Ecco the Dolphin
Ecco the Dolphin is a 1992 Action-Adventure and Single-player video game available to play on Sega Genesis. It serves as the first release in the franchise of Ecco the Dolphin video games, enabling you to control a bottlenose dolphin and embarks on a journey through time to fight against hostile creatures.
The story brings massive destruction on the Earth’s ocean as a strange race of alien is preparing a massive attack to take on the valuable resources. The game rewards the player with points for defeating enemies. The player can navigate the world from a side-scroll perspective and his job is to complete all levels by clearing out enemies and reaching the end of each one. The game increases the difficulty level as the player comes to the targeted location. In the game, several stages have valuable crystals, known as Glyphs.
Ecco the Dolphin Alternatives
#1 Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, developed by Konami Computer Entertainment, is an Adventure, Platform, and Action Role-playing video game. The game features only a Single-player mode, and it incorporates the Metroidvania game aspects. It serves as the third installment in the series of Castlevania, offering similar gameplay to previous titles.
The game takes place in the futuristic year, where it focuses on Dracula, who has been incaged after a massive battle happened in 1999. The story follows the struggle of the protagonist, who is a teenager and possesses unique powers. The player needs to navigate the dark world, fight against enemies and their bosses to bring the peace back to the world.
In the game, the player navigates the environment from a side-scroll viewpoint to interact with objects, people, and enemies. Similar to the previous titles, the player can level up to gain new abilities by making XPs from defeating foes.
#2 UnEpic
UnEpic incorporates the elements of Metroidvania, Role-playing, and Platform, developed by Francisco Tellez de Meneses for Multiple Platforms. The game features both Single-player and Multiplayer mode, and it features a series of challenging levels to explore. A strange storyline takes you to a castle inside the video game world where you control a boy who is a gamer and loves to watch sci-fi movies.
After finding himself in the sci-fi world, the protagonist believed he was having hallucinations. But when confirmed, he decides to go on a massive ride to reach the end. In the game, the player can use both melees and ranged weapons and armors to defeat enemies and earn experience points in the non-linear gameplay. Using the crafting tools, the player can create the required potions in a limited location. UnEpic includes exciting features such as Advanced Weapons, Side-scroll Exploration, 2D Visuals, and more.
#3 Beatbuddy: Tale of the Guardians
Beatbuddy: Tale of the Guardians, developed by Threaks, is an Adventure, Rhythm, and Single-player video game that takes place in the beautiful world where you control a ship from a side-scroll perspective. As the game starts, you find yourself in lush hand-painted environments where your job is to embark on a quest to rescue your companions who are in trouble.
While exploring the land, you will interact with the breathtaking environment that breaths to the beat of the sound, helping you in unlocking new paths and solving tricky puzzles. In the game, you experience the action-adventure gameplay that incorporates music into the aspect of the world. A variety of strange creatures is roaming the environment freely, and you can interact with them to reveal the secrets. Beatbuddy: Tale of the Guardians comes with six different hand-painted worlds to explore, and each one is split into five chapters.
#4 Patapon 2
Patapon 2 is a Music-based Rhythm, Single-player and Multiplayer video game published by Japan Studio for PlayStation. It comes with a combination of features of a god game and a rhythm game. It represents a cartoonish environment and casts the player in the role of a deity who has to control an army by merely beating a traditional drum. It serves as the 2nd title in the series and continues the story from the first release.
The storyline revolves around the ship that has been constructed and set to sail for new lands. Along the journey, someone attacks and send them into the ocean. Many challenging stages are there, and each one requires you to fulfill the objectives to make points and proceed with the storyline. The game is split into several missions, and before each one, the player has to recruit new soldiers, equip them with weapons and defeat strange creatures for points.
#5 The UnderGarden
The UnderGarden is offering you Relaxing gameplay with a combination of Exploration and Puzzle game elements, developed by Artech Studios and published by Retroism for PC. The game releases with only a Single-player mode, and it challenges you to navigate the beautifully crafted underground world full of strange life forms, plenty of secrets, and sound.
Casual players with a natural liking for puzzle games will enjoy the exploration quest of the game full of brain-teasing puzzles. In the game, the player traverses massive underground lands to find out the members of his musical band. The ultimate task of the player is to bring all members back to his team and lead them to the surface to complete puzzles. Using exotic plants, the player can complete the environmental puzzles. The UnderGarden has exciting features, including Smooth Controls, a variety of Levels, 20 Levels, Co-op Play, and more.
