When did Ecco Jr. release?

Ecco Jr. was first released on December 31, 1995.

Ecco Jr.

Dec 31, 1995PuzzleAdventureLinuxWii Sega Mega Drive/GenesisPC (Microsoft Windows)Mac

Ecco Jr. — frequently asked questions

What platforms is Ecco Jr. on?: Ecco Jr. was released on Linux, Wii, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac.
When did Ecco Jr. release?: Ecco Jr. was first released on December 31, 1995.

About Ecco Jr.

Somewhere there is a place called the Endless Sea. There lives a giant whale named Big Blue. To find Big Blue, you have to open the Crystal Doors called Glyphs. To open the Crystal Doors, you must satisfy their wish. Guide Ecco and his friends to swim through the ocean and find Big Blue.

Summary via IGDB.

Game details

Platforms: Linux, Wii, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac
Developer: Sega Europe
Publisher: Sega of America
Game modes: Single player
Themes: Action
Series: Ecco the dolphin

Details via IGDB.

Reception

IGDB rating

69/100

from 6 ratings

Every version compared

Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release

Platform	Year	Loose	Complete	Sealed	Fake risk
Sega Genesis	1995	$24	$60	$116	Medium

Also released on: Linux · Wii · Sega Mega Drive/Genesis · PC (Microsoft Windows) · Mac. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.

Collector value & authenticity

Sega Genesis · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-29

Loose

$24

Complete

$60

Sealed

$116

Other releases and variants

Release	Loose	Complete	Sealed
European (PAL) release	$213	$666	—

How often it sells

Loose: about once a week
Complete: about once a month
Sealed: about 2 times a year

Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-29.

Price over time

Loose
Complete

A loose copy sold for about $2.97 in Oct 2007, $18.29 five years ago, and $24 as of Oct 2026.

Show as table

Month	Loose	Complete
Jan 2008	$2.25	—
Jan 2009	$1.51	—
Jan 2010	$3.00	—
Jan 2011	$3.85	—
Jan 2012	$3.75	—
Jan 2013	$1.74	—
Jan 2014	$5.99	$14.99
Jan 2015	$5.85	$14.99
Jan 2016	$1.49	$45
Jan 2017	$11.49	$15.00
Jan 2018	$8.03	$24
Jan 2019	$7.92	$28
Jan 2020	$14.12	$38
Jan 2021	$12.97	$39
Jan 2022	$17.37	$75
Jan 2023	$14.99	$90
Jan 2024	$14.95	$78
Jan 2025	$15.85	$79
Jan 2026	$17.54	$70
Oct 2026	$24	$60

Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.

Release record

Territory	Date	Barcode
North America	April 1995	010086015546
Europe / PAL	1995	—
Japan	16 August 1995	—

Source: Product numbers: MAME's Mega Drive software list and the No-Intro serial records in the libretro database, published where both agree on the same cartridge dump, or from the libretro records alone where MAME lists no number for that dump. Board and ROM numbers: MAME's software list

Region: NA+EU+JP
Released: 1995
Authenticity: Med

Modern re-releases, such as Sega Ages, the Genesis Mini and Nintendo Switch Online, are not tracked hereMedium counterfeit risk

Sega Genesis prices, all games & how to spot a fake

A gentle, child-friendly Ecco spin-off whose US cart costs more than most, so check it before paying.

Ecco Jr. is a spin-off in the Ecco series, made by Novotrade and published by Sega. It came out in North America in April 1995 and in Japan on 16 August 1995. The Mega Drive cartridge also came out in Australia, which was the only PAL cartridge release. It has the controls and basic gameplay of the other two Genesis Ecco games but is aimed at younger players, without their high difficulty.

Electronic Games in July 1995 described the young dolphin searching for a giant whale across an Endless Sea, with eight game types from Scavenger Hunt to Rescue meant to build skills, and a Parent Mode that allows free exploration along with a database of dolphin facts. It called the graphics, music and sound effects superb.

What the press said at the time

“Older gamers, say 10 and over, Should avoid Ecco Jr. because they can finish the game in one to two hours. Try this game and see the world through the eyes of a dolphin.”
— Game Informer, May 1995

Before you buy

Among US carts it sits above the middle, and the risk tier is Medium, so it is worth checking carefully: ask for a photo of the board. The PAL cart (the Australian release) usually costs many times as much as the US one, loose or complete.