Developer: Sammy Publisher: Sammy Release: 2003 Genre: Action
Dolphin Blue is a 2.5D Metal Slug, let’s get that out of the way right now. The game takes obvious “inspiration” from SNK’s classic run and gun series and does not try to hide it. But you know what? It does not matter. When a game is this good I say put that shit on a Xerox machine and copy away. The only problem is it was never ported to any platform and only recently became more available. I am sure had the Dreamcast survived a little longer maybe there was a chance as the hardware is more or less identical. The home brew community has you covered in that regard. Dolphin Blue is excellent and well worth busting out the little grey box one more time.
You play the role of Eiro and Ann as they both set out to rescue the princess of a local kingdom. Oddly enough both are accompanied by a dolphin companion who helps out in numerous ways. Dolphin Blue takes place in a world ravaged by war and almost completely submerged in water. The nautical theme and the world itself do a great job of making Dolphin Blue distinct from Metal Slug. It reminds me of Irem’s In the Hunt which is pretty good company to be in. It is also charming as hell, with its anime sprites meshed with low polygon backgrounds. The Evil Empire and its forces are do not have as much personality as the Rebel Army of its rival series but its close. I am sure sequels would have expanded on that but alas.
The similarities to SNK’s series are heavy. You have a few weapons such as a Gatling gun, heat seeking Valkyrie missiles, and the melt gun. These are near identical to Metal Slug. In close you also slash enemies with a melee knife. But there are differences. In every stage at some point you are accompanied by a dolphin companion. As goofy as it sounds they will assist your attacks using the special attack meter and are pretty powerful. The special meter fills up on its own at all times. On land both characters dash forward and unleash a barrage of missiles. Underwater your dolphin buddy becomes a boomerang and attacks every enemy on screen. The meter fills fast but not so quick that you can spam it continuously and break the game.
Gameplay has three styles: land, sea, and underwater. On foot the game is your typical run and gun action game. On the sea it becomes an auto scrolling shooter. Underwater the pace is slower like the previously mentioned Irem title. Despite the varying styles each maintains the same level of quality. The similarities to Metal Slug are heavy, with standard troops accompanied by all manner of heavily armored vehicles. The only area Dolphin Blue is lacking is in enemy variety. But considering the set pieces involved that is a minor complaint.
Although I have made the comparison to SNK’s series numerous times Dolphin Blue has a look and feel all its own. The nautical setting of a ruined world is very unique. Dolphin Blue packs a lot into its stages, offering more all-out thrills than two or three similar games combined. Although comprised of only five levels each are extremely long with multiple set piece moments throughout. The Empire’s forces never stop creating new contraptions to halt your advance right up until the conclusion which keeps the variety high. It has the pacing of a Treasure game, with brief spurts of action leading up to frequent mini boss battles. It never quite rises to the level of those legendary titles but is close enough for an arcade game.
Reaching the end is a monumental task as Dolphin Blue is extremely difficult. Weapon drops are not frequent and your basic gun is weak, especially as it does not have rapid fire. You gain no extra lives and while powerful the special attack is not spammable. There is a significant difficulty spike about halfway through and the multi-phase bosses are a nightmare. But despite all that it is fair in the sense that when you die you saw it coming. Boss patterns are easily discernible and it comes down to execution. Completing Metal Slug on one credit is a feat; doing so here would be legendary. Personally I have not managed it; I have it down to three credits so it is certainly possible. The game is a short enough roller coaster that continuous runs are always fun.
In Closing
Dolphin Blue is highly derivative but excellent regardless. This style of arcade game began to die out in the early 2000s so any quality title in the genre was cause for celebration. It does not rise to the level of the games that inspired it but makes for a good second choice. I wish more blatant clones were this good.
