Greed Island

Greed Island
Kana	グリードアイランド
Rōmaji	Gurīdo Airando
Location Statistics
Capital	Limeiro
Controlled by	G.I. Game Masters
Inhabitants	G.I. Players G.I. NPCs G.I. Convicts
Fauna	G.I. Nen Beasts
Debut
Manga Debut	Chapter 127
Anime Debut	Episode 74 (1999) Episode 60 (2011)

Greed Island (グリードアイランド, Gurīdo Airando) is a dangerous video game meant only for Hunters. Played on the JoyStation Console, it is out of print and sells at auctions for at least 8 billion. The game transports its players' bodies into the world of "Greed Island", only releasing them when they die (at which point they die in "real life" as well), win, or leave the game. It can only be played by Nen users. There is no limit to how many people can enter the game and it is possible to play without a memory card, but one is required to save a player’s progress. Using a multi-tap, it is possible for multiple people to use one save file to enter the game. In actuality, Greed Island takes place in the real world on an island due east of Yorknew City.

History

The console needed to play Greed Island

Greed Island was first released in 1987, created by Ging Freecss (the lead designer) and ten of his friends, all of whom are known as Game Masters. It was produced and sold by Marilyn Inc.

Intended exclusively for Hunters, its 5.8 billion price tag is the highest ever for any video game. There were 20,000 pre-orders for only 100 copies. After its initial sales, the game disappeared from the market. In 1988, Battera offered to buy the game for 17 billion and 50 billion for a memory card with endgame data. However, after no one came forward, even more urban legends concerning the game were created.

Acquisition Difficulty

According to the Hunter Website, while the game is considered legendary for the general public, the difficulty of finding one is ranked "H" (easiest) since it has started to appear at public auctions. It's added that the acquisition difficulty is ranked "G" (easy) because of the high cost, with the game not classified as rare because of the current number of professional Hunters (there are enough for one out of six to own a copy).

Ring, Binder, and Cards

The Ring

All players will have a ring that is required to enter the game and allows them to use two keyword spells:

1. Book - after a player says the keyword "Book", a binder will materialize which the player will use to store their cards.

2. Gain - after a player says the keyword "Gain", an item in its card form will turn back into its material form but cannot return to its card form again.

G.I. Ring

G.I. Book

G.I. Book Slots

The Binder

The binder has a total of 100 specified card slots; the goal of the game is to collect and fill these slots with the properly specified cards. There are also a total of 45 unnumbered free slots in the binder for storing free slot cards. The binder can also be used to check the names of players met on the island. It does not materialize in the “real world”. Only the three-slot case obtained by completing the game can be summoned with the "Book" command after leaving the game (the same rule applies to cards and "Gain").

The Cards

Main article: Greed Island Card Lists

All items that are picked up on the island transform into cards. These cards can be materialized into item form again by holding them and saying "Gain". However, if a card is not placed inside the binder within a minute, it will revert into the item and can never be converted into its card form again, forcing the player to find the item again. Cards cannot be used outside of the game and will not respond to "Gain" unless they are one of the three placed in a special case obtained by clearing the game. There are four distinct sets of cards: the 100 specified slot cards, the 40 spell cards, the free slot cards, and Game Master-only cards.

Parts of the Card

Killua holding the "Sword of Truth" card

1. Upper left - Item/Card Designation Number
2. Upper center - Item Name
3. Upper right - Acquisition Difficulty and Card Conversion Limit
4. Center - Item Illustration
5. Bottom - Item Description/Function

Card Rank/Acquisition Difficulty Levels

Each card has a difficulty level that's shown in the upper right corner. There are a total of 10 levels, from the most difficult to the easiest to acquire in the game.

• SS
• S
• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• H

Card Conversion Limit

There is a limit to how many times an item can be transformed into its card form, ranging from more than 100 to as few as three. Once that number has been reached, no other player can turn the item into a card until another player reverts the card or loses their save data. The higher the card’s rank is, the lower its conversion limit will be.

Island's Currency

Greed Island also uses Jenny. However, the currency is only acceptable by its inhabitants in card form (e.g., “J10,000”).

