Before we get started, I'd like to give a little history behind this game. Hydro Thunder was first released in 1999, by Midway as a part of the Thunder series (like Arctic Thunder). The game did terrific in arcades and its console ports for the N64, PSX and Dreamcast; bringing in the cash flow. Midway planned to have a sequel for this, but it was scrapped for unknown reasons. Recently, Midway themselves have been aquired by Warner Bros, but Microsoft bought the rights to the series, which is why we have this game as an Xbox 360 exclusive.
Now, back to the game-- this 360 version offers eight unique courses throughout the world, from warzone Lake Powell to alien-infested Area 51. Each course is a blast playing through over and over again. You'll have to manuever through hazards fresh to every course such as whirlpools, bombs, tidal waves, UFOs and even the thunder god Thor. Some maps have traditional laps, while others are just one flow. With tons of execution intensive shortcuts and speed boosts all over the place, there's never a dull moment in any map you're racing. You're guaranteed non-stop high-adrenaline moments constantly.
The graphics have been improved significantly for the 360, and the water effects look wonderful. It brought back memories of seeing Wave Race 64's wave engine for the first time. (If you don't how that is, the best word to explain it is surreal.)
After doing some research though, it looks like they cut a level or so out from the arcade version. There was a post-apocalypse New York City level which sounds awesome, but nowhere to be found. Perhaps they'll add it in as DLC later.
You also have 10 different boats to choose from, 3 vehicles in 3 different difficulty classes, all with varying strengths and weaknesses such as good acceleration but bad turning. The final boat is an exclusive boat for multiplayer, a Rubber Ducky which is intentionally bad. You can choose up to three skins per boat which you unlock by completing certain challenges per skin. There are also bonus boats that are missing from other versions of the game, but that's nothing to weep over.
There are four Single Player modes: Race, Ring Master, Gauntlet and Championship. Race offers the standard, you start off at the back of a 16 player race, and you blast through the competition finding boost canisters on your way to the top before you reach the end. Ring Master has you literally jumping through hoops to reach the end as soon as you can. Gauntlet has you going through the race with tons of explosive barrels lying around the course, if you knock against one then you blow up, naturally. Championship Mode is a handful of previous modes in a marathon where points are awarded compared to how the AI does. The difficulty of the game is dependant on which boat class you choose from. The easiest boats make first place a breeze while it's nearly impossible to place using an expert boat. If you're up for a challenge, or at least for getting 200/200 Achievement Points, this game will deliver while keeping you entertained.
Multiplayer, which holds up to eight racers (unlike the 16 single player does), allows for local multiplayer online. That means if you have a friend over, they can join in the fun as you play on Xbox Live, which is definitely a big plus. Xbox Live has only two modes: Race and Rubber Ducky. Race is the same concept, reach the goal first while trying to screw over your opponents by crashing into them. However, Rubber Ducky offers something new and exciting to the formula. Everyone splits into two teams, and one person from each team gets the privilege to drive the Rubber Ducky. Whoever gets their Rubber Ducky across the finish line first wins, so it's actually tactical to crash into each other, which in turn gives the multiplayer aspect so much more replay value.
Overall, just take a look at the videos provided with this review. If that looks like fun, this game's for you. However, even though I've cheerfully been playing this game on and off for the past week, I am worried about the lack of maps. As amazing as all of them are, I really wish they had more. The music is very generic as well, but it's nothing to complain about. For $15, you might be wondering if the price is a little too high, and I do believe it would have been more reasonable at $10... Nevertheless, this is definitely a game that will give you long-lasting bursts of entertainment every time you pick it up. I recommend it enough to give it a 7.5 out of 10.
