Hydro Thunder
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| Hydro Thunder | |
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| Developer(s) | Midway Games |
| Publisher(s) | Midway Games |
| Distributor(s) | Midway Games |
| Series | Thunder Series |
| Release date(s) | 1999 |
| Genre(s) | Racing |
| Mode(s) | Multi Player, up to 4 players simultaneously |
| Platform(s) | Arcade game, Dreamcast, PlayStation, Nintendo 64, PC |
| Input | X-Directional Yoke, Throttle Level with Thumb Button |
| Arcade cabinet | sit-down |
| Arcade system(s) | Midway Quicksilver II [1] |
| Arcade CPU(s) | Intel Celeron |
| Arcade sound system(s) | Amplified stereo and subwoofer |
| Arcade display | Horizontally oriented, medium resolution raster, color CRT |
Hydro Thunder is a powerboat racing game, originally an arcade game and later released for the Sega Dreamcast in November 1999. It was also released for PlayStation and Nintendo 64 in early 2000. This game is part of Midway's 'Thunder' series of racing games, which includes Offroad Thunder, 4 Wheel Thunder, and Arctic Thunder. Recently a port of the Dreamcast version of Hydro Thunder was included in Midway Arcade Treasures 3 for Xbox, Playstation 2, Gamecube, and PC.
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[edit] Description
The player drives a jet-powered speedboat in a wild-water race filled with ramps, jumps and some treacherous areas of water. The arcade version of this game utilizes the same basic cabinet as Cruis'n USA and Offroad Challenge, minus the standard foot pedals and adding a variable position throttle with forward, neutral and reverse directions. The game also has an unusual volume adjustment, where the regular play volume is usually set lower than the feedback volume for the subwoofer in the seat. This places the player "in the game" and makes the person feel like he or she is actually piloting a powerful, high-tech speedboat.
[edit] Gameplay
The overall goal of Hydro Thunder is just like any other racing-type game: get to the finish line faster than the other racers. The player is encouraged to pilot their boat recklessly and to collect boost icons. Boost icons allow the player to increase speed for a short amount of time, jump, and activate "Mighty Hull" mode to effectively launch opponents or obstacles out of the way.
Boats:
- Damn the Torpedoes
- Midway
- Miss Behave
- Banshee
- Tidal Wave
- Thresher
- Cut Throat
- Rad Hazard
- Razor Back
- Tinytanic
- Military Boat(name currently unknown)
- Blow Fish
- Chumlinger(?)
[edit] Mighty Hull
When the player activates the 'boost', the hull of the boat will begin to flash white quite rapidly. This shows that the 'Mighty Hull' is in effect. The Mighty Hull allows the player to knock other boats temporarily out of the water. This is most useful when vying for position, partially at the end of a race or at the beginning. It is most effective when several boats are trying to get through a small gap, which are common on most levels.
[edit] Cheat Codes
For Dreamcast - Get high Score on a track, enter "?PB" to unlock all boats and tracks.
[edit] Different Versions
Arcade - Original Version of game on which others were based.
Nintendo 64 Version - Only version to have a four player mode.
Dreamcast Version - Graphics closest to arcade. Game manual mentions 14 tracks, but only 13 have been found.
Playstation Version - Includes bonus career mode.
Midway Arcade Treasures 3 (PS2, XBOX, Gamecube, and PC) - port of Dreamcast Version.