Locations

The map of Greed Island

Shalnark estimated that Greed Island was as large as the Kotoritana Republic (approx. 83,450 km²/32,220 sq. mi.).

1. Shiso Tree: The starting point of the game where Eta introduces players to the basic rules.
2. Magic City of Masadora: The only place on the island where spell cards can be purchased.
   • Spell Card Shop: Where players can purchase spell cards at a given price. When spell cards are used or players lose their data, the inventory of cards is replenished.
3. Port City of Soufrabi: A city controlled by Razor’s pirates, whose base is located in a nearby lighthouse.
4. The City of Love, Aiai: A city filled with almost every clichéd romantic scenario. Hisoka considered it a nice place to spend time.
5. City of Prizes, Antokiba: A city located close to the game’s starting point. Every month a different contest is held here, with different prizes for each month.
   • Caveau de Riquewihr: A restaurant located in Antokiba.
   • Wig & Pen: A store located in Antokiba.
6. Gambling City of Dorias: Several casinos are located in the city. Specific cards can only be acquired by gambling here.
7. Rubicuta: Another town located close to the game’s starting point.
8. Capital City of Limeiro: It includes a castle inhabited by Dwun and List. This latter structure, as well as the city's populace, are given to the winner of the end-game quiz as a reward through Ruler's Blessing.
9. Greed Island Port: The only port on the island and home of the Harbormaster, who will give players a "Transport Ticket" card to leave the game. To obtain the ticket, players can either bribe or knock out the Harbormaster, who will give them infinite quests otherwise. Elena operates from a nearby tower and teleports players out of the game.
10. Badlands: A series of hills (composed of eroded sedimentary rocks) in dry terrain with minimal vegetation and inhabited by a variety of monsters. It is where Gon and Killua were trained by Biscuit. There are also abandoned campsites and towns in the area.
11. Village of the Bandits from the Mountains: The place where Sick Villagers (posing as mountain bandits) reside. Everyone in the village suffers from a disease endemic to the island which begins with a fever and becomes fatal after one month. Once the player heals all of them, the "Wild Luck Alexandrite" card is given as a reward.
12. Bunzen: Little is known about this town or village to which Abengane returned after talking with Gon and Biscuit. His purpose there was mainly to use the forest near the town entrance to perform the ritual needed for his exorcism ability.
13. Trade Shops: Where players can buy information, deposit money, and sell and purchase cards (besides spell cards). All B-rank cards can be bought at trade shops if a player shops more than 50 times at the same location.

Game's Creators

The known Game Masters

Main article: G.I. Game Masters

There are a total of 11 people responsible for creating the game. It’s revealed that the game’s title uses the initials of their first names. Since Ging was the lead designer, he wanted a word that started with “G” and decided to use “Greed”.

• G - Ging
• R - Razor
• E - Elena (Game Master in charge of players leaving the game, twin sister of Eta)
• E - Eta (Game Master in charge of players entering the game, twin sister of Elena)
• D - Dwun (Actual name Wdwune, until Ging decided to change his name)

• I - Unknown (Presumed to be Ickshonpe Katocha)
• S - Unknown
• L - List
• A - Unknown
• N - Unknown
• D - Unknown

Location on the World Map

World Map
Greed Island is located East of the Yorbian Continent

NPCs

Greed Island is populated by a multitude of non-player characters (NPCs) with different functions.

Greed Island
Casino King	Cat Diner NPC	Gold Dust Girl	Gold Dust Girl Guard
Harbormaster	Plot of Beach NPC	Sick Villagers	Antokiba Trade Shop NPC
Masadora Trade Shop NPC	Spell Card Shop NPC

Casino King A man who gambles with players for a chance to win a "Fledgling Gambler".

Cat Diner NPCs - Anthropomorphic cats that run a restaurant in Antokiba and provide information.

Gold Dust Girl - A girl who sheds gold dust from her body. She transforms into the “Gold Dust Girl” card.

Gold Dust Girl Guard - A man who stands guard outside the Gold Dust Girl's mansion.

Harbormaster - Found at the only port on the island, he determines who is able to leave the island "by boat". To obtain a “Transport Ticket”, he needs to be either bribed or defeated.

