Hydro Thunder PS1 Review

Hydro Thunder is an arcade powerboat racing game that originally saw a release in the arcades but would actually be released as a launch title for the Sega Dreamcast in 1999 and the game would later be ported to both the PlayStation and the Nintendo 64 in early 2000 and would also be part of midway's Thunder series of racing games which would include Off-road Thunder, 4 Wheel Thunder and Arctic Thunder that would all see release on not just the Dreamcast but even later with the PlayStation 2. 

The Dreamcast's version of the game would receive favourable reviews among its launch while the N64 and PlayStation would receive mixed to average reviews but the game was still credited to be popular enough to be added to the Midway Arcade Treasures 3 compilation disc that would later be released in 2005 for the PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube and the Xbox. 

So the series itself would prove to be quite popular with gaming fans and the gameplay of Hydro Thunder is often compared to even though it's very different to Sega's Daytona USA because it plays like your typical arcade racer or it has the same kind of style in which it tries to go for. 

You play in three different types of tracks that are typical of your arcade racing games where each version of the track is different and it all depends on the difficulty of the game that you choose. 

So for the easy mode, you would get the easiest track to race on then for medium or normal difficulty, you would get somewhat of a higher level track to race on and then the hard mode would be the hardest track to race on and the elements of the game is to try and win on all of the tracks to unlock additional features, unlock different boats to use and even various other elements that the game has to offer. 

But what's most noticeable about the game itself and even seen on the PlayStation version is the competition style mode or challenge mode that you can enter into various races where you can earn money to unlock various features but also upgrade various aesthetics and mechanical elements of the boats that you're using to race in the game. 

So by winning races with the boats that you're using will again unlock additional tiers and also unlock various bonus tracks that are also accessible in the game. 

While the PlayStation version may not be as well received compared to the Dreamcast version, in my own personal opinion it's still a very very good game to play, it is a very good and authentic arcade style racer and it does a good job for what it is trying to do regardless of the reviews. 

And this in turn would prove to be popular especially when you look at the entries in the series with the likes of Arctic thunder, Four Wheel Thunder, Offroad Thunder again seeing decent success on the Dreamcast and then even on future consoles with the likes of the PS2. 

So it did prove to be quite popular overall it's generally just a fun game to play. 

It is challenging the further you get into it but it has enough pick up and play appeal that suits arcade fans and especially if you're looking for something that's just quick and simple to get into you, will have a blast with it now mind you when you're going into the more difficult races it can be tough to win. 

You will nearly need to upgrade your boat's power outputs and speed to have a really good chance of gaining higher positions but with a little bit of practice you will definitely improve on your results. It's just generally quite a fun game to play overall and it really does suit the arcade aesthetic and vibe that it's going for. 

And in many cases regardless of the reviews is somewhat of a hidden gem on the PlayStation and there's not too many water sports games that are seen on the system so this is definitely something that you should try out if you're into boat racing games. There are only a couple of other alternatives like Aqua GT, Rapid Racer and then a few other water sports games. 

But Hydro Thunder is definitely a good alternative to those games if you're looking for something that has that quick pick up and play appeal. So I would love to know your thoughts on Hydro Thunder for the PlayStation if you have played it yourself and if so what do you think of it overall or what version of the game did you play in general. Did you play even the Sega Dreamcast version when the console launched back in 1999? 

I'd love to hear whatever thoughts you have with this game, so be sure to share it down in the comments below and be sure to keep watching to see more content on other racing games similar to Hydro Thunder you can check out the blog where we will be diving into the iconic elements of these classic video games and as always keep those gaming memories alive...