Gameplay Today - Because You're Always Gaming

The Hydro Thunder franchise isn't exactly long and encompassing, but it is a classic regardless of the amount of titles and sequels. Other than the original, there was last year’s Hydro Thunder Hurricane; a proper sequel with great features all around. And now we have the Windows Phone 7 exclusive Hydro Thunder GO. Typically when a game hits cell phones it's a watered down alternative for those without consoles; I'm looking at you every single first person shooter ever. However HTG is actually a full-fledged game, with great graphics, gameplay and plenty of content.

The main thing to understand is that HTG uses gyroscope technology for controlling and steering your boat. Simply put: you hold your phone horizontally, and tilt it left or right to steer. Boost is activated by pressing a dedicated area on the screen, and you can jump by swiping upwards anywhere else on the screen. Some turns in this game are a little too sharp to traverse with ease, but Hydro Thunder isn't exactly known for straight lines and easy tracks.

In terms of actual content, there are nine tracks and a dozen different boats. Most notably the Tinytanic, making it's triumphant return from the original Hydro Thunder game. While the boats are mostly borrowed from the first two games, the tracks seem to be a hybrid of remakes and new tracks. I was also a little upset that boats didn't offer alternative color schemes like the XBLA version did so well, collectibles were also absent.

Probably the major disappointment with Hydro Thunder GO is the complete lack of multiplayer. Now, I understand WP7 games with Xbox Live are pretty new; but the way Xbox Live is advertised when discussing the Windows Phone is misleading. Sure, I can compare my stats to my Xbox friends list and acquire Achievements; but who wouldn't have loved online multiplayer? Maybe this is something we'll see in a sequel, but for now we can still enjoy the single player arcade-like experience.

For five dollars, I don't really see a solid argument against Hydro Thunder GO. It's quite cheap compared to the prices of some games, and has a lot more content than some similarly priced alternatives. Though not a reason to go sign up with a new cell phone provider, or buy the phone itself; it is one of the best games available on the service currently.