Hey all, I’m back with a game from back in the 90s for this week’s Retro Game Friday. It’s Hydro Thunder.

Gameplay: This was a powerboat racing game on the water, and the gameplay was pretty decent. You even slide around a lot more since you are on the water and not on a road.

It was not as fun as Mario Kart given the lack of items to use, although you could gain powerups to boost your boat’s performance. My favorite thing was to boost into other racers to forcibly launch them spinning into the air. That said, there’s not exactly much more depth there in terms of gameplay, so it’s a pretty standard racing title all said and done. I did enjoy playing it in the arcade a few times, but mostly I remember playing it on my Nintendo 64 with my brother or friends.

Art: The art has sadly aged pretty poorly, but given it’s from the N64 era that isn’t surprising.

Music: It fit Hydro Thunder and was upbeat.

Overall: A fun title but not exactly deeper than any other racing game.

For those who like: Racing, Boats, and Launching Opponents into the air.

Not for those who don’t like: Any of the above or poorly aged graphics.