Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future

Last updated
Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future
Defender of the Future.jpg
Developer(s) Appaloosa Interactive
Publisher(s) Dreamcast
PlayStation 2
Designer(s) Gergely Csaszar
Maurice Molyneaux
Keith Higashihara
Kadocsa Tassonyi
Jozsef Szentesi
Csaba Soltesz [1] [2]
Composer(s) Tim Follin (in-game music)
Attila Heger (cinematic music) [3]
Series Ecco the Dolphin
Platform(s) Dreamcast, PlayStation 2
ReleaseDreamcast
  • EU: June 16, 2000
  • NA: August 15, 2000 [4]
  • JP: January 25, 2001 [5]
PlayStation 2
  • NA: February 28, 2002 [6]
  • EU: March 8, 2002
Genre(s) Action-adventure
Mode(s) Single-player

Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future is an action-adventure game developed by Appaloosa Interactive. It is the fifth and final title to date to be released in the Ecco the Dolphin franchise and is a reboot of the series. It was released in 2000 for the Dreamcast, with a version for the PlayStation 2 being later released in 2002.

Contents

Defender of the Future received generally positive reviews from critics. A sequel, Ecco II: Sentinels of the Universe , was planned but later cancelled following the Dreamcast's discontinuation in 2001.

Gameplay

The gameplay is fairly similar to the old games, except it is in three dimensions. Ecco's sonar was kept as a means of interaction with other cetaceans (no longer called Singers in the game) and certain environmental objects, and a sonar map could be brought up. The same style of movement is kept with slight alterations for the 3-D environment. The control stick now only changed the direction Ecco is facing; pressing left and right changed the direction he faced horizontally, and pressing up and down changed the vertical direction. To actually move forward, the player has to tap a button to gain speed and hold the same button down to maintain it. Out of the water, Ecco can perform the purely aesthetic flips in the air just like the original games. Charging foes is kept as Ecco's standard attack, though the designers added a homing feature. The health and air meters were also kept, though the health meter can be increased by collecting power-ups called Vitalits, and the meters have a slightly different look compared to the Mega Drive games.

Some new moves are introduced in Defender of the Future. One is a quick 180-degree turn, useful for battles. Another is a means of stopping quickly; when Ecco has already stopped, the same buttons can make him swim backwards. A third new move is the tailwalk; Ecco can raise his upper body out of the water, able to look at things above the surface; this is a good way to see small graphical details.

The graphics of the game are generally regarded as one of the most realistic ever seen in a Dreamcast game.[ citation needed ] Many reviewers have commented that Ecco looks like a real dolphin. One of the most major complaints against the graphics is the high level of fog; other reviewers have said that visibility in the ocean is often much reduced from what it is above the surface. There were also some pop-up problems with distant objects. This was apparently caused by the engine not being that efficient overall, and not being able to render as many on-screen things as was desirable without the generation of too much slowdown. The fog was used to obscure the distance and decrease the number of polygons that had to be drawn. The few cutscenes use the in-game graphical engine, and featured voice-over narration by Tom Baker.

Defender of the Future continues the legacy of high difficulty set by its predecessors. The levels are again divided up, but the idea of a password system was dropped in favor of a memory card save file. The game has few loading times in the levels; the levels load all at once just before they started, and these load times could be moderately long.

The "charge song" and "confusion song" returned in Defender of the Future, but in different forms. The "charge song" is given a name, the Power of Sonar, and is part of a set of five temporary power-ups that could be activated by collecting icons. The powers were:

The "confusion song" was named the Song of the Shark, and it too is part of a larger set of songs. These songs were permanent and activated by singing at the right thing. They are the following:

Plot

Defender of the Future bears a different storyline from that of the Mega Drive/Genesis games and thus is considered a reboot of the series. The storyline and game are divided into four parts.

