Splashdown

"Atari comes out of the box with a good looking game...but how in the hell do you control it?"

An attempt to answer to the Game Cube Wave Race, Splashdown comes across as a game that tries to break the Wave Race popularity but seems to end up a little too short. Featuring several different racers, long and involved racing on some pretty impressive water tracks and a couple of interesting multiplayer modes, it doesn’t seem to miss much. However, problems with the computer intelligence and a rather shifty control interface make it more of a chore than a joy to play! Once into the game, you may find some pretty impressive options, but nothing that would make this game noteworthy.

Created by Atari Games, you’ll find that this variation to Wave Race tries extremely hard to please both the racing fans with challenge, and visually with the huge tracks that are well drawn with sweet looking water effects. The soundtrack is something that you would associate with an extreme sport featuring punk and ska music throughout much of the game. What the problem is here is not with the way that the game is presented, but with the way that the control is set up and the overall lack of precision that you have in the different races you undertake!

Game play in Splashdown isn’t as simple as you may think that it is. For the most part, you have to keep yourself within the boundaries throughout the different races, and there are a couple of things that you have to watch out for in the process. The engine that you run with will drop power if you miss a checkpoint and if you wipeout at any point, it simply takes away from your power bar making it harder to get back into the race! Each rider is equipped with a different style and attribute factor, but ultimately, it’s a game of trial and error to see just who you can work with and who you can’t.

The races themselves are challenging for two reasons. First of all, the computer is a pain in the ass to get around and if they get too far ahead, you won’t have a hope in hell to win. Shortcuts are key, but some of them are merely phantoms to lure you into areas that will cause you to drop in ranking during the laps. Now, to get the rankings in the game, you’ll find that you have to go through a five lap time trial in which you must get through the track in the fastest time to get the best placement for the actual race. This can be hard when it seems as though you can’t control your rider through the tracks with precision, ultimately leaving you with a fourth place start in the races!

Multiplayer mode is pretty much an easy to work with thing in which you and a friend play through a couple of different options. Probably one of the best ones out of the small group is a variation of Horse that allows you to use one of several stages {assuming you unlocked a bunch} to gain serious points. The secrets in the game are limited to a couple of extra riders and a few tracks, but there really isn’t much here that you’ll find to be exceptionally special in the end!

The control is probably the hardest thing to deal with, because you have to use pressure and timing in order to get the desired effect through the races. For the most part, turning your character isn’t easy and when you let off the throttle just a little bit, you’ll be turning completely around in the wrong direction! This small problem with the precision handling keeps the game from running smoothly, and for those of you who have never played a racing game like this, the practice that you need is extensive. Tricks are performed with the facial buttons and the holding of a shoulder button, which also makes the game just a little bit harder to work with.

Visually, Splashdown features some very impressive locations and the water effects are simply amazing. If you think about what Jet Moto was and what it tried to offer, but in a much cleaner sense, then you’ll have a good idea of what this game has to offer! The riders themselves are all done in such a way that you can tell them apart, but you’re staring at them from the back so the colors are all that you’re looking for. Tricks are done in a Moto Cross fashion that really isn’t that bad to watch, but lacks the flare that you might find with other extreme sports games.

Audio wise, the game features some pretty good music throughout the races and you’ll find that it all keeps the pace fairly well. What you will hear is different tunes done by groups such as Sum-41, but all of the tracks seem to repeat on a regular basis! The sound effects are very limited, with most of the game being heard with an engine roaring in the background and the announcer voice doing little to keep you interested in the race. All in all, this isn’t such a bad thing, but it really doesn’t do much for the game when you’re playing it over and over to get to the end and have to listen to the same thing for hours.

Splashdown is an average racing game that really doesn’t do much to the genre, but you’ll find that there may be enough to warrant a weekend rental for those who are interested. In my own opinion, Atari did a pretty bold job in coming back into the next generation console system with this title, and although there are some minor gripes, it’ll do for those looking for a weekend of something to do! The control is slightly off and the music tends to repeat, but the visuals are there. Even though the game play is slightly off balanced, you’ll still find that the different ways of going about things just might be a little too much time on the water.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 01/27/02, Updated 01/27/02