A short overview of all the different Versions of Ecco 1. And there are differences of many kinds, really!
The first Ecco game, the one that set the first step in a great series of gaming history. Everything has been said in the Introduction already, read it to find out what this game is all about. This version is great as it is, and a good start to get into Ecco gaming. Other Versions add nice features, but even without those this game really stands out.
The Sega CD version is basically the same as the Genesis version with small upgrades on the first view which turn out to be really awesome on the second.
The game starts with an upgraded intro. Though then, right from the title screen everything looks and feels exactly the same as the Genesis version. There is only one major difference - the soundtrack. Fifteen CD Audio tracks feed the game with music of such a high quality you won't get anywhere else. It sounds really ocean-esque, yet still like not from this world. It uses whale noises which sets you straight underwater.
Also there are a couple of new stages which reveal more of Ecco's journey and add a bit more story. There are two documentary films you get to see in the middle of the game.
Else this is the same as the Genesis version. But if only for the soundtrack this really is a better upgrade to a great game.
Sometimes you wish they had better let it be. The GameGear Version of Ecco is kinda like that, though it also has some advantages...
Well, basically this is a shrinked version of Ecco. The story is the same, the controls are a disaster, the language has gotten worse, the graphics are so-so and if you don't want your ears to bleed you better switch off the sound. I really don't want to get into detail...
However, there are some things worth noting where you could see the programmers at least tried something nice. The level design is almost completely new, so you still get to play a kinda different game. There are some puzzles which really differ from the Genesis version, you have to use your brains there too and they're kinda fun and innovative.
If you can go through the pain of the horrible GameGear controls you should give it a try. Just have the Sega CD soundtrack played in the background, that may help!
Even though it's aging this is kind of the best version you will get of Ecco 1, at least in my opinion. It puts together some of the best things from the Sega CD versions, and adds something great new as well.
Well, where do I start? This good, that good, everything good. Let's just sum up the cool factors. You get all the stages from the Sega CD version, also the new ones. You get the soundtrack of the Sega CD version. You get the history videos from the Sega CD version of Ecco 2. You get a save option, no more password entry. And you get a great eyecandy factor - the graphics have been redone, so you get a higher resolution which makes the game look mighty fine on your PC screen!
Now is there really nothing to moan about? Maybe there is... This version is really aging. It was programmed for Windows 95, and even though it still works on Windows XP it needs some high patching and still tends to crash then.
There are some other things that may bug you, or not. The history glyphs are placed rather dumb because they spoil the story all the time - especially the last video which spoils the whole ending. And the fact that you have to play this in front of the PC and not the TV with a cool Genesis console and gamepad may decrease the retro feeling. But that's all up to you.
For me this is the nicest version of them all, especially with those nice graphics.
Ouch! Ouch ouch ouch! The guy who put only - ONLY - that one song which plays in a loop the whole time should feel eternal pain for the rest of his life!
I don't get it. They reprogram this game for the GBA, and playing it really feels like playing the original game, and they fuck up the music! I can't get over that! This could've been such a great remake, but they forget the soundtrack! The only track they put on is that short time travel music. And you really can't listen to that longer than 2 minutes. It takes away the magic of it too, let's not get into this.
There is no excuse for this. Ecco needs music. The only possible reason to get this is if you don't want to piss off other people while playing in the bus or something like that.
No I've changed my mind. Don't get this, if you have it, destroy it, or if you know the one responsible for it, destroy him with it!