Ecco the Dolphin
Ecco the Dolphin — frequently asked questions
- What platforms is Ecco the Dolphin on?
- Ecco the Dolphin was released on Linux, Wii, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, PC (Microsoft Windows), iOS, Mac, Xbox 360, Sega CD, Sega Master System/Mark III.
- When did Ecco the Dolphin release?
- Ecco the Dolphin was first released on December 23, 1992.
About Ecco the Dolphin
Life was an adventure for Ecco, the young dolphin. The ocean seemed endless with rolling breakers to race through! At high speed Ecco could burst through the waves leaping through the air – almost flying! Until one day, all of that changed. A freak whirlpool of air and water tore the life from Ecco’s home leaving Ecco all alone. Now he must fight to stay alive, while traversing the vast ocean in search of clues that will help him save his family and return them to the bay.
Summary via IGDB.
Game details
- Platforms
- Linux, Wii, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, PC (Microsoft Windows), iOS, Mac, Xbox 360, Sega CD, Sega Master System/Mark III
- Developer
- Novotrade
- Publisher
- Tec Toy
- Game modes
- Single player
- Themes
- Action, Science fiction
- Series
- Ecco the dolphin
Details via IGDB.
Reception
Every version compared
Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release
| Platform | Year | Loose | Complete | Sealed | Period reviews | Fake risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sega Master SystemDetails ↓ | 1994 | $5 | $21 | — | — | Low (look-alike) |
| Sega GenesisDetails ↓ | 1992 | $12 | $25 | $600 | 10 reviews | Low |
| Sega CDDetails ↓ | 1993 | $20 | $37 | $58 | 92% | Medium |
The cheapest way to own it loose is the Sega Master System version ($5).
Also released on: Linux · Wii · Sega Mega Drive/Genesis · PC (Microsoft Windows) · iOS · Mac · Xbox 360 · Sega Master System/Mark III. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.
Prices are per version and are not interchangeable, and neither are the reviews: conversions in this era were often built by a different studio than the original, so a score earned on one machine says nothing about how another plays.
Collector value & authenticity
Sega Master System · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-28
How often it sells
- Loose: about 6 times a year
- Complete: about 2 times a month
- Sealed: about 2 times a year
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-28.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $7.99 in Oct 2010, $10.13 five years ago, and $5.24 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2011 | $7.99 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $7.99 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $11.50 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $9.99 | — |
| Jan 2015 | $15.99 | — |
| Jan 2016 | $6.99 | $25 |
| Jan 2017 | $10.95 | $9.99 |
| Jan 2018 | $7.10 | $18.73 |
| Jan 2019 | $11.39 | $16.38 |
| Jan 2020 | $11.76 | $14.68 |
| Jan 2021 | $10.19 | $13.97 |
| Jan 2022 | $10.92 | $16.58 |
| Jan 2023 | $12.66 | $17.64 |
| Jan 2024 | $14.22 | $22 |
| Jan 2025 | $9.46 | $19.08 |
| Jan 2026 | $6.22 | $17.94 |
| Oct 2026 | $5.24 | $21 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Product number |
|---|---|---|
| Europe / PAL | 24 August 1994 | 9029 |
- Region
- EU
- Released
- 1994
- Authenticity
- Low
The Sega Master System version
A reworked 8-bit take on the dolphin adventure, with different levels from the Mega Drive game and a low loose price.
Ecco the Dolphin was developed by Novotrade and published by Sega, and the Master System version came out in Europe on August 24, 1994. It is a conversion of the Mega Drive game, but the Master System and Game Gear versions have different levels from the other versions and open with a whale-song intro and dolphin noises on the title screen.
Mean Machines Sega, covering the conversion in issue 21, said the spirit of the original survives while the level sequence is changed, and that the redesigned layout tests the player much sooner. It added that the dolphin handles beautifully.
Before you buy
This is a European-only cart, and the loose price is low, below the middle of the European-only carts. The look-alike risk is low. If you want it complete, look for the manual.
