ICO

Prototype Info Prerelease Info

Unused Subtitle Files#

To do: Finish.

Present in the Japanese release, and left blank in the US and European releases, are more subtitle files designed to be shown in cutscenes. The amount of unused files greatly outnumbers the number of used subtitles.

Unused Text Files#

Download ICO (TXT files) File: ICO-TXT.7z (2.89 MB) (info)

Present in the root of the European ISO are four text files. What's notable about these is that SRCFILE.TXT and TRFILE.TXT seem to be disassemblies of the code. The date these files were last modified corresponds to the build date of the binary. Also present is DUMMY.TXT which just contains the string "DUMMY" and MAIN.MAP.

Debug Menu#

To do: Find where it gets the "disc ver." from, and record that for all versions

The debug menu can be enabled by using the Action Replay codes below. To enable the debug menu, press Select on Controller 1. The codes are not perfect, and some debug functions may freeze or not work. Also, a second controller is necessary to use some of the debug functions and control the movement of Yorda.

Functions#

These are the options presented in the Debug Menu of ICO's US Version:

• Debug Mode - Provides a miscellaneous list of variables to alter and test.
• Free Camera - Allows the camera position and direction to be directed by the 2nd controller.
• Stage Select - Provides a variety of maps to load Ico (and often Yorda) into.
• Target Object - Guides the camera to a map's objects and entities (presented in a list), and follows them as they move.
• Stage Setting - Provides the means to alter lighting, shadows, fog, motion blur, and other stage specific visual aspects.
• Way Test - Reveals the waypoints that AI-driven entities use to navigate environments. The options to add, select, and delete these points are present, but inoperable.
• Camera Editor - Provides information about the current camera, Ico's coordinates, and a variables compelling Yorda's movement.
• Motion Viewer - Allows previews of animations, both used and unused, for Ico, Yorda, the Shadow Creatures, the Queen, and the Birds. Animations may not appear depending on the stage currently occupied and the entities loaded into it.
• Effect Tool - Displays, and allows for the movement and rotation of, various particle effects.
• TextureList - Displays a list of textures loaded into the current stage, as well as the UserSpace color palette corresponding to specific textures that utilize it.
• Snap Shot - No effect. Purpose unclear.
• Memory Card - Displays a menu for testing, saving, loading, deleting, formatting, and unformatting the game's data stored in the PS2's memory card.
• STAFF ROLL TEST - Displays the credits scroll in an overlay.
• ADPCM TEST - Provides a selection of all cutscene and music tracks to play.
• SE TEST - Provides a selection of all sound effects to play.
• REVERB TEST - Changes the reverb depth of the current stage.
• Game Over - No effect. Purpose unclear.
• Ending Demo - No effect. Purpose unclear.
• BackStage Test - No effect. Purpose unclear.
• LoadINFO - A set of 25 values related to the current stage appears.
• Chara Info - No effect. Purpose unclear.
• Pad2 Control - No effect. Purpose unclear.
• DispBox - Displays a gray translucent box around Ico's current position.
• DispBall - Displays a wireframe sphere around Ico's current position. When Ico occupies the sphere, it is red; when he doesn't, it is blue.
• Collision Test - Provides surrounding collision data and borders.
• Tsuresari Time Zero - Applies only if Yorda is in a separate map from Ico. This instantly triggers her abduction by a shadow creature.

(Note: The JP and EU versions include a 'Hint Start' function, placed just below 'Collision Test' and above 'Tsuresari Time Zero'. Its purpose is to automatically trigger one of Yorda's hints in a stage where one is available for an unresolved puzzle.)

Regional Differences#

To do: Apparently, the European version can be played in 60Hz and playing in 50hz alters the jumping physics slightly. (sources: 1, 2)

This page or section needs more images. There's a whole lotta words here, but not enough pictures. Please fix this.

Ico was first released in North America, nearly three months before it released in Japan. Due to time constraints, the US version lacks many features and changes that were implemented in the later Japanese and European versions of the game. The PS3 remaster is derived from the JP/EU versions.

Title Screen#

US	Japan	Europe

• "Load" was changed to "Continue" in the European version.

New Game+#

Options (US)	Options (EU NG+)

The JP/EU versions include several features that are unlocked once the player starts a game from a cleared file:

• Yorda's dialogue translated: Yorda's dialogue, which is usually displayed as runic symbols, is fully translated.
• Screen filters: The player can apply different "film effects" to the screen (the overlays are repurposed from various parts of the game, including the cutscene where Ico sees a shadow dripping out of Yorda's cage).
• Two-player mode: Upon changing the "Players" option, a second player can control Yorda.
• Shining Sword: A weapon hidden in the sluice area that looks (and even sounds) like a lightsaber. It is the strongest weapon in the game, and it has an absurdly long reach when Ico is holding Yorda's hand.

Shining Sword (not holding Yorda's hand)	Shining Sword (holding Yorda's hand)

• Extra ending: During the ending, there are several watermelons behind a large rock near the beginning of the beach. If Ico picks one of them up and carries it all the way over to Yorda, an additional scene will play showing them sitting together eating watermelons.

Graphical Changes#

• The font used in the menus and subtitles was changed.
• The save screen UI was altered in the EU version.

US	EU

• Certain level-of-detail models used for distant architecture were improved.

US	EU

• Textures in the crane area were improved.

• The design of the cranks was altered.

US	EU

Gameplay Changes#

• In the US and EU versions, the "accept" and "cancel" buttons are Cross and Triangle, while in the JP version, they are Circle and Cross respectively.
• In the JP/EU versions, the player can move the camera and zoom in during cutscenes.
• Several cutscenes that were unskippable in the US version were made skippable in the JP/EU versions.
• Several of the rooms had their camera angles changed.
• Dropping from chains does not auto-catch in the US version.
• In the US version, the player must press R1 once to hold hands, and again to release. A "Hold Type" option was introduced in the JP/EU versions, where "type A" requires the button to be held down to hold hands (default), and "type B" behaves the same as the US version.
• In the US version Ico can climb up ledges by pressing either Triangle or Up. In the JP/EU versions, only Triangle works.
• Yorda's AI was improved:
  • She helps the player solve puzzles by pointing to things of interest in the environment.
  • She would usually stand still while enemies were actively approaching in the US version. This behavior was fixed in the JP/EU versions.
• Enemy behavior and difficulty was changed:
  • In the US version, the "spider" shadows can deal damage to the player. They are passive in the JP/EU versions.
  • In the US version, shadows universally have 14 HP, while in the JP/EU versions, larger shadows have 11 HP and the smaller ones have 7 HP.
  • Shadows are more aggressive in the US version. This can be seen especially well at the water tower section, where they will follow Yorda onto a block which hangs from a chain, instead of just watching from the ledge.
  • The big encounter at the end of the game takes longer in the US version, as many of the shadows simply swirl in place instead of pursuing Ico.

Level / Puzzle Changes#

• The drawbridge in the crane area is missing in the US version.

US	EU

• The lever in the trolley 1 area is in a different spot.

US	EU

• The bench in the trolley 1 area was moved from the rooftop to the inside.

US	EU

• The rafters in the chandelier area were altered. Additionally, in the US version the chandelier falls as soon as Ico drops onto it, while in the JP/EU versions, the player must hit the chain.

US	EU

• The steps in the arena areas were changed from steep to slanted.

US	EU

• The sluice area was altered considerably: in the US version, the pipe in the interior extends all the way across the room, while in the JP/EU versions, the pipe is broken, and Ico must use a piston to launch himself up onto the ledge.

US	EU

• Additionally, the water wheel is completely missing in the US version.

US	EU

References#