A&R Atelier is developing a new game about the famous video game aquatic mammal, Ecco the Dolphin. And there’s the promise that more is to come.
It’s previously been reported that we’d get a fresh follow-up to the unique Sega Mega Drive/Genesis Metroidvania, and the new developer has confirmed it’s already at work on it, adding that there are '’Several new Ecco the Dolphin products and games are currently in development.’‘
That certainly references remasters that were reported to be in the works for the first two games.
Ecco the Dolphin Crosses Oceans of Time for Gaming Return
There’s little else mentioned about the new Ecco the Dolphin, and no, there’s not so much as a teaser for it either. But the upside is that a new Ecco the Dolphin is happening.
California-based studio A&R Atelier was founded by veteran game developers, including the original creators of Ecco the Dolphin. So there’s at least some understanding over there about what makes Ecco such an interesting prospect.
“It has been years in the making, and we’re honored to bring Ecco back,” said Ed Annunziata, Chief Creative Officer of A&R Atelier. “Ecco has always been more than a game about a dolphin—he’s a bridge between worlds.”
The original Ecco the Dolphin was a 2D Metroidvaniareleased on the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis in 1992 by Novotrade International and Sega. It saw players as the titular Ecco as he tried to save his pod after they get mysteriously sucked out of the ocean. Ecco gains the ability to travel through time, and eventually finds himself up against an alien race.
For many who grew up with Ecco, the final level’s otherworldly nature sticks in the memory as pure nightmare fuel, and for me in particular, it did little to soothe my fear of the deep sea.
Sequel The Tides of Time was released two years later, and following a couple of edutainment spinoffs, the loveable bottlenose returned for one last outing on Sega’s ill-fated Dreamcast in Defender of the Future. A sequel went belly up alongside the Dreamcast itself.
If you’re curious about the original game, you can play it in the Sega Ultimate Mega Drive/Genesis Collection on PC and consoles.
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