Sunday, April 17, 2011

Introduction

Welcome to Nomad's Shadow of the Colossus blog

Here I will be posting images and ideas of things I'm exploring in the game. There's a lot of stuff I do in the game that's not really video worthy but still interesting so I tend to take screen captures and post them on the Playstation 2 forums, but since there's little or no activity there anymore I decided to post them here.




About Me
I was first introduced to the game when my older brother lent me his copy. He had played it briefly but couldn't even get to the first colossus xD. That is he made it to the first colossus area, climbed up the ledges but failed to do the backwards jump from the pillar to the ledge. He's more into in war and racing games anyway, so he wasn't really interested. But he mentioned that it had received a 98% rating in an Australian game magazine, so that peaked my interest.

So I played the game through almost without any help... I must admit I got totally stuck on Dirge the first time I played - the whole shooting its eyes from horseback thing, so for this colossus I sneaked a peek online for help. But I think anyone who plays the whole game with a walkthrough is missing out on a great experience. Working out how to scale and defeat the colossi was what made this game so memorable (for me anyway).

So I played it through a couple of times then returned it to my brother and that was that. It was much later that I happened upon a Youtube video of the climb to the secret garden, I knew nothing of this previously and so I got interested again. I went out a bought my own copy (which was the PAL version) but then discovered that there was no rest spot half way up the climb as I had seen in the video. So I had to play the game through four times to get enough grip to make it up there #$%@*. But it was very satisfying when I finally did.

About this time (around June 2009) I happened upon the Playstation 'Quest for the Last Big Secret' forum and from then on I was hooked. There was something special about this group of people who all had the same hope of finding an unknown secret in the game years after it was released. They called themselves 'Secret Seekers' and all manner of crazy theory was put forward, from stabbing the sand under the Ico rings with the Queen's sword to draining Hydrus' lake in the hopes of uncovering a sunken city!


The logic was that the secret extra item you received in ICO (the Mace) was obtained in such an obscure manner as hitting a special tree with the wooden stick, that it was quite possible some even more obscure item or secret could be found in Shadow of the Colossus. It was speculated that the ICO secret had been leaked to the public, but that Team ICO had kept tight lipped about the secret in Shadow of the Colossus... if only this was the case. It's strange that even today, six years after its release there are still many who think there is a secret to be found, but for those of us who spent months or years posting on the Playstation forums the truth sank in quite early on.

This was all due largely to Pikol, WWWArea and to a lesser extent Radical Dreamer who had the means to get to places by hacking and/or emulator glitches. Radical Dreamer was the hacker, but he didn't hang around very long (this was before I joined) but Pikol opened up the game with his now famous videos. But I was inspired by their work and desperately wanted to explore these unattainable areas myself.


The first thing I wanted to do was get onto #8's temple. There was a short video of Baxtertimewell Agro launching up there but try as I might I could never make it. I must have tried 100 times at least on the console but never came close. 

See Baxter's short Agro Launch video here: https://youtu.be/NMaCfgEJdQY

I later learned that this is only possible in the NTSC version, but it taught me how to Agro launch, so I started exploring the lands to see where I could get with this new found technique.


The first off limits area I made it to via Agro launching was a small grassy ledge at B5 on the map. It's right next to the south side of Dirge's cave and although there's nothing there it was very satisfying to explore a previously unexplorable area for the first time!

Shortly after this I began using the PCSX2 emulator, and although it ran the game 'very' slowly it allowed me to at least make videos that I could post on Youtube so that other secret seekers could see what I was doing. The in-built recording function used to crash the emulator so I was using a screen recorder at the time then speeding up the videos when I rendered them, but the quality was pretty terrible. In fact the B5 ledge launch video is my earliest upload, check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoRhnuQAvHs&t=1583s

The next thing I did was launch up to the embankments in the E5 (Autumnal) forest. There is a huge area up there to explore which surprisingly no one had yet mentioned or made videos of, even though the game and its secrets had been discussed for a long time on the Games F&Q and Playstation forums. The area is full of void pits so it's clear you are not meant to get up there, but I found my way behind the E5 towers which was another exciting discovery for me!

Behind of the E5 forest towers

So I was Agro launching everywhere trying to get to places that Wander alone could not. I found a small area next to the entrance to #14's cave (at the end of the path lined with columns) that led underneath the lake with the island in the centre. But it is full of invisible walls and once there you get stuck and end up falling into the void. I later saw that Khfan1 had already done this, both he and Baxtertimewell were famous among fans for their Agro launching and flash arrow climbing discoveries. 

