Any game that could compete with the juggernaut known as Sonic the Hedgehog on the Sega Genesis was obviously special. Ecco the Dolphin was such a game, but was still an odd occurrence. The Sonic games were a straightforward affair, filled with platforming and blistering speed. Ecco the Dolphin was a more intricate puzzle game, with a lead that was a special bottlenose dolphin, but still…a dolphin. Not the kind of character that had ever done very well as the face of a franchise. Sonic may have been a hedgehog, but only in the loosest sense of the word. (He has spiky hair!) And while Sonic games were difficult, Ecco’s games were known to be punishing affairs. But somehow Ecco managed to beat the odds and contend with Sega’s beloved mascot, even spawning a sequel and a few spinoffs.
It’s a shame then that for all of Ecco’s amazing feats, both in and out of the game, that his friends are morons. Every last one of them. The video below from Dorkly shows Ecco’s trials and tribulations trying to save his friends despite themselves. I was guilty of finding endless entertainment flipping out of the game’s ocean, but some things just might not be worth saving, Ecco.
