Forums

As it's already known Ed has started an Ecco Discord server where among other things he sometimes answers Ecco related questions.
Considering they are going to be impossible to find in a few months, I decided to put some of those here. Please feel free to share here any other bits of Ecco trivia that you have also obtained.

Cyber dolphin boss in early Tides of Time beta Q: Robophin boss was an interesting concept! Incidentally, do you recall why this boss got removed? Was there not enough time to complete it or was there problems with mechanics?
A: Ran out of time. That sprite shouldn't have even been in the game.
In the office in Pest, the guys had some rubber dolphins I brought as gifts. Overtime one of the rubber dolphins started to collect things, stuck into it, like staples, paperclips, etc. After a while the cyborg dolphin was born.

Tara and Kitnee mystery solved Q: In Tides of Time there is Tara the dolphin (Four Islands: "Blackfin and Tara are below..."). Ecco Jr. manual, however, mentions Tara the baby Orca. Was there a mix up between the two games or are those two completely unrelated?
A: Initially Ecco Jr. was for my young daughter and her young cousins. One of the cousins name is Sarah. That's where the Tara name came from. The connection with Tides [of Time] is just a lingering desire to connect that name with an orca.
Q: What about Kitnee? Where did that come from?
A: Whitney was 5 at the time. She's my niece. [Not to long ago] I was chatting with both Sarah and Whitney, who are sisters, about Ecco Jr. and how I put a secret names in for them. Both young dolphins have a backstory that the girls made up, but I can't remember it.

I spent decades thinking that Kitnee was the orca! I'm not sure I can go back now...

But I also love that the robo dolphin boss was basically an inside joke about a Frankensteined toy dolphin.

Mystic the Orca wrote: 07 Jan 2026, 00:49I spent decades thinking that Kitnee was the orca! I'm not sure I can go back now...

I know, right? I cannot think of Kitnee any other way, given Tara is a dolphin in ToT, so I was thinking it just must have been a mix-up in the manual.
I think we can pretend among ourselves that's indeed the case and just forget about it?

Another interesting question answered. I've been reading interviews with Brian Coburn as well as Spencer Nielsen, from which it could be concluded that Spencer's CD soundtrack was written first and that was then converted to FM:

A lot of the sounds on the Genesis was an attempt by people in Japan and at Novotrade to take my full score in the CD version and make it approximated

I converted his [Spencer's] original tunes for Ecco into Genesis format. I had to recreate all his studio synth timbres using the Genesis fm synthesizer.

I approached Ed to try and clarify this and this is what he had to say:

No.

Step 1
I show Spencer the game (prototype) while playing Shine on you crazy diamond.

Step 2
Spencer makes a Floyd like song. I remember it was great!

Step 3
Brian takes Spencer’s song and remakes it in GEMS (YM2612)

Step 4
Brian and Ata make the Ecco FM tunes. Game published makes a splash

Step 5:
we make a sega cd version(s) of the game. Spencer makes a “redbook” track for every level in the game.

It would make much more sense that work on the soundtrack was likely going in parallel, but also that composers making FM music indeed tried their best to match Spencer's synths and personally I think it was a job well done! Ecco 1 soundtrack just wouldn't have the same vibes without those Moog and crunchy Yamaha FM sounds

It would appear that Ed sat down to go through the backlog of questions that were posted on his Discord. I am archiving some of the most relevant ones here so that they don't get lost.

Technical questions:

Is the countdown on the website for the new game's actual release, or is it going to be for a major news and/or trailer drop?

The game and its mind-blowing specifics are yet to be announced. The countdown is a milestone in several dimensions.
Please come to EccotheDolphin.com come on Earthday.

Will [the new games] be text focused still?

Yes it will be text focused.

Will the end of the Tides of Time Remaster generate a secret password in exactly the same way as the original?

We are all in on that password.

How precisely will the new levels match the original layouts, and is the remaster mainly an overhaul of graphics and audio?

