Customer Reviews

Splashdown: Rides Gone Wild

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

With 20 huge levels and state of the art water realism splashdown boasts the best water racing game ever made. I played this game through and found it offered extremely well planned levels and great physics like its highly aclaimed brother "ATV off-road fury".
On a scale of one to ten...
Graphics 9.6
Sound 9.2
Gameplay 9.5
Control 9.4
Load Time 9.7
Characters 7.6
Levels 8.9
Replay value 8.5
Overall 9.4
The things I would change about this game have little importance as to how fun the game is but i wish the levels were a little more interactive, its like floating through a still life and that the characters wernt so wacky, it takes away from the games realism with the stupid voices which I ended up turning off. Fantastic game overall

I don't usually buy games like this but when I saw the pictures of Splashdown I knew I had to have it. Needless to say, I was not disappointed. This game is absolutely amazing! I have a Sea Doo and ride it every summer and this game captures the exact feeling you have when you're actually out there in the water. The only difference is you don't get wet when you play this game which is actually a good thing when it's winter time and the water is too cold. I don't know how they made this game but they are geniuses.

I recently purchased Splash Down. I am a big fan of Rainbow Studios and the games they create. Once again i was not disappointed. You really get the feeling of riding a jet ski in the water. The water is so realistic you think the waves are going to come through the screen. The handling of the ski is right on. The music, courses, features, etc... are great. I highly recommend this game to anyone.

There are 3 major Jet Ski releases to come out in 2001. The first, Wave Race Blue Storm, was good, but didnt live up to expectations. I was disappointed with the awful play control and lack of very creative courses. THen there was wave rally for PS2, which is a mediocre game all together. Then there is splashdown- the one that blows the others out of the water! (no pun intended) This has got it all- silky smooth play controls, great graphics and framerate, plenty of tracks and riders to keep you occupied, multi player, and so much more. The tracks are innovative and creative. The multiplayer is even better. It also takes up hardly any memory card space. If you like these arcade-like racers, this should definately be your number one pick. The only complaint i have is that if you are doing a circuit- you have to race by yourself first on the course, to figure out where you will be placed for the next race, in which you race against challenging, but not extremely hard computer racers. This makes the circuit take a long time. But there is a time trial mode which is more worth your time. Get this game for the PS2. Its the best wave-racer to come out since Wave Race 64.

I wasn't sure what to expect from Infrogames Atari division with their Splashdown release. Much to my suprize, Splashdown is a highly addictive, blast to play. The control is precise, the water effects are amazing, and the racing is very challenging. (It is hard to win, even on easy mode.) The soundtrack has a few good, recognizable songs including Smash Mouth's All-Star. The trick system is somewhat easy to pull off, and as you will find out in the later levels of the game, if you don't pull off tricks, you will not win a race. This really adds to the challenge and replay of the game.

Overall, is this the best looking game on the PS2? No. Does it matter? Not at all!!! The gameplay is so much fun, you will wonder why you didn't quit reading these reviews sooner, and just buyed the game.

Bottomline... Splashdown is a very fun game, and it is the best jetski game for the PS2. If you liked Wave Race 64 on the N64, or Jet Moto on the Playstation, you will love Splashdown.

BUY THIS GAME!!!

I was very pleased with this game; it's graphics are exceptional (especially the ocean and waves)and the soundtrack is great. It's awesome to hear bands like Blink 182 and Smash Mouth, and all of the songs seem to fit the game.

The only problems I found with this game are: 1. Sometimes the songs are cut off before they end; also, apparently there is some sort of sound effects problem (read some other reviews) I really didn't notice it and I had the game on surround sound and;

2. You have to go around the flagged bouys (depending on the way its pointing) even on free ride mode. I'm one of those people who just likes to practice games like this and not have to follow directives on modes like free ride. If you don't go on the proper side or skip the bouy all together your jet ski stalls.

All in all its an excellent game with plenty of replay gameplay. Nearly 20 different tracks and more than 3 that aren't locked. Certainly an excellent choice for those who like water games.

