Ecco the dolphin

The game is implemented in two-dimensional space: there is the possibility of free movement in one plane horizontally, vertically and diagonally. Ecco attacks the enemies, like all dolphins, ramming them with the rostrum at high speed. Increasing speed is done by frequently pressing the corresponding button, and you can maintain speed at the same level by holding it. A sharp jerk using another button is also possible. Ekko can communicate with other creatures of the underwater world through a song ( sonar ).

Two features of the game were the result of the specifics of the protagonist. The first is an acoustic map that can be called up using an Ekko song . Holding the button, you need to wait until the song returns to Ecco - a kind of imitation of the real echolocation of dolphins. The second feature is the need to replenish the supply of oxygen (necessary for all mammals ), which is expressed in the constant need to float or look for air pockets. To indicate oxygen and health, there are two special scales in the upper left corner of the screen. Health reserves can be replenished by eating fish (rammed it), or if you direct the song to some glyphs and statues.

Glyphs are hexagonal crystals that respond to Ekko's singing or touch. Some crystals block the passage, and to eliminate them, you need a "song-key" obtained from the glyph-key. Other crystals give useful advice, some rare instances restore health or make Ekko temporarily invulnerable.

It is believed that the very first game in this series is the most difficult. Intricate undercurrents and a constantly ending supply of air lead to the fact that the player often has to start the level again, which causes serious irritation. At some levels, it is necessary to perform complex jumps through islands and ruins, go through moving obstacles that can easily crush Ekko, and perform other tricks that require reaction and skill. Even though the number of attempts is not limited, and each level has its own password , passing is a serious test.

The story of the game begins with the fact that the unsuspecting dolphin Ecco, together with his family, enjoys a serene life in the ocean . From the replicas of one of the dolphins of the flock, it becomes clear that Ekko argued with him which of them could jump higher out of the water. But at the very moment when Ekko jumps out of the water, a huge tornado appears, which sucks all the ocean living creatures. Ekko avoids this fate, due to the fact that at that moment he was in the air, but air currents kept him above the water until the storm suddenly disappeared. After this, Ekko goes in search of his flock, and along the way he meets other dolphins, from whom he learns that the entire underwater world is in chaos after this sudden storm.

The met killer whale sends him to the Antarctic in search of the big wise blue whale , which is called Big Blue . Finding a whale, Ecco learns from him that similar storms occur every 500 years. For more information, the whale directs Ekko to a creature known as Asterite . Having left polar ice, Ecco finds Asterita in one underground cave - the oldest creature living on planet Earth . Asterite has the ability to telepathic communication. As Big Blue said: “We feel that his thoughts have strong energy, but he does not sing to us.” Although Asterite is powerful enough to help Ekko, it is incomplete: one of its fragment-spheres is missing. Asterite agrees to help if Ekko finds her. This can only be done by going to the past with the help of a time machine built by the ancient Atlanteans .

In the sunken city of Atlantis, Ecco finds a time machine and a library. From the glyphs in it, he learns about the cause of the storm. Every 500 years, the inhabitants of the planet Vortex collect the waters of the Earth. These creatures have long destroyed all their food resources, and therefore now they are devastating the oceans of the earth. Having learned all this, Ekko activates the time machine and sets off for 55 million years into the past of the Earth. Initially, it was planned to introduce prehistoric mammals into the game, with which Ekko could communicate, but the design of these scenes was not completed due to time limitations. The messages themselves, prepared for these scenes, have been preserved, and they can be detected if desired.

In the past, Ekko quickly finds Asterite, but he attacks him without further ado. Obviously, the young Asterite is much less inclined to a peaceful conversation than he is in the future. Being drawn into the battle, during it, Ekko manages to knock out one of the fragments of Asterite. For an unknown reason, this causes the emergence of a temporary portal that takes Ekko to the present. The main paradox is that Asterite lacked one sphere precisely for the reason that in the past, Ekko also stole it! Undoubtedly, Asterit himself knows about this, since when he first met with him, Ekko hears “I remember you! Yes, of course it was you ... And I sent you. Now everything is clear."

When restored, Asterite gives Ekko the power to turn his sonar into a deadly weapon. Ecco also receives the gift to do without air under water and restore lost health. After that, Asterit explains to Ekko how to use the time machine to move in time in time for the moment the abduction happens. Everything happens according to plan, and this time our dolphin enters the maelstrom with his flock.

The last three levels are a complex of constantly moving barriers, which is generally called “ The Machine ” (in the PC version - “Vortex Machine” ( English. Vortex Machine ), in the design of which, perhaps, the influence of creativity Giger : The first of the last three levels, called The Tube , is the passage of a water stream that accelerates over time and releases more and more enemies towards the dolphin. The second level of the cycle, called "Welcome to the Car" ( English Welcome to the M achine - the name clearly echoes the song of the same name Pink Floyd ), consists of a constantly regrouping labyrinth that processes water, which can easily kill Ekko if he is not careful.

The last level is a duel with the head of the Vortex inhabitants - the Queen of Vortex. The level is called The Last Fight . Since the game itself has a rather high level of difficulty, losing to the Queen becomes fatal, because you have to re-pass the previous stage. In the Japanese version of the game, in the event of the death of a dolphin, the battle simply starts anew, unless Ekko was swallowed by the queen - in this case, another Stomach level comes into play . As a result, Ekko defeats the Queen and saves his pack. This whole company successfully goes back through the Car home, and upon arrival they begin the fun, and promise to sing the eternal praise of Ekko's courage.

• Review of a series of games on the Sega-16 website