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Ecco the dolphin: defender of the future

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: May 09, 2008
Author: Amazon User

i'd most likely say this is the best game i've ever played, (on Playstation_) really easy once you have been playing it for about 5 minutes, but it gets alot harder once you get higher levels. and at first, catching that fish. but the graphics are terrific and so are the riddles. for sometime you will be lost and have no clue what to do, but just keep wondering around and speaking to the other dolphins. find out more- and it will be alot easier and you'll get the hang of it. that they like to hide things in dark places. and put a few things where alot of sharks are, for where the octopus is, that is a great deal of time getting back out once you have gotten in. and is a real pain. for i have spent hours on that and there are alot of tunnels so in the octopus's lair you will be constantly lost

but it IS a great deal of fun playing this game, for those who like challenges, puzzles, and riddles, and who have alot of patience... to me this is a very addictive game. and as for the levels- i've no idea how much there is cause i have never finished it. got ruined by my little brother befor i did. -Five star game Rating

no idea how much help this can be for you

Frustration beyond belief (but I love It)

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: October 11, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This game is BEAUTIFUL!!! there is no doubt about it!!! Though it is a very stressful journey from beginning to end, you'll be sooo proud of yourself when (and if) you finally beat it. This game may be too dificult for younger gamers but you should try it.

One of the most visually impressive games for the DC

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: April 29, 2003
Author: Amazon User

When Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future was first released for the Dreamcast, it's mouth watering 3-D graphics and incredibly realistic environments were unlike anything else seen on the system to date, and even today with the Dreamcast sleeping with the fishes, Ecco is still one of the top best looking games for the ill-fated system. Just as it's 16-bit incarnations provided for the Genesis years before, this 128-bit update offers the aforemented incredible graphics and very challenging gameplay. As I said before, the graphics are incredibly lifelike and Ecco and all his on-screen fellows move very fluidly and it will be hard not to take your eyes off the screen. Unfortuneately, the same steep learning curve has been inherited here as well. It is very easy to get completely lost and stuck in the game and not know where to go or what to do next. All in all, this isn't a game for novice gamers, but for those who have played Ecco games of the past and look for challenging and lengthy gameplay will have plenty to look forward to here.

Good and Bad

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: January 02, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This game is great in so many ways. Ecco handles exactly as you would expect a dolphin to handle, and the scenary is gorgeous. For those who experienced Ecco in the old 2D games, this version will satisfy your nostalgia. Its got everything you have come to love from Ecco games

However...this game is tough... really really tough. Although this difficulty sometimes results from the puzzles or enemies, it is more often caused by gameplay issues. First, Ecco gets stuck easily in ocean rocks and vegetation, and you will scream at your TV in frustration as frequently come to a dead stop at the worst moments. Second, some of the stages are very dark, and you'll often find yourself straining to see even the most obvious details. One wonders why they couldn't raise the contrast just a bit more when they made the game. Finally, you can't save your game until you complete a level. Some of these levels take a long time to complete; it frequently gets to a point where you must choose between quitting and starting from scratch later, or continuing to play even though you have a headache from staring at the screen for 4 hours.

But the pros outweigh the cons in my opinion :)

WOW, so beautiful!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: September 21, 2002
Author: Amazon User

This is probably the MOST beautiful game I've ever played on a console system and beats out a huge majority of PC games I've seen, too. You play as Ecco, a dolphin, and I must say, the underwater environments look fantastic and absolutely photo-realistic. It's one thing to have a photorealistic room full of bad guys to shoot up, but to have a photorealistic ocean, with the currents and ripple effects and corals and waterfalls and sunlight is just breath-taking on a whole new order. The animal models look stunning. You totally believe that Ecco is a real dolphin - that's how good the graphics are. I personally like the jellyfish, too - some are colorful while some are glossamer-transparent, really pretty (just don't bump into them!). This is one of those games you can play just to enjoy the environment. The music, which is calm and relaxing, perfectly supplements the visuals. I think this is a game the whole family can enjoy but I do have to point out one thing. It's pretty difficult! The way-out-there difficulty level may frustrate a lot of players...until they figure out that experiencing this superb game is probably more rewarding than beating the game.