#6 Lunnye Devitsy
Lunnye Devitsy is a 2009 Platformer and Single-player Exploration video game, offering similar gameplay to Limbo and Inside. The game features only a Single-player mode, and it takes place in the 2D world where you can move using a side-scroll perspective. It tells you a story of an alien who falls above from the Moon on a planet below. The world contains many foreign locations as they are new to an alien and containing many mysterious creatures.
In the game, you control an alien from a side-scroll perspective, and he can run, jump, and explore the areas to find a way back to his home. During the gameplay, you may solve some challenging puzzles and find some abstracts. Several unlockable abilities are there, and you can create cannons and spaceships to cover distance faster. Lunnye Devitsy includes core features such as Relaxing Gameplay, Create Spaceships, Strange Mountainside, Logical Puzzles, and more.
#7 PixelJunk Shooter 2
PixelJunk Shooter 2 is a Strategy-mixed Action, Shooter, and Single-player Simulation video game developed by Q-Games and published by SCEA. The game takes you to the classic world where you control a hero from a side-scroll perspective, and your job is to fight against corruption and other evil guys to restore the peace.
It serves as the sequel to the first title, and similar to the first release, the game offers you a complex and dynamic fluid simulation system that fills the land with liquids and dangerous gases. In the game, you control a ship from a side-scroll perspective to blast holes, while traversing through hot magma. The ultimate task is to keep your ship cool while searching for a way to save stranded survivors. The game lets you master the deformable terrain, the hostile lifeforms, and the liquid as you proceed more in-depth into the environments.
#8 The Powerpuff Girls: Defenders of Townsville
The Powerpuff Girls: Defenders of Townsville is a Side-scroll Action and Single-player Metroidvania video game developed by Radian Games and published by Steam. The game comes with exciting gameplay based on a popular cartoon series, the Powerpuff Girls. The plot involves three powerful girls, each with their unique powers and abilities, fighting against an antagonist, known as Mojo Jojo, to destroy his unholy plans.
According to the storyline, the antagonist is planning something dangerous and prepared an evil army to attack the world. During the gameplay, you can use your arsenal of weapons and superpowers to fend off the latest unholy scheme of Mojo Jojo in a brand-new Powerpuff adventure.
At the start, you have an option to choose one of three different characters from available and start fighting against enemies to save the world. There are four massive areas to navigate, and you can battle against tons of evil robots with different attack patterns and behaviors.
#9 Song of the Deep
Song of the Deep, developed by Insomniac Games, is an Adventure, Metroidvania, and Single-player video game for Multiple Platforms. The game features only a Single-player mode, and it gives you access to a 2D world where you can move from a side-scroll perspective in the style of a Metroidvania game. The world requires you to find out special upgrades for your character and help her in surpassing challenging obstacles and navigate further to become the master.
While many enemies are there that can harm your character, the game offers you less combat gameplay with more on puzzle-solving and navigation elements. During the game, a narrator will unfold the story of Merryn and her struggle, while the player navigates the world from the perspective of the protagonist. Song of the Deep includes exciting features such as Side-scrolling Action, Detailed Graphics, and Superb Mechanics.
#10 LostWinds
LostWinds is a Single-player and Multiplayer Platform video game released by Frontier Developments for Multiple Platforms. The game assumes the role of the protagonist, a boy who has to traverse the world to save the spirit from a vicious antagonist. Several playable stages are there, and each one brings lots of challenges for you to complete and earn points.
During the navigation, you need to jump your way through a series of stages, defeat enemies and solve tricky puzzles to become the master. The protagonist possesses unique abilities and wields the winning spirit, who guides and protects you throughout the journey.
The joyful control mechanism of the game allows you to use the elemental powers of the essence to help you in an epic quest to reveal Balasar, granting him jumping and gliding abilities. LostWinds includes exciting features such as Side-scroll Exploration, Magical World, Challenging Stages, and more.
#11 Aquaria
Aquaria is an Action-Adventure, Side-scroll, and Single-player video game with an emphasis on Metroidvania developed and published Bit Blot for Multiple Platforms. The plot focuses on Naija, a humanoid woman, who starts to navigate the undersea land, known as Aquaria. During the journey, the protagonist will learn about the world’s history as well as her past.
The primary gameplay focuses on swimming, battle, and singing through a beautiful world where the player can interact with the land. Using your singing abilities, you can move items, and your song can affect plants and animals as well. Navigate the land from a side-scroll viewpoint and try to solve tricky puzzles with non-linear gameplay.
Many tough stages are there, and each one requires the player to direct the character to compete against enemies. Each new level comes with different types of puzzles and a unique background setting to explore. Aquaria has exciting features such as Side-scroll Action, 2D Graphics, unique Power-ups, and more.
