4 Wheel Thunder
Score: 90% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: Midway Developer: Kalisto Entertainment Media: CD/1 Players: 1 - 2 Genre: Racing
Graphics & Sound: With the recent gas price hikes, countless numbers of people have been forced to hold off on their off-road adventures. To accommodate these people, 4 Wheel Thunder has been introduced and is an equal and much cheaper substitute. For the record, I've never been a huge racing guy, but I just threw that feeling out the window when I turned on 4 Wheel Thunder. The intro to this "Racing Phenom" was just incredible, and it totally put me in the mood to go racing with any all-terrain vehicle I could find. Thankfully, it didn't stop there. The details that were put into the 24 tracks were just incredible, especially at 60 frames per second. Each track has so much going on, you sometimes are just struck in awe of the beauty around you. There are indoor and outdoor tracks, and each one is completely different than the next. You also have your choice at four different types of off-road machines (Monster Truck, Buggy, Jeep and Quad), each with different capabilities that can be matched up for different tracks. The sound didn't back down from the pressure to match its counterpart. The music gets you pumped, and the car noises are loud, aggressive, and adrenaline pumping.
Gameplay: There are three different types of modes for 4 Wheel Thunder. First off, you can choose Arcade, where you must win to unlock more tracks, which is a norm. Second, they have a Championship mode, where you race to place in the top four, along with picking up some cash that is left on the track so you can upgrade your vehicle. In both of these, you will have to do deal with checkpoints. I didn't seem to have a big problem with these, but they are still there. Finally, take on your buddy in a Battle mode, where you have a few different games to prove who is the most allusive, quick, and cold-hearted between the two of you. The added feature I like in this game is the Boost Icons. During the race, you will have boost icons that consist of either four or nine seconds of extra power that are left on the track to help you increase your speed. If you don't pick these up, there is no way you will be close to winning. Also, many of the tracks have shortcuts to help you shave some time off and get you just that much closer to victory. One point of notice: no matter how many times you run into the wall or anything else, you will not damage your vehicle.
Difficulty: The difficulty in Thunder comes from the racing within. The farther you advance, the tougher the races will get. I found this out early in the first few tracks. There are no freebees in the race. You start well behind everyone else, and then you are expected to play catch-up, which is where the Boost and shortcuts come in to play. The computer AI in this is tough too. It won't ever run you off the road, but it does know the shortcuts.
Game Mechanics: One thing I did notice is that it took a little longer to load up than most Dreamcast games, but believe me, it is well worth it. Controlling your vehicle is a little tough at first, and at times, you may get out of control, so just slow down and you will get the hang of it. The default settings for the controller are well placed so that you can reach your accelerator, brake, and booster fine. I tried a little bit with manual transmission, and I found it to be tough, but it wouldn't be if I worked at it a little more. All in all, I loved this game. Once again, I am not a huge fan of racing games, but I think 4 Wheel Thunder just became my exception. The graphics and sound blew me away. The races are difficult to the point that I won't get frustrated, but I won't get bored. I would definitely recommend getting your hands on this game.
-Red Dawg, GameVortex Communications AKA Alex Redmann
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