Other Genesis fans may enjoy Ecco the Dolphin, but this Genesis fan doesn't.
Graphics: 9/10
Sound: 10/10
Value: 6/10
Tilt: 6/10
Final Score: 5.8/10 (D)
For those wondering why I don't give a lot of games a 6.0, here's one. I can't believe I liked this game at one point. Truth be told, I reviewed this before I even played it (sorry about that). Now that I have played it enough, I must say it SUCKS!! This coming from a big Genesis fan. I love the Sonic games (yes ALL of them on the Genesis), the Shinobi games, Vectorman's games, and Ristar, just to name a few. But this is not one of those games. Don't get me wrong, I tried to like this game, but I couldn't. What's the deal with people claiming this to be thoughtfully designed? Yeah, Thoughtfully designed up my ass! I hate to say, and I really do, but I didn't like Ecco the Dolphin that much. Why did I even put this in my top 20 Genesis games?
The idea of controlling a dolphin may seem like a great idea, but alas, it isn't. Basically, some queen thing has taken all the sea creatures in the ocean (except you, since you were jumping out of the water). I don't play games for stories; I play them for FUN!! Anyways, you'll go to your first mission where you need to find some gem thing while other dolphins give you stupid advice such as "Suddenly, I saw it" or something like that. I took me forever, but I got past the first level. The 2nd level is a pain, because I can't figure out what to do. Enemies aren't tough to beat, but they do slow you down. When you attack them with your beak (like Enguarde from the DKC trilogy), you slow down. I wish you could just pass through. Oh well.
But that's not it. No, the poorly designed stages are monotonous to navigate. I'm more used to the PS2 version (Sega Genesis Collection), so I don't know how to bring up the map (on the PS2 version, it's the circle button). When you do, it's really TINY!! Would it have hurt Sega to put it on the screen while playing? That would've made the game a lot better to play! That costs at least 3 letter grades right there. It's also really boring trying to wander around, and I had just about had enough.
Does Ecco the Dolphin have something going for it? Well the graphics and audio are art in a museum. The creatures and scenery are detailed enough, and the animation is pretty smooth. The aqua ambience (music) is amazing on the Genesis, and the sound of jumping out of the water is amazing. I also appreciate that you have a life bar and breathing bar, so that you can swim up and find fresh air.
Other Genesis fans may enjoy Ecco the Dolphin, but this Genesis fan doesn't. A password system is included, but I found this tedious enough not to care. Genesis fans looking for a SERIOUS challenge may find this interesting, but if you're a casual gamer like me, you need not apply. It's a shame, because I would've have loved this game had the level design ahd been more forgiving.