Summary
The original twoEcco the Dolphingames are getting remastered with a third, brand-new game in development. The originalEcco the Dolphinwas 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 Dolphinwas followed byTides of Time,Ecco Jr.,Ecco Jr. and the Great Ocean Treasure Hunt, andDefender 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 inSega’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 Dolphinis making its grand return in the near future, as revealed in an interview with franchise creator Ed Annunziata.
Xbox conducted an interview with Annunziatawhere he announced that he and the franchise’s original team will be remastering the first game andEcco 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 visitEcco the Dolphin’s official site, which includes a countdown timer to Jun 05, 2025. 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
It seems as though this effort tobring theEcco the Dolphinfranchise backis going to ignore theEcco Jr.games as well asDefender of the Future. TheEcco Jr.games were geared towards kids, withGreat Ocean Treasure Huntreleasing for Sega’s educational system, the Sega Pico.Defender of the Futurewas 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 revisitEcco the Dolphinin the wake of the new games being announced should note that some of the games are available in compilations. Various Sega Genesis collections featureEcco the Dolphintitles, plus the original game is part of the Nintendo Classics lineup through theNintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack on Switch.
