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Hydro Thunder Returns, And WiiWare Goes Underwater

by Matt Miller on Jul 28, 2010 at 02:10 PM

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Take a look at the latest downloadable games, their prices, and video of them in action in Impulse Weekly.

Microsoft's Summer of Arcade continues this week with the release of Hydro Thunder Hurricane, a great new entry in the old Midway boat racing series, now developed by a small team at Vector Unit and published by Microsoft. The new game boasts eight ridiculous and over-the-top courses, filled one after another with strange sights and action. Dragons burst out of the water. Giant Norse god statues swing their hammers. There are a number of unlockable vehicles and skins and three different racing modes. The game is also chock full of multiplayer goodness, boasting four-player split-screen play and up to eight-player online multi. The new Hydro Thunder is out today, Wednesday July 28, for 1200 Microsoft points ($15). For fans of old-school arcade racers, it's a definite win.



WiiWare has a fascinating new game out this week that caught our eye. Dive: The Medes Islands Secret isn't the most catchy title we've ever heard, but the visuals and unique gameplay model help to make up for it. Dive is an underwater action game set in the real world Medes Islands, a gorgeous underwater wonderland near Catalonia, Spain. Players adopt the role of hero John Sanders as he braves the depth to uncover the mystery behind a lost crypt that sunk beneath the sea hundreds of years earlier. There are ten levels of exploration to be had, filled with dangerous underwater hazards, roaming sharks, and water-suffused ruins. Perhaps most impressive are the game's visuals, which stand out as truly outstanding on the Wii. Dive: The Medes Islands Secret is out now on WiiWare for 1000 Wii points ($10).

Heavy Fire: Special Operations also arrived on WiiWare this week from developer Teyon, offering a straight up rail-style shooter set in the Middle East for gamers looking for a little more action on their Nintendo console. The military shooter let's you use the remote to aim at the screen and shoot down enemy attackers. In keeping with the traditions of the genre, the game also includes a two-player cooperative mode, which could make for a fun afternoon of blowing stuff up. Heavy Fire can be yours for 500 Wii points ($5).

Not too much on the PlayStation Network side of things the last couple of weeks, but there is a sale on a great package including Blast Factor and its various add-ons for only $6.49 (down from $12.99). Blast Factor is a great multi-directional shooter that has you cleansing infected cells amid a kaleidoscope of colors and light.

Any of these games strike your fancy? And while we're on the subject of games you might like or dislike; who has finished Limbo at this point? What did you fine readers think of that?