I feel the same way about Space Channel 5, another Dreamcast game that is MUCH easier but has a groovy, danceable rhythm that makes it just as much fun to watch and experience as it is to finally beat it. Anyhow, buy/rent Ecco if you can! Dreamcast may be no more, but this masterpiece title alone shows just how beautiful a Dreamcast game could be!

best game ever

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 4
Date: February 17, 2002
Author: Amazon User

ecco the dolphin is a classic that should not be lost through meanless games. Dreamcast maybe going out of buisness but Ecco will live forever!! we love you Ecco! you will swim forever in my heart Ecco!

Dolphins are God's gift to humans!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: November 12, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This game certainly lives up to the standards it set up in the first two games. In Ecco The Dolphin: Defender of the Future, Ecco must once again save the day, but now the game is up to 21st century expectations. If you have ever wanted to be a dolphin, this game is for you. I've spent hours on the first level alone, just jumping around and swimming. Levels are difficult as we expected and wanted, and the details are amazing. The movie-like plot keeps the player interested. Five stars, forever.

5/08/05 Update:

Gosh, I wrote this a long time ago. Would you believe, I still haven't completed this game? I do not think I made myself clear enough, this game has a near vertical learning curve. I've found that I'll play for a couple of days straight, and then put the game aside for a few months (or maybe it's been a year, I can't recall). I like that it's so difficult, however; I don't care for games that can be completed in just a few hours, that really limits the re-playability.

Nearly all of the levels here are full immersion, meaning you can go up, down, left, right, EVERYWHERE. At the time, this was quite amazing. These days that's the norm, I suppose. There are still a couple levels though that harken back to the Sega Genesis days, that are flat and side-panning. It was a nice reminder of the old days, I thought.

The only major negative I found in this game is the echolocation maps. Ecco, like all dolphins, has the ability to send out sound waves to "see" the surrounding terrain as well as its inhabitants. Unlike in the first two games, this sound map does not show fish or, if I remember correctly, air pockets (when you're down in a cave). It only shows the curve of the land, if any is in the level, as well as sharks and dolphins. It also shows what looks like a little flashlight, which always points toward you; this is the exit from the level.

"Ecco the Dolphin" Sinks

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 5 / 13
Date: July 14, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This game has great graphics, great underwater AI, and Ecco is just like a real dolphin, but this game is TOO puzzling. I only managed to get past the first level. I regret buying it. Don't buy it.

Beautiful graphics and sound, but very high difficulty

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 10 / 10
Date: May 30, 2001
Author: Amazon User

The Ecco The Dolphin games for Sega's previous systems have always been a relaxed and relieving alternative to the droves of violent action/fighting games. Ecco The Dolphin: Defender Of The Future for Dreamcast carries over the theme and atmosphere of the past Ecco games, and injects the formula with smooth and realistic 3D evironments. This has to be one of the best looking console system games ever. Once you get over the hypnotizing graphics and sound however, you will find there are some problems with this game. The control is precise and responsive, but some levels are way too difficult, and offer little information to help the player complete the next objective. Unless you are a seasoned gamer, you will be overwhelmed to the point of boredom with the longs hours you must spend in order to finish Ecco. This is not one I would recommend for the kids...a lot of patience and skill are needed to play this game. If you are looking for a game with tons of depth that will pass the time however, you've certainly found it. Even if it makes you pull your hair out from frustration, Ecco: Defender Of The Future is a great title to have to showcase the graphical abilities of the Dreamcast, if nothing else.

ecco

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 10
Date: April 26, 2001
Author: Amazon User

ecco the dolphin swimming around in the sea ecco the dolhin come play with me

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