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It can only bereproduced electronically, and if placed on a web page or site, may be altered as long as this disclaimer and the above copyright notice appears in full. Feel free to distribute between others, but this FAQ is not to be used for profitable/promotional purposes; this includes being used by publishers of magazines, guides, books, etc. or being incorporated into magazines, etc. in ANY way. Newest versions of this FAQ can be found at: www.gamefaqs.com i.am/CNICK www.cheatcc.com I am no longer going to give permission to sites to put this FAQ up on their sites. The above sites, are the only ones allowed now. Why you ask? Too many sites wonıt have the most updated version of this guide, and I will get emails about things Iıve already added. IF YOU FIND ANY WEBSITE NOT POSTED OF ABOVE WITH THIS GUIDE, PLEASE TELL ME AND I WILL TAKE CARE OF IT. Hydro Thunder (c) 2000 Midway - C O N T E N T S - I. Introduction and Revision History II. Controls - Configuration 1 - Configuration 2 - Other Controls III. Playing the Game - Game Progression - Boat Information IV. The Tracks - Easy - Medium - Hard - Bonus V. The Boats - Easy - Medium - Hard - Bonus - Comparison Chart VI. Gameshark Codes VII. Basics of Winning VIII. Credits IX. Authorıs Note ----------------------------------++++--------------------------------------- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= I. INTRODUCTION AND REVISION HISTORY Hydro Thunder is an arcade racing game featuring racing boats instead of the normal car. The large arcane company Midway, created it, and like most Arcade games, there was a port for just about eveery current Console system. This is the N64 version, and while I havenıt played any of the other ports, Im going to assume theres almost no difference. Anyway, this guide will include the boats, the tracks, and how to control them. Remember, when reading this guide, that no site not mentioned in the disclaimer can hold this FAQ. If you see someone with it, please tell me, and I can politely ask for them to take it off. T H E H. T. R. A. So, you have your own boat you say? You have tapped out of your bank account, and spent endless months building it out of state- of-the-art racing materials. you have tuned the specialized motors, refined the hull shape to perfection and won more races then you can count. You are at top of the international boat racing game. Nobody comes close. You long for a challenge. Then one day, that challenge comes to you in the form of a sealed envelope with no return address. Only the words Hydro Thunder Racing Association mark the envelope. You open it. Inside, a single sheet of blue paper, with your name written upon it, simply states, ³You have been chosen as a permanent member of the H.T.R.A.² Below, a map and date are printed. The next secret race is located. Now, you have certainly heard of the H.T.R.A There is no signing up with these guys. Nobody even knows who they are or on which watery location they will race next. But if you are good enough and have what it takes to be one of them, dont worry, they will find you. This underground clan of adventurous racing renegades doesnt let anything get in the way of their racing. No place is too sacred. No time is too dark. No unexplored waterway is too dangerous. No guidelines. No restrictions. No manners. No law. These guys are deadly serious and have only one goal: Do anything to cross the finish line first. Revision History v0.10 (3/20/00) : Just sort of put things together including 4:21pm PST very basic information. More to come later v0.15 (3/20/00) : More work done. Basic Gameplay done. This 4:42pm PST version is unreleased by the way. I am just finding out more as I type this. v0.20 (3/20/00) : More work done. Tracks and boats are yet 4:51pm PST to be worked on. Maybe I will release this guide once I get most of that done... v0.25 (3/20/00) : Added tracks though MEDIUM difficulty. Still 5:00pm PST need to get my own personal notes on a few of them. More to come, probably late tonight. v0.30 (3/20/00) : Finished the tracks section. I will have to go 5:22pm PST back and add some notes for some of them, but the section is basically done. v0.40 (3/20/00) : Lots of work done today. And lots of revisions. Everytime I think I would want to submit, I thought of something different to add. Oh well, I am glad I found something to work on. Anyway, I got all the boats, as well as