iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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salem 🌞 ⚔️ 🐇 @faraams.bsky.social · 12h

i mist ico 25th anniversary D: happy birthday big girl how did that game come out when i was 2

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山本もとや🔞 @yamamotomotoya.bsky.social · 14/06/2025

最近暑くなってきたから涼し気な絵でも。（2014/04/02）＃ICO　＃fanart

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Taxonomista aprendiz de mestre 🪸 @afonxu.bsky.social · 16h

the last guardian é o jogo mais studio ghibli que já joguei, e isso é maravilhoso. e acho que é DE LONGE a criatura mais carismática que alguém já criou

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In conclusion, Sue Donym is a land of contrasts. @suedonym.bsky.social · 17h

yeah ico is functionally perfect. I don't think it gets nearly enough credit for how ahead of its time it was in designing 3D spaces that were real and made logical sense, rather than gesturing at a simulacrum of a space that collapses under close scrutiny.

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RetrogamerDaz @retrogamerdaz.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Just read a brilliant making of about Ico in our incoming issue of @retrogamermag.bsky.social Two bangers from Fumito Ueda in the same year, we're truly being spoiled.

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Mystic_Ode @icoshrine.neocities.org · 25/09/2026

I haven't finished reading the piece myself yet, but this is already such a treat and it deserves to be seen. www.albertchessa.com/2026/09/you-...

albertchessa.com

You Were There: Ueda's 'Ico' at 25

Twenty-five years at the gate Today, 24 September 2026, ICO has reached twenty-five years from its original North American release. That da...

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ASapphicKitsune @asapphickitsune.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Every early version of SOTC has this in the directFiles directory boy_blk.ico

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Mystic_Ode @icoshrine.neocities.org · 24/09/2026

I sometimes worry that when people speak of "Design by Subtraction", they simplify it too much. It is a form of minimalist design, but its goal is not to remove *everything* except the core concept. The goal is to push the depth of each element included so it can achieve a sense of reality.

A slide from Fumito Ueda and Kenji Kaido's GDC 2004 presentation. It shows a graph claiming the average game has a wide spread of elements at 'average quality', it then compares this to ICO's approach, where the elements stack atop each other to push well beyond the average quality, and past the boundary of 'reality'.

The slide reads: "Same cost (area), but more protruding design"
"Higher detail and quality within limited volume ~"
"Maverick (or, "behind the eight ball" type) approach"

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Mystic_Ode @icoshrine.neocities.org · 24/09/2026

If you were to run with the simplified explanation of the philosophy, I feel like you'd lose a lot of the fine detail that makes these games shine. Add a tortoise to the map? What does that have to do with striking down giant monsters? Why would we waste time programming it to hide and re-emerge?

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Mystic_Ode @icoshrine.neocities.org · 24/09/2026

Minor interactions like this are not central at all, but they're present because they each add a bit more depth and realism to the environment. This is something the team could afford to do as a result of limiting elements and honing each project's gameplay focus. But that is a means to an end.

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Mystic_Ode @icoshrine.neocities.org · 24/04/2025

The ICO PS2 Save Data Icon (Viewed through the PS2 Icons Open Database: ps2iodb.com/icon/ico)

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Mystic_Ode @icoshrine.neocities.org · 28/09/2026

I love this picture that I took for ICO Shrine's Manual Comparison page, because Ico and Yorda seem so sullen as they look down at the pressure plate locking them in. There's an air of "...What have we done?"

A screenshot of ICO. Ico and Yorda stand by the now sealed entrance to East Arena. Both appear to be looking at the pressure plate that seems permanently pressed down.

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𝗟𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 ⚡ @gatadeschrodinger.bsky.social · 06/11/2024

Ilustraciones que hice de ICO, Shadow of the Colossus y The Last Guardian. Estos tres juegos siempre tendrán un lugar especial en mi kokoro ❤️‍🩹

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Siwon | read ICCUIGTL!!! @siwonwrites.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

shadow of the colossus is the first game i can think of that really blew my mind in terms of storytelling format. it really pushed me to think about the way stories are told and the relationship between consumer and narrative, which i think is important for any artist.

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Maru @marureenu.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Ico & Yorda #ico #teamico

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Darkeiya @darkeiya.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

#Shiptember Day 26 [ICO] Ico/Yorda We don't have to run anymore. We can just be. #teamico

An illustration of Ico and Yorda from the PS2 game "ICO". The two are sitting on the beach from the end of the game, calmly enjoying the sun together even though Ico's horns are broken.

