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Ecco the Dolphin, the unofficial Sega mascot for the sickos, is making a comeback after 25 years with a brand new entry in the series created by "the entire original team."
Peculiarly announced in an Xbox Wire Q&A with Ecco the Dolphin creator Ed Annunziata, the new, still untitled Ecco the Dolphin game is in development alongside remasters of the Sega Genesis games Ecco the Dolphin and Ecco: The Tides of Time.
The OG Ecco the Dolphin games, about a time-travelling bottlenose dolphin saving the world from aliens, as bottlenose dolphins often do, are notoriously difficult 2D action-adventure games. The first one came out in 1992 to great reviews praising its distinct vibe and tight controls, while the sequel, The Tides of Time, wasn't as well-received.
After those two games, the series went in a more kid-friendly direction with Ecco Jr. and Ecco Jr. and the Great Ocean Treasure Hunt, both released in 1995.
And then there's the one I remember best: Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future, a reboot of the series that launched on Sega Dreamcast in 2000. I won't pretend like it was one of my favorite games or anything, but I distinctly remember my brother calling me into his room to show me how realistic the graphics were, and even now watching gameplay footage, it's impressive!
Not a whole lot is known about the new Ecco the Dolphin game, but Annunziata says it'll have "contemporary play and GPU sensibilities," which just sounds like a modern reimagining of the series.
There is a new, official website dedicated to the series, but it just has a countdown with, at time of writing, 8,529 hours to go, which translates to 355 days, suggesting an April 25, 2026 launch date. Whether that's for the remasters, the new game, or both isn't clear at the moment.
Ecco the Dolphin got snubbed in our list of the best Dreamcast games, but at least Seaman is on there.
