Hydro Thunder
- March 29, 2000 00:00 AM PST
Hydro Thunder was an arcade hit first, and then a hit Dreamcast launch title. Now Midway brings their popular hydrofoil racer to the PlayStation, and, despite being translated onto a much older console, Hydro Thunder just manages to stay afloat.
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In The Wake of Disaster
The Dreamcast version of Hydro Thunder was basically a straight port of the arcade version, giving gamers few reasons to play longer than a couple quarters' worth. Though it had intense graphics and fast gameplay, Hydro Thunder was a little lean on options and replayability. Midwayhas toned down Hydro Thunder's overall presentation and added a Circuit mode, in which you enter races and earn money to enter more challenging tracks. All of the arcade/Dreamcast classic's gameplay is here, as you race along slickly designed water tracks, featuring shortcuts, jumps, and the ever present Boost power-ups.
While Circuit mode is an interesting way to add replayability, it just isn't enough. Gamers must rely upon Hydro Thunder's trademark speed and control to get them through repeated play, since the depth just isn't built into this version. Sure, there are tons of cars and tracks to unlock, but seasoned racers can do that in an evening. Hydro has plenty of thunder, but just not enough reason to keep on playing.
Reflect On This
The PlayStation version looks very nice, considering that it's dulled-down Dreamcast eye candy. By far the most impressive effect is the reflection on the water, which waves and distorts based on the movement of the sea. The levels and boats themselves adequately portray the original look of the Dreamcast version, but the resolution is painfully low. Still, it's an admirable attempt. While the Dreamcast version is better, fans of the arcade Hydro Thunder can't go wrong with this PlayStation compromise.