#12 Eternal Daughter
Eternal Daughter focuses on Adventure gameplay, featuring only Single-player mode available to play on PC. The storyline centers on two powerful races battling against each other for the dominance of the world. The introduction of the plot displays an industrialized race dominating another competition.
The game features Mia as the protagonist, who is the daughter of the Lorian Priestess. Similar to the rest of her people, the player is enslaved to do labor under the command of her brother. Upon seeing her father hitting her moth, she gets light-based magic and uses it against her stepfather to take him down.
Next to that, she flees the village following the advice of her mother. Along the journey, she confronts a cast of exciting characters. The player can navigate the world from a side-scroll perspective, and his ultimate goal is to run, jump, and attack his way through a series of levels to become the master.
#13 Project Black Sun
Project Black Sun is a Side-scroll Action, Platform, and Single-player video game developed by Starflower Games for Multiple Platforms. The game takes place in the dark-themed world where enemies await you to kill. You control a compelling character who could run, jump and attack enemies to drive out from his land to restore the peace. Many challenging stages are there, and each one brings lots of challenges to solve.
The primary gameplay focuses on platform aspects, inspired by classic games like Castlevania and Super Metroid. In the game, the player stuck in a world and has to come out by finding doors and gaining new abilities. Similar to other games of the same type, the level is open, and the player has a dozen of options for exploration. The game increases the difficulty levels as you reach new stages. Project Black Sun includes exciting features such as 2D Graphics, Challenging Gameplay, Superb Mechanics, and more.
#14 Megabyte Punch
Megabyte Punch takes you to a 2D world where you will experience a blend of Action-Adventure, Fighting, and Platform game elements, developed and published by Team Reptile for Multiple Platforms. It is a perfect game where both beat ’em up, and fighting genres meet together to give you a thrilling gameplay experience. Choose your character and embark on a journey through a set of environments where you fight against vicious creatures to obtain valuable parts.
In the game, parts come with unique bonuses and powers and grant new abilities. It takes place in the computer world where your goal is to defend the Heart-core of your town against enemies, and their bosses span six different levels. More than 150 parts are available to gather and to make endless combinations. Megabyte Punch includes key features such as Local Co-op Mode, Versus Mode, Tournaments, Six different Worlds, Chunky Graphics, and more.
#15 Valdis Story: Abyssal City
Valdis Story: Abyssal City, developed by Endless Fluff, is a mix of Adventure, Platform, and Role-playing game elements. It is available to play on both MacOS X and Windows. The game features only Single-player mode and incorporates the elements of the Metroidvania genre. In the game, you can move from a side-scroll perspective and control one of four different protagonists.
Each character can run, jump, and dodge obstacles his way through a series of levels while using advanced weapons to defeat enemies. The game features an undersea city that comprises many zones, between which you can easily move.
While playing the game, you have to acquire items throughout your adventure, and some arms will grant new abilities. The ultimate goal is to fulfill the requirement of each assigned task and go deep into the world to reveal all dark secrets. Valdis Story: Abyssal City has core features four Playable Protagonists, Detailed Visuals, and more.
#16 Heart Forth, Alicia
Heart Forth, Alicia offers you a Metroidvania-style Role-playing video game that puts you in the role of the protagonist named Alicia, who serves as one of the last wizards. It takes place on the island of Auster, where vicious enemies are roaming freely to invade the people.
The game starts with a mysterious event that happened because of a spirit, and the protagonist was sent into the void where she found the old world. The ultimate goal is to find out a way home by completing challenging tasks. During the gameplay, you will interact with several NPCs to advance the storyline. More than 20 challenging skills are there, including upgrades and individual moves.
In the game, you have to become a skilled player by defeating massive monsters and their minions. Navigate the world from an isometric viewpoint, use your trustworthy weapons, and slay enemies to earn XPs. Heart Forth, Alicia includes exciting features such as Wizards and Fairies, Playable Characters, and more.
#17 Magicians and Looters
Magicians and Looters is an Action-Adventure, Metroidvania, and Single-player Side-scrolling video game that takes place in the 2D world full of vicious monsters and their minions. Many challenging stages are there, and each one requires you to fulfill objectives to advance through the storyline. The game takes you to a massive tower high above the Mortal Realm, where robes can’t go out of style.
The story follows a character named Versimops, who got kidnapped, but luckily he has three students who will fend off the evil forces by spreading chaos. Before start playing, your ultimate goal is to choose one of three playable characters, such as Brent, Nyn, and Vienna; each one has unique abilities and powers. You explore the land from a side-scroll perspective, and your goal is to dominate the world of bad guys to become the master. Abridged Mode, Leveling System, Loot System, etc. are exciting features of that game.