Ecco the Dolphin

n/a

Ecco the Dolphin

Publisher: Sega

System(s): Sega Mega Drive, Sega Master System, Sega Game Gear, Sega Mega-CD, Virtual Console, Xbox Live Arcade, PC, Steam, iOS

Genre: Action

Number of players: 1

Release	Date	RRP	Code
JP	1993-07-30	¥6,800	G-4106
US	1992-12^[1]	$59.99^[1]	1042
EU (limited package; according to Sega of Japan this exists)	199x	€?	?
UK	1992-12^[3]	£39.99^[2]^[3]	1042
FR	1992-12^[3]	?F	1042
DE	1992-12^[3]	DM 99,95^[4]	1042
ES	1992-12^[3]	?Ptas	1042
PT	199x	?	?
AU	199x	$?	?
AU (Gold)	199x	$?	FDOL00SMC
BR	199x	R$?	044360
AS	199x	?	1042-40
KR	199x	₩?	GM8091JG


US	1993	$49.95^[5]	4408
UK	1993-08^[7]	£44.99^[6]	4408
FR	1993	?F	4408
DE	1993-10^[8]	DM 99,-^[8]^[4]	4408
ES	1993	?Ptas	4408
BR	1993-10^[9]	R$?	?


JP	1994-03-11	¥3,800	G-3344
US	1993-11^[10]	$39.99^[10]	2516
UK	1993-10^[13]	£29.99^[11]^[12]	2516
FR	1993-10^[13]	?F	2516
DE	1993-10^[13]	DM ?	2516
ES	1993-10^[13]	?Ptas	2516
IT	1993-10^[13]	?£	2516
BR	199x	R$?	?


UK	1994	£?	9029
FR	1994	?F	9029
DE	1994	DM ?	9029
ES	1994	?Ptas	9029
PT	1993	?PTE$	MSJ9029
AU	199x	$?	FECC00SEC
BR	199x	R$?	028270


JP	1996-12-13	¥7,800 (8,190)	HCJ-0114
US	1995-11^[14]	$39.95^[14]	?
UK	1996-03-15^[16]	£29.99^[15]	MK 85013-50
FR	1996-03-15^[16]	?F	MK 85013-50
DE	1996-03-15^[16]	DM ?	MK 85013-50
ES	1996-03-15^[16]	?Ptas	MK 85013-50
US	2010-06-01^[18]	$2.99^[17]	34274
EU	2010-06-01^[18]	€2.49^[17]	34274
UK	2010-06-01^[18]	£1.99^[17]	34274
AU	2010-06-01^[18]	$3.49^[17]	34274


JP	2006-12-02^[20]	600^[19] pts	?
US	2006-11-27^[21]	800^[21] pts	?
EU	2006-12-08^[22]	800^[22] pts	?
AU	2006-12-07	800 pts	?


JP ▼	2007-08-15^[25]	400^[26]pts
JP ▼ (Otameshiban)	2007-08-15^[25]	FREE
US ▼	2007-08-15^[23]	400^[23]pts
US ▼ (Trial Game)	2007-08-15^[23]	FREE
EU ▼	2007-08-15^[27]	400^[27]pts
EU ▼ (Trial Game)	2007-08-15^[27]	FREE
UK ▼	2007-08-15^[24]	400^[24]pts
UK ▼ (Trial Game)	2007-08-15^[24]	FREE
AU ▼	2007-08-15^[29]	pts
AU ▼ (Trial Game)	2007-08-15^[29]	FREE
KR ▼	2007-08-15^[28]	pts
JP	2010-07-22^[31]	¥350^[30]	?
US	2010-07-22^[32]	$2.99^[32]	?
EU	2010-07-22^[32]	€?	?

ESRB

VRC

Sega

PEGI

USK

OFLC

CERO

GRB

Ecco the Dolphin (エコー・ザ・ドルフィン), frequently referred to simply as Ecco is a successful video game developed by Novotrade International and published by Sega for the Sega Mega Drive, Sega Master System, Sega Game Gear and later Sega Mega-CD. It is one of the Mega Drive's most well-known titles, and spawned numerous sequels. The game features a bottlenosed dolphin named Ecco on a sidescrolling underwater adventure.

Gameplay

The game is noted for its high difficulty level, and though appears to appeal to a younger audience, has a much deeper and darker story than anticipated. Ecco on the Mega-CD features a full redbook audio soundtrack composed by Spencer Nilsen and has re-designed levels.

Achievements

Main article: Ecco the Dolphin/Achievements.

History

Development

Ecco the Dolphin was inspired by the works of American scientist John C. Lilly, particularly his attempts to communicate with dolphins. During the 1970s, Lilly became addicted to ketamine and began to believe in a hierarchical group of cosmic entities, the lowest known as the Earth Coincidence Control Office (ECCO). These events helped build the world of Ecco the Dolphin, with producer Ed Annunziata creating an adventure wherein an intelligent dolphin comes into contact with extra terrestrial lifeforms.

The moving background in the dialogue screens of the Mega Drive (and Mega-CD) versions was originally the result of a glitch, kept in because the designers thought it looked cool^[33].

