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[MattKeil]

Same here, Big Blue scared the crap out of me as a kid. There I am, happily smimming around when BAM, the screen is full of whale and the speakers blast a spine-chilling cry.

This. I dropped my controller.

I would love to see an Ecco attempted on a modern console. Big Blue in 3D HD would probably stop my heart.

 

[J-Roderton]

Me and dad beat that game on sega when i was a kid. i loved it cuz u could do sonar and stuff like that.

 

[Skilletor]

This. I dropped my controller.

I would love to see an Ecco attempted on a modern console. Big Blue in 3D HD would probably stop my heart.

I thought I was the only one. Even replaying it, it still manages to sneak up on me. WHALE IS SO LOUD!

 

[ZealousD]

but at the same time I can't stand dolphins.

 

[McLovin]

Hmm.. I never finished this game.. I don't know why though.... wait.. was it so terrifying that I blocked it out?

 

[ZealousD]

Hmm.. I never finished this game.. I don't know why though.... wait.. was it so terrifying that I blocked it out?

It's probably because of how difficult the game is. If you're really good at the game, you can beat it in an hour and a half. But for normal people, Ecco is a game of nigh-impenetrable walls that requires hours to beat a single stage.

 

[scotcheggz]

My girlfriend always turns off the song "The Rip" by Portishead because it reminds her of the music from Ecco. Apparently, the game scares you both. :lol

That's a shame, becuase it's a fucking brilliant song!!

 

[KibblesBits]

ew, wtf...

anyhow...

I used to play Ecco on my Sega CDX after a long hard day of hunting and gathering and avoiding dinosaurs. It was not nearly as bad as people made it out to be. I never found it lonely but it was just a bit odd... the ending with the giant dna helix was cool though.

 

[Alucrid]

It gets more fucked up. The whole series is about time travel and space aliens. Oh, and earth is a giant farm for their queen to feast upon.

EDIT: Oh, and god of sorts. Or whatever you'd call the asterite.

What the fuck? That would've either made or screwed up my childhood. I guess it's a good thing I never made it past the first level of just being a "normal" dolphin. I need to replay this, off to find my Sega Genesis!

 

[To Far Away Times]

This game still freaks me out. Also, I suck, and can't beat the first stage. :lol

 

[Smelly Tramp]

I'm not sure whether to play the genesis or sega cd version. I watched about 10 minutes of the genesis play through and it sounded amazing. Is the sega cd version the exact same songs but cd quality? I think i need a comparison vid.

 

[Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew]

OP, you are not alone. I still freak out that that large whale staring at you in the dark while you do your acrobats in the water with two of your friends...

 

[TheSonicRetard]

I'm not sure whether to play the genesis or sega cd version. I watched about 10 minutes of the genesis play through and it sounded amazing. Is the sega cd version the exact same songs but cd quality? I think i need a comparison vid.

No, the Sega CD version has a different, and much better soundtrack. The Genesis version is really metallic sounding, and sounds sort of electronic. The Sega CD version is beautiful ambient music, that often sounds dessolate. A good comparison would be to compare the sega CD soundtrack to Aquatic Ambiance from Donkey Kong Country. Only better.

Here's my favorite song from the Sega CD version: The Vents

By comparison, here's the Genesis version: The Vents

I actually don't like the Genesis version in the least.

 

[MightyHedgehog]

What a buncha Tunas you are. Scary? What? Chickens of the sea, I tells ya. Creepy, yes. Very atmospheric, yes. I love the Ecco trilogy (Ecco, Tides of Time, Defender of the Future). Some of my very favorite gaming ever. I wish they'd get remade using 5.1 in high resolution. I love both the Genny and SCD soundtracks...both great stuff. Novotrade/Appleloosa is criminally overlooked for their fantastic contributions in the Ecco games. A shame they lost their luster with most due to those mediocre 3D Contra games and ended by doing strange, but somehow enjoyable crap like that last Jaws title.

 

[G_Berry]

This game used to freak me out also. That HUGE fucking whale you meet, something about it just doesn't sit right with me.

To this day I have a weird fear of going deep under water in games.

Also going "out of the map" in games freaks me out. Giant black abyss' etc etc are just not cool!

 

[TheSonicRetard]

Another great Sega CD song, this time from The Tides of Time:

Heart of the Giant

By contrast, the Genesis version plays the title music at the epilogue:

Genesis version

EDIT: And another:
The Vents of Medusa

Genesis version

 

[TheSonicRetard]

What the fuck? That would've either made or screwed up my childhood. I guess it's a good thing I never made it past the first level of just being a "normal" dolphin. I need to replay this, off to find my Sega Genesis!

You need the ending to the sequel spoiled. It gets really fucked up.

