History Trivia / Ico

** There's a whole bunch of unused dialogue in the game's files, including ones from a period when it was intended for Yorda and Ico to understand each other. Translations of the unused dialogue and retranslations for some used dialogue can be read [[https://www.glitterberri.com/ico/unused-dialogue-and-retranslation/ here.]]

* BigNameFan:
** [[Creator/FromSoftware Hidetaka Miyazaki]] is on record as a fan; he's cited it as the game that made him interested in game development and a major influence on the design philosophy of the ''Souls'' series.
** Ditto with ''Franchise/{{Drakengard}}'' creator [[Creator/TaroYoko Yoko Taro]].

* ChristmasRushed: This is the reason why the NTSC version is stripped down compared to the PAL and Japanese versions of the game. Amongst the changes includes the co-op mode, the secret hidden ending, Yorda's speech translator, and several puzzles being either simpler or outright not present. There's also unfinished lightning and models throughout the game. This was all corrected in the re-release. The NTSC release being rushed is also the reason why it has such an infamously ugly looking cover; the actual box-art wasn't ready yet. Fortunately, the NTSC release was fixed up for its [=PS3=] re-release.

* ChristmasRushed: The reason why the NTSC version is stripped down compared to the PAL and Japanese versions of the game. Amongst the changes includes the co-op mode, the secret hidden ending, Yorda's speech translator, and several puzzles being either simpler or outright not present. There's also unfinished lightning and models throughout the game. This was all corrected in the re-release. The NTSC release being rushed is also the reason why it has such an infamously ugly looking cover; the actual box-art wasn't ready yet.

* AcclaimedFlop: Reviews and players immediately fell in love with the game, but it was way too unique and strange to be a big seller. The fact that it got almost no promotion didn't help either. The game's infamously hideous North American cover art is considered to be a major reason it flopped in the US.

** The pitch video for the game depicts a hornless Ico in a t-shirt and shorts, while Yorda was older, had glowing tattoos over her body, wore different clothes, and had a horned helmet on. They were being chased by flying robots who shot lasers at them, however they escape the castle and go hide on a nearby deserted island.
** For a large portion of development. Ico didn't have horns. As far back as the pitch trailer, he was meant to take Yorda's horned helmet and wear it in order to stand out on screen. It wasn't later until Ico became a HornedHumanoid. Yorda went through multiple redesigns, especially when it comes to hair, such as her having GirlishPigtails for a while in development.

** There's still unused dialogue in the game's file from a period when it was intended for Yorda and Ico to understand each other.

** [[Creator/FromSoftware Hidetaka Miyazaki]] is on record as a fan, and has cited the game as an influence on the design philosophy of the ''Souls'' series.

** While on the outside of the Castle, particularly at the start of the path to the Western Reflector, some of the tiles are almost blindingly white. This must be the original appearance of all the exterior tiles, at least on the front of the Castle in the Mists.
** This may have been taken from the Pyramids of Egypt. Originally they were completed covered in a shimmering white stone. To quote Wikipedia, ''Most pyramids had a polished, highly reflective white limestone surface, in order to give them a shining appearance when viewed from a distance.'' Imagine what the Castle must have looked like new.

** The pitch video for the game depicts a hornless Ico with no horns in a t-shirt and shorts, while Yorda was older, had glowing tattoos over her body, wore different clothes, and had a horned helmet on. They were being chased by flying robots who shot lasers at them, however they escape the castle and go hide on a nearby deserted island.

** The game started development in 1996 and was originally intended to be a [=PS1=] title. It was moved because the game was too taxing for the console, especially Yorda's AI.

** The game started development in 1996 and was originally intended to be a [=PS1=] title. It was removed because the game was too taxing for the console, especially Yorda's AI.

** Initially, the enemies were horned soldiers. They were removed because it was deemed they didn't make sense in the game's narrative. Instead, shadowy enemies replaced them because they could ambush the player without much explanation, they don't have to explain what happened to enemy bodies upon defeat, and they were easy to differentiate from the protagonists. Reference to the soldiers exist in the when Ico is imprisoned and in statues around the game.

* While on the outside of the Castle, particularly at the start of the path to the Western Reflector, some of the tiles are almost blindingly white. This must be the original appearance of all the exterior tiles, at least on the front of the Castle in the Mists.

* ChristmasRushed: The reason why the NTSC version is stripped down compared to the PAL and Japanese versions of the game. This was corrected in the re-release.

** The game started development in 1996 and was originally intended to be a PS1 title.
** The pitch video for the game depicts a hornless Ico with no horns in a t-shirt and shorts, while Yorda was older, had glowing tattoos over her body, wore different clothes, and had a horned helmet on. They were being chased by flying robots who shot lasers at them, however they escape the castle and go hide on a nearby deserted island.

* AcclaimedFlop: Reviews and players immediately fell in love with the game, but it was way too unique and strange to be a big seller. The fact that it got almost no promotion didn't help either.
** The game's infamously hideous North American cover art is considered to be a major reason it flopped in the US.
* BigNameFan: [[Creator/FromSoftware Hidetaka Miyazaki]] is on record as a fan, and has cited the game as an influence on the design philosophy of the ''Souls'' series.

** Ditto with ''Franchise/{{Drakengard]]'' creator [[CreatorTaroYoko Yoko Taro]].

* HeyItsThatVoice: Creator/MisaWatanabe as the Queen! You wouldn't recognize her from [[Manga/OnePiece Vivi]]'s voice… better from [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3 EVA's]]. The fact she has to speak in two different {{Conlang}}s doesn't help…
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: ''ICO'' was originally intended to be a PS1 game. Footage of the prototype can be seen [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANmY2QtZnIM here]].

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: ICO was originally intended to be a PS1 game. Footage of the prototype can be seen [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANmY2QtZnIM here]].

* HeyItsThatVoice: MisaWatanabe as the Queen! You wouldn't recognize her from [[Manga/OnePiece Vivi]]'s voice… better from [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3 EVA's]]. The fact she has to speak in two different {{Conlang}}s doesn't help…

* While on the outside of the Castle, particularly at the start of the path to the Western Reflector, some of the tiles are almost blindingly white. This must be the original appearance of all the exterior tiles, at least on the front of the Castle in the Mists. Imagine what the Castle must have looked like new.