Video Games : Ecco The Dolphin: Defender of the Future

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: Ecco The Dolphin: Defender of the Future

Price: $49.75
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Binding: Video Game
EAN: 0010086510331
Platform: Sega Dreamcast
Sales Rank: 13585



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Editorial Review:

Editorial Review:
Ecco the dolphin has always played the part of Sega's more sedate mascot, providing a relaxing contrast to the hyperactive Sonic the Hedgehog games. Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future continues this tradition on the Dreamcast, putting the title character in charge of saving the world yet again. An alien force (creatively called The Foe) has abducted all the humans and most of the dolphins from earth, leaving only a tiny force of dolphins to restore things to normal. As Ecco, players must travel through an enormous underwater world, interacting with other sea creatures and solving puzzles in a quest to stop The Foe once and for all.

The Dreamcast's power is exploited to beautiful new extremes in this game. The underwater environments are filled with shimmering rocks, colorful plants, and outcroppings of coral. Families of turtles slip through the water in a stately line, while schools of fish dance in circles and translucent jellyfish sit suspended in the depths. The most amazing creatures by far are the dolphins--including Ecco--as they are rendered in perfect detail and benefit from incredibly fluid animation. This is one beautiful game, and the serene soundtrack adds to the overall atmosphere.

Unfortunately, the gameplay is about as shallow as the ocean is deep. There are many missions to complete, from dolphin races to killing teams of sharks, but there are so few controls that nearly all assignments are completed in the same way. Tasks become much harder as the game progresses, and the lack of direction given to players players needlessly adds to the difficulty. We wasted countless hours of trial and error trying to figure out what we were supposed to do--time that would have been saved had the mission objectives been clearer. Still, Ecco the Dolphin is an engaging way to waste time, thanks to its open environments and hypnotic beauty. --T. Byrl Baker

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Customer Reviews
Average Rating: out of 5 stars

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars - Ecco the dolphin: defender of the future
i'd most likely say this is the best game i've ever played, (on Playstation_) really easy once you have been playing it for about 5 minutes, but it gets alot harder once you get higher levels. and at first, catching that fish. but the graphics are terrific and so are the riddles. for sometime you will be lost and have no clue what to do, but just keep wondering around and speaking to the other dolphins. find out more- and it will be alot easier and you'll get the hang of it. that they like to hide things in dark places. and put a few things where alot of sharks are, for where the octopus is, that is a great deal of time getting back out once you have gotten in. and is a real pain. for i have spent hours on that and there are alot of tunnels so in the octopus's lair you will be constantly lost

but it IS a great deal of fun playing this game, for those who like challenges, puzzles, and riddles, and who have alot of patience... to me this is a very addictive game. and as for the levels- i've no idea how much there is cause i have never finished it. got ruined by my little brother befor i did. -Five star game Rating

no idea how much help this can be for you


Rating: 4 out of 5 stars - Frustration beyond belief (but I love It)
This game is BEAUTIFUL!!! there is no doubt about it!!! Though it is a very stressful journey from beginning to end, you'll be sooo proud of yourself when (and if) you finally beat it. This game may be too dificult for younger gamers but you should try it.


Rating: 4 out of 5 stars - One of the most visually impressive games for the DC
When Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future was first released for the Dreamcast, it's mouth watering 3-D graphics and incredibly realistic environments were unlike anything else seen on the system to date, and even today with the Dreamcast sleeping with the fishes, Ecco is still one of the top best looking games for the ill-fated system. Just as it's 16-bit incarnations provided for the Genesis years before, this 128-bit update offers the aforemented incredible graphics and very challenging gameplay. As I said before, the graphics are incredibly lifelike and Ecco and all his on-screen fellows move very fluidly and it will be hard not to take your eyes off the screen. Unfortuneately, the same steep learning curve has been inherited here as well. It is very easy to get completely lost and stuck in the game and not know where to go or what to do next. All in all, this isn't a game for novice gamers, but for those who have played Ecco games of the past and look for challenging and lengthy gameplay will have plenty to look forward to here.


Rating: 3 out of 5 stars - Good and Bad
This game is great in so many ways. Ecco handles exactly as you would expect a dolphin to handle, and the scenary is gorgeous. For those who experienced Ecco in the old 2D games, this version will satisfy your nostalgia. Its got everything you have come to love from Ecco games

However...this game is tough... really really tough. Although this difficulty sometimes results from the puzzles or enemies, it is more often caused by gameplay issues. First, Ecco gets stuck easily in ocean rocks and vegetation, and you will scream at your TV in frustration as frequently come to a dead stop at the worst moments. Second, some of the stages are very dark, and you'll often find yourself straining to see even the most obvious details. One wonders why they couldn't raise the contrast just a bit more when they made the game. Finally, you can't save your game until you complete a level. Some of these levels take a long time to complete; it frequently gets to a point where you must choose between quitting and starting from scratch later, or continuing to play even though you have a headache from staring at the screen for 4 hours.

But the pros outweigh the cons in my opinion :)


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars - WOW, so beautiful!
This is probably the MOST beautiful game I've ever played on a console system and beats out a huge majority of PC games I've seen, too. You play as Ecco, a dolphin, and I must say, the underwater environments look fantastic and absolutely photo-realistic. It's one thing to have a photorealistic room full of bad guys to shoot up, but to have a photorealistic ocean, with the currents and ripple effects and corals and waterfalls and sunlight is just breath-taking on a whole new order. The animal models look stunning. You totally believe that Ecco is a real dolphin - that's how good the graphics are. I personally like the jellyfish, too - some are colorful while some are glossamer-transparent, really pretty (just don't bump into them!). This is one of those games you can play just to enjoy the environment. The music, which is calm and relaxing, perfectly supplements the visuals. I think this is a game the whole family can enjoy but I do have to point out one thing. It's pretty difficult! The way-out-there difficulty level may frustrate a lot of players...until they figure out that experiencing this superb game is probably more rewarding than beating the game.

I feel the same way about Space Channel 5, another Dreamcast game that is MUCH easier but has a groovy, danceable rhythm that makes it just as much fun to watch and experience as it is to finally beat it. Anyhow, buy/rent Ecco if you can! Dreamcast may be no more, but this masterpiece title alone shows just how beautiful a Dreamcast game could be!

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