Spoiler

The queen follows you back to earth after ecco 1 and decides to populate the sea with her spawns. A dolphin from the future tells ecco that he has become a rock in the stream of time and there are 2 possible futures. In one, dolphins evolve hyper intelligence and rule the planet in harmony. In the other, the queen and her spawns overrun the planet, cover it in metal, and kill everything alive.

The queen kills the god-figure I was talking about earlier, so you travel back in time via the time machine at atlantis and revive him, and he gives you the power to kill the queen.

You wind up mortally wounding her, but she makes a mad dash for the time machine in atlantis and uses it to hurl herself in time so she can try again. Ecco follows her.

But the machine malfunctions, and she's hurled millions of years into the past. Trapped in prehistoric times, she spawns and her alien offspring, over the years, have no choice but to evolve into the crustaceans that live underwater today.

Ecco, on the other hand, gets lost in the stream of time and is never heard from ever again.

Such a fucked up, weird, and sad ending. For years I was mad that they didn't make a proper Ecco 3 to finish the series (which they fully intended to. You get a password near the end of Ecco 2 which you were supposed to be able to use in ecco 3), but over the years I've grown to like this ending more.

 

[Poimandres]

Haunting and lonely... even as a child I could dig it. The last levels with the aliens are genuinely creepy.

 

[Smelly Tramp]

Here's my favorite song from the Sega CD version: The Vents

By comparison, here's the Genesis version: The Vents

I actually don't like the Genesis version in the least.

I prefer the genesis version. That was the track that stuck in my head when i was watching the genesis play through. The Sega CD version might be more immersive and aquatic sounding, but there's something to the simplicity of the genesis version. I also think it would fit the game's archaic visuals better. It just feels more emotive to me, it's got that blade runner feeling.

I feel the same way with the old genesis Sonic games. Maybe I've just got a chubby for the genesis' sound chip, but i love that metallic noise. Couldn't imagine sonic's music any other way.

 

[Cat in the Hat]

Another great Sega CD song, this time from The Tides of Time:

Heart of the Giant

By contrast, the Genesis version plays the title music at the epilogue:

Genesis version

EDIT: And another:
The Vents of Medusa

Genesis version

I can't believe I've always passed over the series. I watched that play through you posted and I'm just in aww. What an amazing game, it would of blown my 5 year old mind:lol . Thanks you for sharing all your knowledge on the game I had no idea.

 

[Varshes]

Spencer Nilsen is the fucking man.

 

[TheSonicRetard]

Spencer Nilsen is the fucking man.

Yes, yes he is. His Sonic CD and Batman Returns soundtracks also rule.

 

[KAOS]

I'm not alone the DC version scared the crap out of me. I remember my friends making fun of me when I told them.

 

[TheSonicRetard]

I can't believe I've always passed over the series. I watched that play through you posted and I'm just in aww. What an amazing game, it would of blown my 5 year old mind:lol . Thanks you for sharing all your knowledge on the game I had no idea.

I think its mainly people who didn't live through the 16-bit days or were diehard nintendo fans who never knew about ecco. Back in the day, it was one of Sega's biggest franchises. Everyone thinks the Genesis was all sonic and nothing else... and that's just not true. Toejam & Earl, Ecco, Shinobi, Shining Force... Sega's machine had a lot to offer.

Ecco and Ecco the Tides of Time hit when sega was at their peak. They really hit their stride around the time these games came out. During that time, Sega had an interesting infatuation with time travel (Sonic CD) and the genesis had a very distinctive look - a lot of games had this very 3D, shiny brushed-metal look to them. You can see it in the Sonic 3 redesign of the sonic sprite.

Ecco the Tides of Time is the epitome of Sega during 93-94. Completely fantastic game. Every time I see an ecco thread, I can't help but wonder why these games don't get more love. Fantastic graphics, terrific music, and they got rave reviews when they were released. It's just a lost franchise.

If you like the surreal nature of the 16-bit sonic games, ecco is right up your ally. It out-surreals sonic several times. Atmosphere out the ass.

OUT THE ASS.

The dreamcast ecco isnt getting much love but it should. It was a fantastic update to the series, and it retained it's surreal nature. It just doesn't look quite as stunning in still pictures. I wish I could find video of the Hanging Waters from Defender of the Future... completely surreal. It's basically a much prettier version of the Sky Tubes from The Tides of Time, only in 3D.

EDIT: And I just have to post a video of the sky tubes level from Ecco: The tides of time. It does everything that should have been impossible on the genesis at once - transparancy, mode 7-esq 3D backgrounds... you could tell they knew the genesis inside and out. Let me dig one up.

 

[LINK.AGE76]

I never liked this game for some reason, it was weird for me.

 

[TheSonicRetard]

Found it. Look at this level: Tube of Medusa

That should have been impossible on the genesis.