finishing the tracks section. v0.45 (3/20/00) : What an amazing day. Just added the art on top, and thats it. FAQ is just around complete. v0.60 (3/21/00) : Added gameshark codes. Added some new styles 4:13pm PST of racing including the hydro-jump and the boost starts. Go down to playing the game> boat info. to read more about it. Added the weak story put into the game. Its above the revision history. v0.65 (3/22/00) : Cosmetic changes. Nothing new, maybe a few corrects but thats about it. Probably the last version, because my brother owned the game and he went off somewhere, so I wont be able to finish the FAQ, unless I get help from others. Anyway, read the AUTHORS NOTE if you want to help. v0.75 (3/24/00) : More cosmetic changes. And I spell-proofed most 3:18pm PST of the FAQ. Other then a few common errors, I kept on using cars instead of boats (I wrote a GT2 FAQ just recently) and for some reason, the apostrophe is read as a 1, so I had to correct that and now my eyes hurt. Also, I added a new section, BASICS OF WINNING, with just minor tips on getting 1st place. Future revisions will include updates on that section, so send in a tip if its not already up there. v0.85 (3/24/00) : Added a comparison chart for the boats. Great 11:42pm PST information when deciding what boat you want. Also added a secrets part to the first 5 tracks. It tells you how to find and use each secret on the track. v0.90 (3/26/00) : Lots of mistakes, which I just fixed. Last version of 12:44am PST the FAQ, because the only thing left is to get the bonus tracks and boats which I canıt get because I donıt have the game. As you can also see, brand new ASCII art. Thanks to Midway on making a great logo, so you canıt see the letters, but you get the drift. v0.90a (3/29/00): Disclaimer problem. Fixed it. Later =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= II. CONTROLS ================= =Configuration 1= ================= Steer.................... control pad or analog stick Accelerate............... A button Brake.................... B button Boost.................... L button or R button or Z button Camera 1 (High View)..... Down C button Camera 2 (Low View)...... Right C button Camera 3 (Pilot View).... Up C button ================= =Configuration 2= ================= Steer.................... control pad or analog stick Accelerate............... L button or Z button Brake.................... B button or R button Boost.................... A Button Camera 1 (High View)..... Down C button Camera 2 (Low View)...... Right C button Camera 3 (Pilot View).... Up C button ================ =Other Controls= ================ RUMBLE PACK : You can have the rumble go off during certain times in the race. You can select how much of a rumble, as well as turning it completely off. You can adjust the vibration during the boost, splash down, boat collision, and terrain collision. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= III. PLAYING THE GAME ================== =Game Progression= ================== EASY |---| |---| |---| | |--| |--| | |---| |---| |---| / \ / \ MED / \ HARD |---| |---| | | | | |---| |---| | | |---| |---| | | | | |---| |---| | | |---| |---| | | | | |---| |---| \ BONUS / \|---| |---| |---|/ | |--| |--| | |---| |---| |---| The above map is exactly what the game will show you once you decide 1 or 2 players. You will see this twice, one for your boat, and then for your track. An explanation on how to get to MED to HARD to BONUS, read below: You only have 3 boats and 3 tracks at the beginning of the game. They are designated EASY. To gain the MED tracks and boats, you must place 1st, 2nd, or 3rd in the EASY tracks. To progress to HARD, you need to place 1st or 2nd in the MED tracks. To get the BONUS tracks, you need to place 1st on the HARD ones. Once you get first on all of the BONUS tracks, you are allowed access to the BONUS boats. ================== =Boat Information= ================== Each boat in the game is unique in some way. You can tell this by the way they are built. If its long and has a small width, its best for speed in its certain difficulty class. Some of them fly better, while the other one turns best. More information on this will be included in the BOAT SECTION. The ³Might Hull² feature is released when your using your boost power. From the Instruction Manuel : ³Developed by the H.T.R.A., ŒMighty Hullı technology is utilized by every boat in Hydro Thunder. When your boatıs boosters are activated for a short period of time, your boat will flash. This means that the boatıs Mighty Hull is activated. Use your Mighty Hull power to clear unwanted obstacles and opponents out of your course as you race to victory. Each boat is unique when it comes to MIght Hull activation time.