Sorry, not being coy, but wait and see. We’re either geniuses or fools. You will let us know

Can there be a boss in Ecco that has similar difficulty to how pure vessel is in hollow knight? (Because why not make the game even harder)

We are working on the map, I think it will never make the game harder, but we want to add elements for completionists and secret hunters.

Will the difficulty curve from the originals still be present?

We will address the difficulty using best practices for modern video games

Is the soundtrack going to keep stay true to the Pink Floyd vibes of the original OST? Or are you going to try a new approach?

I cant imagine ever leaving those roots. Some songs violate one of my rules from the early days. No human voice. I backed off on that now.

Will there just be new music or will the original Sega CD and/or Genesis music also be available as an option?

- 8bit music
- 16 bit music (and unused songs)
- Redbook music
All theme songs and level music remastered by original composers

Will Ecco the Dolphin ever see a full fledged modern Metroidvania release?

Ecco III
Atlantis

Ecco the Dolphin will support Xbox Play Anywhere for Xbox version?

I don’t know. I am going to try to have it everywhere I possibly can.

Will there be mod support for the games? And modding tools? And Steam Workshop support?

Yes. But I have to learn more about it. So far we are making sure all the variables are lined up in one place so they are easy to fuck with. Ask about modding again, I’m in support. This might be more a dev question.

What attracted the original dev team to Sega hardware over Nintendo at the time?

I was working for SEGA. I had experience with a Mac, which at the time had a 68000 CPU. Also, I made games for the Atari computer, which had a video processing unit similar to the Genesis, scrolling playfields, and sprites.

I found Novotrade when I had to produce California games on the Genesis. Of course, this team exceeded expectations so without hesitation, I hired them for Ecco.

Was the first Ecco game originally supposed to have the power to change into other animals?

Yes, the original game did include the morphing. The pteranodon was a stand-in for the bird morph I had in mind. Luckily, we got it a little in the 2nd game. I loved, loved turning into a school of fish when all the other dolphins were hungry.

Lore Related:

Is the new ecco game at all inspired by big blue?

Dont tell anyone, but the Big Blue is fully in the Eccoverse. From my perspective, the Eccoverse is all one reality with a bunch of little games that tap into it in different ways.

Based on what we know about the time machine, it wouldn't be unfair to say that the Queen and Ecco traveled back to the same point in time after Tides?

No comment

In Fault Zone the crabs are much bigger and the same colour as the vortex and magic arm. This is the only time the crabs are like that in the game. Two Tides is next and there is a single Vortex drone conveniently swimming on the right of the level. Is this a hint they are all connected?

It does sound like that because they are.

Was there an intention to wrap Tides up to a certain degree out of the possibility that a third game would not follow?

I want you to play what I typed as text at the end of tides of time.

Hello! Moderator of the Official Ecco the Dolphin Discord here! I will be answering some of the remaining QnAs you missed Moduvator but thank you for covering a good chunk. xD


Technical Questions

I’ve seen a lot if people ask, but unless I’ve missed it I haven’t seen a definitive answer to it.
In regards to the music, will it just be the new music or will the original Sega CD and/or Genesis music also be available as an option?
Really looking forward to these remakes and ecco 3, and best wishes to the entire team

- 8bit music
- 16 bit music (and unused songs)
- Redbook music
- All theme songs and level music remastered by original composers. - Ed

Hello ^^ will the moon impact the sea in the future game if we go with weather and night/day circles?

Ooh. Sick idea. - Ed

Is there any chance that the Ecco remasters could feature some sort of "turbo" button functionality? There are some levels in the duology like the Globe Holder where I found myself needing to really mash the buttons and be rough on my controller, which while I didn't totally mind doing that using my Sega Genesis Mini controller, the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller is absurdly expensive and I feel afraid of being even a little bit too hard on it, as I'd love to never have to buy another set of them. This feature would be invaluable and greatly appreciated by me! Just a thought!

