The Hardcore Retro God (Review #85 - Ecco The Dolphin, Part A)

[@ribenasquash]

I really enjoyed your review/retrospective. This _is_ one of the most. Impressive 16bit games. Musically, thematically, the artwork. tThe gameplay is unique and robust. It’s difficult but achievable. Unless you don’t figure out you have to shoot sonar at a statue and that’s as far as I ever got. A lot of people say this is a bad game. I think it’s down to narrow mindedness. The controls _are_ floaty. Because you are floating. Mastering them is tough. The puzzles are rock hard. Air is always running out. Some people just don’t want a side scrolling action game to not be a jumping on platforms and firing a gun game. It’s unthinkable. But the elements of this game coalesce into a gripping and frankly harrowing story set in the most alien world of the deep sea. There are only a handful of games that are set underwater I can think of and this game is the most atmospheric and mooody and convincing. The other games I’m thinking of are AMOK on the Saturn and something on the Dreamcast called something like Sub-Attack, I dunno. Then In The Hunt (NeoGeo) and Seaquest DSV (16bits). Anyway. I hope people will stop trashing this game when it’s so good. I would compare it to Super Metroid, which is a game which doesn’t receive any negativity despite the awkward and unresponsive controls and dull and uninspired cave environments. I’ve watched people play Super Metroid on request on two occasions to fly into a rage as they awkwardly slide off a platform for the hundredth time into some spikes and lose a life, puting them back an hour of dull, fiddly and monotonous gameplay. But anyway. This game and it’s sequel deserve respect for the ambition and vision and exemplary design and execution of one of the most inventive, creative and engrossing games of the 16bit generation.

[@HardcoreRGProdigyXTR]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/fYnddn6hoKyCrqc

[@HardcoreRGProdigyXTR]

CORRECTION, at 40:21 - Heavy Nova was developed and released by Micronet, NOT MICROSOFT. (Can my brain be any more corrupted than it already is?)

[@HardcoreRGProdigyXTR]

CORRECTION, at 3:50 - It's "echolocation", hence Ecco's trademark ability of tracking his place via sonar.

[@djmobman1727]

After watching this i wonder how the Dreamcast one will stick up to this. It's gonna be interesting

[@HardcoreRGProdigyXTR]

UPDATE (in terms of the new release date of the 2nd Half showcasing the reviews of the Game Gear counterparts of the first 2 Ecco offerings & Defender of the Future on Dreamcast; forgive any setbacks) - 6/27/23, a week before Independence Day.

[@HardcoreRGProdigyXTR]

LAST-MINUTE DEADLINE CHANGE: Friday (6/30), due to extra time required on commentary editing / footage gathering procedures!

[@djmobman1727]

Haven't played this one been turned off by the supposedly super big difficulty Spike. Is it like donkey Kong on the super Nintendo difficulty or alot more punishing

[@HardcoreRGProdigyXTR]

Part B of this finale HAS JUST ARRIVED! kzbin.info/www/bejne/fYnddn6hoKyCrqc