Ecco: The Tides of Time (Genesis)

Ecco: The Tides of Time
Also known as: Ecco the Dolphin 2 (JP) Developer: Novotrade Publishers: Sega (INT), Tec Toy (BR) Platform: Genesis Released in JP: August 26, 1994 Released in US: August 25, 1994 Released in EU: August 27, 1994 Released in AU: 1994 Released in BR: 1994 This game has unused code. This game has unused graphics. This game has unused text. This game has debugging material. This game has a hidden sound test. This game has a hidden level select. This game has regional differences. This game has a prototype article

To do: Regional differences.

Ecco: the Tides of Time continues the plot where Ecco and his pod escape the alien planet after obliterating the Vortex home. The Queen was unprepared and he made quick work of her... However she managed to survive and followed the escaping dolphins back to Earth through the feed-wormhole and started to build a colony right here in the ocean depths. Ecco is unaware of these events until he loses his underwater breathing power, from which he takes notice that something strange happened.

Sub-Page

Prototype Info

Debug Menu

Similar to the first game, a debug menu can be accessed by pausing the game while Ecco is facing the screen and pressing A, B, C, B, C, A, C, A, B. The first seven options are the same as the first game's, and the remaining 5 do exactly as they say. However, the music tempo setting doesn't work, and the message displayer simply quits out of the menu.

Demo Recorder

This feature is accessible in the 3 prototypes by holding one controller button during start-up, but was disabled for release. It's still possible to access it in the EU build, however, by calling the function at offset 0x0008D64E. One way to do so is using this pair of codes:

0006AC:603E (overrides checksum failure)
086292:D64E (replaces the sonar map function with the demo recorder)

Then, jump out of the water while holding A.

Two Player

There is a co-op two-player mode that can be activated with the code FFA7B5:01001. This will display a second Ecco that can be controlled with player 2's control pad. This mode is present in prototype versions.

Unused Graphics

Located in ROM address 0x56C00. A thin tail segment for the thin-bodied segmented enemies in Atlantis, as seen in the earliest prototype. Because these enemies are only ever found chained to rocks in the final game, this isn't used.

Ecco The Dolphin Leftovers

• Around address 0x4AE00 is the octopus' (AKA "Eight Arms") tentacle.
• Between addresses 0x48800 and 0x48A00 are the segments of the leech enemy that pulls on Ecco.

Unused Level Palettes

Aqua Tubeway

• 

  ROM address 1559CD and another copy in 155B36

• 

  155BB6

• 

  155C36

• 

  155CB6

Atlantis

• 

  165A4A

• 

  165ACA

• 

  165B4A

• 

  1655CA

• 

  16564A

• 

  1656CA

• 

  16574A

• 

  1657CA

• 

  16584A

• 

  1658CA

• 

  16594A

• 

  1659CA

• 

  16544A

• 

  1654CA

• 

  16554A

• 

  165BCA

• 

  165C4A

• 

  165CCA

• 

  165D4A

• 

  165DCA

• 

  165E4A

• 

  165ECA

• 

  165F4A

• 

  165FCA

• 

  16604A

• 

  1660CA

• 

  16614A

• 

  1661CA

• 

  16624A

• 

  1662CA

Vortex Future

• 

  180BCE

• 

  180C4E

• 

  180CCE

• 

  180D4E

• 

  180DCE

• 

  180E4E

• 

  180ECE

• 

  180F4E

• 

  180FCE

• 

  18104E

• 

  1810CE

• 

  18114E

• 

  1811CE

• 

  1812CE

• 

  18134E

• 

  1813CE

• 

  18144E

• 

  1814CE

• 

  18154E

• 

  1815CE

• 

  18164E

• 

  1816CE

Unused Staff Roll

An unfinished staff roll with obvious placeholder text exists in the final game. Use the following Pro Action Replay codes to replace the sonar map with the staff roll (US version):

0859F0:000D 
0859F2:2F32

The text as it appears in the ROM:

*.      STAFF..
*ROUND ONE.FIGHT.
*WILCOMMEN.IN DER..
*WE LOVE THE.DOLPHINS.
*HASTA.LA VISTA.BABY.
*OPERATING.SYSTEM.
*HOW ARE YOU.
*HELLO WORD

• 
• 
• 
• 

Leftover Vortex Intro

In the E2A prototype, there's a closeup on the Vortex Queen falling through the atmosphere. The code for it is long gone, but the scene data remains stored in the final builds. Ecco can swim in there because the data is stored as if it were a level, although there's no objects or anything and his palette is messed up, since Ecco wasn't supposed to go there anyways. To reach it, one level block from the game menu has to be replaced by this block. With these Pro Action Replay codes (for the US version), the second level block (It's just 1 level - Globeholder) is replaced by this one, called "bosshead":

08D8A0:001C 
08D8A2:2AC8
08DE08:001C 
08DE0A:2AC8
08E03A:001C
08E03C:2AC8

Then use the debug menu cheat, and go to level 7.

Regional Differences

Japan/US	Europe

The title theme sounds slightly different in the European version, compared to the US and Japanese versions, due to more prominent echoing in the track.

Title Screen

Japan	International