Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future is the third installment of the popular series which first appeared on the Sega CD console.  Made by the Hungarian developer Appaloosa Interactive, it retains all the charm of the original games in an all-new 3D environment. 

The back story was created by David Brin, of Startide Rising fame.  That, for me, was a perfect choice for a story involving a dolphin as the main character.  The game takes place in the future, when man and dolphinkind have traveled into space to colonize other worlds.  The enemy of Earth --  known only as the Foe -- has attempted many times to destroy the world.  However, a shield put up by the Guardian Crystal has preserved the Earth and thwarted the efforts of the Foe.  However, at the beginning of this game, the Foe breaks through the shield and destroys the Guardian.  Ecco is the chosen dolphin to restore the Guardian and save the Earth from the Foe.  This quest involves travels to many underwater locales including Atlantis, man-made ruins, aerial waterways, and all sorts of tropical paradises. 

The lure of the game is the incredible graphics that highlight each stage with vibrant color and movement.  At many points, it’s like watching a National Geographic special.  Each stage provides new environments to look at.  The detail is astounding and it can be clearly seen that the developer tried to emulate aquatic realism at every level.  Schools of fish swim around and disperse at your approach, giant eels try to lunge out and bite you and hordes of marauding sharks snap at you if you get too close.  The only downside to the graphics is it’s easy to get disoriented in the 3D world.  Also many tunnels are not as well-lighted as they could be which significantly raises the difficulty level of the game when you are trying to swim away from a pursuing eel.  Music and sound is sparse but appropriate for the game.  Made up mostly of relaxing tunes which match the ambiance of the peaceful underwater environments.  Ecco and the other dolphins' vocalizations make this experience authentic without introducing too many sound effects which would not make the game as realistic as it is in its present form.  

The gameplay consists of solving lots of puzzles to clear each level, get a story segment, and enter a new environment.  Puzzles range from catching fish to manipulating objects.  Other interesting twists involve learning special songs that allow control of different aquatic creatures such as turtles, manta rays, and glowfish to get past certain areas.  Ecco can swim in every direction, roll, jump out of the water, and sprint attack.  You are limited by your life energy and air supply.  Regaining energy after taking damage requires Ecco to eat fish, which is a fun endeavor.   You can also gain special abilities from crystals such as super sonar, stamina, super air supply, and invisibility.  All are used to solve more complex puzzles further on in the game. 

One of the main problems is, as with the graphics, control can get pretty tough in the 3D environment.  Aiming takes lots of practice and controlling Ecco during charge attacks without losing your orientation is a tough challenge.  I really don’t know how the control could have been done better though.  Due to its 3D nature this game is very tough to beat and should be approached with caution by novice or impatient players.  However, each victory is greatly rewarding and makes this game worth it.  

Sega has long needed to revive some of their older popular franchises and doing so with the power of the Dreamcast makes for a great combination.  The entire aquatic experience and beautiful world make Ecco a worthy addition to the quality line-up of games that proves the system power is not the only thing that makes a good game console.