Defender
↗ 8.2%
🙂 7.4/10
(Playstation 2 - US, Shoot'em Up)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
Complete
$9.11
Loose $8.99
Manage Collection
Developed_By:
Appaloosa Interactive Corporation
Published_By:
Sega
Released On:
01 Jan 2002
Also available on:
Defender , released for the Playstation 2 in 2002 , is a Shoot'em Up game that follows the story of Ecco, an extraordinary dolphin who must travel through time to set things right. Hundreds of years in the future, mankind and dolphins live peacefully together and share the earth. Dolphins, who are much more intelligent than they seem, act as the earth's caretakers, while dolphins and humans explore the galaxy. An alien force, known as the Foe, seeks to end this happy existence. The Foe damages the Earth's defense system, and alters history for the worse.
Players control Ecco as he navigates through 25 aquatic environments in a 3D underwater adventure game. Along the way, he must communicate with other ocean creatures and learn to manipulate his environment if he is to succeed in defeating the Foe. With its unique blend of exploration, puzzle-solving, and action, Defender offers a thrilling experience for fans of the genre.
UPC-A:
013388260294 (United States)
UPC-A:
021481233107 (United States)
UPC-A:
031719268535 (United States)
eBay Product ID:
10888 (United States)
eBay Product ID:
8885 (United States)
eBay Product ID:
9409 (United States)
ASIN:
B0000631VQ (United States)
ASIN:
B00006ZCCO (United States)
ASIN:
B00009WAUY (United States)
Sony PN:
SLUS-20191 (United States)
Sony PN:
SLUS-20394 (United States)
Sony PN:
SLUS-20723 (United States)
YouTube
Reddit
Twitch
Wikipedia
DB
IGDB
RG
RAWG
M
Metacritic
HowLong
GF
GameFAQs
Media Type:
CD-ROM, DVD-ROM
Gamepads Supported:
DualShock 2
Sound Capabilities:
Dolby Surround
Save Game Methods:
External Storage
Multiplayer Options:
Same/Split-Screen
Input Device Features Supported:
Vibration
Number of Offline Players:
1 Player, 1-2 Players
Miscellaneous Attributes:
Pressure/Touch Sensitive
Multiplayer Game Modes:
Free-for-all / One-on-one (VS), Co-Op
Controller Types Supported:
Analog Controller, Digital Controller
Prices as of 30 Jul 2026
Typical $8.70–$8.97 (last 90 days)
New
Complete
Loose
Box
Manual
Smoothed
Log · Auto
Medians
Volume
More Playstation 2 Shoot'em Up
🙂 7.3/10
Alien Hominid
$37.00 (Complete)
Nov 2004
.png)
Army Men Green Rogue
$10.50 (Complete)
Mar 2001
🙂 7.1/10
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
$112.19 (Complete)
Nov 2004
😊 8.2/10
Gradius V
$58.25 (Complete)
Sep 2004
James Bond 007: Nightfire
N/A (Complete)
Nov 2002
🙂 7.2/10
Raiden III
$18.95 (Complete)
Apr 2007
😊 8.3/10
Rez
$36.38 (Complete)
Jan 2002
🙂 6.9/10
Rogue Trooper
$13.99 (Complete)
May 2006
😊 7.7/10
R-Type Final
$19.67 (Complete)
Feb 2004
More from Appaloosa Interactive Corporation
😐 5.4/10
Contra Adventure
$53.21 (Complete)
Sep 1998
🙂 7.4/10
Ecco the Dolphin
$34.96 (Complete)
Jan 2001
🙂 7.1/10
Lost World: Jurassic Park
$77.76 (Complete)
Jan 1997
.jpg)
Math Antics with Disney's 101 Dalmatians
$20.00 (Complete)
Jan 1996
🙂 6.6/10
Three Dirty Dwarves
$264.65 (Complete)
Apr 1997
🙂 6.6/10
Tiny Tank
$33.87 (Complete)
Jan 2000
🙂 6.6/10
Tiny Tank
$21.95 (Complete)
Sep 1999
.png)
Wacky Races
$21.82 (Complete)
Jan 2001
Manual
Game Guide
Extracted from the original game manual
This is a sci-fi adventure game where players control Ecco, a dolphin, to defend Earth from an alien foe. Players will explore levels, save their progress, and unlock content in a quest to protect their home.
