Hydro Thunder Hurricaneis a fast-paced and frenetic arcade boat racing game that thrives off of keeping players in the thick of the water-soaked action.Hurricaneis the follow-up to the much-loved arcade game,Hyrdo Thunder. This sequel really ups the ante when it comes to crazy racing courses, powerful speedboats, and enough secret routes to form their own tracks.
RELATED:Racing Games That Have Amazing Lore
For fans of all thingsHydro Thunder Hurricane, there are myriad games to play with a similar vibe and style, set across a host of different platforms. Whether players seek to race as a lone wolf or with their friends, there are tons of exciting racing games to try out that will surely scratch thatHydro Thunder Hurricaneitch.
8Hotshot Racing
Hotshot Racingis an utterly vibrant arcade racer that is as colorful as it is blazingly fast.Hotshot Racingis really all about the thrills of winning with as much style and speed as possible. This game sees players choosing from a myriad roster of racers and vehicles, with each one being customizable.
Tracks are completely diverse and range from exploring a massive castle area to a gorgeous seaside town. No two races feel the same given the sheer velocity at which players find themselves zooming across the tracks.
7Blood Wake
Blood Wakeis ahighly unique and underratedship combat game that blends speed and action nicely.Blood Wakewas an original Xbox game that was a console exclusive and launched around the time the console was released. This game sees players duke it out across some creative maps with the ultimate goal of being to destroy the other speedboats.
Using a plethora of powerful weapons, players would guide their battle-ready boats through waves and wakes in order to lay waste to opponents. While the game did feature single-player options, it was best enjoyed in local multiplayer.Blood Wakefeels like a water-themed version of the belovedTwisted Metalseries.
6Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Mario Kart 8 Deluxelikely needs no introduction as itcontinues to be a juggernaut on the Nintendo Switch. There are many reasons why this kart racer is so enjoyable but much of the fun comes down to the sheer chaos and shenanigans that ensue when playing against friends or family online or in local multiplayer.
RELATED:Super Mario Power-Ups That Should Be in Mario Kart 9
Mario Kart 8 Deluxeis brimming with content. There are dozens upon dozens of amazing tracks, myriad Nintendo characters to choose from, and a bounty of pickups that can be used both defensively and offensively. It’s a downright enjoyable and fluid game that shouldn’t be missed for fans of arcade-style racers.
5Riptide GP: Renegade
Riptide GP: Renegadeis probably the closest game on this list toHydro Thunder Hurricane. Much likeHydro Thunder,Riptide GP: Renegadesees players race through a plethora of water-logged stagesin a sort of dystopian society.
The watercraft in this game are more reminiscent of jet skis and move about swiftly through the bumpy waters. While the game often feels like a mobile experience, there’s still a lot to love for fans of water-themed racing, fast vehicles, and arcade tendencies.
4Burnout Paradise
Burnout Paradiseis a blazingly fast arcade racer that would have fit right at home in arcade cabinets back in the early 90s. Fortunately, this easily accessible game in the long-runningBurnoutfranchise can be played on virtually all consoles as well as PC.Burnout Paradiseeschews the more linear nature of previous titlesin favor of an explorable paradise.
Players race through various events across the tropical, oceanside city of Paradise City, a location filled with secrets and hidden places to explore. Apart from the extensive roster of vehicles,Burnout Paradisewas most known for the ability to start events at the various stoplights and intersections strewn about the city.
3Diddy Kong Racing
Diddy Kong Racingis a remarkable kart racing game that perfectly blended mutiple racing styles, namely, kart racing, plane racing, and boat racing.Diddy Kong Racingtook what madeMario Kartso specialbut added a lovingly crafted adventure mode set across diverse and vibrant themed maps with item pickups that could be upgraded by picking up the same balloon colors.
RELATED:The Best Kart Racers You Can Play On PC
The fact that this game let players explore tracks via karts, planes, and mini boats made it a real treat.A remaster of this gamecould really show modern gamers that kart racers need to diversify in order to maintain longevity through fresh experiences. The sense of levity and charming pouring throughDiddy Kong Racingstill enables it to hold up against the most popular kart racers.
2Crazy Taxi
For something completely different but still within the framework of arcade-style racers, look no further thanCrazy Taxi.Crazy Taxiis a highly enjoyable game that tasks players with exploring a San Francisco-inspired world where the ultimate goal was simply to be a taxi driver, specifically, a very off-the-wall one.
Style, speed, and crazy driving are the name of the game inCrazy Taxi. Being able to drive and jump across fun city locations while picking up customers to then try and earn the most money in a brief time limit is still just as fun in the modern gaming landscape. There is just something so pure and fun aboutCrazy Taxithat really hasn’t been equaled.
1Wave Race 64
Wave Race 64was a thrilling arcade-style racer featuring jet skis.This Nintendo 64 game was really quite a treatupon its initial release, mostly because there hadn’t been many water-themed racers. While still an arcade game,Wave Race 64took many players quite a bit of time to get to grips with, mostly down to learning the controls.
The game has a fantastic sense of speed as players blaze across multiple watery track locations. A big part of the gameplay here was being able to successfully navigate through buoys that often acted as checkpoints to get more time.Wave Race 64might not hold up in terms of modern racing games, but it’s still a blast with friends or family in local multiplayer.
