Colossus Slays EA, Drags Ico Along

Justice at last for Ueda and Kaido as Ico's spiritual successor flies to the top of the charts. There was a healthy showing for the re-released original too.

Sony was disheartened when Ico came and went with little popular support in 2002, but it wasn't phased. Instead, the company did for its spiritual successor Shadow of the Colossus what it should have done from the beginning - Sony threw its full weight behind it.

The advertising campaign for the game has been huge, covering the Internet, TV and magazines. The result: Shadow of the Colossus is perched atop the UK sales charts, pushing chart topping regular Need For Speed: Most Wanted down a couple notches.

Even Ico, which was re-released alongside Shadow Of The Colossus, did well, coming in at No. 23 - not bad for a reissue of a game that was largely ignored at its original debut.

There was more new stuff in the second place too as two geek favourites collided in spectacular fashion in Star Wars: Empire at War. The Star Wars-tinged real-time strategy game came in just behind Shadow of the Colossus, in second place.

TV coverage of a different sort played in Torino 2006's favour. The ongoing foofaraw surrounding the Winter Olympics and everything that accompanies it pushed 2K Sports' tie-in into the Top 10.

For much more on Shadow of the Colossus, check out our extensive coverage of the game over the last two years, including our earlier interviews with the creators.

Below are the top 10 games in the UK for the week ending 18 February, as determined by Chart Track:

1. Shadow of the Colossus (Sony)
2. Star Wars: Empire at War (LucasArts)
3. Need For Speed: Most Wanted (EA)
4. Rugby 06 (EA)
5. The Sims 2 (EA)
6. FIFA 06 (EA)
7. Torino 2006 (2K Sports)
8. King Kong (Ubisoft)
9. Pro Evolution Soccer 5 (Konami)
10. Chicken Little (Buena Vista)

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games