2011/5/29: Xbox 360: Hydro Thunder Hurricane, Lego Pirates of the Caribbean

[Leo1]

[QUOTE=andrew][QUOTE=Leo]

Not sure how a arrow pointing downwards would signify that it was a download?

[/QUOTE]Maybe if you don't pc game I can understand but the downwards arrow has been the main logo used to signify downloads for over a decade.

[/QUOTE]

I play PC games. For many years over the past decade, it was where the bulk of my gaming time was spent until the past 2-3 years.

[Gardocki1]

[QUOTE=The Video Game Critic][QUOTE=Blueguy93]

About Lego Pirates, what makes it better than most Lego games, critic?

[/QUOTE]

With four movies, it's pretty long, and each stage has hidden areas that add to the replay value.  The stage design and graphics are the best I've seen in a Lego title.  Plus that new split-screen mechanism is pretty nifty.
[/QUOTE]

They've had they split screen option going on since Lego Indy 2......

[Crock1]

This is the first Lego game we've bought in a a while, and let me tell you -- with two kids THE SPLIT SCREEN IS AWESOME!!!

With the older Lego games, my kids were constantly fighting over which way to go.  It would get so bad, that my wife and I would ban them from playing for the rest of the day.  Now with this game, no more fighting.  Its a wonder to behold.

The split screen makes me question how we ever got by without it.  I guess from reading the other posts, that its not a new feature to this Lego game-- but its a great feature regardless....

[Geforcefly1]

Ah, Hydro Thunder Hurricane... such a blast!  By the way it was published by Vector Unit, not Midway.

[Orion1]

[QUOTE=Geforcefly]Ah, Hydro Thunder Hurricane... such a blast!  By the way it was published by Vector Unit, not Midway.
[/QUOTE]

Midway is in the middle of bankruptcy.  I'm not sure how Vector Unit came up with the license, but I know Vector Unit is a very SMALL company, with only two permanent employees.  For Hydro Thunder Hurricane they hired five contractors to help, so a total of seven people made that game.  Not bad!

[Leo1]

Midway isn't in the middle of bankruptcy. While I don't know if the book is 100% closed (There might be some lingering things going on in the courts), they're long gone as far as game development and publishing is concerned and all their assets, including the Hydro Thunder franchise, have been sold or auctioned off. Much of what was Midway went to Warner Brothers with the rest scattered to the winds.

Microsoft bought the rights to the Hydro Thunder franchise. This game is published by Microsoft Game Studios and the contract developers who programmed it for Microsoft were Vector Unit.

So if anyone read this review and hoped for a PSN release, don't hold your breath. 

[VideoGameCritic]

Thanks for the explanation Leo.

It may explain why the game is download only, since Microsoft was probably looking for some quality titles to stock Xbox Live with, and they probably got a deal on the Hydro Thunder franchise.

[Orion1]

I'm getting ready to purchase either a PS3 or an Xbox 360.  The existence of Hydro Thunder Hurricane reminds me that I better check out which system has the best downloadable exclusives.