Product Description
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Ecco, the bottlenose star of a nearly forgotten side-scrolling
adventure on the retired Sega Genesis, has made it to the
Dreamcast in Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future, and this
time he's a 3-D dolphin in a hyperrealistic underwater world.
Players will control Ecco as he is sent back into the past and
tries to reinstate the paradise of his future. How? Evil forces
have conspired to destroy the planet, and if Ecco can recover the
stolen and scattered dolphin power, he'll be able to restore the
harmony between dolphins and humans.
But there'll be time for that. First, you're going to have to
learn to swim, eat, and think like a dolphin. Use different songs
to communicate with other sea creatures and be prepared to defend
yourself against predatory sharks. Later, go on to solve puzzles
and work with others to accomplish your goals. The game features
beautifully detailed seascapes, with creatures and s that
look and move realistically.
.com
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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 s, 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
Pros:
* Absolutely beautiful environments
* Fluid animation Cons:
* No way to save games in the middle of a level
* Repetitive gameplay
* The game slows when there are many objects onscreen at once
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Review
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This version of Ecco The Dolphin takes this popular bottlenose
dolphin game character into an all-new adventure. The game uses
the interesting technology built into the Sega Dreamcast to full
advantage. It offers handsome, three-dimensional, photo-realistic
graphics. Much of the action takes place underwater as players
control the friendly dolphin.
There is a wide range of graphic puzzles, some of which are
interestingly complex. All of the on-screen characters are
manipulated using advanced artificial intelligence, so they act
and look exceptionally realistic. Throughout the game, an
original soundtrack adds a movie-like ambiance.
Ecco The Dolphin focuses on exploration, strategy, and peaceful
solutions to the obstacles and challenges the main character
faces. A 2000 Parents' Choice® Approved winner.
Reviewed by Jason R. Rich, Parents' Choice® 2000 -- From Parents'
Choice® (
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