Collector value & authenticity
Sega Genesis · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-29
Other releases and variants
| Release | Loose | Complete | Sealed |
|---|---|---|---|
| European (PAL) release | $6 | $12 | $111 |
| Japanese release | $12 | $33 | $53 |
How often it sells
- Loose: about 2 times a week
- Complete: about 3 times a week
- 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 $0.72 in Oct 2007, $15.50 five years ago, and $12.00 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2008 | $1.00 | — |
| Jan 2009 | $1.25 | — |
| Jan 2010 | $1.69 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $0.95 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $1.55 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $1.42 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $4.67 | $6.91 |
| Jan 2015 | $2.75 | $10.06 |
| Jan 2016 | $5.00 | $8.95 |
| Jan 2017 | $6.00 | $11.37 |
| Jan 2018 | $8.19 | $12.75 |
| Jan 2019 | $8.00 | $12.99 |
| Jan 2020 | $7.19 | $12.44 |
| Jan 2021 | $10.62 | $19.44 |
| Jan 2022 | $11.62 | $19.99 |
| Jan 2023 | $8.54 | $20 |
| Jan 2024 | $9.00 | $19.99 |
| Jan 2025 | $8.33 | $19.95 |
| Jan 2026 | $9.96 | $19.82 |
| Oct 2026 | $12.00 | $25 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Product number | Barcode |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America | December 1992 | — | 010086010428 |
| Europe / PAL | January 1993 | — | 4974365610425 |
| Japan | 30 July 1993 | G-4106 | — |
- Region
- NA+EU+JP
- Released
- 1992
- Authenticity
- Low
The Sega Genesis version
A moody underwater adventure and a bestselling Genesis game, with a European cart that costs much less than the US one.
On the Genesis, Ecco the Dolphin is the original game, developed by Ed Annunziata and Novotrade and published by Sega. It reached North America in December 1992, Europe in January 1993 and Japan on 30 July 1993. You play a bottlenose dolphin who travels through time to fight hostile aliens in Earth's oceans. It became a bestseller on the Genesis, and the Master System version on this page is a different set of levels.
What the press said at the time
| MegaTech Issue 17 | May 1993 | 94% |
| MegaTech Issue 18 | June 1993 | MT RATING: 94% |
| MegaTech Issue 19 | July 1993 | 94% |
| MegaTech Issue 20 | August 1993 | 94% |
| MegaTech Issue 26 | February 1994 | 94% |
| MegaTech Issue 27 | March 1994 | 94% |
| MegaTech Issue 30 | June 1994 | 94% |
| MegaTech Issue 33 | September 1994 | 94% |
| MegaTech Issue 34 | October 1994 | 94% |
| Sega Pro Issue 41 | February 1995 | 83% |
“A Megadrive classic without doubt, and a strong contender for best game ever! A unique underwater experience for those tired of unoriginal pap.”
“Dolphin is fantastic! It's intelligent, thoughtful, and fun to play! It's also very challenging.”
“Original concept combined with wonderful graphics and amazingly engrossing gameplay make this a classic. THundreds of people rang us up asking how to beat the Helix in the Darkwater level. Hey, it was a downer for US.”
“Original concept combined with wonderful graphics and amazingly engrossing gameplay make this a classic. … Hundreds of people rang us up asking how to beat the Helix in the Darkwater level. Hey, it was a downer for US.”
In the sales charts
In 14 sales charts, April 1993 to November 1993; highest position #2.
Show all 14 placings
- #3 in the Our Price Mega Drive chart — Sega Pro, Issue 18, April 1993
- #3 in the Virgin Mega Drive chart — Sega Pro, Issue 18, April 1993
- #2 in the HMV Mega Drive chart — Sega Pro, Issue 18, April 1993
- #2 in the Our Price Mega Drive chart — Sega Pro, Issue 19, May 1993
- #2 in the HMV Mega Drive chart — Sega Pro, Issue 19, May 1993
- #6 in the HMV Mega Drive chart — Sega Pro, Issue 20, June 1993
- #5 in the Our Price Mega Drive chart — Sega Pro, Issue 21, July 1993
- #6 in the Game Zone Mega Drive chart — Sega Pro, Issue 22, August 1993
- #5 in the Virgin Mega Drive chart — Sega Pro, Issue 22, August 1993
- #9 in the Our Price Mega Drive chart — Sega Pro, Issue 23, September 1993
- #4 in the Virgin Mega Drive chart — Sega Pro, Issue 23, September 1993
- #9 in the Our Price Mega Drive chart — Sega Pro, Issue 24, October 1993
- #7 in the Virgin Mega Drive chart — Sega Pro, Issue 24, October 1993
- #10 in the Our Price Mega Drive chart — Sega Pro, Issue 25, November 1993
Sales charts as printed in the magazines of the time.
