Ecco the Dolphin

Ecco the Dolphin is an adventure game released for the Sega Game Gear, Sega Master System, and Sega Genesis involving the adventures of a young dolphin named Ecco. His characteristic feature is the stars on his head arranged in a unique pattern.

Story
One day, Ecco was challenged by a pod member to see how high he could jump. Upon accomplishing this feat, a water spout occurred and blew his entire pod away. Ecco then set off to search for his pod.

Gameplay
Besides swimming and jumping, Ecco can eat by dashing at food in the form of fish. Food heals him after he is injured by enemies such as jellies. Being that he is a mammal, Ecco must occasionally surface to breathe. Not doing so will hurt him over time. He also can communicate through echolocation, from which he gets his name. His echolocation is also used to bring up a map.

Game Gear
The Game Gear version had a dolphin crying "SEEEEEEEEEEGAAAAAAAA" at the Sega screen and some other dolphins laughing at the title screen.

Sequels
The game spawned a few sequels including Ecco Jr for little kids, Ecco II: The Tides of Time, and Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future for the Sega Dreamcast.

Ecco Jr
Ecco Jr. was a prequel to Ecco the Dolphin released to the Sega Master System, Sega Game Gear, and Sega Genesis and was designed for toddlers. Unlike the other games, Ecco is invulnerable and cannot suffocate. It is merely a series of matching games.