The aggressive alien Foe were once engaged in a war with Earth, but were repelled by the combined forces of humans and dolphins. Seeking revenge, they attack the Guardian, Earth's defense system, and succeed in damaging him; Ecco, a noble dolphin, is called upon to heal the injured Guardian and drive off the alien race. To further the invasion, the Foe Queen steals the Spheres containing the prominent noble traits of dolphinkind: Ambition, Intelligence, Compassion, Wisdom, and Humility, each of which changes the future of Earth and the seas.

With all five Spheres gone, the world becomes Man's Nightmare, where humankind enslaved the dolphins for their own purposes. This drove away the Foe, but led man and the majority of sea life to extinction, and the remaining dolphins are too unintelligent and cowed to do anything about the problem. Ecco retrieving the Spheres of Ambition and Intelligence leads to Dolphin's Nightmare, where dolphinkind rose up against the humans and other ocean species, becoming warlike and cruel. Dolphin society divided itself into castes, and Ecco infiltrates both the Outcasts and the Clan to retrieve the Spheres of Compassion and Wisdom. This led humans and dolphins to work together to bring peace.

Without Humility, however, Earth was unprepared for the Foe's invasion and fell to the enemy. Ecco infiltrates the Foe Queen's base but cannot harm her directly; to defeat her, he blinds her, then creates a hole in her chest and burrows into her ribcage to attack her vulnerable heart. Once the Foe Queen's heart stops, Ecco retrieves the Sphere of Humility and restores the Guardian and the future of the seas, bringing humankind and dolphinkind to a new era. [ citation needed ]

Development

Appaloosa's Managing Director Andras Csaszar told Official Dreamcast Magazine that development took over two years and involved some members of the team responsible for the original Mega Drive game. While the team did not take motion capture of actual dolphins, they consulted videos of dolphins in movement and spent "more than a year" to develop "a unique skeleton animation system" to achieve the "desired lifelike results". The game environment "took three or four full cycles of building, testing and discarding the results before we mastered the quality" and that their aim had been to evoke " National Geographic underwater video documentaries". [7]

The story was written by science fiction author David Brin, who had already written stories featuring intelligent dolphins in his Uplift Universe. [8] [9]

Reception

The game was received very positively and was considered "one of the year 2000's best" by IGN in 2000.[ citation needed ] GameRankings and Metacritic gave it a score of 81% and 84 out of 100 for the Dreamcast version, [10] [12] and 69% and 71 out of 100 for the PlayStation 2 version. [11] [13]

Related Research Articles

<i>Quake III Arena</i> 1999 video game

Quake III Arena is a 1999 multiplayer-focused first-person shooter developed by id Software. The third installment of the Quake series, Arena differs from previous games by excluding a story-based single-player mode and focusing primarily on multiplayer gameplay. The single-player mode is played against computer-controlled bots. It features music composed by Sonic Mayhem and Front Line Assembly founder Bill Leeb.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dreamcast</span> Home video game console

The Dreamcast is a home video game console released by Sega on November 27, 1998, in Japan; September 9, 1999, in North America; and October 14, 1999, in Europe. It was the first sixth-generation video game console, preceding Sony's PlayStation 2, Nintendo's GameCube, and Microsoft's Xbox. The Dreamcast was Sega's final console; its 2001 discontinuation ended the company's eighteen years in the console market.

<i>Space Channel 5</i> 1999 video game

Space Channel 5 is a music video game developed by Sega AM9 and published by Sega. Originally released for the Dreamcast, it was later ported to the PlayStation 2. A version for the Game Boy Advance (GBA) was published in 2003 as a Western exclusive. Following space-faring reporter Ulala as she investigates an alien invasion, players engage in rhythm-based combat where Ulala mimics the actions of rivals in time to musical tracks.

<i>Crazy Taxi</i> (video game) 1999 video game

Crazy Taxi is a racing video game developed and published by Sega. It is the first game in the Crazy Taxi series. The game was first released in arcades in 1999 and then was ported to the Dreamcast in 2000. Gameplay is based on picking up taxi customers and driving to their destination as quickly as possible. Reception to Crazy Taxi has been mostly positive. It was ported to other platforms numerous times, including the PlayStation 2 and GameCube by Acclaim in 2001, and then Windows in 2002.

