Hydro Hurricane Thunder screenshot

Microsoft Game Studios and developer Vector Unit will launch the Xbox Live Arcade sequel to the legendary Midway speedboat racing arcade game, Hydro Thunder Hurricane on July 28th as part of the Xbox Live’s Summer of Arcade promotion.

Hydro Thunder Hurricane is the first official sequel to the classic Midway hit Hydro Thunder, which splashed into arcades and consoles over 10 years ago.  Rather than simply recreate the original game with updated graphics, Vector Unit has delivered an all-new game engine for the sequel, with gorgeous HD visuals and amazing dynamic water physics.

Fans will recognize favorite speedboats from the original Hydro Thunder: Razorback, Damn the Torpedoes, Tidal Blade, Rad Hazard and others return with beautifully redesigned models, multiple unlockable skins, and articulated boost animations with massive rockets folding out from hidden compartments.   Race tracks are all original, but packed with the kinds of shortcuts and spectacular surprises the series is known for.

The indie developer’s motto is ‘Big games in small packages,’ and their first game as a studio delivers on that promise.  The downloadable game features 8 all new interactive race tracks, new Single Player game modes, Xbox LIVE Leaderboard challenges, as well as robust multiplayer support for 8 players online, local split screen races with up to 4 players and a combination of split screen and online play.

Ralf Knoesel, Vector Unit’s Technical Director and the programming visionary behind Hydro Thunder Hurricane’s cutting-edge interactive water, said the team is thrilled to be included as part of the Summer of Arcade.

“We know there were a lot of quality titles vying to be a part of Summer of Arcade, and it’s really a testament to the team’s hard work and creative energy that HTH made the cut. Our goal with Hurricane was to deliver tons of new content with the kind of polish and depth you expect to find in a full retail game. It takes hours to unlock everything in the single player mode, and once you’ve done that you still have multiplayer, which I think is where the game really shines.”

Creative Director Mat Small added;

“The feedback from Hydro Thunder fans has been overwhelmingly positive.  When you put a controller into the hands of a hard core fan, and he nods and grins the first time he goes off some 800 foot jump or nails a shortcut and says something like ‘Oh yeah, this is how I remember it’ – that tells me we pulled it off.
On top of everything else, Hydro Thunder Hurricane  is perfect for Summer of Arcade.   What’s the first thing people think about when it’s summertime?  Sun, fun, splashing around in the water, driving a speedboat at 200 mph, jumping off gigantic cliffs, and dodging dinosaurs.  Right?”

Mmm Possibly.

If thats what summer means to you then visit Vector Unit for more information.

Hydro Thunder Hurricane will be released on July 28, 2010, exclusively on Xbox LIVE Arcade.  The game will sell for 1200 Microsoft Points.

Freejack screenshot

Game Bridger Entertainment have announced the latest game to become available on their free to play games platform Gamekraft. Freejack is a parkour racing game with slick cartoon-style graphics and innovative new gameplay mechanics based on the underground sport of free running, developed by Korean developer WiseOn.

In FreeJack, players race head-to-head as one of four hip characters, bustin’ stylish flips and tricks to increase their speed and come out on top!

The exciting new addition to the Gamekraft platform is scheduled for release in the North America and European market place during July 2010.

FreeJack is a free-to-play parkour racing game for Windows PCs supporting Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7. Players race head-to-head across the urban metropolis of New Jack City as one of four hip characters, bustin’ stylish flips and tricks to increase their speed and gain access to hidden pathways and shortcuts.

Players can personalize their character with fresh outfits and running gear and even customize their own unique in-game living space with cool furniture and accessories to show off to friends! FreeJack also supports online leaderboards, a club/clan system, in-game friends lists, and more.

FreeJack will be free to download and play. Visit the FreeJack homepage for registration and further details.

As well as experiencing the Superbike championship, players can also participate in the Supersport series, testing the improvements of the Portimao circuit.

You can try out your riding skills in different weather conditions as well as riding against 15 other riders in the new Online Multiplayer Mode and you can also play both in Arcade or Simulation mode.

As well as the regular Regular SBK®X edition, there is to be a Limited Special Edition which features a list of 17 riders from the history of Superbikes plus a DVD documentary showing highlights of an exclusive interview with the 2009 Superbike World Champion Ben Spies.

Both versions of the game will be available for purchase from the 4th June.

You may have the original Sony Playstation stashed away safely in your room somewhere, but gaming on the go is the newer way to play, and if you haven’t yet caught on to the Sony PSP (PlayStation Portable), where have you been?!

The stylish portable games console lets you access games, music, videos and photos at any time of day. The PSP also features a TV-out socket for displaying content on a television.  As far as Sony PSP games and accessories go, there’s a mountain to choose from.  If you like a good grapple, you can’t beat Sony PSP’s Tekken: Dark Resurrection.

