Hydro Thunder

THE GOOD:
Features all the tracks & machines from the arcade version. Arcade-perfect graphics & sound. Multiplayer for up to 4 people.

THE BAD:
Slow frame rate at times. Graphics & performance/details greatly suffer in multiplayer mode.

SUMMARY:
Hydro Thunder was an awesome game in the arcades for it's concept of powerboat racing, and Midway bought it home to N64 and did a great job with it. All the tracks from the arcade version return, as do the entire fleet of boats to race with, from the drag-racer inspired Tidal Blade to the humongous Tinytanic.
Controls are even better than in the arcade-quite responsive and you'll find tricks like jumping are easier now than in the arcade version. As is common with racing games, controls can be customized to your liking. The difficulty level is about right, but some hard challenges make you work to win.
Multiplayer is a lot of fun, but there are serious graphical issues. First up, a lot of the...

THE GOOD:
Looks superb
Big tracks with lots of short-cuts
Cool boats
Enjoyable multiplayer

THE BAD:
Can feel a bit random, you can race perfect and still loose
Control can feel a bit weird

SUMMARY:
Graphics: Excellent, the boats looks great, same do the tracks, it is detailed and colorful, with nice water. A real beaty.

Sound: I really liked some of the music, while the sound-effect are pretty good.

Gameplay: Control migh feel a bit strange, but when you get used to it, it is great fun, racing with the futuristic speed-boats around some great tracks. The cpu-opponents might at times feel invincible, but it is not that serious an error.

Lifespan: Okay sellection of tracks and boats, a good game for a quick, five-minutes play, lasts a while.

Overall: If you liked it on the arcade you will like it on the N64.