² BOOST ICONS are the blue and red diamond-shaped things. Blue oens give you +4 seconds while red give you +9 seconds of boost. Read above about the Mighty Hull activated once you are in boost mode. You can use your boosters to jump up into the air to catch some of the flying BOOST ICONS. Called the HYDRO JUMP, hold onto the acceleration (duh!) and when you reach the point where you want to jump, quickly let go, and press the brake button. One you have pressed brake, immediately press the boost button, and you should fly off the water. Some boats can go further, and you can take off some seconds mastering this skill. Like most arcade racing games, there is a boost start at the beginning of the race. I am not exactly sure when to press acceleration, but I press right after it turns to 1. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesnıt. But I know you press it on 1. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= IV. THE TRACKS ============= =Easy Tracks= ============= Thunder Peak ------------ A traditional H.T.R.A. circuit track. On a sunny day, Thunder Park offers a competition-style hydroplane raceway loop. Try to find the hidden 9 seconds-boot on this track. Each boost icon can only be picked up once on this track. This is crazy fun in multiplayer, but I suggest using the faster type model because its just a square track (basically). Lost Island ----------- Located somehwere in the South Pacific, the Lost Island track offers a fast-paced trek through a volcanic island. Lush greenery, native villages, ancient ruins, and numerous secrets await you! Fairly simple track. I suggest the better turning boat, because some of these turns are pretty wicked, but using the faster boat is another possibility. SECRETS: - Shortcut through the first waterfall right before the first checkpoint. - After racing through the huts with spears flying out of the huts, veer to the left and you will see a rock. Race towards it, and you should see a shortcut through the mountain. - Jump through the flaming volcano and get the +9 boost icon. Arctic Circle ------------- Gigantic ice formations and a variety of wildlife line this unique track. The race starts near a fishing village high above sea level, continues in a river that winds its way down a glacier, through water-carved ice tunnels until finally dropping you to the ocean for the remainder of the race. Take up a fast boat. Just hang around, grabbing boost icons and going through the ship to take the shortcut. Do that, and you have an easy first place. SECRETS: - Right before the first checkpoint, race up the ramp between the 2 houses. - After exiting the first tunnel, between the 2 arrows. Hydro jump though the mountain. - Enter the ship on the left side of the track, near the end of the race. Its right where the penguins are hanging out. =============== =Medium Tracks= =============== Greek Isles ----------- Greek Isles water track winds through both modern towns and the ancient ruins, providing one of the most visually stunning tracks available. This is a bright and challenging track, highlighted by a downhill sliding finish. Sharp turns. Use the Damn the Torpedoes boat. This is amazingly hard, and you can get screwed on the last downhill part. This one was pretty tough. SECRETS: - First waterfall located on the left side of the track. Lake Powell ----------- Lake Poweel, located in Utah, is one of the largest man-made lakes in the world. With its gigantic narrow canyon walls, 1000 year old Anasazi ruins and smooth water, it is the perfect place for a high speed superboat race. Unfortunately, the Utah State Police do not agree. Lots of turning, so I suggest a good turning boat, but theres also a lot of jumping so a flying type boat could be smart to use. Theres a lot of different boats you can use, so I wont go too deep. SECRETS: - 1st waterfall; go through it - Near the end of the track, there will be 2 docks located on both the left and right side. There will be a ramp between the 2 areas, hydro jump on the left side of the dock. There will be an opening to the mountain with a hiddem boost icon. The Far East ------------ The Far East track, located on a river deep in the misty