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| Laser Dolphin |
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Written by: David Laprad
Published: June 23, 2005
Remember those great Ecco the Dolphin games for Sega Genesis? I'm not referring to the new 3D offerings but the fabulous side-scrolling adventures, the first of which appeared in 1992. Strip away the puzzles, strap a laser onto Ecco's back and drop him in an ocean brimming with danger, and you'd have Laser Dolphin, a new 2D game that evokes the spirit of Sega's classic series while offering its own captivating brand of action.
Laser Dolphin is a new kind of oceanic hero for gamers more concerned with satisfying their itchy trigger finger than exercising their grey matter. Built with speed and agility in mind, he can do things of which Ecco only dreamed. Using the mouse and keyboard, Laser Dolphin can dart through water, building momentum as he climbs toward the surface. Once airborne, he can soar over an obstruction and spin 180 degrees before diving back into the sea to unleash a volley of plasma bursts at a bomb-toting turtle - all before eating his Wheaties.
Even though the adventure and puzzle elements of the Ecco series are nowhere to be seen, Laser Dolphin is still a marine creature with a purpose. (I was tempted to type “porpoise,” but resisted.) Aliens have abducted a prominent world leader, and he must scour the seas of this world looking for a spaceship in which he can make his pursuit. Eventually, he'll blast off across the galaxy and continue his quest in alien waters.
Along the way, Laser Dolphin will face 11 kinds of enemies, all of which will make you rethink any scuba diving excursion you might be planning. In addition to deadly turtles, he'll encounter mines, gun turrets, robotic birds that drop grenades, fish armed with missiles and more. Each opponent requires different tactics to defeat. A good strategy with the turtles is to swim away from them, turn around without thrusting and let momentum carry you backward as you fire away. Pressing and holding fire powers your laser to maximum capacity, allowing you to take out certain enemies and turrets with a single shot.
You'll get more toys of destruction as you advance. The first of these is a short-lived homing missile that can get you through an otherwise tough spot with ease. It's great fun to burst above the surface and take out a couple of annoying Robo Birds, watching the missiles swirl toward their targets while you zip off to safer waters. Another power-up gives you four times more firepower for a brief time. The developer, Dingo Games, introduces these slowly across 50 levels.
You can also collect five Gold Dolphins per level to regain health. Gathering all 250 unlocks cheat codes. Some dolphins are hidden behind rocks or in secret areas, so keep your eyes peeled.
So far, I've described the Action mode. Since releasing the game earlier this year, the developer has added two additional modes: Stunt and Race. In Stunt mode, you're given a set amount of time to perform as many stunts as you can, from gliding across the water, to jumping through hoops, to performing wrist-cracking mid-air acrobatics. The more difficult your stunt and the more graceful your re-entry, the more points you earn. In Race mode, you dart through a level as fast as you can, jumping and swimming through hoops along the way. In each mode, you can earn a gold, silver or bronze medal. Both of these modes make great additions to Laser Dolphin and alone are worth the price of admission.
Rounding out an already generous product is a map editor which allows you to create your own levels. It appears to have a learning curve that requires more than a casual interest, and there's no documentation, so your mileage will vary.
If you can move your mouse in a circle across your mouse pad, you can play Laser Dolphin. In fact, you can get through the entire game using just the mouse, since you fire your laser with its left button and swim toward an aiming reticule with its right. Using the WASD keys, however, gives you more maneuverability in battle.
While Laser Dolphin is easy to pick up, it takes practice to master the advanced moves that become necessary late in the game. Although there are five difficulty levels ranging from Easy to Extreme, Laser Dolphin is hard, even when playing on the easiest setting. If you don't have skill and accuracy, you might not make it to the end, but you'll still get your money's worth.
Visually, Laser Dolphin is attractive. Dingo uses 3D rendered sprites for the hero and his enemies, all of which are nicely rendered and smoothly animated. The weapon effects, especially the smoke trails on the homing missiles, are also fun to watch. The underwater environments, however, need more detail. Although crisp and colorful, the levels are sparsely decorated, and there are no plants waving in the currents or air bubbles rising to the surface to give you a sense of being submerged. Thankfully, new environments are introduced every ten levels, giving you a bit of graphical fresh air as you progress, and parallax scrolling provides visual depth.
Also missing that special something Laser Dolphin needs to impart a sense of atmosphere are underwater audio effects. Like the graphics, the sounds are crisp and clean, but don't change when you're submerged. The dolphin has several squeaks and squawks that alert you to different events, but overall, the audio needs more ambience. Fortunately, the techno soundtrack is quite good, so your speakers will appreciate the time you spend playing the game.
Complaints aside, Laser Dolphin is a good game with outstanding value. Too many shareware releases shortchange players with a limited selection of levels, objects or environments, but with three modes, 70 levels and an editor, that's not the case here. Laser Dolphin is also fun to play, although it's unlikely you'll do so for long periods of time, as the action wears thin after a few levels. If you like a challenge and don't want to risk being shark bait on a real undersea excursion, take the plunge!
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