Ecco: The Tides of Time is the second Ecco the Dolphin game, developed by the Hungarian studio Novotrade International and published by Sega. It came out first in Japan, as Ecco the Dolphin 2, on 26 August 1994, and reached North America and Europe in November 1994. László Szenttornyai directed it and Ed Annunziata produced it, and the two designed it together.
The story picks up from the first game: the Vortex Queen has survived, and Ecco travels to the future with his descendant Trellia. New abilities include the Pulsar power-up and the Metasphere, which turns Ecco into other animals such as a seagull, a jellyfish or a shark, and some stages switch to a pseudo-3D view where Ecco swims through rings.
A third game meant to complete a trilogy was scrapped, and Sega released the spin-off Ecco Jr. instead. In April 2026 A&R Atelier, a studio formed by former Ecco developers, announced Ecco the Dolphin: Complete, which will include several versions of The Tides of Time.1
Names and releases
| Region | Title on the box | Platform | Date | Publisher | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NA | Ecco: The Tides of Time | Genesis | November 1994 | Sega | 1 |
| NA | Ecco: The Tides of Time | Game Gear | November 1994 | Sega | 1 |
| NA | Ecco: The Tides of Time | Sega CD | November 1994 | Sega | 1 |
| JP | エコー・ザ・ドルフィン2 | Genesis | Aug 26, 1994 | Sega | 1 |
| EU | Ecco: The Tides of Time | Genesis | Nov 18, 1994 | Sega | 1 |
| EU | Ecco: The Tides of Time | Game Gear | November 1994 | Sega | 1 |
| AU | Ecco: The Tides of Time | Sega CD | April 1995 | Sega | 1 |
| EU | Ecco: The Tides of Time | Sega CD | June 1995 | Sega | 1 |
| BR | Ecco: The Tides of Time | Master System | 1996 | — | 1 |
Also known as: エコー・ザ・ドルフィン2 JP1Ecco the Dolphin 2 JP1
Box art by region
NA Ecco: The Tides of Time 
EU Ecco: The Tides of Time
Box art © its publishers, shown to identify each release. Scans: libretro-thumbnails.
Version differences
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ContentGame Gear
The Game Gear version was heavily reworked: levels were redesigned for the handheld, and several levels and story scenes were cut.1
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AudioSega CD
The Sega CD version replaces the cartridge music with a different soundtrack by Spencer Nilsen and David Young.1
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ContentSega CD
Only the Sega CD version has the extra History Glyphs.1
Reception
Reviews were mixed to positive. Mega Console gave the Genesis version 91/100 and GamePro praised its accessible difficulty, while two Electronic Gaming Monthly reviewers found it much harder than the original. Later, GameSpot called it more of the same, and IGN and Nintendo Life gave the Wii Virtual Console release 7/10.1
Sources
Checked: 2026-10-13Text reviewed: 2026-10-13
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