Splashdown (PS2)

For a watercraft fanatic like me, there are precious few games available that help satisfy my need for all things Sea-Doo. I can think of four - Waveracer or whatever it was called on the N64, and then the sequel on the gamecube. Both good games, but for some reason they never grabbed me. Probably because I'm more of a sit-down fan than a stand-up jet ski fan. Then there was the truly dire Kawasaki Jet Ski watercraft - probably the worst let down of a game ever. It was more or less devoid of any entertainment value, no matter how hard I tried to develop a liking for it. Thankfully, the 4th game, Splashdown, is a cracker. As everyone else has said, one ...  Read the complete review

Splashdown is the newest release from Rainbow Studios, makers of the highly acclaimed but little played ATV off-road. In a way it's a sort of sequel to this with the action transferred to jet-skis. The basic idea is to race around courses in various locations while performing tricks to boost your craft's top speed. This can be done in an arcade timer mode, a 20 race championship or against a friend. The first thing to strike you is the graphics. Water has always been hard to pull off graphically, and this is the best attempt I've yet seen, with suitable reflections, shimmering and ripples. The craft themselves are nicely drawn, and spray ...  Read the complete review

Personal watercraft riding is a sport that has became popular within the last twenty years, it is great fun to participate in and equally enjoyable to watch on the television. Fast watercrafts, tricks, and the blue sea, sounds great for a game yet unfortunately there aren’t really any decent games that capture the excitement of the sport, that is until now, because this time the game is made by Infogrames a company that has brought you epic titles such as Alone In The Dark, Unreal Tournament and the infamous Driver series, so prepare yourself for the waves because this is Splashdown! GRAPHICS Upon viewing a game for the first time it is generally ...  Read the complete review

I'm new to gaming and had no idea what's good and what's not, Ok I've heard of the big players GT3, GTA3, MGS etc. but I was reluctant to spend full price on a major title knowing my abilities wouldn't do it justice. I spotted Splashdown at sale price of £30 and thought I'd give it a go. My main reason for picking this is that I used to have my own jet ski and spent all my time on the lake until I developed back trouble from a road traffic accident and had to quit! So I know what it’s like and believe me the way the ski performs and handles in the game and the way it bounces around in the water and aquaplanes? Well it’s pretty darn good. I ...  Read the complete review