Ecco: The Tides of Time
Sega CD
Nostalgia Factor:
I've gone back and played both the Genesis and Sega CD versions of the first Ecco The Dolphin game. Why not do the same for The Tides of Time as well? As I mentioned in my Pepsiman review, I am sort of at an in-between point when it comes to the games I am playing. I feel like I want to tackle something big and time consuming soon, but in the meantime I'm going to knock out some shorter games. Tides of Time definitely fits that bill.
I reviewed the Genesis version of this game back in 2020, when I gave it a B. While I liked the game, I didn't find it as fun or endearing as the original Ecco, which is funny because when I was a kid Tides of Time was actually the game I preferred. I was curious how I'd feel about the game now, here in 2024.
I don't want to get too ahead of myself, but while I do find that this version of the game is better than the Genesis version, I still prefer the original Ecco instead. Keep reading for my full analysis.
Story:
I already recapped the story of the game in my Genesis review of Tides of Time. Since I'm a lazy fuck, I am just going to copy and paste what I wrote here. Ready?
"When you sit down to play an Ecco the Dolphin game, it is important to know what you're getting into. Aliens, time travel, a dolphin destined to save the Earth. It probably sounds really horrible to the average person, but it really isn't as bad as it sounds. It is quite interesting actually.
Ecco 2 picks up where the first game left off. Ecco suddenly loses the powers granted to him by the Asterite, and quickly discovers that the Asterite has been killed. He is brought to the future by time traveling dolphins, where he learns that in this timeline the Asterite is still alive. Ecco is informed that when he used the time machine in the first game, he split the timeline in two - one where dolphins evolve and live in peace, and one where the Vortex Queen kills the Asterite and the Vortex take over Earth.
Ecco goes back to save the Asterite by reassembling its pieces. His journeys take him from the ocean depths to the dark Vortex future, where the final pieces of the Asterite have been taken. Once reassembled, the Asterite gives Ecco his powers back, and Ecco leads his pod on an attack to destroy the Vortex once and for all.
You think the game is over here, but it is not. In fact, when I first played this as a kid I am not even sure I discovered the game's "real" ending. If you keep playing after the final credits roll, the Asterite tells Ecco that he must destroy the time machine to prevent any time splits from happening again.
Ecco returns to Atlantis and finds that the Vortex Queen is still alive. She uses the time machine to travel back to prehistoric times, but finds that she is no match for the creatures of that era. Forced to survive in such a harsh environment, the Vortex evolve into arthropod insects.
Rather than destroy the time machine, Ecco uses it to send himself... somewhere. The game never tells us where he went. Real responsible, Ecco! Just ignore the Asterite and leave the dangerous time machine there for someone else to fuck things up in the future. Good job!
My theory: he returns to the "good" future to chase after some futuristic flying dolphin tail. I mean, can you blame him? Get it, Ecco!"
All of this still pretty much rings true. There are a few added story sequences in this game, like the introduction where it shows the Vortex Queen descend to Earth after the events of the original game. Or was that in the Genesis version? I don't remember. The biggest difference for me: the grainy animated cutscenes that recap the events of the first Ecco game. You find these sequences contained within hidden glyphs that you uncover as you play the game. The animation is terrible and outdated by today's standards, but I find that these sequences actually added a lot to the game.
Gameplay:
Literally nothing has changed from the Genesis version of the game as far as the gameplay is concerned. I'm such a lazy ass, and I hate myself for doing this, but I'm copying and pasting again. New readers of this blog are going to be so put off. I'm sorry in advance.
Actually, nah. If you don't like it you can fuck off.
"Basic gameplay is the same as it was in the first game, so if you are an Ecco veteran you should have no problem picking this one up and playing it.
There are some variations added to this game to diversify the gameplay. Most notable are the 3D stages where the camera changes to a behind the back view as you try to steer Ecco through some fast travel rings. While these stages are for the most part pretty easy, occasionally you'll encounter rings located above the water that are very hard to jump through. Additionally, you can use your sonar to kill enemies in front of you but you have to be careful as if you hit a ring with your sonar you destroy it and can not collect it anymore.
Ecco 2 also offers you the ability to morph into other animals as you progress through the game's story. You can change into a bird to fly over impassable cliffs. You can turn into jellyfish and sharks to navigate the harsh ocean wildlife. Towards the end of the game you can even morph into a school of fish as you make your way through the bowels of Atlantis. In a fun little twist, dolphins become your enemy when you morph into these sea creatures. What were once your allies you now find yourself running for your life from.
