Ecco the Dolphin Review
PROS
- Ecco the Dolphin reborn for the App Store.
- Surprisingly smooth movement controls.
- Complex puzzle maze gameplay.
CONS
- Artwork and audio are badly dated for the modern gamer.
VERDICT
While many old school gamers and nostalgia fans will enjoy Ecco the Dolphin, it's a product of a different era and may not click with those sporting modern influences.
- Full Review
- App Store Info
Once again, SEGA has dragged one of their premium titles from the 90's kicking and screaming on to the App Store and the lucky pick this time is Ecco the Dolphin. This loveable aquatic mammal has been left behind to discover why his pod was sucked up in to the sky and he'll travel around the globe and time to get to the bottom of things.
SEGA's Genesis emulator for the App Store is put in to overdrive to get Ecco blasting his way through the seas and the controls are surprisingly good, which is a shock after some of their earlier emulated attempts. However, things start to get tricky when trying to manipulate two of the three extra buttons in quick succession, making some of the game's trickier sections a test of your patience. Tilt controls are also available for Ecco, though this feels more gimmicky than truly useful.
Ecco the Dolphin was an incredibly beautiful game for its time and while the artwork is still impressive, the lack of animations show its true age. The audio is also unbearable to listen to after any form of extended session.
Just like the other emulated titles all you're getting is a direct port of the title plus a couple flourishes to make the game friendlier to modern gamers. Those itching for a nostalgic kick will be pleasantly surprised by Ecco the Dolphin, but for everyone else it's a relic of a bygone era best left to physical controls and not the App Store.
Screenshots
