Hydro Thunder Review

Give It A Bit Of Power! Hydro Thunder Review

Hydro Thunder is a new arcade racing game from Vector Unit, available exclusively on the Xbox Live Arcade. Let me start this review with a huge thank you to the developers. This game is Fun with a noticeable capital f. Just turning it on and seeing the arcade style graphics with the arcade style announcer brought up a smile.

This is the first speedboat racing game I've ever played which is mainly because over the past decade, since the original, they have been in very short supply. Thankfully Hydro Thunder is here to save the day with it's highly unrealistic gameplay. That's a good thing by the way. The object of the game is to race over 3 game types on 8 different levels. In these different waterways you will have to traverse jumps, angry Norse Gods and 100 foot drops by boosting and speeding your way towards the finish line. The graphics on the whole are of a very high quality and are something one would expect from a full retail title. The water swells, waves crash into you, draft from the boats in front bob you about, all of which looks nice, but doesn't provide you with an easy run to the finish line.

The game, as you'd expect, is split into both single player and multi player. In the single player you can choose from 4 different modes: Race, Gauntle, Ring Master and Championship. Race mode is exactly what it sounds like. You vs 15 AI opponents. Gauntlet pits you against the clock but, in an added challenge, explosive barrels have been dropped into the water in an attempt to blow you up and slow you down. Ring Master is again against the clock but in this mode you will need to travel along a certain path through gates. Each gate provides you with boost to help you along you way while missing one costs you time and all your stored boost potential. Championship is a mix of all 3. The races are all fun, quick and highly addictive. An additional feature is at the start of every race you are shown the time of the player above you in the Xbox Live Leader boards. This gives the game an added “One more race” angle as you try and overhaul as many people as possible.

Online multiplayer is organised into the race mode and “Rubber Ducky”. The objective in rubber ducky is similar to “Cat and Mouse” in other racing games. All players are organised into teams and one player per team is designated the Rubber Ducky. This duck must then cross the finish line before the opposing duck, with the other racers trying to stop him. Guests are allowed online, up to 3 of them, and are, of course, welcomed to local play though only the race mode is included locally.

This game is brilliant. It's addictive, fun and easy to play for either 5 minutes or a few hours. I tried, unsuccessfully, to start this review 4 or 5 times. I kept trying to better my times and beat the person in the leader boards in front of me. I would recommend this title to anyone on the arcade and it is worth every single point you'll play for it. After all, any game in which you can be overtaken by an unmanned Viking longboat just has to be good!

Gamersathome score: 9/10

Reviewed By: Richard Daniels