But I wanted to find a legitimate area that had no invisible walls and would lead to a secret, and shortly thereafter I found one! I launched up to a ledge that snakes along the cliffs at the north side of #15's temple, it's high up and hard to see from below but from a distance it's visible. Once up there you can run along the cliffs and end up at the front section of the temple, that is the part with castle like turrets and platforms that you can only see from the top of the stairs once you enter. 

This was as close as I ever came to finding what I was sure was a secret area. You could get there legitimately, there were no obstructions and it led to an off limits area... it was an amazing moment. 


The first thing you see are the giant eye glyphs staring down at you, it was an ominous feeling as if some guardian of stone was keeping watch over the northern entrance. As far as I knew no one had ever been here before as I'd never read on any forum about this area, only that people had noticed the ledge, nor had I seen a video about this (Note: Pikol had been here but he used the emulator glitch to do it). It also looked like it had been planned for players to get here, with what looked like an entrance leading in. If it had been a solid wall then I might have thought otherwise, but it was clearly designed for Wander to be able to explore.


You can see it's an amazing area with the castle/temple platforms laid out before you, the central stairway running through its centre. But sadly, a great view of the temple was all it offered. The whole area has no collision detection and disappears and reappears depending on where Wander is standing, as if the textures can't decide whether to be on or off. You can run along the northern edge up to one of the main turrets but that's as far as you can go, any further and Wander falls into the void. I was disappointed to say the least, although I still think it classifies as a secret area, the only other similar area is the top of #8's temple which also requires Agro launching.

So I've always wondered if Team Ico had plans for this area but ran out of time to finish it, explaining the glitchy textures, or if it is just a unintentional result of the game physics engine. Perhaps Team Ico didn't realize that Agro launching would get players up here? Like #8's temple which also has glitchy textures once you are on top of it. (Edit: In the PS2 PAL/PS3 versions this area is blocked by an invisible wall, so it's clear they didn't want you to get up there, it was just an unintentional result of the programming it seems, never intended for any purpose).

Video here (August 1st 2009): https://youtu.be/lKgbkhz5Ef4?t=4490

Updated HD video here: http://youtu.be/JLO2YxFzbNU

When I ran out of places to Agro launch I wanted to take it to the next level, which required hacking the game. I had no idea how to do this but I got a clue from one of Radical Dreamer's videos. 

Radical Dreamer video using Tsearch to hack Wander

Radical Dreamer made just a few videos basically to show what was possible by using a memory editor and posted his links on the Codemasters website, so this is how I was introduced to Tsearch. People didn't discuss hacking issues on the Playstation forums for fear of being banned so information about how to use it was scarce.

I searched the web but nothing really helped me as I was a total n00b with zero experience in hacking games, I'd never even considered it before, so I fumbled around with Tsearch with no results. But eventually I got some help getting started (thanks largely to umjammerlammy aka: Dark0ssX) and worked out how to do the 'jump hack', that is to change Wander's altitude. So from then on I could jump up high into the air and then float down with the parachute to land on some high ledge or platform that I'd only ever seen from ground level. Note: Dark0ssX helped Pikol, WWWArea and myself get started, he was one of the early pioneers that hacked the game. In fact, it appears he was the first to reach the top of the temple in the demos (which are solid and walkable), but he didn't bother telling anyone about this... I only learned about this later when I asked him some questions about his interest in the game.

Finally I could get to those areas I had only dreamt about, but I still couldn't move forward except by opening and closing the parachute (which only moves you forward a little), still there were a few easy places to check out first, like the opposite towers of the E5 forest.

Behind south side towers of the Autumnal forest

I was such a n00b that it took me ages to realize that if I paused the game then locked my three coordinates for Wander (x,y,z) then unpaused the game, Wander would be instantly transported to that area determined by the values I had set. So now I could move in the four cardinal directions as well as up and down.