EDIT: And the incredibly surreal next level

 

[GamerSoul]

i remember watching my cousin play this when I was younger. It's a game I never understood and when I tried playing it was never "fun", just weird. I took me like 30 tries to jump over a stupid rock.

 

[Suairyu]

I'm not sure whether to play the genesis or sega cd version. I watched about 10 minutes of the genesis play through and it sounded amazing. Is the sega cd version the exact same songs but cd quality? I think i need a comparison vid.

If you can find it, the Windows version is the definitive.

 

[Jangaroo]

The last boss of the first game... that's nightmare fuel right there.

 

[greenhadoken]

THANK YOU

 

[Brobzoid]

oh gawd, I'm listening to Songs of Time on Youtube again... Shit is just too good.

Spoiler

kinda glad there wasn't a third game, the ending is very fitting

 

[Major Williams]

This. I dropped my controller.

I would love to see an Ecco attempted on a modern console. Big Blue in 3D HD would probably stop my heart.

And be absolutely stunning if executed properly. I'm talking a 3D sidescroller. Not a port to the arcade. I would buy it day one if they did it right.

 

[TheSonicRetard]

oh gawd, I'm listening to Songs of Time on Youtube again... Shit is just too good.

Spoiler

kinda glad there wasn't a third game, the ending is very fitting

I have no doubt that, had there been an Ecco 3, it would have been just as amazing. Especially if it were a 32X game... imagine how gorgeous it'd have been.

But yeah, Ecco 2's ending fits very well. They did the past and outer space in Ecco 1. They both good and bad futures in Ecco 2. Where else could they have gone in Ecco 3? Different dimensions?

 

[Razien]

Wasn't being creepy and scary part of its charm? I loved it, if only because of being weird (gameplay was kinda bad, with dodgy hit detection and stuff like that).

 

[ZealousD]

Found it. Look at this level: Tube of Medusa

That should have been impossible on the genesis.

I wouldn't call that Mode 7-esque. Panorama Cotton did that pretty well, though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0m0t7SWKyI#t=45s

Can't deny, though. Ecco had some of the smoothest graphics on the system.

 

[OnPoint]

I am going to come to the defense of the Genesis soundtracks. It's not to attack the Sega CD soundtrack, which is of a different style entirely. But as a person who is a much bigger fan of the way video game music sounds, I feel this is one of the greatest sets of soundtracks of the entire 16-bit generation. People who say the Genesis soundtrack is bad are wrong. People who simply prefer the Sega CD ones do not fall under that distinction, but it's a question of personal taste. I personally LOVE these soundtracks.

I give you examples:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4guZ5SozW8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4VsWRGOSeI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCWSCBUc00Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ils-NolTIAg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QousDdXrjWo

I have no doubt that, had there been an Ecco 3, it would have been just as amazing. Especially if it were a 32X game... imagine how gorgeous it'd have been.

But yeah, Ecco 2's ending fits very well. They did the past and outer space in Ecco 1. They both good and bad futures in Ecco 2. Where else could they have gone in Ecco 3? Different dimensions?

I always imagined

Spoiler

"The Machine" was just a transport ship of sorts, and not the homeworld of the Vortex. Perhaps they could have gone to their planet, and other planets?

 

[TheSonicRetard]

I am going to come to the defense of the Genesis soundtracks. It's not to attack the Sega CD soundtrack, which is of a different style entirely. But as a person who is a much bigger fan of the way video game music sounds, I feel this is one of the greatest sets of soundtracks of the entire 16-bit generation. People who say the Genesis soundtrack is bad are wrong. People who simply prefer the Sega CD ones do not fall under that distinction, but it's a question of personal taste. I personally LOVE these soundtracks.

I give you examples:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4guZ5SozW8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4VsWRGOSeI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCWSCBUc00Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ils-NolTIAg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QousDdXrjWo



I always imagined

Spoiler

"The Machine" was just a transport ship of sorts, and not the homeworld of the Vortex. Perhaps they could have gone to their planet, and other planets?

Oooh, I never thought of that. In the bad future, you see the machine integrated with Earth, like the really beautiful picture of the clouds at dusk I posted above. But in Ecco 1, you only see the machine with nothing else. I never thought that it might have been just a ship.

Oh, and I don't hate the genesis soundtrack (outside of the vents), I just massively prefer the Sega CD soundtracks. It's like comparing Sonic 1's music to Sonic CD's music in my opinion. I love Sonic 1's music, but I fucking love Sonic CD's music.

 

[Crumpet Trumpet]

After all these years I've struggled to get past the first level and given up. Now I'm finding out that there's time travel and aliens in the game? Consider my mind blown.

 

[TheSonicRetard]

After all these years I've struggled to get past the first level and given up. Now I'm finding out that there's time travel and aliens in the game? Consider my mind blown.