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SugarKills - @sugarkills.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Shadow of the Colossus : hugely influential in my taste as well. it's a gorgeous artistic game that says so much with so little. I remember the first time I encountered a collosi in the demo I ran all the way back to the main base fully believing it was following me the whole time lol

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Naitor @naitor.bsky.social · 09/01/2025

Shadow of the Colossus (I am so damn excited for Project Robot AAAAAAAAAAA) #art #playstation #shadowofthecolossus #projectrobot #ico

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Naitor @naitor.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

ICO illustration (I could never compete with the box art. The American one, I mean) #art #illustration #ico #fumitoueda #sotc #playstation #fanart #ps2

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Blast @blast2361991.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Wander vs Link. Un dibujo muy viejo de Wander (Shadow of the Colossus) vs Link (The Legend of Zelda). --- A really old drawing of Wander (Shadow of the Colossus) vs Link (The Legend of Zelda). #ArteDigital #DigitalArt #ShadowoftheColossus #TheLegendofZelda #Crossover #Versus

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Cascadia @cascadepersona.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Thinking about how SOTC is maybe the only video game I've played where it actually feels like you're riding a horse cause Agro is inherently unruly to control initially. Like an actual horse. That game still amazes me in what they were able to do on the *PS2*

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Mystic_Ode @icoshrine.neocities.org · 21/09/2026

But there are plenty of horns all about. Between the Shadows, the priests, and some key pieces of architecture, there are many instances of unique horn shapes.

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‼️COMMISSIONS OPEN (Pinned post)‼️ ✨Ceo of Cr4ym4n✨ @otomozhinee.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Another equally as old AU with ICO and Pikmin, and a hint of queer repression #art #fanart #computerbug

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Mystic_Ode @icoshrine.neocities.org · 03/01/2025

ICO Trivia #17: [SPOILER] In a build created just two weeks before the final NTSC-U disc was mastered, Ico shouts Yorda's name as they're separated. Due to the lack of both captions and visible mouth movement, it's likely this was a short-lived, experimental adjustment to the established scene.

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Mystic_Ode @icoshrine.neocities.org · 13/02/2025

I just remembered that the detail of Ico shouting Yorda’s name here was also in the unused script files extracted by einstein95 and translated by Glitterberri. Meaning this voice line did have a corresponding caption that simply didn’t appear in the prototype… glitterberri.com/ico/unused-d...

A graph showing ICO’s script files. Two lines in the scene are unused, both of them are Ico shouting Yorda’s name. Text below the graph reads: “Ico would have originally called out for Yorda; first as the Queen’s powers began to overcome her, and then a second time as he fell.”

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Mystic_Ode @icoshrine.neocities.org · 13/02/2025

This also begs questions as to how many unused lines were actually voiced by the cast before the devs determined what should be cut…

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star ⭐ @gamingbricabrac.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

it being both SH2 and Ico's 25th anniversary is wild to me. What a combination

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zeromayhem @evangauntt.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Happy 25th Anniversary to ICO. Maybe my favorite game & one that still has a far reaching impact on gaming today. Fumito Ueda's first game as director has influenced so many game designers since 2001. Art, design, the Souls series. ICO had a profound effect on gaming. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ico

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Gustavo @cansiangus.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

the weirdest boy and girl story I have ever seen, definitely a 10/10. It is so interesting to me how Fumito Ueda prioritize the gameplay and the experience but always end up creating incredible interesting worlds

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Mystic_Ode @icoshrine.neocities.org · 03/05/2026

Adjacent to this, there's a version you can find with no Ico at all in the game's Prima Guide. I couldn't find a very high resolution scan, though.

A makeshift 3D render imitating the Windmill stage of ICO. The parapets and walls behind it incline up towards the sky. Faded into the far left is a ghostly close up shot of Yorda from the neck up.

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Mystic_Ode @icoshrine.neocities.org · 09/01/2026

Regarding that last resolution, I did setup an account on ao3 last month, and earlier today I posted my first work there. Like any average writer with awareness of their limitations, I cannot promise anything else soon. archiveofourown.org/users/Mystic...

archiveofourown.org

Mystic_Ode | Archive of Our Own

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

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Mystic_Ode @icoshrine.neocities.org · 03/01/2026

People following this account seem to enjoy when I share ICO fanart from across Bluesky. But not all the fanart is found here, so if you want to find the work of more artists from other platforms, please check out this page of my website: icoshrine.neocities.org/gallery/fanart

icoshrine.neocities.org

ICO Shrine

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Mystic_Ode @icoshrine.neocities.org · 03/05/2026

It seems I have a decent excuse to show off that earlier draft of the North American cover that I spotted in Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine a while back.

A clipping from Page 111 of Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine, Issue 96. It shows a text red box next to a scaled up image of ICO's beta cover art. The art has Ico wearing a horned helmet his... despondent, puzzled look almost sliding off his face as he stares blankly into the middle distance. His bangs are thicker, to the point of having an almost 'play-doh' quality.

Sporadic red rectangles and squares from the article's graphic design accidentally obscure Yorda's ghostly visage on the cover. Aside from these elements the cover remains the same as the final retail version.

The text next to the image reads:
"The Japanese version of ICO (in addition to having way better cover art than the U.S. release) features a special bonus: Upon completing the game, you can play through it again and see Yorda's subtitles translated into Japanese. This feature wasn't made available in the U.S. version, but a quick Google search will yield a fan-translated script. Still, maybe it's better not knowing what she says; after all, Ico and Yorda never understood a word the other said, but the bond between them was powerful nonetheless."