In October I uploaded a video of the intro cut scene that featured some weird effects and this got the attention of WWWArea who had always wanted to hack the cut scenes (Watch it here: https://youtu.be/mLkJg5Bjpws?t=1. He had some previous experience with hacking games so we set up an online chat session and began exchanging ideas. This was the start of an amazing journey of exploration as together we were the first to see areas in the game's landscapes that no one had ever seen before (except of course the Team Ico programmers). The real breakthrough came when WWWArea found a code that froze the cut scenes. Why this code exists is a mystery, perhaps the programmers needed it for testing, but whatever the reason by freezing it we had all the time we needed to move Wander around and explore the landscapes.

Wander floating above hills of the intro cutscene

The intro cut scene consists of five different parts 1) the canyon 2) the forest 3) rest stop in the rain (this is where you see Emon and his soldiers arrive later in the game), 4) a long green field and 5) behind the entrance gates with the main bridge leading to the temple. Each area is a different model that loads separately, so each model has to be explored independently. The same freeze code works throughout, but at the green field the screen turned black so we couldn't explore that area at first. I talk further about this cut scene in a separate post here: http://nomads-sotc-blog.blogspot.com/2011/07/intro-cut-scene-green-field.html but this is how I became deeply involved in hacking the game, to see what other areas I could find that you couldn't see without 'peering behind the curtain' (so to speak)!

There were many other exciting discoveries to follow such as exploring the other cut scenes, modding the colossi, finding different camera controls, turning off the bloom effect, exploring the beta mountains and even just some weird codes that did strange things to Wander or Agro, all took place throughout our online chat sessions. I uploaded videos like crazy but recently deleted many of them due to bad quality or low views. Things have slowed down now and I only upload the occasional video these days, but I still like to boot up the game, climb on Agro and go exploring ; )

Wander's Sleep Code
I found the code that makes Wander go to sleep a while back. It works at any place in the forbidden lands except within the area of a loaded colossus, but in front of Mono's altar it gives the impression of Wander's deep regret at the loss of his beloved companion.

Wander sleeping at Mono's altar

Here he is snoozing up a tree, just resting before the next boss challenge!

Note: When I say 'code' I really mean a memory address. Codebreaker codes are byte addresses (1 byte) but I mostly use 'float' addresses which are 4 byte (words). Searching for bytes results in too many addresses to search through, so floats are more user friendly (although you still get thousands of results).

I'm lucky in that when I reboot my computer, or the emulator for that matter all the codes I have saved still work with my emulator save states, otherwise I would have to find the codes all over again each time. When I installed Windows 7 every time I booted up the emulator my codes had changed, so I had to use a hex calculator to convert them back to a usable form. This is due to 'pointers' which change from game to game, that's why only the health and grip values work as Codebreaker codes or similar are savable from game to game, most other codes have pointers which change. WWWArea's codes change from game to game so he has to find the codes for whatever he wants to do each time, which is time consuming and tedious.

Update: The latest versions of the PCSX2 emulator stores the save files in a stable block of memory that doesn't change, so the horrible days of converting codes is now a thing of the past! So if I find a cool new memory address these days I only have to find it once and it will always work with my save states. 

Wander praying at the altar

Here's Wander praying for Mono to wake up. I made him pray at a save shrine and noted the hex values that appear for his animation controls, these values are near his position co-ordinates in the code. So I can recreate all of his animations whenever I like, although as mentioned above, some don't work near a loaded colossus.

Rain in the Forbidden Lands
I've finally worked out how to make it rain anywhere in the forbidden lands! It's pretty cool, changes the atmosphere of the game dramatically, however the pay-off is no collisions... I have to use the standing hack to move around, or a save stone platform. It only works at Malus so I can't make it rain at other colossi battles since the rain only appears when Malus is loaded. See video here: https://youtu.be/ZXxIXsfi3Ys


Rain at F6

Rain at G3

Storm over the Shrine of Worship

Some Other Hacks
Here are a few more things I have played around with over the years, just some stuff I haven't shown before which doesn't really fit into any category. Some took hours to create, while others were just simple ideas or explorations to see what was there ; )

Here I retouched those arches to see what they might have looked like when new

Stretching out the clouds to create a weird looking sky

Using a save stone platform to ride up to the Entrance temple

Inside the altar above Mono

Another area above Mono's altar inside the Shrine of Worship

High above the forbidden lands

Testing the mist effect on the path to secret garden

Huge save stone platform


Here I moved a temple from #14's arena to the beach at B5

Closeup look at one of those weird white cubes

Blocks I made in Google Sketchup

OPM demo Entrance temple model

Large rock stopper model from the demos

#16's arena model which fans call 'Cataclysm Circle'

