Editorial Review: What do you get when you move the over-the-top gameplay of the water-based racer Hydro Thunder to gritty land-based environments? 4 Wheel Thunder, of course. This pseudosequel is a nice-looking game that manages to entertain despite its simplistic gameplay.
4 Wheel Thunder lets players race a variety of big-wheeled off-road monster cars and trucks across 24 tracks. The wide tracks are brimming with shortcuts, so exploration is encouraged. We had to practice for hours to find the proper racing line, as the computer opponents are incredibly difficult to beat until you've won a few races and upgraded your ride.
The graphics impressed us, as 4 Wheel Thunder has detailed vehicles that bounce through several well-rendered environments. Best of all, the frame rate is absolutely smooth regardless of how many objects are onscreen. The only thing lacking is deep gameplay. All of our time was spent picking up the speed-boost power-ups scattered around the track, which give a nice burst of speed for a few seconds. Unfortunately there are no other power-ups, weapons, or anything else to spice up the racing, making the game more monotonous than it should be. 4 Wheel Thunder is nowhere near as over the top as Hydro Thunder, but it's still a lot of fun as a pure racing game. --T. Byrl Baker
Pros:
Clean, detailed graphics that run at a smooth frame rate
Challenging gameplay
Cons:
Few power-ups mean the racing can get dull at times
Cheap computer opponents are frustrating until you can upgrade your vehicle
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - cool game
This game is for the hardcore extreme gamers. Unfortunently I am not one of them. This game is an arcade based with time limits, you also pretty much get first every time in order to move on. I dont know maybe some people like time limits but all my friends know, I DONT. Once I got bored with my other games I began to play it. I would of rated it better anyway if it wasent for one thing. It is very buggy. I would play and just about every race It seemed like the ground just dissappered to leave my truck/buggy to fall of the world to its doom. It some times freezes up in the begining where it says 3-2-1 and no GO.
Rating: - My kids love it.
You can race in lots of diffent ways. 2 players too.
Great fun!
Rating: - Top Notch Arcade Style Racing
If you like your racing games to be more of an 'arcade' experience and less of a simulation (like I do), then this is the game for you. Great Graphics, decent sound, solid control, and it's fast as hell. Highly recommended.
Rating: - A different kind of racing thunder....
I must admit, I rented this game somewhat apprehesingly, since I tend not to get along with most off-road racing games. Within five minutes (maybe even sooner) of playing this one all my concerns were thrown (quite forcibly) out the window.
To start off, the graphics (yes all reveiews start here) are amazing. It doesn't matter how many of the competitors are on the screen with you, the game runs at the same break-neck speed. This is one of the first times I've come to prefer the inside-the-cockpit view just so my vehicle doesn't block my view.
While it is true that the only extra thing added to the pedal-to-the-floor racing on the track are the Thunder series trademark boosts, this makes for strategy enough in my opinion. Add multiple paths galore in tracks that feel more like road trips than race tracks and I found myslef overwhelmed. One of my qualms with racers in general is that some tracks (even in my favorite racing games Wipeout XL and 64) are way too short. AS I have already said, these tracks (with the exception of the few added indoor tracks) are anything but short. Some of the later tracks are flat out evil in their complexity....
Yes, this game can be difficult. However it is NOT impossible. I was having so much fun, though, that coming in short and having to race the track again wasn't all that bad.
I find it hard to reccomend games. since my tatses are so odd (Persona, Rollcage II, Star Ocean, Darius G., and Thunder Force V). However, I cannot resist reccomending that you try this one out. You just never know what you've really been looking for....
Rating: - This Game is the BEST!!!
I did not used to be an avid gamer, until I played 4 wheel thunder. I was hooked from the second I got onto the wonderful and very realistic tracks. I played it all day, I skipped work and other important functions because I couldn't put the controller down!!! The graphics are really awesome and I feel like I am really in the cockpit of a fast speed race car. The thrill is incredible!!! I had never had aspirations to be a race car driver but I think I would love to exprerience the real life excitement on the race track. I love 4 wheeel thunder!!!
- cool game
- A different kind of racing thunder....