I see what you’re saying. Like a tap is tap, tap, tap. We will adjust it. It won’t suck. - Ed

I do understand the games will be fully 3D with 2D controls, but how about the style? Will it be the same of classics in terms of shading / colors / environments?
If it'll follow this, I'd be 100% satisfied

You will be mind blown. You'll be more than 100% satisfied XD

Lore Questions
Is Ecco going to face a new threat considering the Vortex specie's fate seems to have been sealed at the end of TOT? Or will they stil be a threat?

Wait and see. - Ed

Is the Ecco 3 episode going to follow the narrative of "Ecco going back in time to help the Atlanteans"? Or is it going to follow a whole new route?

Atlantis - Ed

Here's kind of a deep cut lore question.
Was there a decision made when finishing Tides of Time to give us information about the Queen and her evolution after going back in time earlier than intended out of the possibility of their not being a third game? The ending seems to wrap up the Vortex story in a couple of sentences, but based on what we know about the time machine, it wouldn't be unfair to say that the Queen and Ecco traveled back to the same point in time after Tides. So I'm not asking for story tidbits or confirmation, just wondering if there was an intention to wrap Tides up to a certain degree out of the possibility that a third game would not follow.

Yes - Ed
"The ending seems to wrap up the Vortex story in a couple of sentences, but based on what we know about the time machine, it wouldn't be unfair to say that the Queen and Ecco traveled back to the same point in time after Tides."
No comment - Ed
"So I'm not asking for story tidbits or confirmation, just wondering if there was an intention to wrap Tides up to a certain degree out of the possibility that a third game would not follow."
I want you to play what I typed as text at the end of tides of time. - Ed

Something I've wondered for a while is whether in the Tides of Times sub-levels where you are transformed into a Vortex Warrior Drone after being caught by one, lore-wise, is it the Vortex transforming Ecco into one of their own (implying they may do the same for other captured targets) or is the Asterite providing a metasphere to let Ecco disguise himeself as one of the Vortex?

No disguise. - Ed

Miscellaneous Questions

Sorry to bother...but im pretty curious if this game is coming or not on GP (at least for Ultimate tiers)...you didnt shared nothing atm..If not on GP..details on pricing? Have something to share?

I don’t know yet. Should they? What is Ultimate? - Ed

Will there be a BlueSky account to match the Twitter one for those of us not on/no longer on Twitter?

I am on bluesky. I try to post stuff there exclusively. I am a fan. @edannunziata on blue sky -Ed

If there’s going to be physical editions of these new games (here’s hoping) will they include manuals?
Also would they be more likely to be through a limited release publisher like Limited Run or Strictly Limited, or are you looking for a more wider physical release?

100% - Ed

Hello everyone and thank you all for creating this Discord server !
Will Ecco for PC ever be adapted for modern computers, please ? This is my first Ecco game, I think it’s fantastic with its videos and music, and I really regret not being able to play it anymore…

Yes, it will be included with our definitive editions or whatever we end up calling it. - Ed

Hello! Question here! Are there any games that influences your decisions or philosophy in how you approach these remasters?

Yes, there is a lot of wiggle room in the term Remaster. I did my homework. Ultimately, Ecco deserves the most creative approach. We want to make the most legit Remaster ever. Ecco will define a category like he did 30 years ago. - Ed

Of course! GEMS sometimes gets a bad rap due to rushed games but it was incredibly robust for its time and made sound programming on the Genesis so much more accessible for Western developers. Hearing of Jon Miller’s loss saddens me. I hope all the work he put in over the years has been appreciated.
On the topic of the drum samples, do you know if all of them were provided by Sega or were some sourced by the sound team at Novotrade? And if some did come from in-house, what kind of synthesizers or sound libraries were on had that they may have pulled from?

