One of the surprise hits on the Sega Genesis, Ecco the Dolphin went on to become a certified classic and one of the truly unique titles of its time. Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future is the first Dreamcast sequel and promises to update the original with a fully 3D world while retaining the same basic puzzle-solving and platform elements that made the original so popular.
The game is set in the far future, when man and dolphins have united to live together in harmony after having vanquished evil in the previous two Ecco games. However, as in any good sequel, the evil tyrants come back from exile to muck things up again – this time by sending a boat back to the past to alter the course of history. Our unsuspecting Ecco is caught in the time wave and carried back to the past along with the evil-doers, and it is up to him to stop their plan.
Ecco: DOF is set in a lush 3D environment with realistic looking water, plant, and animal life. The game will have over 30 levels, and will involve as much exploration and puzzle-solving as the original. Developed by the same team that developed the original game, DOF should capture the same essence as the two Genesis incarnations. Ecco: DOF should appeal to a wide cross-section of gamers and will have fans of the original giddy with anticipation – look for its European release later this month and an American release in the fall.