The dolphin journeys continue! Looking past the propping up of Seaworld’s oppression, this is a decent aquatic adventure that I had a good time with.

Seaworld is a complicated topic. This game is from the era when “Shamu” (a name passed on to successive “star” orcas) was a key part of the park and a cultural icon. From a modern perspective where the cruelty of the orcas’ captivity is more well-known, it’s harder to swallow. At least the shows (one of which is the tutorial level) and captive breeding are now banned in the US, and the park has begun to emphasise its conservation programs.

But taking it as a game where a heroic young dolphin has to call upon mystical forces to fight evil beneath the waves—sound familiar?—it’s a competent if cheap-looking Ecco-like. Although I’m dubious about calling Poseidon “evil”. He is indeed the antagonist, using his pet Kraken and an army of other sea beasts to destroy Seaworld (which does rather put the player on his side) and raise “New Atlantis” to take its place. He’s also a giant octopus-man in this.

Shamu is aided (in cutscenes) by his centuries-old manatee mentor Horacio, who in this version of the game is a custodian of ancient Atlantean technology. Also exclusive to this version (and the GBA, which is the same game minus touch control option and with a smaller screen size) are Shamu’s friends Clyde the seal and Del the dolphin; just single NPC quests with some dialogue but it helps.

But enough waffling, how does it play? Shamu navigates underwater labyrinths to find Atlantis tablets that give him the plot power to progress. Each level has a few, either hidden or behind optional objectives, plus one for getting 100 gems. There’s no health or air meters to worry about; getting hurt only makes you drop some gems, so it’s pretty forgiving. You will get hurt a lot, as trying to attack enemies with Shamu’s wimpy headbash often results in you taking damage if your timing or spacing is off, or if the game just feels like it. Other techniques include a very short dash which must be rapid-fired to swim at speed, and the belly flop and aerial tail flip (based on tricks from the shows). These are used to solve simple environmental puzzles, which plus the brief touchscreen minigames to unlock doors makes up the remainder of the game.

Using the touchscreen for movement is recommended, as it gives much more control over Shamu’s angle while swimming than the D-pad’s 8-way restriction. It feels more natural and makes the occasional leap out of the water much easier to aim. It also makes the camera a bit smoother, especially important if you’re seeking out the game’s secrets. Every level is packed with intangible walls leading to treasure chests to unlock art gallery pieces. It’s all very optional of course; you’ll have a chill time if you’re not trying to be a completionist like me.

I enjoyed some of the prerendered spritework in the game, especially some of Shamu’s little animations. It’s certainly not a looker but I have a soft spot for low-budget stuff like this. The level art is pretty slapped-together but varied and colourful, and the music repetitive but upbeat with lots of steel drums. The boss fights with the Kraken and Poseidon are hecka janky but the whole game is; it’s cohesive! And the occasional 3D cutscenes are adorably low-poly.

I don’t know, I just have some love in my heart for this game that’s trying a bit and succeeding a bit. It’s maybe half as good as any Ecco game, which is good enough for me! It at least captures some of what made Ecco special, and I feel  warmly towards it for that. Thank you Shamu, but of course boo Seaworld.