The Mega-CD release of Ecco was the first game on the platform to sport a QSound soundtrack^[34].

Release

Ecco the Dolphin was the fourth best selling game in the United Kingdom in 1993^[35].

Legacy

Ecco was has been re-released for several formats over the years, usually as an emulated Mega Drive game. It was included in Sega Mega Drive Collection for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable, and was released as a downloadable title through the RealOne Arcade service (also in the form of a one hour trial version). In 2006 it was released on the Wii's Virtual Console service, and in 2007 became a downloadable title through the Xbox Live Arcade service. Ecco was also included in Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection. In 2010 it was released on Steam and iOS devices. The iOS version was removed from sale on iTunes in 2015.^[36]

In 2013, the game was converted to 3D and released for the Nintendo 3DS as 3D Ecco the Dolphin. It was later included in the compilation Sega 3D Fukkoku Archives.

Ecco the Dolphin was followed by Ecco: The Tides of Time.

Comic adaptation

Sonic the Comic included few "Ecco the Dolphin" comics strips, retelling the general story of the first game in it's own way. The story arcs are: "Ecco the Dolphin" (issue #13 to issue #18) and "Return of Ecco the Dolphin" (#60 to #65).

Trivia

With the launch of Ecco The Dolphin in Europe , Sega France in a colaborative venture^[37]^[38]^[39]^[40] with Europe Conservation^[41]^[42]^[43] (European Organization For The Conservation of Natural Resources and Cultural Heritage^[44], a non-governmental organization founded in France, in 1989 by French ecologist Jean-Philippe Beau-Douëzy^[45]^[46]^[47]), the Tethys Research Institute^[48]^[43]^[49], Sega UK, and Ecofilmes, joined together in a major awareness-raising campaign for the dangers that menace dolphins and other species in danger of extinction^[50].

Sega France donated 5 Francs^[51]^[50]^[40] of each of the first 30.000^[50]^[40] copies of Ecco the Dolphin sold, to the Pelagos Sanctuary for Mediterranean Marine Mammals^[48]^[52]^[37]^[38] (a 150.000 Francs total), a special marine protected area extending about 90.000 km² in the north-western Mediterranean Sea between Italy, France and the Island of Sardinia, encompassing Corsica and the Archipelago Toscano,

Ecofilmes contributed to the Pelagos project with more 4.000.000$00 Escudos (20.000 €) and also contributed with 320$00 Escudos (1.60 €) of each copy sold to help Portuguese environmental organization Quercus^[53]- Associação Nacional de Conservação da Natureza (Quercus - National Association for Nature Conservation) in a similar project, in Portugal, called Projecto Delfim^[54] - Centro Português de Estudo dos Mamíferos Marinhos (Projecto Delfim - Portuguese Center for the Study of Marine Mammals) for the conservation of the bottlenose dolphins^[55]^[56] of Sado's River^[57]^[58] estuary (Setúbal, Portugal). Ecofilmes promoted a contest^[59] exclusive to Clube Sega members, and included numbered coupons^[59], on each copy of the game, which participants, had to fill with their personal details, (adress, Clube Sega^[60] member number featured in Clube Sega's membership card^[61]^[62]^[63], etc) and mail it back to Clube Sega (the old Ecofilmes headquarters in São João da Madeira, Aveiro, Portugal). Participants with the prized coupon won a trip to France, for three people with all expenses paid to see the dolphins of the Pelagos project.

Sega UK also joined the campaign donating £5000^[50]^[59] to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society^[64]^[65]^[66], to support the cetaceans conservation program conducted by them in the Moray Firth^[67], near Inverness^[65]^[68] in Scotland, where a dolphin named Ecco would benefit from the proceeds^[65]^[68].

Versions

Version history

System	Version	Size	Date	Comment	Ref	Icon
	0000020000000000000000000000002.0.0	5.6MB	201211292012-11-29		^[69]

Production credits

Mega Drive version

Producer: E. Ettore Annunziata
Design: E. Annunziata, L. Szenttornyai
Project Manager: L. Szenttornyai
Main Programmer: Molnár József
Great Art: Balogh Zsolt -Talent‑
Basic Programmers: Brudnyák Mihály, Fox
Music: Magyari András, Spencer N. Nilsen, Brian Coburn
Marketing: Al Nilsen
Testing: Casey Grimm, Mark Lindstrom, David Forster
Special Thanks: Clyde Grossman, Stephen Friedman, Andras Csaszar, Imi, Cassandra, Eszter, Brigitta, Balázs

Source: In-game credits

Marketing: Pamela Kelly
Testing: Dianna Myers, Dermot Lyons, Joe Cain
Special Thanks: Steve Apour, Hugh Bowen, Lucinda Delorimier
Manual: Carol Ann Hanshaw

Source: US manual^[70]