mountains of China, offeres a unique blend of challenging river racing and beautiful scenery. The river drops from the mountains into small villages, ancient brick canals and even through palace motes. Nothing really special. Get a fast boat, and your set. Fairly easy. ============= =Hard Tracks= ============= Ship Graveyard -------------- This deserted atoll was once a productive military shipyard. Now endless numbers of forgotten, decrepit naval ships line the coast as far as the eye can see, forming a maz-like water raceway in and out of hollow steel hulls. Rough waves, shark infested watersm stormy weather and the military police await you. Interesting track, probably my favorite of the non-bonus ones. Grab the boat with best turning, this has some of the deadliest turns, and if you go to fast, you are going to hit the wall a bunch. Venice Canals ------------- Ah, Venice. One thinks of lovers, romance and of course the ear-piercing roar of sixteen super-boat motors tearing through the moonlit canals! With its extremely sharp turns that never let up, Venice Canals is arguably the most difficult track in Hydro Thunder. Best turning boat is required. You will get killed with any other boat, and theres no chance you are going to get above 5th place without a good turning boat. New York Disaster ----------------- A giant meteor has destroyed the Big Apple and flooded its once crowded streets. Sounds like a fun race, huh? Tear though the remains of the late city, avoiding the N.Y.P.D. and the countless submerged vehicles along the way, until you come crashing down to a tragic finish. Fast track needs a fast boat. I suggest the medium fast boat, its fairly nice, but you can go full-blown with the hard fast boat. If you are lucky, you will get 1st on your first try, but I doubt it. Your best bet is with the MED FAST boat. ============== =Bonus Tracks= ============== Hydro Speedway -------------- Set at night, Hydro Speedway is another circuit track in the game. With fast-paced excitement, and boost icons at every turn, Hydro Speedway will test even the best racer. NOTES WILL BE ADDED IN A FUTURE REVISION CATACOMB -------- Go full throttle through a mysterious cavern filled with crashed ships, sharp rocks and of course, the competition. Turn and Hydro Jump your way into victory, if you can. NOTES WILL BE ADDED IN A FUTURE REVISION Castle Von Dandy ---------------- Journey to Scotland and take a watery romp through an abandoned castle. Steer around the mat and ancient graveyard to victory! NOTES WILL BE ADDED IN A FUTURE REVISION Nile Adventure -------------- Race through ancient pyramids and narrow waterways. This track features danger at every sharp turn. This is the longest track in Hydro Thunder. Use the best turning boat that you like. These sharp turns spell havoc to an unexpecting racer. Just make sure you are prepared for these turns, and with a nice turning boat, it should not be too much trouble. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= V. THE BOATS ============ =Easy Boats= ============ Damned the Torpedoes -------------------- Description : Damn the Torpedoes is a good introductory boat for racing. Although it is slower than most boats in speed and Might Hull activation time, it is ideal for the beginning racer. Motor Type : Twin 525 HP Turbo-charged Silva trek motors, each driving a single extra-large prop Booster Type : Embedded twin mega-rockets Review : Great beginner boat, I suggest this for all 3 easy tracks, and you can probably win the MED ones too. Midway ------ Description : Very stable and not susceptible to being knocked around by other boats, Midway is another good choice for the beginning racer. Midwayıs weaknesses are its slow booster and Mighty Hull activation times. Motor Type : Marine 850 HP Browning V-Drive with a sing extra-large prop Booster Type : Twin V-Drive motors Review : An ok racer, its nothing compared to the DTT, so I would not bother with this other then to experiment with it. Miss Behave ----------- Description : Able to slice water for better turning, Miss Behave is one of the smallest boats in the H.T.R.A. lineup. The boosters are slightly under-powered byt Miss Behaves real strength lies in her ability to glide while in the air. With parts salvaged from a World War II aircraft, Miss Behave is the ³flyer² of the beginning boats. Motor Type : Customized Goffman 1800 HP motor driving twin counter- rotating props. Booster Type : Binary micro-rockets