Splashdown
Infogrames brings back the Atari brand in a big way. We can't think of a better game to do it with.
Published: November 30, 2001
I've known Splashdown was something special since I first played it at E3 earlier this year. What I didn't know, however was how good it was going to turn out, especially the abso-frickin-lutely amazing water effects. Every part of the game is polished and well-rounded from the physics to the graphics to the soundtrack.
Rainbow Studios has a knack for making good games for other publishers. They did it with the Motocross Madness games on the PC for Microsoft, and they did it earlier this year with ATV Offroad Fury on the PS2 for Sony. With Splashdown, Rainbow has shacked up with Infogrames and helped the company relaunch the Atari brand. Looks like they picked the perfect game to do it with. Considering all of Rainbow's games have centered around the same core technology, it's impressive to see how they're relatively different. ATV feels like Motocross Madness, but they don't play the same way, and Splashdown feels a little like ATV, but doesn't play like either of the other games.
That said, it should be noted that all of the major watercraft games coming out (Wave Race, Wave Rally and this game) all play differently, though Splashdown is less "Xtreme Trix"-style than the others. There are tricks inasmuch as you use them to boost your performance meter, which in turn gives you more speed, something that you absolutely need, but the main focus is on racing rather than aerial antics. Because of this, you're usually much more concerned with dipping and hydroplaning your craft as you take turns and hit straight-aways than how many break dance spins your rider can do on the seat.
And really, that's about all there is to Splashdown. If it can be faulted in any one place, it's that it's too straightforward. There are 18 courses with little competitions where you can race against a player, and if you beat them, you can add them to your team, making them available for future races, but the bulk of your gameplay will be just flat out racing. There's more to the races of course than just getting from point a to point b because of Rainbow's physics model that encourages accurate racing techniques (like leaning back to lift the nose of the Sea-Doo up to get the back to skim the waves more, boosting your speed), so you'll be constantly be working the left analog stick not just left and right, but up and down.
Splashdown easily takes the trophy for best graphics of any watercraft racing game ever. The water is absolutely photo-realistic at times, and the course designs manage to incorporate a lot of structures (like bridges) that actually cut through the main paths, giving everything a more believable feel. The wakes kicked up by the craft as they race along and the foamy after effects look great, as does any bigger rolling waves that might mix up the usually more tranquil feel of the water.
All of the environments are stunning, and have a lush, dense feel to them, especially courses like the Everglades with all the trees jutting out of the water and hanging onto the edges of the course. When you finally get a chance to race on the Amazon Jungle track, you'll absolutely flip at how pretty it all is -- even if you will be racing past it in a blur. One of the things both ATV and Motocross Madness could boast was level size and draw distance. Because things are a little more confined with Splashdown the former can't really be flaunted, but the draw distance is still shown off well when you take to the air off a big jump and get a nice view of your surroundings. It's not as detailed or varied as say Smuggler's Run 2, but it's definitely not something to scoff at.
Soundtracks are curious things when it comes to games. Often times the track selection is mostly misses, with exceptions for games like Tony Hawk and SSX, so it's best not to get your hopes up for the music you be humming along with as you race. Luckily, there are a couple of great tracks that perfectly fit the game, though there were a few that I found myself quickly skipping every single time I heard them. Tapping big names like Blink 182, Sum 41 and SR-71 (you've heard that last one in the commercials and in the trailer to Dude, Where's My Car?)
for the angst-riddled teenybopper crowds was a brilliant decision, but there are actually a couple of songs that I really dug from artists I'd never heard of. Man...Or Astroman's "Mouthful of Exhaust" perfectly fits the game, since it's clever blend of punkish tempo and drums mixed in with surf rock guitar is at home near the water.
The most pleasant surprise, and a song I kept going back to, was one you can't get off any of the big music swapping sites. "Hold Your Breath" by Otis absolutely rocks. It was put out by Rainbow for this game, so I'm hoping it's someone actually associated with the developers, because I'd love to hear more from the band in later games. I'm sure the inability to find it anywhere online makes it that much better, but the song will definitely appeal to mainstream rockers.
There isn't a ton in the way of effects, but what's there is good. The voices for the riders aren't amazing, and it's obvious a couple of the girls were from the same voice actress, but since they only spout off one-liners every once in a while, it's tolerable. If you do decide to cut the music (which I'm sure you will eventually), you'll hear a wonderfully accurate Sea-Doo engine. You'll hear it A LOT. The music helps fill things in because to be honest if you've ever ridden a Sea-Doo, there's not much in the way of noise beyond the rush of wind in your ears and the hum of the engine.
Splashdown has a very definite style, so while you can pair it up against games of the same ilk on other systems for graphics, it's not really fair to compare them on gameplay terms. Racing takes the forefront with Splashdown (though, again, tricks do matter), and those that are looking for something that's going to be all stunts will have to look elsewhere. Still, if you can live with drop dead gorgeous tracks and great physics, you'll find a lot to love in Splashdown.
