REVIEW - Hydro Thunder Hurricane
- Written by Rick Wallace |
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Fast, furious and fun gameplay on the water is what you get with the latest Summer of Arcade title from Vector Unit. Hydro Thunder Hurricane is pure unadulterated arcade gaming at its best and many developers should take note of how a simple game can be so much fun. With great graphics, online play, lots of unlockable items and even hidden collectibles you can spend hours and hours with this pure racing game. Vector Unit has said the game is a true sequel to the original title, Hydro Thunder, that appeared on the Dreamcast back in 1999. So here we are 11 years later and reliving a classic game in the next generation of gaming.
The first thing that you will notice in Hydro is that it痴 impressively a joy to look at. The water and its physical properties are presented in such a way that will have you skipping from whitecap to whitecap and truly feeling like you are on the water yourself. The sense of speed the game delivers is one that can put some of the driving games out there to shame. You値l be cruising through canyons, jumping off high picturesque waterfall and going through underground caves and every moment looks absolutely stunning. I can稚 help but think of old school standup units like OutRun when looking at this title with all of its vibrant colors and just the lush racing environments.
Each and every one of the tracks is beautifully designed with lots of shortcuts just waiting to be found. I think the level that most impressed me visually was the Paris Sewers level where you値l see a breathtaking cityscape of Paris which includes a majestic looking Eiffel Tower. The lighting in the game is spot on and you値l actually get to race some night races as well as daytime. The sounds are your basic old school arcade variety with catchy music in the background, lots of high revving engines and your crew chief whispering sweet nothings in your ear constantly. |
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One of the best things about the game is the way it controls. Each and every boat that is at your disposal will have different characteristics about it which gives you certain advantages and disadvantages with top speed, acceleration, handling, and air control. The boats are divided into 3 distinct groups of novice, pro and expert. Novice of course is you slower boats while expert is all about gut wrenching speeds and times.
You値l control the boat with the left thumbstick while the left and right triggers act as your brake and gas respectively. You値l also have the ability to switch the driving camera view for those that like more of a bumper cam. The team did a great job at giving us a very responsive game. Now again, dependent upon what boat you are choosing you値l notice some boats turn quicker than others while others seem to just get sideways or bog down in turns. Certain boats really fit certain tracks and you have a total of 12 different boats to choose from across 8 tracks. Even at top speeds, the boats are easily controllable and a lot of fun period. Be sure to use the jump button (X) to reach things and places you may see around the track but aren稚 sure how to get there. You値l have to have some boost built up in order to jump though so always keep some handy.
In the single player portion of the game you値l have 4 race modes in which you will participate in. These four modes (Race, Ring, Gauntlet, Championship) will earn you credits for top 3 finishes and as you earn credits you値l unlock new boats, tracks and even some avatar awards. You値l also use these credits to purchase new skins for your boats if you so choose. For those of you looking for customization, the only customization you are going to get is the ability to change skins and that痴 it. Sorry guys.
As you race across the tracks, you値l find hidden packages. There are a total of 10 per track, and you値l get an achievement for collecting all 80. Be on the lookout for these as some are in some pretty peculiar places. One nice thing is that playing the different modes introduces you to new shortcuts that you may not have known about just racing. So be sure to check out all the game modes. |
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You値l also come across a few suspended icons while on the water. A Blue Can icon represents a small amount of boost which is represented in the lower right corner of the screen. A red can is much larger sampling of boost. The key is to always keep boost in your meter and not use it all completely at once. You can collect more cans and stack them in your tank for longer sections of boost and technically you could probably boost around the entire track if you manage to pick up every can. One final icon you will see is a green one. This icon will start the wave machine which will help you reach new heights. It will also lift ramps and open up new shortcuts.
In Race mode, you start out in 16th place and have to work your way up to first using power ups and shortcuts. There are 8 total races in this mode and you can choose the level of difficulty that you want to participate in, but if you want to rake in the credits and get a top time on the Leaderboards than you値l want to go expert in every mode, eventually.
Ring Race is your basic slalom race in which you must navigate your boat through each and every ring. You will lose time for missed rings and you値l also break your boost for a short time period. As you consecutively pass through rings you will have constant boost so be sure to stay on the gas to finish in the top 3.
Gauntlet mode puts you on a track that is all about finishing as fast as you can. You値l have exploding barrels in the water to avoid, but there will be plenty of boost canisters scattered throughout the map that allows you to go pedal to the metal the entire time. Again, be sure to use shortcuts when possible to drastically reduce your overall finishing time.
Finally, the championship mode gives you 10 events to compete in. Each event is made up of several races, ring races or gauntlet races in which you will accrue championship points. Your goal is to have the most championship points after the final race for that championship event. |
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For those that like multiplayer, you can choose to have up to 4 players locally or head online for a race with up to 8 people at once on the water. And rejoice, you can actually take multiple profiles online at once and compete in online races. Up to four profiles on one 360 can take part in an online race using the four player split screen mode. That in itself should be a welcome addition for any racing fan. There is even a version of Cat and Mouse included in the multiplayer called Rubber Ducky mode. You have 2 teams (Red and Blue) and one player drives the rubber ducky boat while the other drivers try to get the rubber ducky across the finish line before the other team. This includes taking out the other team and hindering their rubber ducky boat.
Overall, Hydro Thunder is just flat out fun and pure arcade gaming at its best. Speed, powerful boats, online racing and plenty of replay value make this title well worth the price. If racing titles are your thing, multiplayer is your thing, or collecting items is our thing then you should definitely make Hydro Thunder your thing for sure. I can稚 recommend this title enough to anyone out there. Simple gameplay yet it can be challenging for the entire family. Go check out the demo now, but do yourself a favor and just get the full version immediately. Trust me; you値l have fun with this title. |
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SUGGESTIONS |
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Please support this title fully with plenty of DLC. Great job on delivering a title that is just full of pure fun. |
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Release Date
7/28/2010
Publisher
Microsoft Game Studios
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OVERALL |
95 |
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GAMEPLAY |
93 |
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SOUND |
85 |
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GRAPHICS |
90 |
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REPLAY VALUE |
90 |
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