Story
PROLOGUE
At the dawn of the 30th century, after five hundred years of unity and fellowship, dolphin and man set out from the Earth to explore the great unknowns of space.
But where man and dolphin founded a civilization of peace, others based theirs on strength, conquest, and domination. Even as man and dolphin went out from the Earth, a sinister Foe cast envious eyes upon it. For the Earth was a prize beyond measure, a pristine world to be cherished or exploited.
But the Earth was not defenseless. The mighty Guardian - the greatest creation of dolphin kind - shielded it with its power.
Undeterred, the Foe persisted, probing for a moment of weakness they were certain must come.
It was in this time that a dolphin named Ecco arrived at the Isle of the Guardian, seeking to learn from the scholars of peace, but destined to be the only hope and champion of the Earth.
LANGUAGE
•
ecco
•
THE DOLPHIN
•
PRESS START BUTTON
•
SEGA
You will come to the Language Select screen. Highlight your choice and press the button to advance.
•
DEUTSCH
•
ITALIANO
At the title screen, press the START button. You will advance to the Main Menu.
MAIN MENU
•
START GAME
•
LOAD GAME
•
PLAYER MENU
•
GALLERY
•
OPTIONS
Start Game
Select Start Game to begin a new game. If you have saved game progress or return to the main menu during a game, this option will read Continue Game.
Level Select
Once you have unlocked game levels during game play, you can return here to choose any unlocked level to play on.
Player Menu
Select the Player menu to input your name so you can save games, start a new game and use the Manual Save function.
New Game
Begin a new game with the associated player initials.
Enter Initials
Enter a player name in order to save your game progress to a memory card (8MB) (for PlayStation®2). You can enter three characters.
•
Highlight a character by pressing a direction on the directional button/left analog stick, and press the button to enter it.
•
Use DEL to backspace.
•
When your initials are complete, highlight END and press the button.
Manual Save
You can elect to save your game at any time by pausing the game and selecting Exit to return to the main menu. From there, navigate to this option.
Gallery
The gallery allows you to view images, movies and any Vitalits you've earned. See page 11 for details.
How to Play
Getting Started
Set up your PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system according to its Instruction Manual. Ensure the MAIN POWER switch (on the back of the console) is turned on.
Press the RESET button. When the power indicator lights up, press the OPEN button to open the disc tray.
Place the Ecco the Dolphin™ Defender of the Future disc on the disc tray with the label side facing up. Press the OPEN button again to close the disc tray.
Attach game controllers and other peripherals as appropriate. Follow on-screen instructions and refer to this manual for information on using the software.
•
MEMORY CARD slot 2
•
MEMORY CARD slot 1
•
USB connector
•
S400 i.LINK connector
•
controller port 1
•
controller port 2
•
disc tray
•
RESET button
•
(OPEN) button
Memory Card (8MB) (for PlayStation®2)
Ecco the Dolphin Defender of the Future only supports MEMORY CARD slot 1. To save game settings and progression, insert a memory card (8MB) (for PlayStation®2) into MEMORY CARD slot 1.
The game features an AutoSave system and will automatically save your progression at certain points. Inserting or removing the memory card after switching the console on may cause data to be overwritten or lost.
Ecco the Dolphin Defender of the Future also supports manual save and load of game data from the Main Menu. After performing a manual save/load, the game will again AutoSave your progression at the relevant points.
Starting Up
Ecco the Dolphin Defender of the Future is a one-player game played using the DUALSHOCK®2 analog controller. Connect the controller to be used to controller port 1 of the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system.
