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Did I mention that all the computer-controlled racers move faster than you do? The problem with this system is that you start out each race in fifteenth (out of sixteen racers total) place and must race your way to the front of the pack. Once you do that, you move up to Medium difficulty, get three more tracks and three more boats, and must finish second or above in each of the three tracks to advance to "Hard" and so on (after you finish "Hard," you'll unlock the bonus levels and boats). To get to "Medium" difficulty, you must finish third or above in each of the three tracks. When you start the game, you have three tracks and three boats. Most players will have difficulty finishing Arctic Circle in the required time, and that's just the third "Easy" level map. The Bad Unfortunately, Hydro Thunder has a few flaws.The music is a bit dull, but not repetitive or distracting. From the barking of the boat policeman to the screams of innocent bystanders to the engine sounds, it's all good. The sounds are great, perfect for this type of game. Replay value is further extended by the competent two-player split-screen mode. Hydro Thunder has a wide-variety of boats (13), tracks (14), secrets, and bonuses, so there's a lot to do. The complex algorithms at work don't really matter, the bottom line is that the entire package just feels right. Flipping ten times after hitting the edge of a volcano and splashing down into a deep pool of water is just plain nifty. The game touts "real Newtonian Physics," and while I'm not sure if Newton would approve of his theories being applied to hydro boat racing, the physics are pretty cool. Utilizing these secrets is often essential in completing a level in record time, and discovering a new secret on your own is pretty rewarding. Not only do they all look totally different from one another and feature all sorts of cool little graphical extras like people and bothersome police boats, but they also feature many secrets and shortcuts. The tracks in Hydro Thunder are brilliantly designed. You can also pull off a neat little hydro jump, a maneuver that actually takes some practice and skill to master, which comes in handy when jumping into secret areas or grabbing out-of-the-reach power-ups. You can use boost to make your boat go faster and barrel through obstacles anytime you want, but it takes most boats a second or two to engage their thrusters. Boost is the only power-up in the game and comes in two varieties: four second (blue) and nine second (red). You use the left trigger for breaking and reversing, the right trigger for acceleration, the Y-Button for switching camera views (there are three: two chasecams of varying distance and a first-person camera), and the A-Button for activating boost. Control is really tight and responsive, yet varied enough that you'll need to adjust a little bit when playing different types of watercraft. The boats themselves look great, and the way the thrusters engage when you use boost power-ups is a nice touch.Ĭontrolling the boats is easier than I had originally expected. The water looks terrific, which is pretty important considering this is a boat racing game. There's not really an abundance of gee-whiz special effects or lens flares, but the environments are all incredibly detailed and textured. One of the first things you'll notice about Hydro Thunder is that the graphics are pretty damn cool. If not, you'll probably be able to tell Hydro Thunder was an arcade game based on its gameplay, which is often described as San Francisco Rush on water. The Good If you played Hydro Thunder in the arcades, you'll be pleased to see that the Dreamcast port is pretty much perfect.There just so happens to be such a game, and it's called Hydro Thunder. But a game that involved high-speed boat races through all kinds of cool locales with power-ups and cool secrets probably would. So, obviously, a game based on the player taking long, relaxing raft rides down the Erie Canal probably wouldn't sell too well. And there's always the outside chance of hitting a bad storm, getting shipwrecked, and spending the rest of your life hanging out with Bob Denver. Hoist the sails, man the starboard bow, swab the poopdeck, and whatnot.
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PlanetDreamcast | Games | Reviews | Hydro Thunderīoat Racing That's Actually Fun! - Review By Fragmasterīoat rides are generally pretty boring.