Plot of Beach NPC - A woman who gives the quest to acquire the "Plot of Beach" card.

Sick Villagers - A group carrier of an endemic disease, they impersonate bandits but end up asking players for help. Eventually, they may lead to the acquisition of “Wild Luck Alexandrite”.

Antokiba Trade Shop NPC - A man who gives various types of information to players.

Masadora Trade Shop NPC - A man who gives various types of information to players.

Spell Card Shop NPC - A woman who sells spell cards to players.

See also: Razor’s Pirates

Bestiary

Greed Island
Cyclops	Bubble Horse	Radio Rat
King White Stag Beetle	Melanin Lizard	Owl NPC
Wolf Pack	Hyper Puffball	Unnamed One-eyed Monster
Unnamed Slime Monster	Unnamed Worm Monster

Cyclops - A group of one-eyed, humanoid giants who use blunt weapons and prefer to move in groups, attacking anything that enters their territory. They are found in the badlands on the way to Masadora. They transform into their card form when struck in the eye.

Bubble Horse - A type of horse that releases red and white bubbles that when popped, releases a loud noise which it uses as an opportunity to escape. Players must switch between Ten and Zetsu to catch the horse, causing it to transform into its card form.

Radio Rat - A timid rodent that manipulates objects to scare away predators while hiding. It faints when seen and transforms into its card form.

King White Stag Beetle - A rare white beetle that uses special pheromones to lure other insects to build a huge colony. It leaves the colony once a day for an evening stroll. It transforms into its card form once a player uses enough force on the tree in which it resides.

Melanin Lizard - A lizard large enough to swallow a cow whole, it can use its huge body to pin down and kill its victims by suffocation. It has a hidden mole on its back that is very vulnerable to attacks.

Galgaida - A type of fish that is given as a reward in Antokiba, it is edible and palatable whether it’s boiled or grilled. It is considered one of the island's famed delicacies, and its eggs are believed to bestow long life.

Owl NPC - An owl that is used to send letters and mail. It delivered the letter with "Ruler's Invitation" to Gon after he won the quiz.

Hyper Puffball - Small furry creatures that move at incredible speeds. It transforms into its card form once caught.

Wolf Pack - A pack of wolf-like creatures that attacked Gon, Killua, and Biscuit in a forest. Gon and Killua used Gyo to identify their different attack patterns, eventually acquiring the “Alpha Wolf” card.

Trivia

• The two cards Ickshonpe Katocha mentioned when asking Ging to trade were not available to players before Gon cleared the game. This may mean that either Ickshonpe is a Game Master and has access to exclusive cards, or the cards have been changed after Gon's victory.
• The card acquisition difficulty levels seem to be the same used by the Hunter Association.
• Greed Island wasn’t adapted in the 1999 anime until the second OVA series.

Anime and Manga Differences

• In both the 1999 and 2011 anime adaptations, the first card to be used was "Trace". In the manga, however, it was "Peek".
• The Wolf Pack does not appear in either anime adaptation.

Intertextuality and References

• Prior to "Greed Island", Yoshihiro Togashi had used the science-fiction concept of "video games in real life" in three other manga he created:
  • In 1987, Togashi wrote Tonda Birthday Present, a short story appearing in Togashi's anthology series Ōkami Nante Kowakunai!!, released in Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine. The story involved a middle school student (a prototype to Yusuke Urameshi) bringing his favorite RPG to life via a machine created by his mad scientist father.
  • Tsukishito Amanuma, a minor antagonist from Togashi's YuYu Hakusho, has the ability to bring video games to life. He is also known under the alias of "Gamemaster".
  • Level E, an anthology series focusing on extraterrestrials visiting Earth, features a story arc involving five grade-schoolers being teleported to an alien planet that operates as a J-RPG akin to the Final Fantasy series.

• A version of Greed Island appeared in an episode of Sailor Moon.
• A rumor existed that clearing the game would grant the player a wish from a giant dragon, a reference to Dragon Ball.

Translations around the World

Language		Name
Arabic		جزيرة الجشع
Korean		그리드 아일랜드 (Geulideu Aillaendeu)
Russian		Остров Жадности
Spanish		Isla de la ambición