DUALSHOCK®2 Analog Controller Configurations
•
L2 button
•
L1 button
•
directional buttons
•
left analog stick (L3 button when pushed down)
•
SELECT button
•
ANALOG mode button
•
START button
•
right analog stick (R3 button when pushed down)
•
R2 button
•
R1 button
•
SONY
•
Triangle button
•
Circle button
•
X button
•
Square button
Charging
Charging makes targeting and hitting targets easier. Since homing in on a target is automatic, it is advised that you let go of the directional controls for the duration of the charge for correct targeting. Interfering with the homing by steering Ecco may lessen the chance of a successful hit.
The Sonar
Press the Square button.
Ecco's sonar can be used in many different ways. The main function of the sonar is communication. Use the Square button to activate the sonar.
Talking with the Sonar
Press the Square button.
Using his sonar, Ecco can communicate with whales, dolphins, and other intelligent beings. To talk to other mammals, face their direction and press the Square button.
Interacting with Other Creatures
Press the Square button.
Not all animals in the ocean can communicate with the dolphin. Sharks, Rays, Fish, and other creatures will not understand a dolphin's language. However, all animals will react to Ecco's sonar in their own particular ways.
By using his sonar, Ecco can affect the behavior of these creatures. He can get the attention of a shark, herd turtles together, or chase away schools of fish. We encourage you to explore and experiment with the sonar's effects on various animals, as these abilities will become very useful in many different gameplay situations.
Special Sonar Abilities
Press the Square button.
As the game progresses, Ecco will learn special abilities that will alter and enhance the functionality of his sonar. He will learn to use his sonar as both a defensive and offensive weapon. He will also learn new ways of interacting with various sea creatures.
These special abilities will allow the dolphin to control the behavior of various animals in a much more precise and direct fashion than before. The use of these special sonar abilities is automatic. If Ecco acquires the ability to control a certain creature, sonaring that particular animal will automatically affect its behavior in the desired way. See Songs on page 13 for details.
Sonar as a Tractor Beam
Double Press and Hold the Square button.
Later in the game, when Ecco acquires the Labour Harness, he will be able to hold onto certain objects with the use of the Harness' sonar-tractor beam. To activate the tractor beam, double-press and hold down the Square button.
Sonar Map
Press and Hold down the Square button.
Ecco can use his sonar to draw a Sonar Map of his surroundings. The Sonar Map can be activated by pressing down the Square button until the map appears. The map will display the level or a part of the level (depending on level size).
Important objects like Ecco, Glyphs, and Dolphins are marked on the map. To return to the game from the map, press the Square button.
Next Objective
Hold the L3 button.
Ecco can help the player to navigate and solve puzzles. Hold down the L3 button to turn Ecco to point in the direction of your next objective. This works very well when used in larger levels where there is a lot of open space.
The Camera
Press the Triangle button to toggle.
Trailer Camera
This is the default camera mode. The camera stays right behind the dolphin at all times and points in the direction Ecco is facing. This camera is best suited for general gameplay due to its responsiveness and ease of targeting.
Remote Camera
This camera looks at the dolphin at all times and follows him at a fixed distance. The camera will not try to stay behind the dolphin;
Controls
directional buttons/left analog stick
select the button you want to change (Controller Config)
button
Accelerating and Swimming
right analog stick (downward direction)
Braking
right analog stick O
Swimming in Reverse
right analog stick
180 Degree turn
L2+R2 buttons
Look (TYPE A)
L1 button
Roll Left (TYPE A)
R1 button
Roll Right (TYPE A)
L3 button
Next Objective (TYPE A)
R3 button
Manual Correct (TYPE A)
left analog stick
Directions (TYPE B)
right analog stick + R3 button
Look (TYPE B)
R2 button
Swim (TYPE B)
L2 button
Charge (TYPE B)
directional button
Roll Left (TYPE B)
START button
Pause/Inventory
SELECT button
Compass On/Off
Search Games
Popular Consoles
By Year
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
© 2026 RetroGold. All rights reserved.