Do you remember how annoying underwater stages were back in the 2D era? I sure do. These were typically awkward, and more difficult than the rest of the game in which they were contained. Sometimes these would bog down the entire adventure. Well how about a video game based entirely around underwater antics? That’s what Sega brought to the table with Ecco the Dolphin on the Sega Genesis. This was one of their attempts to focus less on video game violence (in the 90s this was a hot button issue).
I remember Ecco the Dolphin being a big deal when it was released. Even now I see it referenced often by classic gamers. I didn’t get a chance to play it until years later, and honestly, the game never clicked for me. I’ve finally decided to sit down and force myself to play through it. Unfortunately it’s bad. Let’s take a closer look.
Animal based video game mascots were huge in the 90s. In that sense Ecco fits right in. He’s not edgy. He doesn’t speak nor does he wear sunglasses. Ecco is just a plain old dolphin which is probably a good thing to be honest. The game begins as he’s swimming around with his dolphin friends when suddenly a vortex appears which sucks up with it a ton of animals from the ocean. Ecco is spared, but sets out to free his lost friends.
Because this is such an old game, and an action game at that, I don’t mind spoiling the story here. It’s aliens. Yes, extra-terrestrials are the responsible for the mass exodus of marine life, and they serve as the penultimate enemies in Ecco the Dolphin. If you haven’t played the game I’m sure I’ve just about lost you by now, but bear with me. The plot is much better than it sounds as you discover this through limited dialogue with other marine mammals and even ancient writing in Atlantis. This may sound like a recipe for disaster, but scenario is oddly one of Ecco’s strongest aspects.
Ecco the Dolphin is a side scrolling 2D game. You swim through the water with limited abilities fighting sea creatures and interacting with other dolphins. Ecco attacks enemies by ramming them with his nose. You can do this by pressing or holding the B button which gives him a short burst of speed. Our mammalian friend can also use his sonar abilities to interact with other creatures (or even objects later on). There are a few upgrades that let him attack with this or stun larger enemies such as sharks.
Your basic goal in each stage is to go from point A to point B, but there’s a whole heck of a lot in between. Not only will you be dealing with enemies along the way but there are obstacles as well. Often times you’ll have to move items like conches or rocks to break barriers and open the way forward. Other times you’ll find yourself needing to rescue Dolphins and return them to the surface. There’s also things like an Octopus you have to sneak past, or tentacles you must escape from if they touch you. As far as variety goes there’s just enough so as to make the game not feel too repetitive in my opinion.
Because Ecco is a marine mammal and not a fish he has to breathe real air. This is indicated by a meter at the top of the screen which depletes as he remains submerged. In the first few areas you’ll have easy access to the surface and air pockets underwater, but later on Ecco has to rely on deep sea vents and even magical statues. You’ve also got a life bar that drains as you’re touched by foes. Running out of air isn’t an instant death, but Ecco starts losing health rapidly. Replenishing his life is done primarily by eating small fish, but these aren’t exactly plentiful later on.
What drags Ecco the Dolphin down into the murky depths is it’s level design and mechanics. Most of these stages are labyrinths. I normally don’t mind navigating mazes but it causes some pretty big issues here. For starters you’ve got the oxygen meter to contend with. Keeping tabs on this causes undue stress. There’s just something about drowning in video games that’s overly dire and it’s just as unsettling here.
I could get behind the maze-like structure of the stages if they were thoughtfully designed, but unfortunately that’s not the case. Instead of visual cues or manual learning the levels instead offer multiple paths, that offer multiple paths, and often everything looks too similar. It feels kind of lazy if I’m being honest. As if the designs are complicated just for the sake of being complicated. I’m normally fine with guesswork but in this case it’s too often required. New mechanics such as sliding on surface ice for example are introduced but not cleverly utilized. I liked this idea in particular but was disappointed when it didn’t amount to much.
Unfortunately combat is pretty clunky too. Ecco must use the dash to hit foes with his bottlenose, but this is too finicky. You have to hit at the right time during the attack or else you’ll take damage instead. Ecco will also be hit if he doesn’t strike at the right point as well, and the hit detection isn’t very good. I got better with the mechanics as the game went on but there were plenty of moments later on where I was left scratching my head. This just shows a general lack of polish in my opinion.
These aforementioned issues make Ecco the Dolphin a difficult game. It’s not on the same level as something like Ninja Gaiden, but I found moments where I was just as frustrated. The level designs could have, and should have been tightened. Outside of a few enemies (I’m looking at you arctic crab) foes don’t generally pose that much of a challenge. Most of the time you’ll be battling against the oxygen meter which doesn’t make for a very entertaining experience. Prepare to die often, but not because the game throws dynamic or interesting challenges at you. Rather, it’s because the developers included too many different paths with no clever design behind them.
Despite it’s gameplay shortcomings Ecco the Dolphin is a beautiful game. I’d go so far as to say it’s one of the most visually pleasant 16-bit titles of it’s era. The above surface landscapes look marvelous with many different hues of sunsets and fantastic scenery. Things are a bit more drab under the sea but it’s all pleasant enough. The alien designs in particular are marvelous. Standard enemies have really boring designs but let’s be honest, there’s really there’s only so much you can do to pretty up a jellyfish. Graphics are truly one of the game’s strong points.
The soundtrack on the other hand… well it sure is something. Ecco the Dolphin is often celebrated for it’s ominous and haunting music. I got some of that, but it didn’t strike the same notes for me. Maybe it’s better for those that grew up listening to music generated by the Sega Genesis soundchip. I could see how the compositions would be haunting but the limitations of the hardware hold it back. The hardware just can’t hit those low notes very well, and everything else sounds a bit garish if I’m being honest. It gets better as the game goes on, but the soundtrack (while decent) does little for me. It’s at least unique.