coupled with a single ultra-blower. Review : Again, a ok boat, but the DTT is the best of the EASY boats. ============== =Medium Boats= ============== Banshee ------- Description : Once a standard hydroplane, Banshee was altered for H.T.R.A. racing. Banshee is lightweight and easily knocked around by other boats, but once youıve mastered the unique handling of the boat you may never choose another boat again! Motor Type : 900 Hp Patterson Fire-Spitter Twin Turbine driving a single hyper-angle prop. Booster Type : Twin micro-rockets Review : Great boat, but it takes forever to get the handling right. Sort of like the Speed 12 from GT2. I recommend that you try to learn how to use this bad boy. Tidal Blade ----------- Description : Tidal Blades sleek, dragster-like hull design allows it to slice through any water condition. When you have activated your Mighty hull feature, use Tidal Blades long bow to knock the competition out of the water. At times, if Tidal Blade gets bumped, it can be hard to control and keep stable. Motor Type : Modified, dual-exhaust 2000 HP Carbonyl dragster motor driving a specialty monster prop. Booster Type : Twin micro-rockets. Review : Good boat, but if you get knocked by something, it can be extremely hard to recover and you can lose a lot of time. It is still worth a look at though. Thresher -------- Description : Known as the ³caddy² of the H.T.R.A. lineup, Thresher is the easiest boat to control. Big and heavy, the boat is well balanced and is easy to steer. Although it has a fairly slow Mighty Hull activation time, Threshers secret weapon is its ability to knock opponents around by using its heavy frame. Motor Type : Dual 800 HP Turbo-charged Wilson motors, each driving oversized props. Booster Type : Swivel-mounted harness with twin mega-rockets. Review : Nice turns, but its best use is to nail your opponents. Dont expect to be out-running them so thats your best way to win. ============ =Hard Boats= ============ Cutthroat --------- Description : Lightweight and as close to a military jet fighter as you can get, Cutthroat is one of the best boats in the H.T.R.A lineup. Heavily altered and using ³borrowed² military hardware, Cutthroat ca soar off of H.T.R.A. ramps or other objects for great distances. Use this to your advantage. Even though it has an extremely fast Mighty Hull activation time, it is vert light and easily tossed around by other boats. Motor Type : Single 1200 Ranck 1 racing engline with dual, counter-rotating stock props. Booster Type : Binary mega-rocket thrusters Review : Good boat. Read the description why. Rad Hazard ---------- Description : Created with scrap parts found outside the U.S. Government Area 51 property, Rad Hazard is recommended for the most experienced racers. Use the boosters to help you take corners better. The fast Mighty Hull activation time helps to keep the competition away. Fast and powerful, Rad Hazard is a boat to be reckoned with. Motor Type : Some form of antimatter, subatomic energy, driving a single dual-cast prop. Booster Type : Bursts of nuetralizaed antimatter ventilation Review : Great boat, if you can tame it. Best strategy is in the description. Experiment with it a little. You may like it. Razarback --------- Description : The most difficult boat to control in the H.T.R.A lineup! Once thought of as a total design failure, Razorback was forgotten until an H.T.R.A. member learned the secret to mastering this fast and furious boat! With speed and Mighty Hull activation time like no other, Razerback is recommended for only the most experienced racers. Motor Type : Triple 650 HP Starick 5.7 inboards, each with a single DuRanc prop. Booster Type : Triple suercharged outboards, each with dual, counter- rotation DuRanc props. Review : Hard. Really hard. I can not get it to turn without slowing down. Play with it, but I cant imagine you will get it down in a couple of times. ============= =Bonus Boats= ============= ADDED IN A FUTURE REVISION, ONCE I ACTUALLY GET THEM.... ================== =Comparison Chart= ================== =============================================================================== | BOAT | STRAT | MOTOR | BOOST | CNTRL. | STAB. | M.H. | IMPACT| |-----------------------------------------------------------------------------| |Damned the Torpedoes | DEF | ** | * | **** | **** | ** | **** | |-----------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Midway | DEF | *** | ** | *** | **** | ** | **** | |-----------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Miss Behave | DEF | *** | ** | *** | **** | *** | **** | |-----------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Banshee | DEF | *** | ** | **** | *** | *** | ** | |-----------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Tidal Blade | OFF | ***** | **** | *** | *** | **** | *** | |-----------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Thresher | DEF | ** | * | ***** | ***** | ** | ***** | |-----------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Cut Throat | OFF | **** | *** | **** | ** | *****| * | |-----------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Razorback | UNK | **** | ***** | * | * | *****| * | |-----------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Rad Hazard | OFF | **** | **** | ** | ** | *****| ***** | =============================================================================== Key: (Each trait is based on 5 stars, one being the lowest, 5 being the highest) Strat = Strategy Motor = Motor Speed Boost = Boost Speed CNTRL = Control Stab = Stability M.H. = Might Hull Activation Speed Impact = Impact Resistance =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= VI. GAMESHARK CODES (from gameshark.com) Enable Code f124ffa02400 Place 1st 812c4c960001 Infinite Turbo 802c4c9d00ff Enable All Tracks 812b5c940101 812b5c960101 812b5c980101 812b5c9a0101 812b5c9c0101 812b5c9e0101 812b5ca00101 Enable All Boats 812b5ca20101 812b5ca40101 812b5ca60101 812b5ca80101 812b5caa0101 812b5cac0101 812b5cae0101 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= VII. BASICS OF WINNING Heres some small tips on getting that first place position on those damned, HARD and BONUS tracks: MIGHT HULL. Use it wisely, grasshopper. Save that boost until you have someone in your range, and nail him. Donıt wait too long to catch up to him. You want to be using your boost 95% of the race. If you dont, you wont be able to catch up to that pesky first place driver. TAKE CORNERS SHARP. Take them too wide, and you are gone. Below, is a map to bring out my point. --------------------- | | | ++++++++++++ | +|--------- | + | | + | | + | | | The + mark is your best pathway. Of course, some boats just canıt take corners like that, but that should give you a basic idea on how you should take corners. Keep in mind that if you have a boat in your sites, you can use your Mighty Hull instead of trying to out race him. EXTRA BOOST. Hit acceleration when the clock turns to 1. This helps a lot, and you can usually get into 14th place in 5 or less seconds. This takes some carefull adjustment because theres only a second or 2 area where it works. Once you get it down, you will always get it, and it will help you out on every race. BOOST ICONS. Grab everyone. If theres 2, get the +9 if you can. The more you have, the longer you are in boost mode, and you need to be in boost mode for around 90-95% of the race. USE THE RIGHT BOAT. If your doing a sharp-turned course, donıt use the fastest boat! Try the course out first, and decide what boat you want before you actually race. Getting first will be a lot easier once you find the right boat. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= VIII. CREDITS CJAYC - For creating the coolest site on the net and hosting this FAQ. Midway - Umm...yeah for making this game. Gameshark.com - For the codes =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= XI. AUTHORS NOTE Thanks to all who contributed so far. Feel free to submit youıre own strategy. Most likely, it will be added on. Also, critique the ones posted, find out if theres a problem, and the solution. All compliments, suggestions, tips, and money donations (just kidding) can be sent to cnick_1@hotmail.com ***UPDATE*** I dont have the game anymore, so for me to finish the FAQ, I will need your help! Write about the bonus cars, and/or bonus tracks, some info from the game (if there is any), and a small review on how good it is. The contribution will be much appreciated, and I will be able to finish this guide. ***UPDATE*** Iıve gotten some weird emails...so I decided to add this: Emails I will read: ------------------- - Anything to do with Hydro Thunder - Contributions - Compliments - Tips to go in the Basics of Winning section Emails that I will throw away: ------------------------------ - Threats - Idiotic Messages - Mail asking for this Guide to be put on their site HYDRO THUNDER RACING GUIDE (c) 2000 CNICK -End of FAQ-