 SEGA DRUNK One game that I think went a long way in differentiating the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis is Echo the Dolphin. I was totally weirded out by this game as a kid and it's pseudo open world aspect. Like alright, I guess it's sort of Metroid-y in a way, but you're a friggin Dolphin. You're talking to other Dolphins. There's no menus or anything. Just your health and air supply in the corner. What the hell is this? So yeah, the game starts and you're hanging out with your friends, talking about Dolphin stuff, jumping around until you inadvertently create a jump so badass that a storm materializes and everything in your pod, all the life there, totally disappears. So you gotta wander around and talk to other Dolphins and eventually go see this whale named Big Blue, no not the F-Zero track, who then tells you to go find this all-knowing oracle type thing called the Astorite. And from there, time machines get involved, there's the Lost City of Atlantis, aliens named the Vortex and holy crap this story is weird. I mean, I guess it's kind of entertaining in a weird way. I was always curious what crazy shit was going to happen next, because seemingly everything was in play. Like, Echo's gonna grow a beard, learn to speak up Gonquin and challenge his sister to a fight? I don't know. In my mind, that's possible. But what's really jarring about Echo is that, you know, we're used to seeing bright-eyed, cartoony mascot looking things for lead characters, like Mario or Sonic or Sparkster or Earthworm Jim or whoever. Echo the Dolphin itself as a character is a bottle-nosed Dolphin, and that's it. And I really kind of admire that, it actually adds to the surreal nature of this game by grounding it a little bit in reality. It's definitely something different, and it works. In fact, visually altogether, there isn't anything all that strange about this game. It's really nice-looking, and considering the exploratory nature of the gameplay, I don't mind hanging out in this world at all, it's really pleasant. The minimalist music is also enjoyable, and it fits perfectly. The gameplay is tricky to get used to because everything is predicated on how well you can control Echo at high speeds. You really just tap a button to accelerate, hold it to maintain that speed, and hope you hit an enemy at the right angle. It takes some practice, but it works well enough. It's certainly different. I've read a lot of people hate on the controls, and yeah, they're clunky. You'll run into lots of stuff and take damage here and there, but the controls aren't game-breaking, I don't think. Echo can also interact with other creatures, where the dialogue you're receiving annoyingly switches to another screen entirely, so that gets old. You can also do a sonar trick, you know, just like real dolphins do, to map out an entire area that you're trying to explore. You also can't stay deep underwater for too long, you gotta head to the surface for air, again, just like a real dolphin. Am I the only one that thinks this is all really weird? Again, it's such a strange blend of realism in the surreal, and I'm still befuddled by all that, I'm not even sure if this game is good. It's definitely interesting, no doubt about that, and for that reason I have to recommend it. Only because I don't ever remember feeling so confused and frustrated, yet intrigued and drawn into a game like Echo the Dolphin. I have no idea where to go, a vague idea of what to do, and it's taking me forever to do it, but somehow I don't mind, because I like hanging out in this underwater world. And yes, I'm fully aware of the Genesis sequel, The Ties of Time, which is even more surreal, more cryptic, and more batshit crazy. I think that game might be a bit too far out there for me, at least at the moment. But for right now, Echo the Dolphin is worth the experience. Dip your toe in the water and see how you like it. Some people will hate it, but I actually liked it in a weird way.