If you’re not familiar with the Tekken series, it’s about time you looked them up. The arcade style games let you select from an impressive list of diverse characters each with their own fighting style, before you pick your opponent and try to knock their block off.  What better way to pass the time on an otherwise dull train journey, or the miserable morning bus ride to work?

Delivering everything that makes the Tekken series so popular, Sony PSP’s Tekken: Dark Resurrection is an impressive graphical game.   One for the lads, it’s a staple PSP game that ticks all the right boxes.

Fans of spiky-headed favourite Sonic the Hedgehog will no doubt love Sony PSP’s Sonic Rivals.  With high speed thrills, this simple yet staple PSP game combines the old school feel of the Sonic classics with modern graphics and updated features.  Bright, colourful levels with plenty of jumps and loops ensure a rollercoaster ride from start to finish. Providing an interesting twist to the original Sonic game, Sonic Rivals sees Sonic save his friends from classic rival Eggman in a series of one-on-one races.

You’ll be hooked almost as soon as you switch on your PSP.

A game made exclusively for the Sony Playstation portable, Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines, part of the popular Assassin’s Creed franchise, is a real hit with the boys.  The action-adventure game allows players to free-roam an island at will, all while keeping out of sight of deadly enemies on the way.

Fantasy fans can get a load of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, based on the film of the same name. Set in the world of Square Enix’s Final Fantasy VII, the game sees Cloud tackle the mystery of the ‘geostigma’, which has become infected by being exposed to the planet’s life stream energy. Cloud and the remaining Final Fantasy VII characters are to lash back at the planet, while saving themselves from destruction. Gripping and addictive, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children is already storming the gaming charts.

Little Big Planet is the latest Sony PlayStation craze to take the gaming market by storm. Widely regarded as one of the top 10 Sony PSP games, Little Big Planet gives you the chance to step into a world of endless possibilities, where your imagination is key.  You can enhance whatever you see, using your own creativity, while the graphics behind Little Big Planet provide the rest.  Set out with Sackboy and explore a wealth of environments, while overcoming frustrating obstacles in order to build your own creations. The power is firmly in your hands!

Everyone loves a good virtual car chase, so why not check out Grand Theft Auto? Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is a favourite in the Grand Theft Auto series, where players navigate their way through the streets as they uncover the truth behind a tale of crime and corruption. Gran Turismo, the real driving simulator, also recently made its debut on the Sony PSP. Featuring over 800 car models and 35 tracks, there’s mission and arcade modes to choose from as well as a multiplayer racing mode.

Footy fans will love Sony PSP’s FIFA 10, with its improved graphics and enhancements. Featuring refinements based on responsiveness and intelligence, plus a new ‘Manager Mode’ including a whopping 50 major improvements, the game includes the 360° dribbling system, which provides finer dribbling control, as well as more accurate passing and authentic shooting.

But the Sony PSP is not just about games: there’s also plenty of films to be downloaded too, as well as a wealth of gaming accessories. Ensure you get a decent durable case and screen protector, first off. PSP accessories packs come in a variety of combinations, with carry cases and screen protectors often included. Save on batteries and get yourself a Sony PSP adaptor, ensuring you can play without the worry that your game will cut out half way through.

For games, movies and accessories, you’ll certainly be spoilt for choice with your PSP. Happy gaming!

RingMaster novice MissBehave Monster Island

Ring Master
A slalom-style event, Ring Master challenges players to race through a series of rings and compete for best time.  Every track environment in HTH features three unique Ring Master layouts, which ramp up in difficulty from Novice to Pro to Expert.  Novice courses feature larger gates, and are designed to introduce players to the basic mechanics of each level.  Pro and Expert courses feature smaller rings, and the layouts are more challenging – they also introduce players to alternate routes and shortcuts in each level.

Guantlet cut-throat paris sewers

Gauntlet
Time trial with an explosive twist:  every course is peppered with exploding barrels.  The barrels are generally placed off the primary racing line, on the outsides of corners and such, to encourage players to use the fastest racing line possible.  However in spots they are also placed in the center of the track, requiring players to dodge between them or hop over them using the Boost Jump mechanic.

RingMaster novice vector lake powell

Leaderboard Opponents
Single Player Race, Ring Master, and Gauntlet events all support asynchronous racing with your Xbox LIVE Friends through a feature we call “Leaderboard Opponents”.  When you begin an event, we grab your next-best-Friend’s time and display split times at every checkpoint so you can compare your time to theirs as you’re racing.  If you’re the best of all your friends, we pull times from the global Leaderboards.

For more information and regular updates on the Hydro Thunder developments visit the Vector Unit website.

hydro thunder hurricane

Games developer Vector Unit have announced plans to launch an Xbox LIVE Arcade-exclusive sequel to the legendary Midway speedboat racing arcade game, Hydro Thunder Hurricane will be released during the summer of 2010.