Ask Ata and Brian - Ed

What exactly gave you the idea of a cutesy dolphin game mixed in with aliens? I specifically remember when I was like 4 in the 90's, that ecco dying sound really haunted me. But for some reason, I can't stay away from this game. I love Tides of Time music very much and I recently found out one of the songs in the spectogram depict an alien face of sorts, was that intended in any way? (as you can see I've flipped the image and put them together.) If anyone wants to see it in action, play the song "Inside" in a spectogram.

Can you imagine a single sentence answer to that question? Stick with me. It will all come together. - Ed

More of a general question. I'm curious what attracted the original dev team to Sega hardware over Nintendo at the time.

I was working for SEGA. I had experience with a Mac, which at the time had a 68000 CPU. Also, I made games for the Atari computer, which had a video processing unit similar to the Genesis, scrolling playfields, and sprites.
I found Novotrade when I had to produce California games on the Genesis. Of course, this team exceeded expectations so without hesitation, I hired them for Ecco. - Ed

So several little questions
-Are the remasters of Ecco 1 & 2 going to be about the genesis version? Or are they going to be about the SEGA-CD version?
-In the latter case are they going to include the extra levels and also the pre-prerendered cinematics? If yes are the cinematics going to be reworked or just upscaled?
-Are the remaster going to feature new things like new exclusive levels, extra/remorked dialogues and new assets?

Thanks

Great questions. Mostly, I would like to keep the answers for announcements and surprise experiences for people who play these games in the future. That said, I think you will be happy with our diabolical plans! - Ed

So, since these remasters are more like ”remakes”, since it’s basically being rewritten in Unity (I think I saw something about that here), are the levels going to be one-to-one or expanded on? Also, will the difficulty curve from the originals still be present?
I’ve loved these games since I was a kid. I knew Sega would eventually green light a remaster and/or third game eventually. Wish it didn’t take this long though.

We will address the difficulty using best practices for modern video games.
Wait and see how and why Unity is getting involved. - Ed

I hope this has an obvious answer, but please tell me there will be no AI generated content used in future installments

NO - Ed

Will the end of Tides of Time Remaster generate a secret password in exactly the same way as the original?

We are all in on that password. - Ed

Do you think the Ecco soundtracks could be added to music streaming platforms like Spotify in the future?

No. F them. We will soon have a music player right on Eccothedolphin.com. It will have all the music for everyone, no ads. - Ed

The Tube of Medusa tune is nearly four minutes long. Will the stage itself be long enough for the tune to play out? If not, why is the song so long?

Thats the way Ata wanted to make it. When it comes to matching up the score and the gameplay/level, the composers will redo the songs to fit. What you are hearing now are the tunes as if they were going to be on an OST, NOT level music. - Ed

Why is the song called St. Gabriel Mask?

I’ll ask Spencer. Please ask me again. - Ed

Okay thats fair but from OUR perspective. I figured in game they emitted an analogue to eccos language. Everything is essentially translated for us.
But i mean for us, the player, will it be text focused still?

'yes' it will be text focused. - Ed

Can there be a boss in ecco that has similar difficulty to how pure vessel is in hollow knight? (Because why not make the game even harder)

We are working on the map, I think it will never make the game harder, but we want to add elements for completionists and secret hunters. - Ed

Was the first Ecco game originally supposed to have the power to change into other animals? Swore I unlocked it (or found a dialogue glitch) by talking to an orca when I was a kid.
Did I imagine it? I know the power was definitely in the sequels.
Thanks for all the great memories, really looking forward to the new releases.

Yes, the original game did include the morphing. The pteranodon was a stand-in for the bird morph I had in mind. Luckily, we got it a little in the 2nd game. I loved, loved turning into a school of fish when all the other dolphins were hungry.

Will there be more species in the upcoming Ecco 3 game?
(Question originaly asked by Adrian on the general chat!)
Asked by Gordan Frenchman (Co-Moderator) on my behalf at the beginning of the QnAs lifecycle before we became staff

F yeah - Ed