I would have preferred a greater focus on standard races over the extra modes. If your aim is to complete all of the single player events then most of the time you’ll be competing in Ring Master races, which means that the most enjoyable events – the standard races – end up forming only a small part of the main campaign. The inclusion of extra game types is always great, but in Hydro Thunder it almost detracts from the core of the game. There are also ‘Championships’, but these are essentially just mini tournaments that consist of a handful of each of the 3 different race types.
The final race type is ‘Gauntlet’, and much like Ring Master, it’s essentially a time trial with a slight twist the twist being that the course is covered in exploding barrels that you have to avoid. Miss one out, though, and you lose all of your boost fuel and get a time penalty. Each ring you pass through results in fuel being added to your boost meter. Here, the track is covered in massive Sonic-style rings, and the aim is to race through them all as quickly as possible. You never really feel like you’re racing against the other speedboats in a competitive way, you’re just zooming straight through them without any sense of jostling for position.Īs well as your standard 16-player races, there are also two other race types to be found. Why, after all, go to the effort of creating serious AI competition when you can just give the AI a simple head start? And this is perhaps Hydro Thunder’s weakest aspect. Will you or won’t you get on the podium before you run out of track? On the other hand, it’s a slightly cynical attempt to make races competitive. On the one hand, it does keep you on the edge of your seat. If you’ve ever given the computer a 30-second or so head-start in a racer, then that’s essentially what happens here you’re playing a game of catch up in every race. The result is that, even if you’re an expert at the game, you’re not going to be reaching first place until most of the race is over. Not only do you start each 16-player race in last place, but the distance between each vehicle on the starting grid is huge, to say the least. Hurricane’s race structure is also quite distinct.
Learning how to approach the huge waves and the ripples caused by trigger points around the tracks also forms part of the learning process, which goes beyond just memorizing all of the different routes like you normally would. The gameplay is fresh and enjoyable, and the fact that you’re racing on water is part of what gives Hydro Thunder a distinct feel, with the natural ebb and flow of the water adding an additional strategic layer compared to most other racers. I think there is also a reverse button somewhere, not that you’ll ever need to use it, right? Right. The controls are simple – analogue stick for movement, A button to accelerate, RT to boost and X to jump.
An arcade racer in terms of both its style and handling, you race around unique and unusual tracks, full of shortcuts, obstacles, ramps and boost packs.
For the newcomers amongst you, though, Hydro Thunder is essentially a powerboat racer with a few twists.
Hurricane stays faithful to its roots throughout, so if you’ve played the original game then you’ll instantly feel right at home. You would be hard pressed to find a more fitting game for the Summer of Arcade promotion. It’s a full-blooded sequel, with brand new tracks, vehicles, presentation, and multiplayer.
Hurricane isn’t just for nostalgic fans though this is no lazy port of an aging classic. If, when you load up the trial of Hydro Thunder Hurricane, you feel a pleasant twang of nostalgia upon hearing the announcer boom the words ‘Hydro Thunder!’, then you have to buy this game. By Craig Snow, posted on 26 July 2010 / 5,470 Views