spiritual successor" to ICO in October 2005 titled Shadow of the Colossus.
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[edit] Synopsis
The game follows the path of the eponymous character, Ico, a boy with two large horns on his head. He has been imprisoned in a strange castle because of this abnormality, but soon finds himself free to explore the castle after his stone cage falls and breaks on the floor. He meets Yorda, a fragile, ethereal character whom Ico must protect if the pair must escape the castle; they are being constantly attacked by the castle's Queen and her minions, dark shadowy creatures, that threaten to take Yorda and pull her into a shadowy portal (inevitably causing a Game Over if successful).
[edit] Soundtrack
The game's soundtrack was composed by Michiru Oshima & Pentagon and was released (in Japan only) as a CD entitled Ico ~Melody in the Mist~. The game itself, however, only featured a minor amount of music that would be heard during the gameplay. A majority of the tracks on Melody in the Mist are heard during cutscenes, encounters with the shadowy creatures, or in significant areas. The final track off the CD, ICO ~You Were There~, is sung by Steven Geraghty, a former member of the musical group Libera.
[edit] Reception
Although Ico receieved widespread critical acclaim from reviewers throughout 2001, it was not a commerical success and managed to sell approximately 700,000 copies worldwide. The title did receieve several awards the following year in the Game Developers Choice Awards and the 5th Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences Achievement Awards, winning in fields pertaining to design and game innovation. Ico also has been frequently placed in numerous top listings from online gaming websites in categories for the PlayStation 2, cult classics, and as one of the greatest games of all time.
[edit] Links
- Ico on Wikipedia
- Talking ICO: An Annotation by PeterEliot - A guide to Ico's story; highly recommended reading for those who have finished the game
 Main Article • SCE | Shadow of the Colossus >> | |
| Characters: | Ico (Kazuhiro Shindou) • Yorda (Reiko Takahashi) • The Queen (Misa Watanabe) | |
|---|---|---|
| The Castle: | Yorda's language • Shadow creatures • Saving • Bonuses not in U.S. version | |
| Production Staff: | Fumito Ueda • Kenji Kaido • Michiru Oshima (Melody in the Mist) • [Full Credits...] | |
| Other Media: | Castle in the Mist (Miyabe Miyuki) • Offical Guide Book | |
