Oh wait, this isn't Speed Racer? Oh well, it's still great because it's
Hydro Thunder!
If you've been to an arcade in the last decade, you'll probably remember Hydro Thunder. It was always one of my favorite games to play there, up with games like
Cruis'n USA and
Rush. Hydro Thunder is an exaggerated take on
F1 Powerboat racing, with powerful catamarans ripping through the water at high speeds.
Real life F1 watercraft [Image source:
Wikipedia]
Hydro Thunder has been ported to many systems over the years, from the Dreamcast, Playstation, and Nintendo 64, all the way up to more modern systems like the computer, Playstation 2, Xbox, Gamecube, and even the Xbox Live Arcade. The game has recently had its XBLA version ported to Windows Phone 7 under the name of
Hydro Thunder Go, letting you take your aquatic adventures wherever you go!
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Xbox Marketplace
Hydro Thunder Go
Microsoft Game Studios
Release date: 5/25/2011
Hydro Thunder Go is a remake of the highly acclaimed classic arcade racer. Blast through 9 ferocious courses with the powerboat of your choice and compete against 10 devious opponents. In addition to visually stunning environments and insane track layouts, the ever-changing water conditions keep the races varied and interesting -- everything from fluidly billowing waves to clear, still water, visualized with reflection and refraction effects.
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Available for $5 or playable by free trial on any WP7 phone, this game is fun and gorgeous, not missing a beat from the style of its predecessors. Microsoft has even
listed it as must have! The controls are smooth and responsive, with the ability to use either touch or tilt steering. Touch is also used to set speed, make jumps, and use the boost. It is not, however, without its drawbacks. People have complained that it suffers from some low framerate, and the textures could be rendered cleaner, though from what
I've seen in Kotaku's review, the game is gorgeous. It is still at version 1.0.0.0, so some updates in the future would be expected and will hopefully address these issues. I just wish that it could find its way on to the Zune HD so we could see how well the Tegra handles it!
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Xbox Marketplace
This all-new addition to the legendary arcade hit series, Hydro Thunder GO for Windows Phone 7, features amazing dynamic water physics, transformable rocket-powered boats, gorgeous visuals and over-the-top interactive environments.
ACTION PACKED ENVIRONMENTS
Blast through the 9 specially made Hydro Thunder GO levels filled with spectacular events and challenges; ranging from tropical pirate ship battles to collapsing ice caverns on the arctic circle, from UFO invasions to lost dinosaur islands.
TRANSFORMABLE ROCKET-POWERED BOATS
Choose your ride from the selection of 12 sleek powerboats and goofball bonus boats, all with their own unique performance and handling, including classics such as Miss Behave, Rad Hazard and Tinytanic.
GORGEOUS 3D VISUALS
Fantastic detailed environments rendered with reflections, dynamic lighting and animations.
LIVE ENABLED
Earn bragging rights by competing on the Xbox LIVE Leaderboards, by battling against your friends’ Ghost recordings and by earning Xbox LIVE Achievements.
DO THE HYDRO BLAZE
Along with the unlockable bonus boats there is a new Hydro Blaze expert game mode putting your Hydro Thunder skills to the test on a special track.
This app uses your phone's: - data connection
- sensors
- media library
- Xbox LIVE
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Go Hydro Thunder Go!
