Shadow of the Colossus Secrets and YouTube Video Guide (PS2)

Shadow of the Colossus is a Japanese-developed action-adventure video game developed and published by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCEI) for the PlayStation 2. The game focuses on Wander, a young man who must travel across a vast expanse on horseback and defeat sixteen giant beings collectively known as colossi to restore the life of a young girl. The game is unusual within the action-adventure genre in that there are no towns or dungeons to explore, no characters with which to interact, and no enemies to defeat other than the colossi.

Shadow of the Colossus has been described as a puzzle game, as each colossus' weakness must be identified and exploited before it can be defeated. Progression through Shadow of the Colossus occurs in cycles. Beginning at a central point in an expansive landscape, the player seeks out and defeats a colossus and is then returned to the central point to repeat the process.

Unlockables

Brown Agro
Get all items in Normal or Hard Time Attack mode. Hold down Square button at title screen.

Hard Time Attack Rewards
These items can be acquired through the Hard Time Attack Mode. You receive one item for every two Colossi you defeat in Hard Time Attack Mode.

Cloth of Desperation ("Parachute") - Defeat 14 Colossi in Hard Time Attack Mode

Fruit Tree Map - Defeat 6 Colossi in Hard Time Attack Mode

Harpoon of Thunder (Long range projectile weapon) - Defeat 2 Colossi in Hard Time Attack Mode

Lizard Detection Stone - Defeat 10 Colossi in Hard Time Attack Mode

Queen's Sword (From ICO) - Defeat 16 Colossi in Hard Time Attack Mode

Shaman's Cloak (Decreases damage taken) - Defeat 8 Colossi in Hard Time Attack Mode

Shaman's Mask (Decrease damage taken) - Defeat 12 Colossi in Hard Time Attack Mode

Sword of the Sun (Reflects light even when in the dark) - Defeat 4 Colossi in Hard Time Attack Mode

Time Attack Rewards
You must first complete the game once to unlock Time Attack mode. To begin a challenge, walk up to a statue in the temple and pray (circle).

Cloak of Deception - Defeat 14 Colossi in Time Attack mode.

Cloak of Force - Defeat 4 Colossi in Time Attack mode.

Flash Arrow/Brown Agro - Defeat all Colossi in Time Attack mode.

Fruit Tree Map - Defeat 10 Colossi in Time Attack mode.

Lizard Detection Stone - Defeat 8 Colossi in Time Attack mode.

Mask of Power - Defeat 12 Colossi in Time Attack mode.

Mask of Strength - Defeat 6 Colossi in Time Attack mode.

Whistling Arrow - Defeat 2 Colossi in Time Attack mode.

Unlock Hard Mode and Time Attack mode
After beating the main game, watch all the credits all the way through. After they are finished you have the option to save your game. Save it and you will unlock both Hard and Time Attack Mode.

Hard Mode - After beating the game, you have the option to start a new game in Hard Mode on the title screen.

Time Attack Hard Mode - Beat the game in Hard Mode

Time Attack Mode Load your save data after completing the game. Pray in front of any Colossus Statue by pressing the "O" button to enter Time Attack Mode.

White Agro
Complete both Normal Time Attack and Hard Time Attack to receive all 16 items. Then, at the main menu, hold the "circle" button when selecting New Game, New Game (Hard Mode) or Load Game. Once the game starts, Agro will now be white.

Secrets

Ico Symbol
If you use a memory card with an Ico save-game on it, your horse Aggro will have the Ico "I" logo on its forehead as opposed to the usual mark.

Increase health and stamina with Lizards and Fruit.
The white lizards crawling around in many areas of the game can be eaten to increase Stamina. Equip the bow and shoot the lizard, then press the Circle button to pick up and eat it. Many of the trees within the game carry Fruit that can be used to restore and increase your Maximum Health slightly. Equip the bow and shoot at the Fruit hanging in the tree, once it drops go over and press the Circle button to eat it.

Reminiscence Mode
After killing a Colossus, you can go back to their petrified bodies and by pressing Circle, your character will kneel down and pray. This opens Reminiscence Mode, a mode where you can find the Colossus again as though it were a flashback.

The Short Way to the Secret Garden.
You do not need to beat the game 4 times to reach the secret garden. All you have to do is familiarize yourself with the diagonal jump. When you grab a climbable wall (usually indicated by the moss growing on it), you have to hold jump and the left analog stick diagonally up until your character swings his arm, depending on what direction you tilted the analog stick. Once he does this, let go of jump and you will scale the wall diagonally without using a large amount of stamina.

Before you decide to reach the secret garden, it is advisable to complete about 7 colossi for the sole reason of acquiring enough stamina to take on this task. You could also search for white-tailed lizards as an alternative to gain stamina.

To reach the secret garden, you have to locate the wall of ivy on the northeast side of the temple shrine. If you use your horse and jump off him towards the wall of ivy, you will save even more stamina. Now, follow it all the way up until you reach a ledge on the right. Go around it while still using the diagonal jump to save stamina. On the opposite side, leap across to the visible moss and keep going around the second ledge above. Once you get to other side, you have to go around yet another ledge, which is a little bit below your position. You will reach a circular pillar that you have to jump onto. This is easily done by situating yourself directly opposite of it and then jumping across. Hold on and keep going up. The moss will lead you a little bit towards the left to a small walkway. Follow the stairs to the secret garden. Enjoy, but do not eat the fruit, as it will decrease your health permanently.

Here's the video guide of this superb game, in case you're having trouble with one of the Colossi: