Eco Creatures: Save the Forest

Lore & Background

The game is set in the Mana Woods, where residents lived in peace until a nearby Kingdom began destroying the woods to expand. The hero, Dorian, aided by his mentor and forest spirits called the Ecomon, Ecolis, and Ecoby, sets out to stop the pollution and save the forest. Gameplay involves using the stylus to control three types of small rodents: a squirrel named Ecolis, a flying squirrel named Ecomon, and a beaver named Ecoby. All creatures of the same type share the same abilities regardless of color.

Reader's Guide

Eco Creatures: Save the Forest was conceived in summer 2006, with main development from January to August 2007. According to Gui Karyo of Majesco, the game aimed to promote public awareness of humanity's effect on the natural environment and to impart environmental consciousness to younger generations. Project director Masakazu Tagawa noted that the concept originated from a graphic designer's observation that squirrels store seeds in their cheeks but often forget where they buried them, leading to new trees. A portion of Japanese sales was donated to the World Wide Fund for Nature's Japan branch. The game received mostly mediocre reviews, with aggregate scores of 58.75% on GameRankings and 55/100 on Metacritic; Famitsu rated it 29/40. A sequel, Ecolis: Aoi Umi to Ugoku Shima, was released in Japan on May 28, 2009.

Did You Know?

• The game is sponsored by the World Wide Fund for Nature.
• A portion of the game's sales in Japan was donated to the World Wide Fund for Nature's Japan branch.
• The game is single-player only, with no online multiplayer support.
• A sequel titled Ecolis: Aoi Umi to Ugoku Shima was released in Japan on May 28, 2009.

Stylus-Driven Strategy & the Rodent Roster

In Eco Creatures: Save the Forest, players take on a real-time strategy role on the Nintendo DS, using the console's stylus to direct a small team of rodent companions. The trio consists of a standard Squirrel named Ecolis, a Flying Squirrel called Ecomon, and a Beaver known as Ecoby. Much like Nintendo's own Pikmin franchise, each creature's abilities and behavioral traits are determined by its color, giving players a visual shorthand for tactical variety. Beyond single-player missions, the title originally supported Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection for online play, a service that was eventually shut down in 2014. A level-creation mode also allowed players to design custom stages and share them through that same online infrastructure. The narrative framing adds another layer: the protagonist Dorian can either summon a forest spirit to aid him or transform into one himself, blurring the line between commander and combatant. Together, these mechanics create a compact strategy experience that leans heavily on the DS's touch interface.

The Mana Woods & the Kingdom's Encroachment

The story of Eco Creatures unfolds in the Mana Woods, a forest community that had enjoyed long stretches of peaceful coexistence among its inhabitants. That tranquility is shattered when a neighboring Kingdom begins systematically clearing and destroying the woodland to make room for its own territorial expansion. At the center of the conflict stands Dorian, the game's protagonist, who is determined to halt the ongoing pollution and protect the forest from total annihilation. He does not face this threat alone. Guided by a wise mentor and empowered by three forest spirits—the Squirrel Ecolis, the Flying Squirrel Ecomon, and the Beaver Ecoby—Dorian embarks on a mission that blends environmental stewardship with direct action. The narrative positions the player as an advocate for the natural world, framing the Kingdom's industrial ambition as the primary antagonist. While the plot is relatively straightforward, it serves as a clear vehicle for the game's broader ecological message, giving players a personal stake in preserving the ecosystem they are tasked with defending.

A Game Born from a Squirrel's Forgotten Seeds

Eco Creatures: Save the Forest was co-developed by LightWeight and Headlock Corporation, with the initial concept taking shape during the summer of 2006. The bulk of production ran from January through August 2007. Project director Masakazu Tagawa revealed that the game's core idea originated with one of LightWeight's graphic designers, who observed that squirrels tuck seeds into their cheeks but often forget where they buried them. Over generations, those overlooked seeds sprout into new trees—a simple natural cycle that became the philosophical backbone of the title. North American publisher Majesco, through its representative Gui Karyo, articulated the game's purpose as raising public awareness about humanity's impact on the natural environment and instilling ecological consciousness in younger players. The project carried the backing of the World Wide Fund for Nature, and a share of Japanese sales was directed to the WWF's domestic branch, reinforcing the connection between the game's entertainment value and its conservation mission.

Global Rollout, Mixed Reviews, and a Japanese Sequel

Eco Creatures: Save the Forest first appeared in Japan in late August 2007 under the name Ecolis, published by Interchannel. Majesco then brought the title to North America on March 4, 2008, while Rising Star Games handled the European launch on June 13 under the subtitle Ecolis: Save the Forest. Despite its environmental ambitions, critical reception was largely lukewarm. The game accumulated an aggregate score of 58.75 percent on GameRankings and 55 out of 100 on Metacritic, while Japan's Famitsu awarded it 29 out of 40. The modest critical response did not entirely erase the title's footprint, however. In May 2009, GungHo Works released a Japanese-only sequel, Ecolis: Aoi Umi to Ugoku Shima, which shifted the setting toward oceanic and island environments. The original's online features, including its Wi-Fi connectivity and level-sharing tools, became permanently inaccessible after Nintendo discontinued its Wi-Fi Connection service in 2014, leaving the game as a snapshot of an earlier era of handheld connectivity.