Ecco 1 or 2 tougher?

[Xeogred]

I'm finally tackling these games after almost 10 years from having played them, it's been quite an experience playing the SegaCD version of 1, I'll probably go with that for Tides of Time as well.

I'll admit I'm up to stage 20 though and I think I ended up skipping one stage so far, this game can be utterly brutal (even worse I hear the Genesis versions don't have continues at the crystal things?), so I'm wondering how Tides of Time stacks up? I've heard mixed reactions, some people think 1 is harder, some don't, etc. If it's on par with 1's difficulty I think that'll be fine... if not oh boy...

It'll be worth it for the music and graphics though, heh. These games are gorgeous.

[Soloman]

I definitely think the sequel is tougher. There's this boss (forgot its name but it's a giant orb on a chain) that's absolutely brutal. Many controllers were snapped in frustration.

[alienjesus]

The general opinion I've heard is that the second is generally harder, but the hardest parts of the second aren't as brutal as the hardest parts of the 1st. Consistently harder, but not so many ridiculously brutal parts.

Also, yes, there are no checkpoints in the mega drive/genesis version. Its painful sometimes, particularly at levels with crushy rocks.

[Xeogred]

Yes, I had a lot of trouble in the first ice stage with all those crushing rocks. Can't imagine how annoying it'd be on the Genesis... I'll have to hit those up someday, lol. I dig the music in both versions for both games, great stuff.

I think the most annoying thing so far is the need for air. I guess it makes the whole thing more intense, but you just can't take a break at all. If 2 is consistently tougher but without the really annoying parts, that's good.

The one thing I do really hate is having to push stuff around, especially when you need to go diagonally up or down, it's so frustrating with the controls. I was just stuck on that one stage where you had to use bubbles to launch that box up so you could push it over this ledge, took forever to figure that one out.

[Xeogred]

Cleared the game! Those last few stages, "The Tubes" and "The Machine"... you have got to be kidding me! Unforgettable stuff right there, that was pure brutality. The final boss was no pushover either, sheesh. It was definitely very rewarding conquering that beast.

Gonna hit up Tides of Time here soon, can't wait! I hope... haha.

[alienjesus]

Cleared the game! Those last few stages, "The Tubes" and "The Machine"... you have got to be kidding me! Unforgettable stuff right there, that was pure brutality. The final boss was no pushover either, sheesh. It was definitely very rewarding conquering that beast.

Gonna hit up Tides of Time here soon, can't wait! I hope... haha.

The tubes wasnt so bad, once you get half way you can stay slightly to the right of centre and spam sonar and beat the rest of the level. The machine on the other hand -urgh. So so so hard. I hear that nothing in Ecco 2 can quite rival that, although some stuff comes close.

Personally, the level where you fight the rock DNA things whos name I forget was the second hardest for me (Dark Water maybe?) - those damn ammonites plus 1 hit kill fast moving obstacles in tight corridors + a fairly deadly boss at the end + the mega drive version (no checkpoints for me) was brutal.

[Xeogred]

Yeah, I feel a bit cheap here having finished this with the Sega CD version... but I figure I will have to hit up the Genesis versions again someday.

I'm pretty sure the stage you're talking about was definitely Dark Water. The worst part about that insanely horrible narrow passage for the last glyph, was that you had to go BACK up it and not to mention there was an annoying Seahorse enemy before that passage, so I fought that thing a good 20 or so times. Luckily there was a glyph right before the Asterite boss...

Ugh, wow yeah just thinking of the Genesis version of that level is giving me nightmares.

The funny thing about The Tubes, spamming sonar beams definitely worked. The thing is I didn't even know how to do that attack until the last 10 stages or something, that was definitely nice knowing that afterwards...

[alienjesus]

Yeah, I feel a bit cheap here having finished this with the Sega CD version... but I figure I will have to hit up the Genesis versions again someday.

I'm pretty sure the stage you're talking about was definitely Dark Water. The worst part about that insanely horrible narrow passage for the last glyph, was that you had to go BACK up it and not to mention there was an annoying Seahorse enemy before that passage, so I fought that thing a good 20 or so times. Luckily there was a glyph right before the Asterite boss...

Ugh, wow yeah just thinking of the Genesis version of that level is giving me nightmares.

The funny thing about The Tubes, spamming sonar beams definitely worked. The thing is I didn't even know how to do that attack until the last 10 stages or something, that was definitely nice knowing that afterwards...

Once you reach the tubes, your sonar automatically becomes a weapon without you needing to do the special sonar attack (which is actually unlocked by saving all the dolphins in one of the early levels. Pressing B quickly followed by A pulls it off - REAAAAALLLY helpful for the prehistoric levels and those damn ammonites).

Also, the seahorse wasnt in Dark Water in the Mega Drive version iirc, which is at least a bit nicer.