I recently bought a 3D printer from MakerBot, so I can now print out 3D models. I have always been an avid inventor since I was like 12 years old, so it was a great opportunity to save a lot of money on prototypes. I have spent thousands of dollars over the years paying engineering firms to build my prototypes via their CNC router machines. But now it's very easy to design something in Google Sketchup or Maya then export the file to my 3D printer. Below are a couple of early tests I printed. I used the SotC viewer to export the models then fixed them up in Maya (which I am still learning how to use ; )

3D printed model of Valus - early test with crude results

3D printed model of a save shrine - much better results! Just need to paint it

96 comments:

  1. When did you started this?

    Also,just thinking.If they like to put every detail in the game.Can you find Mono at the ending cutscene where you see the colossus´s bodies?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. How do you hack this game?!?!

      Delete
  2. OK, for some reason I couldn't post here...

    I abandoned this blog because I couldn't get the images I added to line up with the text - it was all over the place.

    ReplyDelete
  3. If someone can explain how to make the images line up to the left properly that would be helpful.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Guerreiro: Yes, Mono is there at the end, so is Wander, but they are frozen. If you check out the Playstation forums you can see lots of posts with images of this and more stuff ;)

    ReplyDelete
  5. ``If someone can explain how to make the images line up to the left properly that would be helpful.´´

    I never done it before.You mean put the text in the left and the image at the right for example?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Yeah, when I'm editing it the text is all the same size, but when I publish it the text is different sizes??? I put some pics in, but it's the worst editor I've ever seen (I'm a graphic artist so I use layout programs all the time).

    ReplyDelete
  7. As long as I know.If you want to line up the text with the image,for example the image on the left.You will have to click in an icon where is wrote something like ``Add image´´ then you choose the image.But first you have to change some options.In this case click in ``line up to the left´´ or something like that.

    PS:Every time you do this,the image probabily will appear at the top of the post,so you will have to drag it to where you want.That takes some time.

    ReplyDelete
  8. About the sizes,I have problems with that.I think that the size options are kinda broken.So I choose smaller images.

    Also,I didn´t expected you to be online

    ReplyDelete
  9. But I still a little confused.Can you explain better to me?

    ReplyDelete
  10. I'm trying to fix it now, but it's a nightmare to work with - so frustrating!!!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Calm down Nomad.

    There is an option in the blog where you can invite another people to make the posts and etc in the blog.If you know someone that can help,invite this person.I have many friends that have blogs,I will ask them to help you

    ReplyDelete
  12. I already had send a comment in the blog where I follow.I hope they can help you.

    This is ironic,in youtube I am the one to ask the things and now we switch sides?

    ReplyDelete
  13. Ok thanks. If I can work out how to format the text and images better I'll add more stuff ~ but really most of my explorations are already posted on the playstation forums.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I know.But still there are some things.I know that.

    Also,where is the two Agro video?You said you would do that video months ago.I don´t care if it isn´t working too well.But I want to see that.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Er...sorry If I make comments too fast.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I will have to go.Goodbye.

    One more thing.Don´t come from out of the nothing without saying ``Hello´´ or ``Goodbye´´.Because I don´t know if you are still here

    ReplyDelete
  17. OK, I'll make the 2 Agro's video for you. Look for it soon ;)

    ReplyDelete
  18. I uploaded the two Agros video at last.

    ReplyDelete
  19. It is interesting.Some of the Avion´s hacks are awesome and just look too original and perfect.By the way...I think you never done a video of you controlling Avion flying trough the SoW?

    ReplyDelete
  20. Can you move Phaedra(in its resting stance) to the blasted lands?And you don´t need to translate to portuguese,we can understan english quite well

    ReplyDelete
  21. WWWOAaa a ride in Avion around the FL is gonna be fun LOL also,he can go to everywhere or only for the positions of the size of your arena?

    ReplyDelete
  22. Hello Nomad.Nice blog.I love sotc and I always wanted to see those hidden places.Can you make a colossus walk around the Forbidden Lands and maybe,destroy something?