<i>Donald Duck: Goin Quackers</i> 2000 video game

Donald Duck: Goin' Quackers is a platform video game developed and published by Ubi Soft for various consoles and Windows-based personal computers. A different game with the same title was first released for the Game Boy Color, as well as on Game Boy Advance, the latter being given the title Donald Duck Advance.

In the history of video games, the sixth generation era is the era of computer and video games, video game consoles, and handheld gaming devices available at the turn of the 21st century, starting on November 27, 1998. Platforms in the sixth generation include consoles from four companies: the Sega Dreamcast (DC), Sony PlayStation 2 (PS2), Nintendo GameCube (GC), and Microsoft Xbox. This era began on November 27, 1998, with the Japanese release of the Dreamcast, which was joined by the PlayStation 2 on March 4, 2000, the GameCube on September 14, 2001 and the Xbox on November 15, 2001, respectively. On March 31, 2001, the Dreamcast was among the first to be discontinued. Xbox in 2006, GameCube in 2007 and PlayStation 2 was the last, in January 2013. Meanwhile, the seventh generation of consoles started on November 22, 2005, with the launch of the Xbox 360.

<i>Ecco the Dolphin</i> (video game) 1992 video game

Ecco the Dolphin is an action-adventure game developed by Ed Annunziata and Novotrade International and published by Sega for the Mega Drive/Genesis in 1992. Versions for the Sega CD, Master System and Game Gear were released the following year. It is the first installment in the Ecco the Dolphin video game franchise. The player character is a bottlenose dolphin who travels through time to combat hostile extraterrestrials in Earth's oceans and on an alien spacecraft.

<i>Ecco: The Tides of Time</i> 1994 video game

Ecco: The Tides of Time is an action-adventure video game developed by Novotrade International, published by Sega, and released for most of Sega's then-supported gaming consoles in 1994. It is the second game in the Ecco the Dolphin series. The Tides of Time continued the story of the first game and featured similar gameplay with a few new additions.

<i>Virtua Tennis 2</i> 2001 sports video game

Virtua Tennis 2, known as Tennis 2K2 in North America and Power Smash 2 in Japan, is a sequel to Virtua Tennis that was released for the Sega Dreamcast, Sega NAOMI arcade unit and Sony's PlayStation 2 in 2001–2002. New features included the ability to slice and play as female players such as Monica Seles, Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Lindsay Davenport and the males such as Patrick Rafter, Magnus Norman, Thomas Enqvist and Carlos Moyá and mixed doubles matches. The game was created and produced by Hitmaker, with Acclaim Entertainment publishing it in Europe for the PS2. This was the last Virtua Tennis game to be released for the Dreamcast following its discontinuation.

<i>4x4 Evo</i> 2000 video game

4x4 Evo is a video game developed by Terminal Reality for the Windows, Macintosh, Sega Dreamcast, and PlayStation 2 platforms. It is one of the first console games to have cross-platform online play where Dreamcast, Macintosh, and Windows versions of the game appear online at the same time. The game can use maps created by users to download onto a hard drive as well as a Dreamcast VMU. All versions of the game are similar in quality and gameplay although the online systems feature a mode to customize the players' own truck and use it online. The game is still online-capable on all systems except for PlayStation 2. This was Terminal Reality's only video game to be released for the Dreamcast.

<i>F355 Challenge</i> 1999 racing simulation video game

F355 Challenge is a racing simulation arcade video game based on the race car and Ferrari event. It was developed by the AM2 division of Sega for the Sega Naomi Multiboard arcade system board under the direction of Yu Suzuki, and was later ported to the Dreamcast and PlayStation 2 home video game consoles under the names F355 Challenge: Passione Rossa and Ferrari F355 Challenge respectively for both American and European releases. The only model of car featured in the game is the Ferrari F355 Challenge model. The game was considered the most accurate simulation of the F355 possible up until that time.

<i>Red Dog: Superior Firepower</i> 2000 video game

Red Dog: Superior Firepower, also known as simply Red Dog, is a shooter game released in 2000 for the Sega Dreamcast; it was developed by Argonaut Games.

