PAX 2010: Hydro Thunder Hurricane Hands-On
By:
Andre Segers
|
March 26, 2010, 5:33 pm
I was stoked to discover that Hydro Thunder Hurricane, a new XBLA title just announced today, was playable on the PAX show floor. So I bustled my way over there and was instantly taken over by a wave of nostalgia.

Despite my nostalgic induced state of ecstasy, Hydro Thunder Hurricane is nearly an entirely new game. Although the boats from the original have returned, the levels themselves are all brand new, though some do share similar themes to those of the original. In addition, the game's physics have been given a complete overhaul, with dynamically created waves that brought back memories of Wave Race. I noticed this improvement immediately, as a large object dropped into the water, causing several large waves to rock my boat as I raced past. 

Even with all these additions, the game still feels just like Hydro Thunder, which is all we could really ask for. Of course, the boost power-ups are back, allowing you to rocket forward at high-speeds, as is the ability to jump, though this has thankfully been streamlined down to a single button, as opposed to having to press two in the original (Dreamcast version).

Hydro Thunder XBLA also supports online play, with up to 8-players at once. And surprisingly, the game offers four-player split-screen support--even online! Unfortunately, the developer, Vector Unit, hasn't yet announced a price or specific release date for this downloadable title, but they did confirm that there will be 8 tracks and 9 boats in the final product, with even more on the way via DLC. Keep an eye out for it sometime this summer.
 
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