    ReplyDelete
  23. Can you change Wander´s clothes?Think:Wander wearing Emon´s clothes without the hood and the mask.It would be cool.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Darlan X: Check my videos. I've made one of Valus (No. 1) walking around the forbidden lands - it's called '600 uploads'. It can't destroy anything though as he just walks through things like they have no substance.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Guerreiro: I'm going to call you Spirit from now on if that's OK. I can take Avion to the SoW but like I said, it's just the low res version so it's not worth making a video of. I have to pan the camera far away or the SoW melts away if I get too close. As for Phaedra, I can move it around it's own area before it's activated but it's tedious and tends to disappear for no reason.

    ReplyDelete
  26. I can't change Wander's clothes - all I can do is use Texmod to change it's textures (so I can change the design of his cloak etc.) but it doesn't work very well.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Yeah.You can call me Spirit,I think its easier for you


    ``I can't change Wander's clothes - all I can do is use Texmod to change it's textures (so I can change the design of his cloak etc.) but it doesn't work very well.´´

    Just a guess but can you change Mono´s texture color or design?And can you make Wander looks just like this picture?

    https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-i4HY-QfMuTA/SIPRWkoFp_I/AAAAAAAACnI/WiwviJ16vxY/discarded191fg.jpg

    ReplyDelete
  28. I can change Wander or Mono's textures, but like I said it doesn't work very well. The textures flash on and off and change colours, so it wouldn't make a good video. Be better to do it in Photoshop or something and just make an image of it.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Do you have any image of the second Shrine of Worship?and the "Ico castle"?and the other side of Pelagia´s forest?

    ReplyDelete
  30. Oh my, I hadn't noticed you had made a blog. But it feels quite natural to move your discovery reports to such a format.

    Hope you keep on posting your findings, as they are very entertaining to follow. :>

    ReplyDelete
  31. Thanks ; ) I've only just scratched the surface of what I plan to put in this blog, I also keep updating the posts I've already done, so watch this space.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Hey Nomad, after a good week of countless hours to spend,I read all 369 pages of "The Quest For The Last Big Secret Forum" and I was amazed, I seriously love that game. I was hoping maybe somehow The old "Secret Seekers" could maybe rejoin again and continue the thread, it's amazing how much mystery there still is in the game after all this time and how many things each of you had found. For now I check up on your blog which is awesome, take care.

    -Doug

    ReplyDelete
  33. Yes, it would be nice to get all the seekers together again, but the reason the thread ended was that there was nothing left to talk about. They realized quite early on that there was no last big secret, but finding beta stuff kept most interested for a while after that. But I've printed the thread out like a book so I have read through it a few times now ; )

    ReplyDelete
  34. Cool blog dude.Your the best...

    ReplyDelete
  35. Hi Nomad it would be REALLY awesome if u could make a Big linkcollection which leads us to threads videos or tutorials on how to use TSearch it would be really nice so other can go to those areas too :)

    ReplyDelete
  36. ivan: I wrote a tutorial on using Tsearch here:
    http://www.filefactory.com/file/cdf81d1/n/SotC_modding-hacking_tutorial.rtf

    This will get you started and shows how to do all the best hacks you will need to get around. The more complex hacks (such as controlling colossi) are harder to explain... as for links to videos my play lists on my Youtube channel cover those, but I may add a post with all the links some day ;)

    ReplyDelete
  37. Hi Nomad, can reupload the tsearch tutorial?
    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  38. Mahboy!
    So you keep updating the older posts,eh?
    Well,I have to admit that it's cool(and interesting)to see the history from your perspective.
    Now,gonna check the next post...

    ReplyDelete
  39. "Storm over the Shrine of Worship"

    Seriously,that's a wonderful picture!

    ReplyDelete
  40. Yeah, I haven't made any posts lately as I've been busy with other stuff, but I've got a tonne of stuff to post including a list of all the videos I've made... and thanks! I was wondering if anyone would notice that image, or at least make a comment about it. I caught it just as lighting was crowning the top of the temple ; ) sweet.

    ReplyDelete
  41. pikol´s dam looks a bit like the wall you descend in the beginning of barba's arena.
    if you turn the wall's image 90º you got it.
    my guess is the devs designed the arenas (at least some of them) after the
    collossi and used some half finished/discarded designs as fillups.
    also, the existence of the dam, mountains, and other stuff gives me the
    feeling i get while walking in my backyard. things you plan to throw away sometime,
    things you keep with a faint hope they'd be useful one day,
    things you just forgot they're there. crap you hold on to, eventually you get rid of it,
    but i suppose if i sell my house today they'll be there when the new owner arrives...

    in this blog you said: ' I've printed the thread (the quest for the last big secret forum) out like a book so I have read through it a few times now ; )'

    have you got it as a .doc? could you please post it?
    keep up with the good work. regards from argentina.

