A simple leaderboard lets you compare your game completion times with those of other Xbox Live members. Of course, the game also offers 12 different achievements that can net you 200 gamerscore points. But they're not easy to get; in fact, some of them are a downright sadistic. Going through the game without picking up the sonar upgrade is quite a challenge, as is beating the game without dying more than three times. There are a few Xbox Live Arcade games with tougher achievements than this--but not many.
Apart from the addition of a leaderboard, achievements, and a save feature, this Live Arcade rendition of Ecco the Dolphin is a direct emulation of the original Sega Genesis cartridge. The level designs, gameplay, and graphics haven't been changed. Backbone Entertainment did clean up some aspects of the audio emulation, most notably it took the hiss out of the sound effects and improved the richness of the music. While the 2D backgrounds and character sprites definitely could have benefited from some sprucing up, the cute dolphins, colorful schools of fish, and tropical color schemes still dole out plenty of aesthetic pleasure. The graphics look a little soft because they're stretched to three times their original size, but the softness is nowhere near as heinous as we've seen from some of the other classics that have been brought to XBLA. All in all, Sega and Backbone Entertainment did a decent job of bringing the game to Xbox Live Arcade, but it would have been nice to get a few more extras.
You should steer clear of jellyfish, or, better yet, ram them with Ecco's nose.
There is no doubt that Ecco the Dolphin shows its age, but it's still one of the most unique games out there. Watching Ecco leap out of the water and navigate the murky depths is still a lot of fun. You'll probably want to pass on this rendition of Ecco's adventure if you've played it on other systems because the improvements don't enhance the gameplay experience all that much. However, if you haven't played Ecco the Dolphin before and think you'd enjoy working through a challenging side-scroller as a bottlenose dolphin, you'll be able to squeeze enough play time and enjoyment out of this download to justify spending 400 points ($5) on it.
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