You also shape-shift into sharks, jelly-fish, seagulls, and aliens. And you get carried by a pterodactyl.

 

[Crumpet Trumpet]

You also shape-shift into sharks, jelly-fish, seagulls, and aliens. And you get carried by a pterodactyl.

Yeah I'm definitely gonna try this out again soon. I'll try to dig up my good ol' Windows 95 PC that I played it on when I was younger. :lol

 

[OnPoint]

Yeah I'm definitely gonna try this out again soon. I'll try to dig up my good ol' Windows 95 PC that I played it on when I was younger. :lol

The game's story is fairly off the wall. It seriously just came out of nowhere, and just kept getting weirder and weirder.

 

[TheSonicRetard]

Yeah I'm definitely gonna try this out again soon. I'll try to dig up my good ol' Windows 95 PC that I played it on when I was younger. :lol

So, I'm gonna guess that the reason you got stuck is because you didn't jump out of the water in the first level. After the first level, the game doesn't get as cryptic (there's actual level structure) but it's still hard as balls. To complete the first level, talk to every dolphin until one tells you to watch him jump. After he jumps, you do the same. When you're in the air, a large tornado will come by and everything will get sucked up. When you land in the ocean, it'll be empty, and a rock on the right side of the screen will be gone. Check your sonar for an arrow pointing to the right. Thats the exit.

Ecco actually reminds me of Zelda, if it were a survival horror game. Only instead of getting keys, you're singing to glyphs to learn songs which can break other glyphs. And instead of pushing blocks, you're pushing rocks.

 

[Crumpet Trumpet]

No I distinctly remember the whole apocalypse of the sea completely freaking me out when I was younger. :lol I think I just had a shorter attention span back then and didn't really have the motivation to keep playing. I'll do better this time, hopefully.

 

[TheSonicRetard]

No I distinctly remember the whole apocalypse of the sea completely freaking me out when I was younger. :lol I think I just had a shorter attention span back then and didn't really have the motivation to keep playing. I'll do better this time, hopefully.

Most people get the water spout by accident, since the first thing they do is make ecco jump around. You have to be in a fairly specific spot, but it's easy to make happen, even if you don't talk to the dolphins.

Where most people screw up is that they don't realize the rock is moved. It's a pretty tiny hole, and now that I'm thinking harder, I'm not sure Ecco 1 had the arrows telling you there was an exit. that might have been added in Ecco 2.

 

[Cafeman]

I'm another big fan of the Genesis Ecco music. It is very fitting and memorable. I'd never diss it just because the Ecco CD music is CD quality and superior in quality because my first experience with Ecco was with the Genesis and its chip music.

I was pretty impressed by Ed Annunziata's games back then - he produced Spider-Man vs Kingpin, the Ecco games, and Chakan.

 

[RadioHeadAche]

Reminds me of that time when a dolphin got fresh with Hank Hill.

 

[Momar]

Holy shit at this thread. I thought Ecco the dolphin was a game about fucking nothing. Aliens? Machines? Creepy music? Atmosphere? What the fucking hell, how did I miss all of this?

 

[ethelred]

I really loved these games as a kid. They were actually two of my favorites on the Genesis -- they were so hauntingly beautiful, the atmosphere so captivating. I see a lot of people here have expressed a fear of water, but I love the water, have always loved spending time in it and around it... but the first time I went into Ecco, I had no idea I'd be getting such a dark, surreal, twisted experience. It really gripped my imagination.

The Sega CD versions have some of the most incredible music I've ever heard in video games, even to this day. I was in love right from the title screen, which I think I left playing for a good half hour the first time. And whenever I get a new MP3 player, I load these songs onto it; I listen to the music often because it's so easy to have my mind just drift away on the sounds of it. In fact, I think I'll put the music on now!

I appreciated how unique these were as gaming experiences -- there really weren't any other adventure games quite like them. Exploring these wide open (and sometimes narrow and extraordinarily treacherous) ocean vistas, the deceptive serenity of the water, singing songs to crystals, the whale, all that stuff. At the same time, there were a lot of frustrating elements to the gameplay that bothered me even when I was younger and had more patience with super difficult games than I do today. And I was never hardcore enough to beat some parts of the games without help. :/

 

[ZealousD]

Holy shit at this thread. I thought Ecco the dolphin was a game about fucking nothing. Aliens? Machines? Creepy music? Atmosphere? What the fucking hell, how did I miss all of this?

It's simple. The game is too hard for most people to reach the mindfuckery and modern game journalists have never given it the proper respect.

 

[Staccat0]

Okay I've never played this but I'm convinced.
We need a next gen echo.
I always wanted it but never got it under the tree. Never knew it was batshit insane either.
You guys make it sound like SEGA's Metroid