Ecco the Dolphin is one of those Sega Genesis games that sticks with you—mostly because it’s nothing like anything else. You’re just a dolphin, swimming around, but then suddenly you’re solving weird alien puzzles and dodging sharks like it’s an underwater survival horror game. The controls take a minute to get used to (dolphin physics are… unique), but once you do, gliding through caves and bouncing off waves feels oddly satisfying.

The ocean looks gorgeous for a 16-bit game—sunlight flickering through the water, schools of fish scattering as you zip past. And that soundtrack? Haunting. Like, "I still hum these tunes in the shower" haunting. Just don’t expect it to be relaxing—some of those later levels get brutal. One wrong turn and you’re lost in a maze of coral with an oxygen meter ticking down. Classic '90s pain.

If you’ve got nostalgia for weird, atmospheric Genesis games, this one’s a trip. Just maybe keep a walkthrough handy for the glyph puzzles.