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Mystic_Ode @icoshrine.neocities.org · 25/09/2026

Happy 25th Anniversary to the initial release of ICO in the North American region!

A promotional screenshot of ICO. The protagonist offers his hand to Yorda, in order to overcome a small hurdle in the Trolley stage.

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Mystic_Ode @icoshrine.neocities.org · 25/09/2025

Happy 24th Anniversary for the US PS2 release of ICO! To celebrate, I'll share this (I guess the term is 'Machinima'?) Music Video I edited together. [I do not own the rights to ICO or Hadestown. I claim Fair Use, and encourage those who enjoyed this video to engage with both properties.] #ICO

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.zelda//MOMO🍂🎃 @zeldamomoe.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Happy 25 years of ICO! I only just played the trilogy in 2021, but it made a big impression on me. I finally finished my Ico cosplay last fall & did a location shoot with @juniperstea.bsky.social as Yorda this summer! Thanks to @z-is-eternal.bsky.social & @nt3rp.io for capturing our pics🥹 #teamico

me in my ico cosplay and juniperstea in her yorda cosplay from the ps2 platforming adventure game ico, first in the fumito ueda trilogy (soon to be quadrilogy!) of ico, shadow of the colossus, and the last guardian
we are photographed on a bench like when you save in the game, as well as ruins filled with foliage

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ימי הולדת למשחקים @gamebdaysheb.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

מזל טוב ל-Ico, שחוגג 25 שנים לשחרורו! 🎂 הוא יצא היום בשנת 2001. מפתחת: Team Ico מפיצה: Sony Computer Entertainment ז'אנרים: פלטפורמה, פאזלים, הרפתקה פלטפורמות: פס2

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Damien Mecheri @damienmecheri.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Aujourd'hui, ce sont les 25 ans d'ICO et de Silent Hill 2. Par leurs expérimentations et leur approche singulière, ils ont contribué, à un degré inouï, à élargir le spectre du jeu vidéo.

Une image d'ICO. Yorda et Ico près de la mer, sur l'un des bords du château. L'effet de "bloom" caractéristique du jeu est très prononcé.

Une image dans la prison de Silent Hill 2. Le décor est particulièrement crade, glauque.
(mon niveau préféré de toute la saga, certainement)

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giselle @ellipsea.online · 29/09/2025

catching up on some classics on my girlfriend's ps2/crt #ico

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Mystic_Ode @icoshrine.neocities.org · 25/09/2026

Happy 25th Anniversary to the initial release of ICO in the North American region!

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Mystic_Ode @icoshrine.neocities.org · 28/05/2026

If you've played ICO and loved it, you owe it yourself to check out some of these movies, films, and games that inspired its tropes, ambience, and design choices. icoshrine.neocities.org/related_medi...

icoshrine.neocities.org

ICO Shrine

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Mystic_Ode @icoshrine.neocities.org · 09/11/2024

I forgot I never shared this one here. Some of the other cards didn't perfectly match their characters and events (Ico as The Hanged Man represents 'sacrifice', but it's more about his role as a living sacrifice, rather than his character). But I was very pleased with this moment as 'The Tower'.

A stone sofa and a horned statue plummet from a crumbling bridge at the edge of a sinking building, evoking 'The Tower' Tarot Card. A double rainbow streaks across a grey, rainy sky.
Roman numeral '16'. Titled: 'The Castle'

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Mystic_Ode @icoshrine.neocities.org · 24/09/2026

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.zelda//MOMO🍂🎃 @zeldamomoe.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

I KNOW AHHH silver anniversary already, how the heck!! I know for sure that a game holds up when I still get this deep heartfelt nostalgic feeling even though I played it for the first time so much later. Ico did that to me so fierce, as well as Koudelka/Shadow Hearts!!

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Mystic_Ode @icoshrine.neocities.org · 24/09/2026

To be honest, I wanted to finish a major project of some kind for the US anniversary tomorrow, but the scope overcame my energy levels and didn’t leave me time to pivot, so that will have to be a different day.

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Mystic_Ode @icoshrine.neocities.org · 23/09/2025

Just to spread some awareness and combat some confusion, ICO's US release anniversary is the 25th of September. It shipped on that day according to Game Informer and IGN at the time. Along with several other games all in a batch. Nothing I could find from this time pointed to another release date.

A chart of estimated game releases from Game Informer 101:
Highlighted is the line reading: 9/25/01 - ICO - Sony - PS2
Above and below it are many other games organized by release date.

Only 4 games release on September 24th.
4 others release on September 26th.
1 releases on September 28th.
But 20 releases, including ICO released together on September 25th, increasing the likelihood that there was a large shipment of games (from second and first party developers) at that time.

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miguel @miguelchm.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

acho que nenhum jogo no mundo vai me fazer sentir o mesmo que Last Guardian, é um jogo muito muito especial mesmo

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Ryan H 🎮 @ryanhgames.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

The Last Guardian is my favourite game 🙌🏻 So naturally... genATLAS is currently my most anticipated game 🙏

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