Splashdown

"A few steps below pure genius."

I've beaten this game many times, and I still play it occasionally, but the one thing I remember most about the game is the awesome sound track. Most of the songs fit the game perfectly, and the gameplay is also a success.

GRAPHICS 7/10
The scales don't seem to balance here. The water graphics are INCREDIBLE, but that's jst the water. The water kicked up by the jet-ski pounding through the moisture looks like it was very cheaply done. If you get a close enough look it seems as though they used none other than 'spraypaint' in MS paint to do it. The skis themselves, and the riders [while on the skis] look rather well also. The biggest graphical letdown I came across was in the ending videos for some of the characters. They look like they were pulled out of the Playstation or the Nintendo 64. A definite rush through in the specific area.

Sound 9/10
The heavens cast their blessings onto this game in the sound department. The track consists of several theme appropriate songs. The water sounds real enough, and though I haven't spent too much time on a jet-ski, I'd say it's close if not exact. The riders groan when pelted off their craft and into a tree, somehow always ending up in a half-hearted fetal position. The best section of the audio in this game has to be the soundtrack though, I know about half of every song, which doesn't give you bonus points and probably won't ever help me in life, but it's good to know it's there.

GAMEPLAY/CONTROLS 8/10
The game is fast paced and VERY addicting for the first 9-10 hours, and after that it's still good fun. When I bought this game, the PS2 wasn't turned off for the rest of the day. The gameplay walks hand in hand with the sound track, have I mentioned how good the sound track is? Anyway, some songs make you relax and stop jamming the X button [acceleration]. Others make you press it harder, and they never break, which makes you realise why they were 34.99 a piece. There arenn't a lot of different ways to play the game, but there are some easter eggs, or little secrets in the game. Whether these secrets are unlockables, or something you just say 'Heh, that's pretty cool', they're worth finding.
The controls are simple enough, with a few little button cobinations to do certain things like hydroplane, or the very cool technique called the 'invert'. There's even a nifty training session, optional, but suggested. It's a little funny too, because the 'trainer' is a playable character with an Australian accent, which does occasionally eat away at the nerves. The training covers ALL aspects of controlling the craft, so I also suggest it.

MULTIPLAYER 6/10
Multiplayer is great for the first several hours, until you get into the one player mode to unlock new characters, new tracks, new wetsuits.. All a challenge to find, but it keeps you playing. Multiplayer itself is a little slow once straight racing is becoming boring, since the special modes are a little lame. If you know your tricks to the EXACT button combinations, a game called copycat is right for you, but that's even less helpful than knowing half of every song in the sound track. Free ride is fun, it's just exploring, and when you explore too far off track, a nemesis or people far and wide comes to set you straight. You can't do it just once, it's too great.

REPLAY VALUE 6/10
Once you unlock everything and beat the game enough, and unlock everything, such as all the secret characters, wetsuits, etc. it's still fun to whomp your friends at it. The last secret character can bust over 100mph on the water. It's not what I'd consider a party game, but I'd hold onto it.

BUY OR RENT Buy
It's hard to give this a a true buy or rent, but since the price has gone down I would suggest a purchase. it's a lot of fun for kids of all ages, unless particular kids like games where decapitation of the enemy is a way of life. I think it would've added a little something to be able to punch the other competitors off their skis, but I'm a happy camper.

By the way, the sound track is great.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 08/13/02, Updated 08/13/02