The people that spend their working days posting on videogame forums are a predictable bunch. When they’re not extolling the virtues of their preferred consoles, they’re either nailing their colours to a best-loved developer’s mast or worshipping at the feet of their favourite marketing executive, salivating and lapping up their words like a thirsty lapdog. And these last few post-E3 weeks have been no exception.
But in and amongst the usual in-fighting, trolling and flame-baiting there has been one recent recurring theme: time vs. cost.
This is hardly an original topic of conversation for the notoriously vehement and vociferous gaming community, but it’s particularly apposite given Microsoft’s current Summer of Arcade promotion, a promotion during which it intends to release a series of high-profile digital-download-only Xbox Live Arcade titles. While last week saw the release of the delightful Limbo, this week’s tasty morsel is Vector Unit’s Hydro Thunder Hurricane, a current-gen sequel to the reasonably popular Dreamcast and Midway produced original.
The time vs. cost discussion hit critical-mass last week when many gamers refused on principal to buy Limbo for 1200 marketplace points (£10.20) because it only apparently clocks in at a short-lived 3 hours. Gamers are a demanding bunch, and even though most are quite happy to spend £10 to £15 at their local multiplex for a couple of hours’ viewing pleasure and a sugar rush, they expect more from their games.
Luckily for them then, Hydro Thunder Hurricane offers much more longevity, a decent number of game-modes, plenty of opportunity for replay thanks to its decent online functionality and roster of powerboats and perhaps best of all, a veritable bucket-load of blue-skies gameplay, and all at that same price-point.
For those of you new to the series, Hydro Thunder Hurricane can be best summarised as Wipeout meets WaveRace. You take control of a 25-foot long power-boat and it’s your job to best utilise nitros, boost-jumps and ramps as you navigate your way around a plethora of varied levels across a wide-range of vistas, racing against 15 other boats in single-player and up to 7 of your mates over Xbox Live.
With shortcuts-a-plenty it becomes evident quite quickly that in order to succeed you’ll need to learn the best routes through each level and try and keep out of harm’s way as you battle through the game’s 4 main modes. Race mode sees you taking on single events one at a time. Ring Master requires you to power through a level riding through as many rings as possible along the way, with a penalty incurred for any you miss. Gauntlet is a good old-fashioned time trial mode. While last but not least, Championship mode, the traditional staple of racing games, features multi-event leagues with an overall winner declared after a set number of challenges.
Graphically Hydro Thunder Hurricane is a mixed bag. While its visuals are crisp and sharp, its textures detailed and realistic and the overall experience fast-paced and smooth, it lacks a certain charm and panache that other similar racers offer. I’d also hasten to add that those of you averse to v-synch screen-tearing might want to give it a miss.
Everything’s also presented in that typical ostentatious SEGA style with the cheese-factor turned up to the max. That isn’t a criticism and is at first quite endearing, but it eventually begins to grate slightly and you’re left with no option but to tone things down by adjusting the volume of the over-enthusiastic announcer and non-descript Rock/Pop.
The controls are also sharp and precise with enough variety between the various boats to keep things interesting. But throughout, you can’t help but shake that feeling that the game has no real soul. I mean technically there’s nothing wrong it per se, but it’s just not particularly memorable or surprising. And even the ridiculously showy set-pieces, which you would thing would provide you with plenty of memorable moments are fairly lacklustre at best.
But perhaps the one thing that disappointed me the most was the water in the game. While it looks completely believable and realistic, it doesn’t seem to actually physically affect or hinder your racing much at all. Instead I almost immediately found myself hankering for Nintendo’s almost 10 years old WaveRace BlueStorm which was released around the time of the launch of the GameCube. I remembered the swell and force of its waves and currents as having a much more physical impact and was surprised that this modern-day high-definition title felt somewhat lacking. I even dug out my copy of WaveRace to see whether or not my rose-tinted spectacles were in full-force or not, but if anything, the game was much better than I even remembered and still an absolute delight to play. And, as I initially suspected, its waves and water had much more of an impact on proceedings.
And so to come full circle and back to my original point about time vs. cost, sure Hydro Thunder Hurricane might well justify a purchase thanks to its 10-20 hours of gameplay. But you’ve got to ask yourself this question, and answer honestly: will those hours be as magical, enchanting and as enjoyable as Limbo’s 3?
I've put very little effort into improving my times because the vast majority of my time spent with it was before its release so I had no times to compete with.
I'm also not sure I'm particularly inclined to play it repeatedly. It's very repetitive.
