Summary
- The first two Ecco the Dolphin games are being remastered, with a brand-new third game in development.
- The third game will be built "with contemporary play and GPU sensibilities."
- The project was announced by series creator Ed Annunziata.
The original two Ecco the Dolphin games are getting remastered with a third, brand-new game in development. The original Ecco the Dolphin was released all the way back in 1992 for Sega Genesis, spawning one of Sega's more unique franchises in the process. In the game, players take on the role of a dolphin that winds up on a time-traveling adventure where it has to face off against aliens. Ecco the Dolphin was followed by Tides of Time, Ecco Jr., Ecco Jr. And the Great Ocean Treasure Hunt, and Defender of the Future, with the latter releasing in 2000 and remaining the last time that fans have been treated to a new game in the franchise to date.
Ecco the Dolphin's bizarre premise has made it one of the more memorable series in Sega's lineup of classic games. There are many fans who remember the series fondly and would be happy to see it make a comeback. Luckily for them, Ecco the Dolphin is making its grand return in the near future, as revealed in an interview with franchise creator Ed Annunziata.
Ecco the Dolphin: Prototype for Unpublished Sequel Discovered
A prototype for Ecco II: Sentinels of the Universe appears online, giving fans of the Sega franchise a glimpse at the Dreamcast game that was cancelled in 2001.
Xbox conducted an interview with Annunziata where he announced that he and the franchise's original team will be remastering the first game and Ecco the Dolphin: Tides of Time. A brand-new third game "with contemporary play and GPU sensibilities" is also in the works. Annunziata then asked fans to visit Ecco the Dolphin's official site, which includes a countdown timer to April 25, 2026. That could be the day that the remasters are revealed, or it could be when fans get their first look at the untitled third game. Ultimately, we won't know for sure until Apri 25, 2026 rolls around.
New Ecco the Dolphin Projects Have Been Announced
- Ecco the Dolphin Remaster
- Ecco the Dolphin: Tides of Time Remaster
- New Ecco the Dolphin Game
It seems as though this effort to bring the Ecco the Dolphin franchise back is going to ignore the Ecco Jr. Games as well as Defender of the Future. The Ecco Jr. Games were geared towards kids, with Great Ocean Treasure Hunt releasing for Sega's educational system, the Sega Pico. Defender of the Future was a relatively well-received game at the time of its launch in 2000 for the Dreamcast, but series creator Annunziata wasn't involved in its development, which could explain why it's being passed over for a remaster.
Nostalgic Sega fans that have the urge to revisit Ecco the Dolphin in the wake of the new games being announced should note that some of the games are available in compilations. Various Sega Genesis collections feature Ecco the Dolphin titles, plus the original game is part of the Nintendo Classics lineup through the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack on Switch.
- Released
- June 1, 2000
