10 Video Games Way Freakier Than You Thought

Ecco the Dolphin is an undeniable icon of '90s gaming that even those who've never touched the games will be easily familiar with, while probably assuming that the popular franchise was basically an ultra-relaxing dolphin simulator.

Oh, oh no.

The original 1992 game is instead a crackpipe fever dream in which bottlenose dolphin Ecco travels 55 million years into the past to rescue his fellow dolphins from an ancient alien race known as the Vortex.

Gameplay quickly becomes anything but relaxing - you face off against ocean predators both present and prehistoric, often backed by music sure to aggressively creep out a well-adjusted adult, let alone a small child.

As for the game's final boss? It's the Vortex Queen, a lawsuit-baiting rip-off of Alien's Xenomorph which should be basically the last thing anyone considers putting in a game which, again, appeared to be aimed at dolphin-loving children.

The sequels only amp up the barminess, yet considering the original's iffy bait-and-switch, it's honestly surprising it performed well enough to justify a franchise at all.