Mega-CD version

Producer: E. Ettore Annunziata
Design: E. Annunziata, L. Szenttornyai
CD version: Tassonyi Kadocsa
Great Art: Balogh Zsolt -Talent‑
Programmers: Molnár József, Brudnyák Mihály, Fox
Music Composed and Produced by: Spencer Nilsen
Wind Synthesizer Performed by: Mitch Manker
Whale Voices Courtesy of: Madacy Music Group
Digital Sound Effects: Brian Coburn
Digichrome™ Video Processing by: Digital Pictures, Inc.
Narrator: Alan Bruce
Marketing: Al Nilsen
Testing: Dianna Boundy, David Forster, Dermot Lyons, Christine Watson, Mike Gilmartin, Mezei Sá
Special Thanks: Clyde Grossman, Stephen Friedman, Andras Csaszar, Imi, Cassandra, Ildi, Timea

Source: In-game credits

Marketing: Pamela Kelly
Testing: Dianna Myers, Joe Cain
Special Thanks: Al Nilsen, Steve Apour, Hugh Bowen, Lucinda Delorimier
Manual by: Carol Ann Hanshaw

Source: US manual^[71]

Master System version

Producer: Jerry Markota
Marketing: Ami Blaire
Creator of Ecco: Ed Annunziata
Developer: Novotrade
Technical Director: László Mérõ
Main Programmer: Attila Bús
Programmer: Balázs Pápai
Artist: Eszter Páris
Music: Csaba Gigor, Gábor Foltán
Hardware Support: Lajos Szabó
Special Thanks: Andrea Eszterhai, László Szenttornyai, József Molnár
Lead Testers: Dianna Boundy, Conan Tigard, Christine Watson
Testers: Ray Alferez, Mike Bench, Blair Bullock, Shrinivasan Chandrasekara, Harry Chavez, Janine Cook, Aron Drayer, Ivan Foong, David Forster, Jason Friedman, Mike Gilmartin, Richie Hideshima, Keith Higashihara, Lawrence Jeung, Tracy Johnson, Wing Kwan, Vasily Lewis, Jeff Loney, Simon Lu, Tony Lynch, Julio Martinez, Pete McNab, Mike Madden, Heather Meigs, Lance Nelson, Andrew Podesta, Kirk Rogers, Bruno Sarret, Maria Tuzzo, Katherine Weathers

Source: In-game credits

Game Gear version

Producer: Jerry Markota
Marketing: Ami Blaire
Creator of Ecco: Ed Annunziata
Developer: Novotrade
Technical Director: László Mérõ
Main Programmer: Attila Bús
Programmer: Balázs Pápai
Artist: Eszter Páris
Music: Csaba Gigor, Gábor Foltán
Hardware Support: Lajos Szabó
Special Thanks: Andrea Eszterhai, L. Szenttornyai, József Molnár
Lead Testers: Dianna Boundy, Conan Tigard, Christine Watson
Testers: Ray Alferez, Mike Bench, Blair Bullock, Shrinivasan Chandrasekara, Harry Chavez, Janine Cook, Aron Drayer, Ivan Foong, David Forster, Jason Friedman, Mike Gilmartin, Richie Hideshima, Keith Higashihara, Lawrence Jeung, Tracy Johnson, Wing Kwan, Vasily Lewis, Jeff Loney, Simon Lu, Tony Lynch, Julio Martinez, Pete McNab, Mike Madden, Heather Meigs, Lance Nelson, Andrew Podesta, Kirk Rogers, Bruno Sarret, Maria Tuzzo, Katherine Weathers

Source: In-game credits

Manual: Carol Ann Hanshaw

Source: Game Gear US manual^[72]

Digital manuals

Steam manual

Magazine articles

Main article: Ecco the Dolphin/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Print advertisements

{{|}}}}

PC US print advert 2

{{|}}}}

PC ES print advert

{{|}}}}

PDF

Mega Drive print advert in Sega Visions (US)

#11: "February/March 1993" (199x-xx-xx)

also published in:

Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) #43: "February 1993" (199x-xx-xx)^[73]

{{|}}}}

PDF

Game Gear print advert in Sega Visions (US)

#15: "October/November 1993" (1993-xx-xx)

also published in:

Sega Visions (US) #16: "December/January 1993/1994" (1993-xx-xx)^[74]
Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) #52: "November 1993" (1993-xx-xx)^[75]

{{|}}}}

PDF

Mega-CD print advert in Sega Visions (US)

#15: "October/November 1993" (1993-xx-xx)

{{|}}}}

PDF

PC print advert in Next Generation (US)

#11: "November 1995" (1995-10-24)

{{|}}}}

PDF

PC print advert in Computer & Video Games (UK)

#174: "May 1996" (1996-04-12)

{{|}}}}

PDF

Mega Drive print advert in Sega Force (SE)

#1993-04: "4/93" (1993-07-08)

{{|}}}}

PDF

Mega Drive print advert in Hobby Consolas (ES)

#16: "Enero 1993" (199x-xx-xx)

{{|}}}}

PDF

Mega Drive print advert in Supergame (BR)

#24: "Julho 1993" (1993-07-xx)

{{|}}}}

PDF

Mega-CD print advert in Supergame (BR)

#28: "Novembro 1993" (1993-11-xx)

Television advertisements

{{|}}}}

Play media

UK

{{|}}}}

Play media

US

Artwork