    ReplyDelete
  42. nice blog nomad.
    i have a question that bothers me in the ps2 version i went to the garden witout any cheats or hacks by climbing the castle especting an alternate ending or somthign but jsut found the animals that wander in theer and this special fruit that instead of increcing ur life bar it decreses it . whats the meaning of that why does it drains ur health bar and what would happen if u fully drain it out i think i done it and it literaly stayed a miserable tiny bit o life bar no matter what but since ur the one who seems to know about thsi im asking u it was really sad there was no secret ending item and that they didnt put some of the colossi in the game it would have eben awesome. but any way please answer my question.

    ReplyDelete
  43. This is what the official art book says about the fruit:
    Within the garden grow 37 pieces of fruit that decrease your max health and grip meters. Though they seem to have a deeper meaning, collecting them doesn’t change the story or the ending. If you return to the ground and save after eating one, you’ll be sure to regret it, so be careful.

    So you see there's nothing gained by eating the fruit. It's a device put into the game to purify Wander, as it removes the darkness he has taken on by killing the colossi. There was never an alternate ending or extra colossus, that was just wishful thinking by fans (myself included at one time.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Ueda said in an interview, that the Fruits return you to your human form (since absorbing the colossus does the opposite)

    ReplyDelete
  45. so how bout that seventeenth colossus

    ReplyDelete
  46. No 17th colossus, never was - someone said that after you reach the garden the 17th colossus appears (as either a joke or a hoax) and the rumor stuck. When people read this on old websites they just assume it's true, when it's not.

    The proof is in the 'Dormin editor' which allows you to view all the models, animations and textures from the game, there are only the 16 colossus we know and Dormin, no others hidden away in the code. However, Team Ico did come up with 8 other colossi in the beginning but didn't include them in the game.

    ReplyDelete
  47. Wow! This is inspiring. I know most of the "secret seekers" have decided that there is no last secret, but I think there is. Or at least there was. Team ico was planning something that we'll never know. I'd love for them to somehow explain what. Ueda said that The Last Guardian would tie the games together, so I'm excited about that. I think he also said it would be his last game. It makes me sad :(

    ReplyDelete
  48. Hey, Nomad, I think I have a way of bringing this adventure of yours back to life. I'd really like to talk to you about some of the camera hacks you've been using in both Ico and SotC. If you're interested, can you get in touch with me via the contact page at: www.deadendthrills.com. Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  49. I just realized that at the end of ICO, there are shadow creatures standing over Yorda. They all look like silhouettes of the boy. In Sotc, Wander "absorbes" the dark "tentacles" and becomes darker throughout the game. For each shadow man standing over him, there is also another dove by Mono. I think this represents good and evil or light and dark for both games. I've heard ths about Sotc but never about ICO? Maybe a connection?

    ReplyDelete
  50. Come on you guys! Where did all the people go once I found out about this post?!

    ReplyDelete
  51. Nomad love your blog and found a site that a guy said that killing the 15th colossus rises in the secret garden you eat fruits and leaves very little life and then kill the last boss and when you leave you Wander has Dormin those warriors kill and will pass the alternate ending, Thanks for your attention.

    ReplyDelete
  52. That's a myth - there's no truth to it. You can't kill Dormin and there is no alternate ending - trust me on this. That idea has been around from the start but it's all crap!

    ReplyDelete
  53. Replies
    1. It says so on his YouTube channel and on his blog. Please look more carefully.

      Delete
  54. the nomad to use pcsx2 the ps2 for the shadow of the Collosus?

    ReplyDelete
  55. the nomad to use pcsx2 the ps2 for the shadow of the Collosus?

    ReplyDelete
  56. This is awesome. I love this blog.

    ReplyDelete
  57. Hey Nomad what version of Sotc are you use to activate the codebreaker codes?? PAL or NTSC. I need the codes on PS2.

    ReplyDelete
  58. They are the NTSC (US) codes but if you look hard enough you should be able to find some PAL codes (try the Codemasters Project website - note: you will have to register to be able to view the threads there).

