Ecco The Dolphin

To the joy of Ecco lovers everywhere, the most famous mammal in the sea is swimming onto the Game Gear. Last year, Ecco the Dolphin made sensational splashes on the Genesis and the Sega CD to become one of the highest-rated titles of all time. What worked before works again in this fine handheld version.

Sea Quest

As in the previous games, Ecco the Dolphin is searching for his lost pod, crystalline Glyphs, and the secrets behind the storm that swept his friends from the sea. His ocean odyssey takes him through countless mazes that sprawl across 17 undersea levels. Along the way, he encounters every fish in the sea, including dangerous sharks, octopi, and stingrays. Life's no beach for Ecco. Thankfully, Ecco has his usual skills to make life easier. Sonar enables him to communicate with other dolphins in cryptic, hard-to-fathom messages. He can also access a Sonar Map that shows him locations of food, air, and enemies. Finally, Ecco moves and responds to controls well. He can high-jump better than Carl Lewis, swim fester than Mark Spitz, and Charge Attack more effectively than John Paul Jones.

A Sight to Sea

Ecco's games have always been wonderful to look at, and this one doesn't disappoint. Lavish colors and details fill every screen, making every level worth reaching just for the graphics alone. Eventually, the levels become redundant and start to look the same (as you'd expect, since there's only so much you can see underwater). However, when Ecco leaps into the air and does a quick, graceful somersault, it's a moment of pure Dolphin delight.

The sounds approach what's been done before, but they don't reach those previous lofty heights. The same dreamy, astral music you've come to know and love tends to drone on tinnily after awhile. The special effects are as good as ever, with lots of boings and splashes creating a realistic undersea environment.

A Dolphin's Dilemma

Despite all its attributes and political correctness, Ecco the Dolphin is not for everyone. Gamers who like lots of variety and intense action will be disenchanted with Ecco's slow and repetitive game play. What's intellectually stimulating to some players will be boring to others. For fans of Ecco, though, he's still the king of the sea.

ProTips:

• Always explore the entire perimeter of Ecco's area.
• If you've never played Ecco before, watch the helpful Demo Mode for good game-play tips.
• Use your Sonar Map frequently, especially in the later, longer levels.
• Use your Sonar frequently to get helpful hints wherever you go.
• A leap at the beginning brings on the sudden storm that starts the action.
• Sing to the Pteranadon, and he'll take Ecco for a quick flight.

Ecco The Dolphin was released to major critical acclaim. Some of the gaudier console mags (you know the type... bright orange fonts against bright green backgrounds, loads of photos of the reviewers wearing baseball caps and holding their thumbs aloft - Granta it is not) even went so far as to name it "the best game ever". Ecco, they said, was a ground-breaking departure from the console gaming norm. And it was brilliant fun to boot. Well, that's what they said. What I say is this: Ecco The Dolphin was, is, and ever shall be... a bit of a bore really. The dolphin animation is very pretty, I grant you, but as for the game itself - Christ, what a chore it is. Swim over here. Swim over there. Push that rock under that thing. Push it the other way. Find that crystal. Mow the lawn. Do the dishes. Walk the bloody dog. No thank you, Sega.

If you missed it on Dreamcast, now's your chance to catch Sega's underwater adventure on PS2 (available now in the U.K., TBA in the U.S.). You play Ecco, a dolphin with stars on his forehead, as he uses his bottlenose to sniff out trouble and defend Earth from a race of aliens called the Foe. Along the way you'll solve puzzles, fight undersea enemies (like great white sharks) and acquire a taste for sushi. Yum!

One of the surprise games unveiled at Sega's E3 booth this year was the all-new 3D sequel to Sega's popular underwater exploration/adventure, Ecco the Dolphin. Developed by Appaloosa Interactive, the DC version of Ecco revolves around Ecco searching out his family and friends, who have been lost to an evil vortex. The version on the show floor was early, but it showed potential. Ecco is due out sometime late this year.

Our finned friend has lost his family due to a mysterious occurrence above the water. Now Ecco must seek out clues to his family's whereabouts. This very relaxing game is a side-scrolling adventure where Ecco can communicate with other sea animals by using his long range sonar. Since Dolphins breathe air, you can't stay under water too long. Replenish your health meter by eating fish.

Sega's popular undersea mammal, Ecco, is diving into the Game Gear. This one-player cart has 29 levels of undersea exploration, including oceans from the past and future. As he searches for his missing family, Ecco moves like a real dolphin and faces oceanic dangers, such as sharks and jellyfish.

Something strange has happened to many of the ocean's life-forms - theyhave vanished from existence. Play as the brave dolphin, Ecco, and track down the whereabouts of your pod. Some creatures of the deep such as sharks, jellyfish and a very huge octopus may try to slow your progress. Although the graphics and sound aren't as good as the Genesis, the game play has been faithfully preserved. The levels are also huge and you may be lost sometimes. Luckily, you can navigate through the waterways with your sonar. The passwords help a lot for this long quest.

Ecco is back from his classic Genesis adventures and is serving his porpoise well on the Dreamcast. Ecco has realistic water effects (simply the best on any system, including PC), amazing underwater backgrounds, and fantastic sea creatures illustrated so vividly you'll hold your breath for fear of drowning in this immersive adventure. Eccos lost his pod again, and as you search the ocean (and oceans past) looking for your family, you'll encounter killer whales, sharks, stingrays, and more. If Sega fulfills the promise of this captivating E3 demo, Ecco should develop into a beautiful journey.