Featuring all-new, over-the-top themed environments, rocket-powered speedboats, gorgeous visuals, and amazing dynamic water physics, Hydro Thunder Hurricane is the adrenaline dripping sequel fans have been waiting for.

Hydro Thunder Hurricane includes 8 brand new “theme park” environments, each set in a different location around the globe.  Each world is packed with animated surprises, destructible objects, and special events that players trigger in-game.

New game modes include Ring Master, a series of slalom-style challenges with progressive difficulties; Gauntlet, an explosive new take on time trial; and a series of multi-event Championships. Fan favorite speedboats from the original Hydro Thunder also make a return like Razorback, Cutthroat, and the flying saucer shaped Rad Hazard with beautifully redesigned models, multiple unlockable skins, and articulated boost animations with massive rockets folding out from hidden compartments.  Each boat features unique handling characteristics.

Matt Small, Creative Director at Vector Unit says:

“We’re huge fans of the original Hydro Thunder.There’s so much there that already works — the exhilarating boost speeds, the crazy shortcuts, the gigantic jumps and drop-offs.  We knew we wanted to keep all of that — even add more of it.  At the same time, we had to bring something new to the table, something more than just recreating the original game with high-res graphics.”

Technical Director Ralf Knoesel adds;

“We decided to take the ideas that worked from the original, and then start over from scratch.  The water physics engine is completely new. Everything affects the racing surface — the boats leave wakes behind them that other boats can jump off or draft in, falling rocks and explosions create huge waves, we’ve got wave machines, whirlpools, the works.  The water is always changing, so you never get exactly the same race twice.”

Hydro Thunder Hurricane introduces support for 8-player online racing on Xbox LIVE..  The game also allows for local split screen multiplayer with up to 4 players — or any combination of local and online play.   In addition to races, players can team up in the new Rubber Ducky game mode.

Superbike World Championship Racing Game

The new edition of the Superbike World Championship racing game is due for release in May 2010 for Xbox360, PlayStation 3 and PC.

SBK®09 offers the ultimate experience of the championship with every feature of the game improved-on from the previous year.

There has been a complete track overhaul, new teams, a new 3D environment, new gameplay structure and new game modes, even the pits have been revamped to look as real as possible.

Each player can now fine-tune his chosen race bike by changing the settings just like a real race engineer, using data collected from the real teams.

In addition, for the first time in a motorcycle racing game, damage caused to the riders leather or bike will also show up in the game, giving that extra feel of reality to the player.

The game features five single player game modes; Quick Race, Training, Race Weekend, Championship and Challenges and three online multiplayer game modes; Quick Race, Championship and Team Championship.

There are many Superbike and Motor Racing download games already available and it is worth checking around while you eagerly await the release of Superbike World Championship 2010.

MotoGP 09/10 Game

Capcom recently presented their new MotoGP 09/10 game in Valencia and challenged the two MotoGP riders Mika Kallio and Aleix Espargaro to partake.

Gamers can select from all the official riders, teams and circuits from the 2009 season with players given access to free downloads as the 2010 season develops.

MotoGP 09/10 will be available on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 and featuring the complete MotoGP series with the 125cc, 250cc and the MotoGP classes.

The new game has been developed by Monumental Games and is to be published by Capcom, available for purchase in March 2010.

MotoGP09

The new official MotoGP09 game for your mobile phone is now available and is described as ‘allowing you to experience the ultimate motorbike racing simulation’.

With a choice of one of the eighteen riders from the current MotoGP series including Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo, Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner, it is the only mobile game to carry the official license of the MotoGP 2009 season.

The 2009 addition features 10 upgrades for speed, steering, handling and track grip and digital sound effects to make it even more of a thrill.

Consumers can purchase the game Worldwide through a simple SMS to a given number, depending on their location and network operator.

The player can choose one of the seventeen official circuits from this season including Jerez, Indianapolis and Losail, and also features an award system, giving a total of nineteen awards to be collected as your skill improves.

The game is fast, accessible and fun from beginning to end, giving the sensation of speed while riding the bike of your choice, outpacing most of the rivals.

Forza Motorsport 3

Forza Motorsport 3, is an epic racing game exclusively for the Xbox 360, featuring more than 400 car choices to be raced on over 100 circuits and road courses from around the world.

There is no end to your choice of car whether it be the classic American muscle cars or purpose-built race cars, there is something for everyone.

Forza Motorsport 3, has plenty of game player assists such as auto-braking, gameplay rewind and auto-tuning, in what has been described as one of the most beautiful and realistic racing games ever with it’s attention to detail of the cars and the race courses.

It is a racing game for every skill level from a newcomer to a seasoned racing pro, either as a single player or in the multiplayer mode.

The game is due to be released on October 27th in the US and between the 23-30 October in Europe.