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Frustrating day. I suppose it's only appropriate that the game, in turn, is one that encapsulates negativity.
DAY 4: A Game That Makes You Sad
Oh so many ways that this can be taken. Depressing and/or downer endings (Yume Nikki comes to mind), sorrow that a series will never see the attention it deserves (Like Niki mentioned with the Legacy of Kain series due to Tony Jay's death), or just a game that makes you sad because it sucks so bad and/or screws you over so hard (WHY DO YOU HAVE TO HURT ME SO, SONIC NEXT-GEN).
However, only one game series can really encapsulate all three to me.
Ecco the Dolphin was, in a lot of ways, an idea before its time, made by a company that is known for making really bad business decisions. It came in the early 90s, when the world was on its pro-ecofriendly kick at its highest, but didn't hammer the message home like other "HUMANS ARE BAD AND DESTROYING THE EARTH" green messages of the day. No, it was far more subtle.
Yes, a video game with stated subtlety.
In an aquatic world one could almost describe as inspired by Jacques Cousteau's monologues about the ocean, Ecco lives in a haunting, almost chillingly empty world - and then it becomes even moreso when... something happens to all the other dolphins in his pod. His journey to find and rescue them takes him across time, space, and even to prehistory... in the process splitting the world into to alternate timelines and vanishing into time after the alien queen behind the entire thing. There were talks of a third game, and the developers made hints that the depressing-seeming ending of the second game was little more than a lead-in to something grander.
...and then the rights got pulled away from Ed Annunziata, the original designer, before a third game could be made.
The third game, Defenders of the Future... basically built a similar idea from the ground up, and then coated it in the incomprehensible navelgazing bullshit that was popular of JRPGs in the late 90s and early 00s. Despite being a fraction of the quality of the Genesis games, Defenders was a good game on its own merits...
...and then the Dreamcast proved to be a giant financial failure, and the series has been, in true video game company fashion, relegated to nothing but rereleases of the first two games.
Over. And over.
Teasing what could have been.
Day 1: Your current favorite game
Day 2: The most Underrated game you’ve ever played
Day 3: A game that makes you really happy
Day 4: A game that makes you sad
Day 5: A game that reminds you of someone
Day 6: Favorite puzzle game
Day 7: The game with most surprising game plot twist or ending (don’t share the actual twists, and if you do, mark them spoilers for the love of all that is nerdy)
Day 8: A game you’ve played countless times
Day 9:A game with the best or most original soundtrack
Day 10: Favorite Retro game
Day 11: A game that changed your opinion about something
Day 12: A game that you dislike
Day 13: A game that is a guilty pleasure
Day 14: A game that no one would expect you to love
Day 15: A videogame character who you can relate to the most
Day 16: A game that you used to love but now hate
Day 17: A game that disappointed you the most
Day 18: A game that you wish more people would’ve played
Day 19: Favorite game based on a movie/book/comic/etc
Day 20: Favorite stress relieving game
Day 21: Favorite Fighting Game
Day 22: Favorite table-top RPG
Day 23: Favorite racing game
Day 24: The one awesome game idea that still hasn’t been done
Day 25: The most hilarious game you’ve ever played
Day 26: A game you’ve left sitting at the final boss fight and still haven’t returned to
Day 27: A game that you wish you could play, but suck at
Day 28: A game that makes you feel guilty
Day 29: A game from your childhood
Day 30: You favorite game (or series) of all time
DAY 4: A Game That Makes You Sad
Oh so many ways that this can be taken. Depressing and/or downer endings (Yume Nikki comes to mind), sorrow that a series will never see the attention it deserves (Like Niki mentioned with the Legacy of Kain series due to Tony Jay's death), or just a game that makes you sad because it sucks so bad and/or screws you over so hard (WHY DO YOU HAVE TO HURT ME SO, SONIC NEXT-GEN).
However, only one game series can really encapsulate all three to me.
Ecco the Dolphin was, in a lot of ways, an idea before its time, made by a company that is known for making really bad business decisions. It came in the early 90s, when the world was on its pro-ecofriendly kick at its highest, but didn't hammer the message home like other "HUMANS ARE BAD AND DESTROYING THE EARTH" green messages of the day. No, it was far more subtle.
Yes, a video game with stated subtlety.
In an aquatic world one could almost describe as inspired by Jacques Cousteau's monologues about the ocean, Ecco lives in a haunting, almost chillingly empty world - and then it becomes even moreso when... something happens to all the other dolphins in his pod. His journey to find and rescue them takes him across time, space, and even to prehistory... in the process splitting the world into to alternate timelines and vanishing into time after the alien queen behind the entire thing. There were talks of a third game, and the developers made hints that the depressing-seeming ending of the second game was little more than a lead-in to something grander.
...and then the rights got pulled away from Ed Annunziata, the original designer, before a third game could be made.
The third game, Defenders of the Future... basically built a similar idea from the ground up, and then coated it in the incomprehensible navelgazing bullshit that was popular of JRPGs in the late 90s and early 00s. Despite being a fraction of the quality of the Genesis games, Defenders was a good game on its own merits...
...and then the Dreamcast proved to be a giant financial failure, and the series has been, in true video game company fashion, relegated to nothing but rereleases of the first two games.
Over. And over.
Teasing what could have been.
Day 2: The most Underrated game you’ve ever played
Day 3: A game that makes you really happy
Day 4: A game that makes you sad
Day 5: A game that reminds you of someone
Day 6: Favorite puzzle game
Day 7: The game with most surprising game plot twist or ending (don’t share the actual twists, and if you do, mark them spoilers for the love of all that is nerdy)
Day 8: A game you’ve played countless times
Day 9:A game with the best or most original soundtrack
Day 10: Favorite Retro game
Day 11: A game that changed your opinion about something
Day 12: A game that you dislike
Day 13: A game that is a guilty pleasure
Day 14: A game that no one would expect you to love
Day 15: A videogame character who you can relate to the most
Day 16: A game that you used to love but now hate
Day 17: A game that disappointed you the most
Day 18: A game that you wish more people would’ve played
Day 19: Favorite game based on a movie/book/comic/etc
Day 20: Favorite stress relieving game
Day 21: Favorite Fighting Game
Day 22: Favorite table-top RPG
Day 23: Favorite racing game
Day 24: The one awesome game idea that still hasn’t been done
Day 25: The most hilarious game you’ve ever played
Day 26: A game you’ve left sitting at the final boss fight and still haven’t returned to
Day 27: A game that you wish you could play, but suck at
Day 28: A game that makes you feel guilty
Day 29: A game from your childhood
Day 30: You favorite game (or series) of all time
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From:
no subject
I was at one point planning on writing ecco fanfiction, since I have headcanon linking DoTF and the Megadrive games, but nothing ever really came of that.
You're right though, the original Ecco games are haunting as hell...
From:
no subject
Plus, it's a total reboot when the series had been hinted at having a third part.
From:
no subject
It's pretty, and has time travel and alternate history stuff... what can I say, I'm shallow XD