"Ecco the Dolphin Reboot with New Game in Development"

The legendary creator of Ecco the Dolphin, Ed Annunziata, has announced exciting news for fans of the iconic and challenging series. In a recent interview on Xbox Wire, Annunziata shared that he and the original team are working on remakes of the beloved games, Ecco the Dolphin and Ecco: The Tides of Time. But that's not all— they are also developing an entirely new third installment that will bring Ecco into the modern era with updated gameplay and stunning graphics.

This revelation comes as a surprise, especially since there's already a "third" game in the series, Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future, which was released on the Dreamcast back in 2000. Notably, Annunziata was not involved in that project. Additionally, a planned sequel, Ecco 2: Sentinels of the Universe, which would have continued directly from Defender of the Future, was unfortunately cancelled.

Fans have expressed their excitement and nostalgia, with one enthusiast mentioning, "I just want to finally be able to enter my secret password from the end of Tides of Time. I still have it written in the codes section of the game manual," while another pointed out the famously bizarre plot of the series: "I wonder how many people know how completely bonkers the plot of the games are."

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While Annunziata did not provide a specific release date for the new Ecco projects, a countdown on the official Ecco the Dolphin website suggests that fans might have to wait approximately a year, with the timer set to expire in 8,508 hours.

The original Ecco the Dolphin launched in 1992 on the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, followed by Ecco: The Tides of Time in 1994. The series also saw "edutainment" spin-offs, Ecco Jr. and Ecco Jr. and the Great Ocean Treasure Hunt in 1995, designed primarily as educational tools.

In the games, players take control of Ecco, a dolphin on a mission to navigate through treacherous underwater environments to reunite with his pod after a mysterious vortex devastates their world. While the 2000 remake was deemed satisfactory, a review from IGN's Ecco the Dolphin review of the 2007 version suggested it lacked enough innovation to warrant a revisit: "Ecco the Dolphin is a classic from SEGA. But sometimes classics should stay in the past. For those who have played Ecco before, there's really no reason to come back to it. There are no extras offered and the Achievements are junk. If you've never played Ecco, then you may want to give it a go. It really is one of the more innovative titles of its time. But, again, that time has long passed, and Ecco's gameplay doesn't stand the test of time like Sonic's."

On a brighter note, Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future received a more favorable reception, earning a 7.6 score from IGN's Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future review, which praised its engaging story and impressive visuals: "If you thought Flipper had personality, wait until you get a load of Ecco the Dolphin. Experience amazing visuals and an engrossing story, and defend the ocean that is rightfully yours."