My first video game alongside Sonic and Knuckles in 1995. I know this is a kids' game and is meant to be very simple to pick up and play, but this game does just...something different. With its atmosphere and style that puts it a notch above most other kids' games I've seen from the time and its stuck with me for it.
It's super cute! There's not much to do, and doesn't really have much of a difficulty (Though, there is a hard mode in the options if you press the 3 face buttons on the title screen. There's also some nice dolphin facts on that same screen, which I appreciate), but that's fine. It's mostly just a nice playground to just jump around as a cute dolphin, which I appreciate! The story is cute too, and honestly it's just a really pleasant experience all around.
It’s simplistic, repetitive, and very easy, but I’ve always enjoyed just basking in the atmosphere of Ecco games, and it’s nice to have a chance to do that without constant death and horror. And besides, you get to play as an orca! The game objectively isn’t great, but I had a nice time. Worth an afternoon if you are also an intense enjoyer of whales.