Hydro Thunder: Hurricane Review

“HYDROOOO THUNDER!” Ah yes, how can those of us who poured quarters into the arcades in the late nineties forget about the classic, boost-filled arcade racer. For those of you less familiar with the franchise, Hydro Thunder was an arcade game released in 1999 that benefited from it’s over the top jumps, drops and roaring high-speed boats. The series had been left untouched for years until Vector Unit and Microsoft Game Studios teamed up to reimagine the sequel, Hydro Thunder: Hurricane. Does the successor live up to its famous arcade predecessor – hit the jump to find out!

You’re a Boat

Staying true to its arcade successor, Hurricane’s story is as elementary as they come; you are a boat, go really fast and beat all the other boats at everything possible. Pretty straight forward. However, what Hurricane lacks in story is made up for by it’s addictive credit system. In the single player mode, the player will earn credits as they advance through the game by winning races and improving their times. As you earn these credits, new boats, courses, and game modes will be unlocked. Fortunately for Hurricane, it’s just enough to keep the player interested while still motivating them to learn the ins and outs of the courses.

Oh, and there is an announcer who will both congratulate and scold you in the same monotonous voice. A very odd choice, considering the entire game is supposed to be an adrenaline filled kaleidoscope of action, racing and stunts.

The water, it’s…it’s miraculous.

Use the Boost to Get Through

The true beauty of this game lies in the challenge of learning where to boost, when to jump, and where to cut the line. Mastering each course and understanding when to use those precious seconds of thrust are key in advancing to the other tracks and game modes. Completionists will be happy to know that Vector Unit has included ten Hydro Thunder medallions to collect in each track, which will unlock new skins for the different boats.

Hurricane offers players four different single player modes and adds two other multiplayer components to the mix. In addition to the familiar Race and Championship modes, Vector Unit has included Ring Master, which, not surprisingly, involves traveling through a predetermined course of rings while Gauntlet litters the track with explosive barrels.

Sea monsters and Vikings only add to the arcade action.

Unfortunately, I found the latter two modes more irritating than enjoyable. Hydro Thunder is first and foremost about jetting through levels and pushing your boat’s engine to the limit; modes such as Ring Master that have you carefully following a rigid path of rings fly directly in the face of the game’s real fun.

Fortunately the game offers the excellent option of local four-player split-screen, or racing against up to eight players over Xbox Live. Hurricane shines when it comes to replayability and offers modes of gameplay that are sure to keep you occupied until you get your $15 out of it.

Slow Down, You Might Miss the _______

Everything about Hurricane is fast. It’s exceptionally easy to blast through the game with your eyes only focusing on the blur of color around in peripheral. Despite having only eight tracks to choose from, environments are vibrant and unique enough to make each level feel like a new experience. From obstacle ridden ice fields of Asgard to the built-for-speed Japanese waterpark, each of the courses boast an interesting world full of color that truly conveys an arcade experience. Unfortunately, at 30fps, Hurricane’s gorgeous visuals are prone to the occasional slow down. Be that as it may, the game has enough colossal drops and hairpin turns to really give the player a sense of speed every time they hit that boost.

The real shining aspect of Hydro Thunder’s design is the feel and look of the water. I guess that is the one aspect of a boat racing game that should stand out the most, but seriously – this water is great. In addition to looking phenomenal, a player who knows how the waves move and break will have a distinct advantage at the finish line. Understanding how your boat reacts to the rough seas is a vital part of the strategy in Hurricane, and has the ability to change the entire outcome of a race.

There is no shortage of speed in Hurricane.

The fast paced, electronic music is exactly what you’d expect from a Hydro Thunder title. The soundtrack definitely adds to the spot-on-arcade-feel but is ultimately forgettable. Between the announcer repeatedly demanding that you boost and the high speed boats crashing into each other, the soundtrack of Hurricane is almost muted by distractions. Let’s be honest though, in a game that is this fast and this simple, all you need is some generic arcade techno.

Verdict

Hydro Thunder: Hurricane feels like summer in every way possible, and it’s naturally a perfect fit for the Summer of Arcade. However, it’s more than just a quick and dirty remake of a classic arcade hit; Hurricane feels like a brand new experience that captures the nostalgic arcade feel of racing games past.