and the game doesnt tell you until you beat them that there are 4 additional bonus tracks to unlock one at a time by being first in each of them to get the next, culminating in a long epic finale - the "Nile Adventure" track that still puts me in awe at the sheer scale of it today. "HYDRO THUNDER", and how it still impresses me 22 years after its arcade release in March 1999, with its smartly implemented design choices and just how friggin fun the game is to play, how the game feels and the overall package of the game as a whole.įrom the outset, the game beckons you to a title screen and then to a simple menu with all the spaces for tracks on display (for Arcade/PC versions of the game anyway, some versions e.g the PS1 give you a menu with singleplayer/splitscreen options, leaderboards for every tracks and music/saving options) the goals are clear right out the gate: Clearing the novice tracks with a 3rd or better to access the Medium tracks, and clearing those with a 2nd or better to unlock the Expert tracks (with a satisfying klaxon and warning that the tracks are for 'EXPERTS ONLY' in the same enthusiastic voice that shouted at you earlier, and this is done for EVERY track name and boat. As you put the disc in, the title would quickly load up and screamed the name of the game you knew you were in for a treat.
HYDRO THUNDER BOAT RACING GAME SERIES
The year is roughly 2000 and I owned a PS1 and got a bunch of games to play on the system, including a fair few racers, which stick with me today, examples like the Original WipEout trilogy (which influences my love of graphic design to this day), Gran Turismo (the only simulation racing series i actually like) and Rapid Racer (a fun little Sony first party oddity that ran at 60fps on the PS1!) but among them was the real gem one of the racers that stood out to me even from the surprisingly basic coverart.
I understand that arcade racers are a very niche subject in today's gaming climate, so i dont expect many responses, but there was a time when they were everywhere and a select few were leagues above the rest.
This is my first thread on Era since i joined here since it began sooo.