Hydro Thunder

"Hold on tight!"

With so many titles to choose from during the Dreamcast launch, I surprised myself by picking this one up along with Sonic Adventure and Soul Calibur. It's not that I thought it would be bad, but I could have gotten more intriguing games like Power Stone or NFL 2K. Today, I'm glad I ended up with Hydro Thunder because it definitely blew many of the other games out of the water, and I sorely regret having sold it for another game later on...

Midway's Hydro Thunder is a racing game with a twist: it's on water. Choose from one of twelve boats and race throughout twelve different tracks, and have one of the most refreshing experiences in a while. The control is tight with a good mix between realism and the oh-so-important arcade feel, which is obviously there in what used to be an arcade game. The Dreamcast game is pretty much a straight port of the arcade version, with little changes, but little extras, sadly. Despite this, it's still thrilling to race down rivers, bounce over waves, and dive off waterfalls!

Utilizing the trigger buttons for controlling speed, control is easy to go and you can use other buttons for boosts and power ups. The jump action is hard to master, but well rewarded if you do. Unlocking new tracks can be done by winning the races, so practice hard, because it IS a hard game!

The two player mode is also fun, although it seems slower and doesn't give you the same adrenaline rush that's there in the solo play, plus you don't have the bots. A four player mode that's available in the Nintendo 64 version is missing here, along with the other options. Funnily enough, each time someone wins in two player (and one of the two will obviously win) you unlock new levels, which automatically unlocks them for you in one player. I thought this defeated the purpose of unlocking them, but it's nice because I'm really bad at it anyway.

Graphically, the game is impressive for a launch title, with decent water and lighting effects. The frame rate is steady, and the graphics are good overall. The music and sound effects are average, but nothing special.

- Bottom Line -
As a straight port of an arcade game, there aren't enough added things to make it feel complete. But if that's fine with you, then you'll still get your money's worth of fun out of this and will keep you hooked for hours on end. It's only $20 now, so it may be worth checking into.

Final Scores
Gameplay: 8
Graphics: 7
Sound: 6
Replay: 8
Overall: 7

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 08/15/01, Updated 08/15/01