Last month, I took the liberty of playing through 'Ecco the Dolphin,' a game I hadn't played for years. I remember playing it through Sega Channel, AT&T's scheme of letting you play 50 (or 100, I can't remember) different Sega Genesis titles for $25 per month (and by the time my parents stopped getting it, $50 per month). The game seemed interesting to me, but at my age--I couldn't have been older than 5--I didn't really figure it out. Coming back to the game after almost 15 years, I've found that Ecco the Dolphin is a series with an innocent exterior, but once you crack the walnut open, you're obligated to eat the innards. The story is far deeper and more interesting than I could have ever imagined. With my latest obsession, I present my review of 'Ecco the Dolphin.'

Gameplay:
'Ecco the Dolphin' is a unique action-adventure game with a lot of depth given its 1993 release. Exploration runs most of the game. Presented in a fashion that requires the gamer to put forth some effort to get the actual objective instead of being blatantly told what to do, you--as Ecco--must seek out NPCs or use sonar/echolocation to find your way to the exit. Showcasing the sea's harsh nature, everything is out to kill you, so to speak. Jellyfish, octopi, and sharks are only the basic enemy types you'll see early on. Defense is fairly easy with Ecco's charge attack, and later on, kindness to your dolphin kin will award an upgrade to your sonar to give it offensive powers. Dexterity is tested with the puzzles in the game: some areas must be accessed by moving a block and hiding behind it to break a powerful current or careful movement of a ring of stars using sonar waves. In terms of difficulty, THIS GAME IS ONE OF THE HARDEST I'VE EVER PLAYED. Levels can take as long as 20 minutes without the use of sonar maps or guides. It doesn't sound bad at first, but with the lack of checkpoints, this game can become easily frustrating. Some enemies can move quickly and can beat you down if you panic. If you move too quickly in an area and run out of air, act too reckless and lose all your health, or get crushed, you have to repeat the level. An unorthodox method, but I believe it helped me understand Ecco's character more.

Music:
The soundtrack is something unique for the Sega Genesis. It has an odd feel to it, and it matches. I wasn't knocking myself over to get the soundtrack, and after playing through it again, I think I understand why. I connected a lot to Ecco. The music speaks the words that At the beginning of the game, it has a more adventurous theme, but it slowly transitions to a creepy theme. None of the tracks are what I'd call notable, but overall, for Sega Genesis, I'd say it's well thought-out. Since the game was later ported to the Sega CD, I found out that Spencer Nilsen orchestrated the soundtrack. The Sega CD version's OST is much more dramatic and captures the essence of the moment in story while you're playing. When I heard a couple tracks, I had to get the whole thing, which is very easy to find.

Storyline:
I connected well with Ecco. He's a dolphin in search of his pod that was mysteriously swept away, taken from the ocean at the beginning of the game. Virgins of the game would be confused at this occurrence. The thought of a game based off of a dolphin would seem more upbeat, at least in the beginning. Jumping out of the water is the attraction initially, but underlying that first impression of innocence comes the lonely search for your family. It's not long before you find that other residents of the ocean are in a similar distress. However, it's up to Ecco to save them, behind powerful currents. The rescued dolphins tell Ecco of "the Big Blue" to the north that can help him. He goes to the Arctic to seek out this elder. The Big Blue, the gigantic blue whale, tells Ecco that the Vortex, a species of xenomorphic aliens, come to the Earth to harvest the lifeforms from the oceans every 500 years. He directs Ecco to locate the Asterite, the world's oldest creature on Earth. After telling Ecco that he is the chosen dolphin, the Asterite can endow Ecco with a power to defeat the horrible Vortex if he can restore her damaged globe. To restore the globe, he must travel 55 million years into the past using the time machine in the sunken city of Atlantis. That's not the end, but it's certainly the first half of the game. This storyline is quite deep for a game about a dolphin. It means a lot to me, maybe because I can relate to the emotions Ecco must feel at the different points in the game, maybe it's because I struggled so much with the difficulty of this game.

Controls:
D-pad moves Ecco, A is sonar, B is charge, C is accelerate. Not much else to say about it. Some people complain about how difficult it is to master the controls, but it didn't take me long, even after I switched the controls on Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection to ABC mode.

Graphics:
For its time, Ecco's graphics are amazing. The thing that surprised me at first about the game, was how fluid the splash effects are when Ecco jumps out of the water. For Sega Genesis, in 1993, pretty damn good. Even if you study the rocks/reefs, you'll find that they're done with great detail. There were very few to no moments in the game where I was bothered by graphics. For being 3D, the Asterite was portrayed masterfully.

Misc:
'Ecco the Dolphin' has a few hidden messages to go find, to add to the story, even make it creepier. A random glyph will tell you: "Ecco, if we breathe air, why do we live beneath the waves?" Something to ponder on. Other than that, there isn't much reason to replay this game, other than to challenge yourself.

OVERALL:
It's a classic, by all means. 'Ecco the Dolphin' brought me to my gaming limits, testing my patience, skill, dexterity, judgment, and intelligence. I loved it. For a game that I've heard people jeer about--the sheer thought of a dolphin as a protagonist seemed to make people scoff. I guess speedy blue hedgehogs who fight egg-shaped madmen is a scoff-able concept. There's not much else I can say about this game without restating what I've already said. It's definitely earned a place on my favorites list. I recommend this game to anyone who isn't afraid of a challenge or has an unusual taste in storyline. It's definitely "out there."

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Due to my latest obsession, I may do a review on 'Ecco: The Tides of Time,' the sequel, next.