Ecco the Dolphin (0)

Overview

Ecco the Dolphin (also known as Ecco) is an aquatic side-scrolling action-adventure game developed by and published by for the in Europe (on July 31, 1992), North America (on December 29, 1992), and Japan (on July 30, 1993).

Players control a named (unique to other dolphins for the six star markings on his forehead) as he embarks on a journey through the , trying to figure out the whereabouts of his group (who were sucked up in a mysterious waterspout) while helping fellow dolphins along the way.

Along with its unconventional gameplay mechanics (including a dedicated "sing" button for interaction and ), the game is known for its extreme level of difficulty (which would be a staple for the main games of the series) and bizarre plot development (including and ). It would later spawn a sequel (), a kid-friendly spin-off (), and a 3D reboot ().

Along with downscaled ports to the and , the game was ported to the less than a year later. This version (known in Japan as Ecco the Dolphin CD) features a bonus set of levels and new soundtrack (using ), and was later ported to the in Japan and North America (both in 1996, featuring new high-resolution sprites). The original game was digitally re-released for the (via on November 27, 2006), (via on August 15, 2007), PC (via on June 1, 2010), and most devices (on July 22, 2010), and was included in two compilations: (for the and ), and (for the and ).

An enhanced port was made for the (as 3D Ecco the Dolphin, part of Sega's 3D Classics remake series) and digitally released on the 3DS on December 12, 2013 (June 26, 2013 in Japan). This version features and a significantly-easier difficulty setting (adding invulnerability and unlimited air).