    These are the codes I used in my Codebreaker videos
    http://www.mediafire.com/download/j8r0fi1ysxorz5v/Bungholio_CB_codes.rtf

    ReplyDelete
  59. How i can control other living things (Like the colossi,lizards,birds,maybe agro)? i know it needs other programs to modify the game, but what are they?

    ReplyDelete
  60. You need to hack the game on a PC using the PCSX2 emulator and a memory editor.

    I made a tutorial about how to do it here:
    http://www.mediafire.com/view/csclbzzojdc92k2/SotC%20modding-hacking%20tutorial.rtf

    ReplyDelete
  61. Nomad, I just wanted to say thank you for all this SotC information. It's awsm seeing someone even more passionate than I am about this work of art. Do you plan on going this in-depth with "The Last Guardian"? If it ever releases.. ><;

    ReplyDelete
  62. Thankyou ; ) Yes, as you say 'if it ever releases'! But I won't be able to hack that game until a working PS3 emulator appears (which won't be for many years) but I can still play it and see how it relates to Ico and SotC. Hopefully there will be some noticeable links between the three games. All we have after 9 years of waiting are a few images and a trailer video. I wish they would at least give us a demo to play like they did with Ico and SotC.

    ReplyDelete
  63. This is amazing!
    I have only played ICO since SotC is too expensive right now (I only own a PS2) , but all the theories already had me hooked. Now I discover this and I'm mindblown!
    Great work, keep it up! Will be reading through this blog for a while ;)

    ReplyDelete
  64. Thanks ; )

    I'm working on the next post (Phalanx #13) and another called 'The history of the Forbidden Lands' which is more like a story about how Dormin first appeared and how the colossi were created ; )

    ReplyDelete
  65. Really looking forward to this vid ^^

    ReplyDelete
  66. How do you hack this game?!?!

    ReplyDelete
  67. Start by reading this tutorial I made:
    http://www.mediafire.com/view/csclbzzojdc92k2/SotC_modding-hacking_tutorial.rtf

    ReplyDelete
  68. Nomad, have you ever considered starting a restoration project for the unused code/colossi/structures? It could be possible with a good amount of help and your experience with the game/engine.

    ReplyDelete
  69. Nomad, did you prove to eat all the fruits in the secret garden before fighting the 16th colossi? I mean, if you it them after the 15th. Because I thought that those fruits can cure Wander from the deterioration that he picks up after defeating colossi after colossi

    ReplyDelete
  70. Yes, this has been tested many times but it doesn't change the ending. You kill #15 > climb to the garden > eat all the fruit until your health is back to how it started at a new game > go and defeat Malus (with minimum health) = no change - the final cut scene plays out as normal. Sorry ; )

    ReplyDelete
  71. Dude,, I had strong memories about this game and I can't play anymore, please make some good ending, and i will stop crying... lol xD

    ReplyDelete
  72. Nomad, have you ever had seen a kind of "dolphin" in the #7 area - Hydrus. Before I jump to the water I saw "something" spraying water and swimming in a different position from where the Colossi was swimming. I just found this "animal" two times in all the games that I had played.

    ReplyDelete
  73. No I haven't, so I don't know what you are seeing as there are no other swimming creatures there. Show an image or video if you can next time.

    ReplyDelete
  74. couldn't dormin count as a 17 colossi

    ReplyDelete
  75. In a way, yes - you turn into a colossus (Dormin) for a brief time at the end. But players were looking for an 'extra' colossus that we had never seen before (which never existed).

    ReplyDelete
  76. so maybe you could answer this.. whats the point of the health fountains? since you can hide and reheal.. and why can wander swing his sword.. since he never really could swing at anything.. where there meant to be. smaller enemies in between the colossi?

    ReplyDelete
  77. Yeah, the save shrines (health fountains?) or observation points aren't much use except to save your game in a different part of the map. Since you can really hurt yourself out in the field they don't serve a healing purpose.

    The only time you need to swing your sword is when fighting colossus #12 - you need to strike those teeth like structures on its head to move it where you want to go, you can also kill white tailed lizards by swinging your sword at them (although I prefer the bow for hunting lizards).

    ReplyDelete
  78. I'm currently working on a theory to link SoTC and Ico in a more solid way. Is there a way to send it to you privately (without sociel media like facebook)?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Send your message here: beleriand68@yahoo.com.au

      Delete
  79. So. Baby Wander has horns and Shadow of the colossus is a prequel to ico. Is ico baby wander growing up?