Before you buy
Among US carts it is about the median. The European cart usually costs much less than the US one, and the Japanese cart costs about the same loose and more when complete, with a different cartridge shape from a Western cart.
Collector value & authenticity
Sega CD · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-11-02
Other releases and variants
| Release | Loose | Complete | Sealed |
|---|---|---|---|
| European (PAL) release (Ecco The Dolphin) | $19 | $48 | $310 |
| Japanese release (Ecco The Dolphin) | $60 | $95 | — |
How often it sells
- Loose: about once a week
- Complete: about 2 times a week
- Sealed: about 6 times a year
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-11-02.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $2.27 in Jul 2008, $15.62 five years ago, and $19.99 as of Nov 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2009 | $0.75 | — |
| Jan 2010 | $2.22 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $1.99 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $2.98 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $1.60 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $4.99 | $9.28 |
| Jan 2015 | $7.94 | $10.55 |
| Jan 2016 | $7.99 | $10.22 |
| Jan 2017 | $6.49 | $16.07 |
| Jan 2018 | $12.47 | $19.99 |
| Jan 2019 | $10.06 | $19.52 |
| Jan 2020 | $9.83 | $21 |
| Jan 2021 | $19.61 | $26 |
| Jan 2022 | $19.99 | $28 |
| Jan 2023 | $21 | $35 |
| Jan 2024 | $10.84 | $32 |
| Jan 2025 | $13.28 | $30 |
| Jan 2026 | $14.99 | $33 |
| Nov 2026 | $19.99 | $37 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Nov 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Product number | Barcode | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North America | 1993 | 4408 | 010086044089 | — |
| Europe / PAL | August 1993 | 4408 | 4974365644086 | — |
| Japan | 24 February 1995 | G-6041 | 4974365560416 | ¥4,980 |
- Region
- NA+EU+JP
- Released
- 1993
- Authenticity
- Med
The Sega CD version
The dolphin adventure given a CD soundtrack and reworked levels, which makes it a different experience from the cartridge rather than a copy of it.
This is the Sega CD version of Ecco the Dolphin, developed by Novotrade and published by Sega. It is an enhanced edition with new and redesigned levels and an alternate Red Book audio soundtrack composed by Spencer Nilsen. It reached North America in 1993 and Europe in August 1993.
In Japan the Sega CD version came out on 24 February 1995, and it was released there only in a compilation with Ecco: The Tides of Time, under the title Ecco the Dolphin CD. Sega Visions promoted the Sega CD game's QSound audio, which it said expands the undersea world into the room when the unit is connected to two stereo speakers.
What the press said at the time
| MegaTech Issue 22 | October 1993 | 92% |
“since this is one of the best games for the Megadrive on any format. It's the perfect sort of game for the Mega CD, because it has the level of depth and quality you'd expect from your expensive kit.”
“Exactly the same as the cartridge game, except for the addition of a full motion video intro, seven extra levels set in a sunken galleon and improved music and sound effects”
Before you buy
The US and European discs cost about the same loose, while the European one usually costs somewhat more complete. The Japanese disc usually costs far more than the US one in both conditions, and it needs a Japanese Mega-CD. Check that the printed side, the catalogue number and the case all agree, since a disc swapped into a case proves nothing.
Ecco the Dolphin screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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Latest news mentioning Ecco the Dolphin
- Ecco The Dolphin Has A Weird New Website Filled With Mini-Games And MerchTheGamer · Oct 20
- Ecco The Dolphin website now has a countdown timer with 21 hours to goMy Nintendo News · Oct 18
- Out today, Die or Dive is a promising roguelite scuba sim that basically turns Darkest Dungeon into Ecco the DolphinRock Paper Shotgun · Jul 21
- A Physical & Deluxe Edition Of Ecco The Dolphin Remaster Is ComingRetro Dodo · Jun 26
- Ecco The Dolphin 3 Is "Coming No Matter What"Retro Dodo · Jun 26