<i>The King of Fighters Neowave</i> 2004 video game

The King of Fighters Neowave(KOF Neowave, or KOF NW) is a 2D fighting game produced by SNK Playmore and released as a coin-operated arcade game for Sammy's Atomiswave hardware in 2004. It was the first game SNK Playmore produced for the Atomiswave. This is a remake of The King of Fighters 2002 with a major change of roster and stages, the game was also made on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. The PS2 version was released only in Japan and the PAL region, the Xbox version was released both in Japan and North America. The North American version was released on April 18, 2006. In 2020, a Dreamcast homebrew adaptation of the arcade version was also made possible due to the Dreamcast sharing almost identical hardware with its Atomiswave cousin. The character artwork was done by Tomokazu Nakano. In Japan, it was the last game to be released for the Xbox.

<i>Looney Tunes: Space Race</i> 2000 video game

Looney Tunes: Space Race is a 2000 kart-racing video game published by Infogrames for the Dreamcast and developed through Infogrames' own Melbourne House studio. A version of Nintendo 64 was developed, but it was never released. It was ported to PlayStation 2 in 2002 with a new tournament mode and different soundtrack.

<i>International Track & Field 2000</i> 1999 video game

International Track & Field 2000 is a track and field game for PlayStation in 1999 and Nintendo 64 in 2000. It was released in Europe under the name International Track & Field: Summer Games on the Nintendo 64 and Game Boy Color, and in Japan as Ganbare! Nippon! Olympics 2000, where it was licensed by the Japanese Olympic Committee. Versions were also released for the Sega Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, and Game Boy Color as ESPN International Track & Field in North America. Maurice Greene (sprinter), a former men's WR holder in the 100M dash, is the cover athlete.

Ecco the Dolphin is a series of action-adventure video games developed by Appaloosa Interactive and published by Sega. They were originally developed for the Mega Drive/Genesis and Dreamcast video game consoles, and have been ported to numerous systems. The story follows the eponymous Ecco, a bottlenose dolphin, who fights extraterrestrial threats to the world. The games are known for their high difficulty level. Ecco was created by Ed Annunziata, who also produced Chakan: The Forever Man, which was also released in December 1992.

<i>Space Channel 5: Part 2</i> 2002 video game

Space Channel 5: Part 2 is a music video game developed by United Game Artists. A direct sequel to the 1999 game Space Channel 5, the game was published for Dreamcast and PlayStation 2 in Japan in February 2002 by Sega. The PS2 version released worldwide in 2003 by SCEE and Agetec. The game later received a high-definition port to Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in 2011 from Sega.

<i>NBA 2K2</i> 2001 basketball video game

NBA 2K2 is a 2001 sports video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by Sega for Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, Xbox and GameCube. NBA 2K2 featured more street courts such as Mosswood, Fonde Rec Center, Venice Beach, etc. The cover athlete is Allen Iverson of the Philadelphia 76ers.

<i>Le Mans 24 Hours</i> (video game) 1999 video game

Le Mans 24 Hours is a video game released for the PlayStation, Game Boy Color, Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, and Microsoft Windows. The Dreamcast version was ported and published by Sega in Japan on 15 March 2001, while the PlayStation 2 version was ported and published by the same company on 13 June. Based on the famous 24 hours of Le Mans race in France, the player is invited to race the entire 24-hour endurance course or take part in a simpler arcade mode. The game also featured tracks such as Bugatti Circuit, Brno Circuit, Road Atlanta, Suzuka Circuit, Donington Park and Circuit de Catalunya, as well as a weather and night system.

