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He swims, he sings, he flies through the air (?!), and he was the star of one of last year's biggest console hits. Ladies and gentleman, introducing Ecco The Dolphin in his all-new bottle-nosed, marine-exploring, time-travelling, Vortex-bashing adventures. Ecco certainly caused a tidal wave of attention last year with his aquatic antics, and is now set to rule the high seas once again.

Following the defeat of the Vortex Queen last episode, Ecco made his escape to Earth in a pod. The matter was settled, or so he thought, as unbeknown to our starry-browed chum, the Queen had got a foothold on the pod and scammed a free ride back to the deep blue yonder. Rumours spread of the Queen's return, and in jumps Ecco to save the day. A task that will take him to the end of the Earth and Time itself. Hold onto your dorsals as we dive into the 16MEG voyage to the bottom of the sea...

The sequel to last year's smash hit on the Megadrive, involving a dolphin and his mission to save the world.

Take a trip to the future to rescue the oceans and dolphinkind from the threat of the resurgent Vortex.

It may sound like a Geiger counter turned loose on File Mile Island above the water, but beneath the waves, dolphin language is the song of the oceans. Apart from a means to communicate with other marine life, Ecco's song can also be used as a weapon, a key to open gateways, and a force to move objects.

Flippers alone maketh not a speedy dolphin. But thanks to the Atlanteans and their teleport rings, Ecco can travel vast distances in a fraction of the time. In these spectacular 3-D sections Ecco must peg it through the rings, above and below water, while avoiding sea-bed hazards. But miss more than five rings and it's back to the start.

It's quite an evolutionary leap from dolphin to albatross, in Ecco 2 anything is possible! Cliff faces can be a bit of a trial for your average marine mammal, but in the shape of a bird Ecco can fly from pool to pool.

The future... Dolphins have made a fair bit of progress since the days of fooling around and laughing at the humans in their aquariums. These guys and gals have not only discovered the power of telekinesis, but have constructed water ways in the sky to link every ocean. Control in the tubes is tough as it is easy to break through the film holding the water.

I remember the first Ecco as being one of the highlights of Christmas 1992 (although you lot had to wait until the New Year for it!). The first Ecco kept is depth well hidden, with even the initial stages being very tough.

The sequel has a much more lenient difficulty curve, generally making the game more appealling to the board mass of gamesplayers.

I think this is a fine sequel, with just the right mix of elements from the previous Ecco and new avenues of gameplay. However, some people complained that the first game was slow and boring, so I strike a note of caution.

You'll only get the most out of Tides Of Time if you're the sort of gamesplayer to invest time and mental energy in a cart. If you are, the rewards will be great.

Original gameplay in these days of rehashed genres is always commendable, this certainly being the case for the original Ecco. And, instead of resting on their laurels, Novotrade have gone all out to produce the best Ecco product to date.

The task is vast as well as varied, and incorporates stacks of great new storylines and features - the voyage to the future obviously inspiring the designer's creative juices. But beware ye of faint joypad, as the difficulty setting is rock hard at times and requires thought and reflexes. A downright brilliant second outing for dolphin-kind.

Graphics 90%
P. Atmospheric and beautifully crafted, capturing sub aqua life. Impressive 3D sections. N. Not a great deal of variation in the backdrops.

Sound 85%
P. Soothing New Age techno that gathers pace when the action picks up.

Playability 91%
P. The natural control system combined with the adventure/exploring element makes this a real treat to play.

Lastability 93%
P. The game environment is absolutely massive, and the challenge pushees the player to the limit. A winner on this front.

Value For Money 89%
P. Double the original Ecco, with plenty of new treats makes it worth the cash.

Overall 91%
A fantastic sequel, building on the original's revolutionary gameplay and exploiting a whole new massive adventure.