Ecco the Dolphin

The Good
If you're reading this, you probably know the story already. You're a dolphin who goes off on his own to find its pod after a turbulent underwater whirlwind, if we can call it that. From there, it's you again the deep big ocean.

And that's how it feels too.

I don't think I've ever gone through the whole game, but it doesn't matter to me. Everytimes you start a new game, you're sucked into this whole underwater world of solitude and isolation and strange myths. Something I've always loved, and found somewhat eerie, is that humans don't seem to matter at all in this game. It's not the surface-dwellers' world you're part of, it's all about the underwater kingdom and their extra-planetary concerns.

Gameplay? Oh, right... gameplay.

You could call it a platformer, I guess, but most of the time you actually have to jump out of the water and OVER platforms. This game is just beyond genres. Sometimes you just have to make your way through underwater mazes (watch it down there cuz you gotta catch your breath every now and then) and sometimes you have to help your fellow dolphins. You can communicate with crystals, or at least extract information from them, or to other mammals such as the aforementionned dolphins or with orcas. Oh and there's a whale too... a big, long whale, peacefully swimming in the cold waters. I was just awed by the size of that thing on my TV back then.

Of course, there some hazards to deal with. As I've mentionned before... air. You're a mammal and you like to breathe. Sometimes you'll need to surface and sometimes you'll need to find underwater pockets of air. So when you're exploring an underwater maze, things can get quickly claustrophobic. Not only that, but you'll have to cope with the usual baddies such as sharks, jellyfishes and some rather bitchy octopuses (you know how these things get). To discard these enemies (minus the octopus), you have your thrusty (haha!) nose to ram into your opponents or you may, in some cases, make use of your radar (after proper upgrading, of course.) Ahhhh yes, the radar. Now that's one of the reasons this game is so interesting. You don't have an in-game map per se, but you can get little segments of it by using your radar (Your name is not Ecco for just no reason you know.)

Sound is actually pretty good for a Genesis game. I especially loved the sound orcas make when you talk to them. But the music is... it's just amazing. It seems that there's always a song that's suiting for the current situation and it contributes extremely well to the overall ambience.

The Bad
Nada.

The Bottom Line
It's this kind of weird games the Genesis was good at churning out. The game is pretty straightforward and you're given very little explanation about what's going on. Great! I'm always ready to surrender to this kind of stuff. It's nice, simple and clean.

The Good
Ecco the Dolphin (1992) is something of a cult classic video game that people tend to love or hate. The humble dolphin must explore the vast ocean where he will battle (as well as aid) sea creatures and H. R. Giger inspired space aliens, solve difficult puzzles and unlock ancient secrets. The Sega CD version features some incredible music that is probably some of the best tunes associated with a video game. This, along with the great animation, graphic, game play and storyline found in the Sega Genesis cartridge version makes this game a classic.

The Bad
The Sega CD features some incredible music that has to be heard to be fully appreciated. However, the game's graphics are still done under the 64 on-screen colors (out of 512) and their are only a few other additions to the CD version. This game is very hard and will require a tremendous amount of patience, precious timing and interest in science fiction, puzzle solving and philosophy. Many games have tried to mix arcade action with more intellectual, graphic adventuring and come up short. This game succeeds where most failed, but gamers need to be aware of what they are getting themselves into.

The Bottom Line
Ecco the Dolphin (1992) for the Sega CD features the great animation and graphics of the Sega Genesis version with amazing music, new passwords and a few other additions. If you own the cartridge version, then you will probably want to play this version for its music but will notice few other additions.

The Good
As said before, the game was good and the sounds matched perfectly. I unfortunately didn't get past the level that had octopuses in it. The first level with these things, in case there were more afterwards.

I always ended up getting lost in the underwater mazes and then dying. However, I did have a Game Genie at the time and did not hesitate to make Ecco not need to surface to breathe. Sweetness!

The music was just about the only thing I really liked about the game.

The Bad
That you were on your own and didn't have even one dolphin to help out on the more difficult levels. Which I understand that is the idea of the game, it's you, Ecco...that saves the pod. But it still wasn't cool.

The Bottom Line
If you like to be alone and be the "hero", figure out things on your own with minimal help, and love dolphins. Then this game is for you! However, be wary of the dangers that lurk beneath the deep blue sea and be careful in taking care of yourself. Because, it's all you, Ecco.