References

  1. ↑ "Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future - Credits". AllGame. Archived from the original on 2014-11-15. Retrieved 2015-09-19.
  2. ↑ "Ecco the Dolphin (Dreamcast) - credits". YouTube. 2008-06-08. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2013-08-05.
  3. ↑ PsySonic and Sebastian. "Ecco the Dolphin: Caverns of Hope - Defender of the Future - Dreamcast Soundtrack". Web8.orcaserver.de. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2013-08-05.
  4. ↑ I. G. N. Staff (2000-08-16). "Ecco Surfaces on Dreamcast". IGN. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
  5. ↑ "SEGA Japan". Archived from the original on 26 November 2007.
  6. ↑ Cove, Glen (28 February 2002). "Ecco The Dolphin Ships". Archived from the original on 3 August 2004.
  7. ↑ "In the hot seat with Andras Csaszar". Official Dreamcast Magazine (UK) . Dennis Publishing (12): 102–103. 7 September 2000.
  8. ↑ Bailey, Eric (19 July 2012). "An Interview with David Brin on Videogames and Science Fiction". Gameranx. Retrieved 2022-09-10.
  9. ↑ Brown, Alan (30 November 2017). "Dolphins and Chimps and Aliens, Oh My! Startide Rising by David Brin". Tor.com . Retrieved 2022-09-10.
  10. 1 2 "Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future for Dreamcast". GameRankings . Retrieved 2014-05-16.
  11. 1 2 "Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future for PlayStation 2". GameRankings. Retrieved 2014-05-16.
  12. 1 2 "Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future Critic Reviews for Dreamcast". Metacritic . Retrieved 2014-05-16.
  13. 1 2 "Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future Critic Reviews for PlayStation 2". Metacritic. Retrieved 2014-05-16.
  14. ↑ Fulljames, Steve (2000). "Dreamcast Review: Ecco The Dolphin: Defender Of The Future". Computer and Video Games (Official Dreamcast Magazine UK). Archived from the original on 2007-06-24. Retrieved 2014-05-16.
  15. ↑ Skittrell, Lee (2002-01-13). "PS2 Review: Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future". Computer and Video Games. Archived from the original on 2007-09-19. Retrieved 2014-05-16.
  16. ↑ Edge staff (June 2000). "Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future (DC)". Edge . No. 85.
  17. ↑ "Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future (DC)". Electronic Gaming Monthly . 2000.
  18. ↑ EGM Staff (May 2002). "Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future (PS2)". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 155. p. 107.
  19. ↑ Leeper, Justin (May 2002). "Ecco the Dolphin [Defender of the Future] (PS2)". Game Informer . No. 109. p. 82. Archived from the original on 2005-03-07. Retrieved 2014-05-16.
  20. ↑ "REVIEW for Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future (DC)". GameFan . 19 August 2000.
  21. ↑ E. Coli (2000-08-15). "Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future Review for Dreamcast on GamePro.com". GamePro . Archived from the original on 2005-02-12. Retrieved 2014-05-16.
  22. ↑ Star Dingo (2002-04-10). "Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future Review for PS2 on GamePro.com". GamePro. Archived from the original on 2005-02-12. Retrieved 2014-05-16.
  23. ↑ Gee, Brian (August 2000). "Ecco The Dolphin: Defender of the Future Review (DC)". Game Revolution . Retrieved 2014-05-16.
  24. ↑ Shoemaker, Brad (2000-08-11). "Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future Review (DC)". GameSpot . Retrieved 2014-05-16.
  25. ↑ Lopez, Miguel (2002-03-04). "Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future Review (PS2)". GameSpot. Retrieved 2014-05-16.
  26. ↑ Tren (2000-08-29). "Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future". PlanetDreamcast. Archived from the original on 2008-05-01. Retrieved 2014-05-16.
  27. ↑ Carle, Chris (2000-08-11). "Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future (DC)". IGN . Retrieved 2014-05-16.
  28. ↑ Carle, Chris (2002-03-04). "Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future (PS2)". IGN. Retrieved 2014-05-16.
  29. ↑ Lundrigan, Jeff (October 2000). "Finals". Next Generation . Vol. 3, no. 10. Imagine Media. p. 107.
  30. ↑ "Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine . May 2002. p. 99.
  31. ↑ Fryman, Avi (2000-08-15). "Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future (DC)". Maxim . Archived from the original on 2001-06-26. Retrieved 2015-09-19.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.