I agree with Rich. I hadn't even heard of the arcade original but it doesn't surprise me that it's based on one of those loud, brassy SEGA / Midway arcade cabinets because it has exactly that amount of long term appeal, and that amount of depth - minus a big fuck-off speedboat cabinet wrapped around it.
I'd have probably spent around 400 points on it for nostalgia's sake but it's as shallow as heck, the water effects are just that - effects and you'd probably get thrown about more by a goldfish fart than some of the waves in this.
I did like the boost multiplier thing but that was it.
Maybe - but I just couldn't get past the sheer grind of it, and with only a few days before the embargo I really didn't want to spend it playing something this naff.
Definitely never heard of the original though I do remember people referring to it as "The Dreamcast's Wave Race" which I think was a bit generous. I seem to remember a better speedboat racer on the PS1 but can't remember much about it other than the excellent "Rocket from the Crypt" Soundtrack.
It's a proper arcade game for me, like Afterburner it's something you can put on and spank for fun for half an hour or so, great fun, but yeah, a tad over priced I think.
I think the issue for me isn't so much that I think it's over-priced (£10 for what you get is very reasonable) it's more the furore surround the length of Limbo. 3/4 hours of awesome is so much better than 10 hours of mediocrity.
Despite being short, I found Limbo began to outstay its welcome right near the end. It lost the charm of its opening couple of hours and just threw a few too many obtuse and spiteful puzzles at the player. I could see what was required, but the pixel-perfect precision it called for began to grate.
And sod that five-deaths run through!
There really isn't much to dislike about HT. I don't consider it mediocre, to be honest. Still... opinions and all that. I'm aware that my tastes aren't generally in line with the sheep. Sorry, I meant "regular gamers". :)
Learning the shortcuts and unlocking better boats is pretty addictive so far, my only slight concern is how much play I will get out of it once I've mastered the tracks as the leaderboards are a touch disappointing compared to, say, TrialsHD.
Awesome retrospective of a much loved game. C64 version for me - I've not experienced the Speccy game but, to be honest, I'm not sure I want my love of the C64 version diminished...
I've actually t...
I did think the EG stuff was impressive but I'd be more into playing something that didn't require that amount of tinkering around with in order to get it to work.
Whatever form it arrives in, if ...
The next Red Dead game will be called...
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#1 - evilashchris - on 29/07/2010 at 09:17 wrote:
#2 - Ace Grace - on 29/07/2010 at 09:42 wrote:
#3 - Murbal - on 29/07/2010 at 09:53 wrote:
#4 - repairmanjack - on 29/07/2010 at 10:18 wrote:
#5 - HairyArse - on 29/07/2010 at 10:33 wrote:
I'm also not sure I'm particularly inclined to play it repeatedly. It's very repetitive.
#6 - peej - on 29/07/2010 at 15:25 wrote:
I'd have probably spent around 400 points on it for nostalgia's sake but it's as shallow as heck, the water effects are just that - effects and you'd probably get thrown about more by a goldfish fart than some of the waves in this.
I did like the boost multiplier thing but that was it.
#7 - repairmanjack - on 29/07/2010 at 20:48 wrote:
And never heard of the original? I'm surprised. Great DC title.
#8 - peej - on 30/07/2010 at 07:54 wrote:
Definitely never heard of the original though I do remember people referring to it as "The Dreamcast's Wave Race" which I think was a bit generous. I seem to remember a better speedboat racer on the PS1 but can't remember much about it other than the excellent "Rocket from the Crypt" Soundtrack.
#9 - evilashchris - on 30/07/2010 at 11:57 wrote:
#10 - HairyArse - on 30/07/2010 at 12:02 wrote:
#11 - repairmanjack - on 30/07/2010 at 13:24 wrote:
And sod that five-deaths run through!
There really isn't much to dislike about HT. I don't consider it mediocre, to be honest. Still... opinions and all that. I'm aware that my tastes aren't generally in line with the sheep. Sorry, I meant "regular gamers". :)
#12 - Ace Grace - on 30/07/2010 at 22:52 wrote:
Arcade games FTW! :-)
#13 - Ironlungs76 - on 04/08/2010 at 11:25 wrote:
Learning the shortcuts and unlocking better boats is pretty addictive so far, my only slight concern is how much play I will get out of it once I've mastered the tracks as the leaderboards are a touch disappointing compared to, say, TrialsHD.
Nonetheless, lapping this up at the mo :)