Aside from that, this is pretty much the Ecco you already know and love (or hate). You swim, you charge, you use your sonar, you push things around and you solve puzzles. The level variety introduces new gameplay elements like the ability to swim through above-ground water tunnels and to flop yourself around on dry land much easier than you could in the last game. Makes some of those tough jumps a lot more manageable."
I then went on to complain that the game was too easy - although this time around I'd have to slightly disagree. There are two difficulty paths you can take - the hard one or the easy one. I must have taken the easy one on my last playthrough. I took the hard one this time. I wouldn't say the game is particularly frustrating or challenging, but it ain't easy. There were some tough parts that would have driven me nuts if I was not playing with save states, like those freaking scrolling machine stages or that one with the giant globe that can crush you against the wall. Anyway, here is what I had to say.
"The game is too easy. You heard me, too easy. The first Ecco the Dolphin is legendary in its difficulty, to the point where people bickered and complained about it. I think the makers of this game must have heard those complaints and dumbed down its sequel to make it more accessible to people who gave up on the first game. But I don't want easier! I want a challenge! Too many of these stages are laughably short and easy. There are stages I beat in one or two minutes, and that is not an exaggeration. I missed the dogged difficulty of the first game, and the feeling of relief and satisfaction that would wash over me when I'd make it through a particularly challenging level. That feeling is sorely missing from this game.
Sure there are some tough levels to be found here, but most of the challenges from these levels stem from unfair frustration rather than genuine difficulty. The Medusa stages? Ugh. The Moray Abyss? Ugh. Dealing with the unpredictable gravity situation aboard the Vortex vessel? Ugh. I'm all for a challenging game, but it is like they knew that this game was too easy so every once in a while they'd throw in an unfairly difficult stage just to make players curse and throw things.
Another complaint I have is the repetitive nature of some of the stages where you have to collect the Asterite parts. It would be one thing if you just had to collect a few pieces to bring him back to life, but you literally have to find EVERY missing Asterite orb, and the thing is freaking huge. It becomes a big grind that slows things to a halt in the middle of the game, and it is the reason it took me nearly two months to slog through this game after finishing the original Ecco in less than a week."
Graphics:
Honestly, this graphics in this game look exactly the same as in the Genesis version. But don't worry, I am not going to copy and paste comments from my last review this time around. I'm just going to say that the game developers really nailed the underwater aesthetic of the game. I don't think I've seen another 16-bit game replicate the eeriness and the loneliness of the deep ocean, while at the same time maintaining a bright and colorful presence with the backgrounds and the environments.
You visit a ton of locales in this game, from tropical islands, to futuristic water passages, to the tubes of an alien vessel. And it all looks fantastic. This has got to be one of the better looking side scrollers of the 16-bit era. The aforementioned FMV sequences, while grainy and primitive looking, do really add to the magical atmosphere of the game.
Sound:
This game has a very similar soundtrack as the Sega CD version of the original Ecco. Don't come into this game expecting to hear something similar to the Genesis games. All the original tunes have been replaced by orchestral sounding musical scores, similar to something you'd hear in the background of an underwater nature documentary. And that's not a bad thing. I liked this game's music.
I didn't like this change for the original Ecco on Sega CD, but for some reason I didn't mind it here. I think it is because I am not as attached to the Genesis Tides of Time soundtrack as I am the original Ecco soundtrack. I didn't feel like I was missing anything this time around.
Overall:
I think this version of The Tides of Time is clearly better than the Genesis version. Better music, added cutscenes, and... well, uh... That's pretty much it. But it's enough.
As far as gameplay goes, it is the exact same thing. And I mean the exact same thing. So even though I liked some of the game's added features, I still have to give it the same grade as the Genesis version: a B. If you have both copies and you can only play one of them, pick the Sega CD version. It isn't reflected in the letter grade I gave it, but it is the slightly superior version of the game.
If you have never played The Tides of Time before, I'd suggest checking it out, especially if you liked the original Ecco. While I prefer the more simplistic, puzzle oriented pace of the original game, its sequel makes a lot of changes that help keep things fresh and exciting. If you've never played Ecco period, definitely start with the first game. If you play this one first, you are going to be confused as hell. I've never given it a second of thought before, but now that it has crossed my mind, I wonder if there are any 90s kids that got Tides of Time for Christmas or their birthday back in the day without ever having played the original game. I can't imagine what they thought of this.
I digress. Tides of Time: good. Now that I've played through multiple versions of this game several times in my life, will I return to it again? I don't know. There's just so many games out there to play and experience. I won't say never, but I think this chapter of my life can safely be closed. Thanks, Ecco, for all the good memories.
THE GRADE:
B
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