    ReplyDelete
  80. As an SOTC fan I've done a ton if gameplayg exploring and I've duscdiscov some stuff and I've pieced together a theory that makes sense. It still has some holes, but I'm working on fixing them. I've never played ico, since I didn't have the game for the PS2, but I've played the PS2 & PS4 versions of SOTC and I've played The Last Guardian and I'm at least able to tie a thread between the three games ( my info from ico I've gathered through images and YouTube gameplay). A definite base of my theory is that the architecture of the buildings in SOTC was not just to keep the colossi in. It was once a civilization due to a specific circle pattern i found at both #6's and #13's areas. I don't know as of yet if there are more if these circles, since I legitimately just found the second circle, but if u want I'll report other circle locations as I continue exploring.

    ReplyDelete
  81. Apologies if already discussed, I have only recently gotten into looking for more stuff in the game, rather then just playing it scene. I wanted to ask a question. Is it possible Celosia (Leo) isn't where he was intended, lore-wise that is? He's a "Guardian set loose", but guarding what? The fire that absolutely terrifies him? Did Argus come in and kick Celosia out of the destroyed city? Argus "Acts as a sentry" but he isn't one, because he destroys the very city he's supposed to sentry for, as well as sentries are supposed to prevent entry, Argus is literally hanging off a cliff at the back of the city. I want to mention one more thing, celosia's hole, with the puddles it forms, it almost looks like a mirror map of 15, 11, and 7's arenas, with Hydrus's lake being the larger puddle, celosia's hole as the smaller, and the temple as the city.
    Once again, apologies for nonsense, I had to ask when I thought of that.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OP here. One other thing I thought about. If it truly is a swapped map, then Palagea would be where the broken doorway is.

      Delete
  82. Just beat the game and starting to dig into the game but, You know whats interesting, to me personally.Dormin actually keeping his promise to Wonder.for an alleged evil dark lord thats merely using the boy who made a deal with him, he had no reason to keep the deal if he knew the priest and co were coming, even warning wonder. we get a lot of plot speculation about this from the humans. but if in ico the castle was considered a character , is it possible the forbidden land itself is a character.the land possesses fruits that give humans great power. and turn people to more human.
    also in terms of the colossus themselfs. how are they loaded. like are they like a bunch of assets. one of the people on this team seems to be a known talented programmer. so things may be hidden in the code in a way a hybrid colossus could in my theory be crafted by merging them together somehow. or Dormin loading but with Colosuss features

    ReplyDelete
  83. Hey Nomad, I'm just someone who recently got into SotC and is currently trying to get all the trophies and the 79 relics to get Dormin's sword. You're really an inspiration with your dedication to the game, and I've been wanting to know more about you as a person. I would love it if you could consider making a video with your voice (and face if you are comfortable enough). I promise I'm not a stalker XD. I've just been more and more curious about the Seekers since I watched the "The Decade-Long Quest For Shadow of the Colossus’ Last Secret" video and read the comment by Dave Lasseter who says he is a cousin of Ascadia, the man that started the forum and who passed away in 2018 (found out from Dave's video). This makes me sad to know about how I will never know about the people who dedicated a lot of their time in this game. That is why I would love it if you made a video about you in real life. I just want to know because we will all grow up, move on, or ,god forbid, pass away sooner or later. I still remember many friends from games who I wish I could still talk to but can't because those games have died away or they quit. I hope this gives you even the tiniest bit of motivation to make a video about yourself before eventually even you will leave us for bigger and better things in life. Thank you for reading.

    ReplyDelete
  84. Nomad,your blog is fantastic!! Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  85. Nomad, i found some woods near the Dormin's Pool, inside the Shrine of Worship in the right side. These woods look like horn shapes and one of them looks like a broken paddle. I tried to interact, to illuminate but nothing happened. But I found it strange, because I don't remember those woods in this part in the PS2 version. I'm playing PS4 Remake.

    ReplyDelete
  86. such a cool story knowing everything now

    ReplyDelete
  87. Hello Nomad, I'm Nawafmoe, the only SOTC phone speedrunner, can you see my 0:21:99 Valus NTA

    https://youtu.be/g3gJUGBQZec?feature=shared

    What are your thoughts?

    ReplyDelete
  88. Ainda está ativo no blog

    ReplyDelete