Back in the early to mid ’90s, I was obsessed with educational games. Platformers? Nah. Shooters? Nah. Just let me learn! Some of my favourite games included the Carmen Sandiego series, Super Seekers games like Treasure Mountain! and Treasure Mathstorm!, The Oregon Trail, and Operation Neptune. That’s a pretty wide array of games, but they all have one thing in common: they were from a company called The Learning Company. (The company was the acquired by SoftKey, a Canadian company, by hostile takeover. It was soon after purchased by Mattel Interactive and later fully incorporated with that brand.) Anyway, long story short (or not so short, that was a ramble), education games were super meaningful to me in my formative years and I hope children now have similar options available. Enter Dolphin Spirit: Ocean Mission.
Dolphin Spirit: Ocean Mission is an educational adventure game that brings players to the tropical island of Mauripoa. The island is threatened by pollution and impending disaster. Players will explore the island’s seabed alongside their dolphin companion, Keanu, and meet the ocean’s inhabitants while helping a local environmental association save the island and restore its ecosystem. Mauripoa will have many surprises ahead for the team, with a story that blends folklore, traditions, and fantasy.
The journey, however, won’t be easy. The goods news is that players can cont on their “grandfather” and the locals to help prevent destruction. Unlock the secrets of the magical totems, discover the hidden treasures of underwater life, take part in conservation missions and take photos of wildlife to complete your codex. Marvel at the risk marine ecosystem.
The developer and publisher have worked with experts for Cetasea, an association working to create a European network of marine mammal refugees. This means players are promised to learn about actual marine life while playing a cute and colourful game.
Developed by Magic Pockets and published by Microids, Dolphin Spirit: Ocean Mission will be released digitally for PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series, and Xbox One on September 18. It will release digitally for PlayStation and Nintendo Switch on October 17.
