subdirectory_arrow_right The Idolmaster (Game)
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The original arcade release of The Idolmaster had several bad endings that were allegedly received by the first location play-testers so negatively that they were immediately taken out of the game. These endings are referred to as Death endings or "Z-ENDs" which can only be seen by earning a Z grade in the evaluation of an idol's performance, and involve the idols having a final meeting with the player to tell them they are giving up. The tone of each conversation varies with some idols frustratingly yelling at the player, while others will appear severely depressed.
The existence of these endings were considered an urban legend among the game's fans until 2014, when a volunteer for the now defunct fan localization website TLWiki found all of the intact Z-ENDs hidden in the data of the game's PlayStation Portable port The Idolmaster SP, and were later uploaded to Niconico. These endings were uploaded without an English translation, though archived text translations of every Z-END by TLWiki are available and included in the self-source tab.
The existence of these endings were considered an urban legend among the game's fans until 2014, when a volunteer for the now defunct fan localization website TLWiki found all of the intact Z-ENDs hidden in the data of the game's PlayStation Portable port The Idolmaster SP, and were later uploaded to Niconico. These endings were uploaded without an English translation, though archived text translations of every Z-END by TLWiki are available and included in the self-source tab.
Japanese blog post detailing Z-END origins:
https://web.archive.org/web/20200913185821/http://michaelgoraku.blog22.fc2.com/blog-entry-819.html
Ritsuko translation:
http://wayback.archive.org/web/20130311112029/http://tlwiki.org/index.php?title=Idolmaster_SP:MM:41095
Azusa translation:
http://wayback.archive.org/web/20130311113100/http://tlwiki.org/index.php?title=Idolmaster_SP:MM:23679
Yukiho translation:
http://wayback.archive.org/web/20140810135303/http://tlwiki.org/index.php?title=Idolmaster_SP:WS:34987
Makoto translation:
http://web.archive.org/web/20140810064932/http://tlwiki.org/index.php?title=Idolmaster_SP:PS:47298
Ami & Mami translation:
http://wayback.archive.org/web/20130311104110/http://tlwiki.org/index.php?title=Idolmaster_SP:WS:53423
Haruka translation:
http://wayback.archive.org/web/20130311123708/http://tlwiki.org/index.php?title=Idolmaster_SP:PS:6605
Chihaya translation:
http://wayback.archive.org/web/20130311111022/http://tlwiki.org/index.php?title=Idolmaster_SP:MM:29382
Iori translation:
http://wayback.archive.org/web/20130311103835/http://tlwiki.org/index.php?title=Idolmaster_SP:WS:12261
Yayoi translation:
http://wayback.archive.org/web/20130311123902/http://tlwiki.org/index.php?title=Idolmaster_SP:PS:18199
Ritsuko and Azusa Z-ENDs:
https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm24580244
Yukiho and Makoto Z-ENDs:
https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm24563142
Ami & Mami, Haruka and Chihaya Z-ENDs:
https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm24587397
Iori and Yayoi Z-ENDs:
https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm24517297
https://web.archive.org/web/20200913185821/http://michaelgoraku.blog22.fc2.com/blog-entry-819.html
Ritsuko translation:
http://wayback.archive.org/web/20130311112029/http://tlwiki.org/index.php?title=Idolmaster_SP:MM:41095
Azusa translation:
http://wayback.archive.org/web/20130311113100/http://tlwiki.org/index.php?title=Idolmaster_SP:MM:23679
Yukiho translation:
http://wayback.archive.org/web/20140810135303/http://tlwiki.org/index.php?title=Idolmaster_SP:WS:34987
Makoto translation:
http://web.archive.org/web/20140810064932/http://tlwiki.org/index.php?title=Idolmaster_SP:PS:47298
Ami & Mami translation:
http://wayback.archive.org/web/20130311104110/http://tlwiki.org/index.php?title=Idolmaster_SP:WS:53423
Haruka translation:
http://wayback.archive.org/web/20130311123708/http://tlwiki.org/index.php?title=Idolmaster_SP:PS:6605
Chihaya translation:
http://wayback.archive.org/web/20130311111022/http://tlwiki.org/index.php?title=Idolmaster_SP:MM:29382
Iori translation:
http://wayback.archive.org/web/20130311103835/http://tlwiki.org/index.php?title=Idolmaster_SP:WS:12261
Yayoi translation:
http://wayback.archive.org/web/20130311123902/http://tlwiki.org/index.php?title=Idolmaster_SP:PS:18199
Ritsuko and Azusa Z-ENDs:
https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm24580244
Yukiho and Makoto Z-ENDs:
https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm24563142
Ami & Mami, Haruka and Chihaya Z-ENDs:
https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm24587397
Iori and Yayoi Z-ENDs:
https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm24517297
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