Rainbow Studios has a knack for making good games for other publishers. They did it with the Motocross Madness games on the PC for Microsoft, and they did it earlier this year with ATV Offroad Fury on the PS2 for Sony. With Splashdown, Rainbow has shacked up with Infogrames and helped the company relaunch the Atari brand. Looks like they picked the perfect game to do it with. Considering all of Rainbow's games have centered around the same core technology, it's impressive to see how they're relatively different. ATV feels like Motocross Madness, but they don't play the same way, and Splashdown feels a little like ATV, but doesn't play like either of the other games.
That said, it should be noted that all of the major watercraft games coming out (Wave Race, Wave Rally and this game) all play differently, though Splashdown is less "Xtreme Trix"-style than the others. There are tricks inasmuch as you use them to boost your performance meter, which in turn gives you more speed, something that you absolutely need, but the main focus is on racing rather than aerial antics. Because of this, you're usually much more concerned with dipping and hydroplaning your craft as you take turns and hit straight-aways than how many break dance spins your rider can do on the seat.
And really, that's about all there is to Splashdown. If it can be faulted in any one place, it's that it's too straightforward. There are 18 courses with little competitions where you can race against a player, and if you beat them, you can add them to your team, making them available for future races, but the bulk of your gameplay will be just flat out racing. There's more to the races of course than just getting from point a to point b because of Rainbow's physics model that encourages accurate racing techniques (like leaning back to lift the nose of the Sea-Doo up to get the back to skim the waves more, boosting your speed), so you'll be constantly be working the left analog stick not just left and right, but up and down.
Splashdown easily takes the trophy for best graphics of any watercraft racing game ever. The water is absolutely photo-realistic at times, and the course designs manage to incorporate a lot of structures (like bridges) that actually cut through the main paths, giving everything a more believable feel. The wakes kicked up by the craft as they race along and the foamy after effects look great, as does any bigger rolling waves that might mix up the usually more tranquil feel of the water.
All of the environments are stunning, and have a lush, dense feel to them, especially courses like the Everglades with all the trees jutting out of the water and hanging onto the edges of the course. When you finally get a chance to race on the Amazon Jungle track, you'll absolutely flip at how pretty it all is -- even if you will be racing past it in a blur. One of the things both ATV and Motocross Madness could boast was level size and draw distance. Because things are a little more confined with Splashdown the former can't really be flaunted, but the draw distance is still shown off well when you take to the air off a big jump and get a nice view of your surroundings. It's not as detailed or varied as say Smuggler's Run 2, but it's definitely not something to scoff at.
Soundtracks are curious things when it comes to games. Often times the track selection is mostly misses, with exceptions for games like Tony Hawk and SSX, so it's best not to get your hopes up for the music you be humming along with as you race. Luckily, there are a couple of great tracks that perfectly fit the game, though there were a few that I found myself quickly skipping every single time I heard them. Tapping big names like Blink 182, Sum 41 and SR-71 (you've heard that last one in the commercials and in the trailer to Dude, Where's My Car?)
for the angst-riddled teenybopper crowds was a brilliant decision, but there are actually a couple of songs that I really dug from artists I'd never heard of. Man...Or Astroman's "Mouthful of Exhaust" perfectly fits the game, since it's clever blend of punkish tempo and drums mixed in with surf rock guitar is at home near the water.
The most pleasant surprise, and a song I kept going back to, was one you can't get off any of the big music swapping sites. "Hold Your Breath" by Otis absolutely rocks. It was put out by Rainbow for this game, so I'm hoping it's someone actually associated with the developers, because I'd love to hear more from the band in later games. I'm sure the inability to find it anywhere online makes it that much better, but the song will definitely appeal to mainstream rockers.
There isn't a ton in the way of effects, but what's there is good. The voices for the riders aren't amazing, and it's obvious a couple of the girls were from the same voice actress, but since they only spout off one-liners every once in a while, it's tolerable. If you do decide to cut the music (which I'm sure you will eventually), you'll hear a wonderfully accurate Sea-Doo engine. You'll hear it A LOT. The music helps fill things in because to be honest if you've ever ridden a Sea-Doo, there's not much in the way of noise beyond the rush of wind in your ears and the hum of the engine.
Splashdown has a very definite style, so while you can pair it up against games of the same ilk on other systems for graphics, it's not really fair to compare them on gameplay terms. Racing takes the forefront with Splashdown (though, again, tricks do matter), and those that are looking for something that's going to be all stunts will have to look elsewhere. Still, if you can live with drop dead gorgeous tracks and great physics, you'll find a lot to love in Splashdown.
