30 Years a Dolphin: Celebrating 3 Decades of Ecco

It’s been 30 years since we first took control of that loveable little ocean scamp, Ecco. In that time the series has seen highs and lows of all kinds through its meagre five game releases, so why do some still revere it after all this time?

The year was 1992, the world had just been treated to its most violent and divisive beat ‘em up videogame, Mortal Kombat, and the concept of a family-friendly game set entirely in the ocean from the perspective of a marine creature seemed to be something of a pipe dream. Enter Ed Annunziata and Novotrade International’s Ecco the Dolphin.

Ecco The Dolphin is a science-fiction action/advenure game series where the player takes control of a — you guessed it — dolphin, as he attempts to save the ocean after a catastrophic storm which occurs every 500 years and removes a large portion of marine life. He does this by talking to other sea creatures, defeating enemies by headbutting them, and collecting ‘key-glyphs’. Ecco — being a mammal — needs to surface occasionally (otherwise he drowns) and also comes under attack from various sea life throughout his travels. He communicates with neutral and friendly sea life by ‘singing’ ; he also uses this mechanism to navigate his surroundings just as a real-life dolphin would.

Fast-forward to today, 30 years later, and I felt it was the perfect time to look back at this often-forgotten series. As mentioned previously, the Ecco series only has five mainstream releases and almost all of them have been met with mixed reviews and criticisms, with Ecco Jr. especially being hit with accusations of being “unoriginal” and “a way for Sega to dig its claws into impressionable minds of young children and make them believe they need to graduate to the first (and more original) Ecco.”

Realism was always at the forefront of the development of Ecco for Annunzita, as he had recently read Hank Searls’ book Sounding, which covers the topic of echolocation and how dolphins navigate the ocean using sound due to their eyesight being lacking in spite of their 300-degree viewing angle. Sound is exceptionally important in the Ecco series, with the soundtrack taking inspiration from ethereal sounds such as the work of Pink Floyd.

Graphically, Ecco was years ahead of many of the titles being released at the same time. The game is built on a 8-bit engine which does limit the colour and depth capability. This is barely noticeable as the game often opts for heavy saturation of existing colours to enunciate its elements such as the deep blues of the ocean, the bright greys of the dolphins, and the various shades which are used for the plant life which litters the environment.

There is no doubt that the first Ecco game was original: it was the first large-scale title set entirely in a water environment and one of the first 3D games that allowed players to take control of a wild animal. The water graphics for Ecco have developed and evolved over time, but even now, looking back at 1992, it is difficult to criticise the originality and seldom-mentioned beautiful simplicity of the game environment. While not being over-populated by clutter, the scenery still manages to be visually enthralling and in keeping with the tone of the game.

Ecco The Dolphin almost always gets left out when people mention their favourite games of all time, and I think this is criminal as I believe Ecco is one of the most original and infinitely replayable games out there. The series may have lost its way as time went on but I feel the original can still go toe-to-toe with the heavy hitters of the Sega/Nintendo golden years. Maybe Ecco is often forgotten due to not being as memorable or maybe the poor little guy just didn’t get the publicity he needed to become an icon, but I believe that the time is now right for a new Ecco game, especially with the release of titles like The Falconeer and Maneater. Players taking control of animals in place of humans is very much in vogue now — at least in the indie space — and now would be the perfect time to show the world what Ecco is made of.

30 years and five releases is a fantastic legacy and I think Ecco will be played for many years to come. However, I cannot help but wonder if there is an Ecco story yet to be told, if there are parts of the ocean that the little guy is just waiting to explore, and if there is a new league of Ecco fans just waiting to be found.

Until such a time that we get a release of a new Ecco game, you can find me headbutting crystals, shouting at sea creatures, and navigating the murky depths all in the name of heroism.

The time for Ecco’s return is now and I await it patiently.