This game is awe-some. I just bought Wav Rally and I can say I wasted [money]. I just rented Splashdown and decided it is a must have and bought it the same day. The graphics are better than Wav Rally and the stunts are so much better and easier to pull off. I love the 360 degree invert! So if you were like me at this moment and are wondering which to buy well just read these reviews on Splashdown vs. the reviews on Wav Rally.

I played this game at a friends house and it is really fun. The graphics aren't as good as wave race blue storm though. It has great tracks and doesn't get boring. You can go outside the track and won't send you back unless you go to far then it throws you all the way to the track. It is kind of hard to do tricks but still fun. NOTE:Madrid, Spain is the best track.

Atari, the great video maker of the 1980's, finally returns to next gen gaming with this aquatic journey of pure fun and excitement. I got this game for Christmas, and I have been playing it since then. It is simply a great game! The first thing that sticks out in my mind about this game is the beautiful visuals. The water effects are stunning, and the character and vehicle graphics are quite good as well. The backgrounds are nice and they tend to match the location.(Greek architecture in Greece.)

The jet skis in the game tend to control very realistically(except for the height of jumps). When you turn your watercraft it bobs around in the water like a real Sea-Doo. The watercrafts also respond to waves and turns just like a real Sea-Doo. The vibration on the PS2 Dual Shock is nice as well as it coincides with every bump or ramp that your Sea-Doo hits.

Next up is sound and the game has a very good soundtrack. It is a new age mixture of rock, punk, and hip-hop. The sound effects are also very good.

The only problem I have with this game is the difficulty of performing certain tricks. The first level of tricks are relatively easy, but then it gets extremely hard. Later on tricks require pushing two or three buttons as well as swiveling the joystick perfectly in a certain direction. It is very hard to perform, and even when you do figure it out it is hard to be consistent with it. The tricks should have been more like Tony Hawk or something.

Overall this game is really great. You will be mezmerized by the water effects which blow away N64's WaveRace. If you liked Waverace for N64 you will simply love this game. It is kinda like a jet-ski version of SSX, but not quite as fun or as stunning. But it really does deliver a great aquatic gaming experience. Look below for nemerical ratings

GRAPHICS : 9.5
CONTROL : 8.5 (BECAUSE OF THE TRICKS ONLY)
SOUND : 9.5
GAMEPLAY : 9.0
REPLAY VALUE : 8.5
STORYLINE : n/a PURE RACING GAAME, NOT MUCH STORY TO IT

*The game is a racing game. The game is not really about doing tricks. The tricks come into play, however, in that doing tricks causes your power meter to increase thus making your watercraft much faster. On harder levels it is impossible to win a race without doing tricks.The game is really quite difficult to play. It requires lots of playing time to perfect your skills!

three simple words sums up this game; very very good. i have been searching for a game that would have me catching air and fun racing too. there are many games out there to choose from but then i heard of SplashDown. just the name caught me so i had to see what this game was like. so here it is;

THE GOOD
the graphics are amazing. incredibly realistic waves. nothing like it out there.
the controls are great they do take a little while to pick up but once you get em they seem effortless.
the tricks are cool. lots of moto X moves like the nac nac heartbreaker superman etc.... lots of tricks though
the courses are long and fun, demanding quick turns and really get that blood rushing.
one thing i liked is you can go of course in the free mode and explore your surroundings
the physics of the game are the greatest part they really look like there floating and there is even a wake that forms when you turn sharp or land from a jump
there are lots of modes to choose from; free, circuit, multiplayer, time trials, this thing with baloons(quite fun)

THE BAD
the sound isnt really that good the music is all rock(good bands) , so if you like rap you wont be listenin
some of the offshore things like buildings and trucks that you see could be more detailed
the trick system is a little odd. some of the more complex tricks are hard to pull off and leave you wasting air time, also i would like to see more inverted stuff.not just a backflip.
there are only 4 opponents. thats not that many. it would be cool to have lots of people racing at one time. it would seem more challenging.
the load time is a little sluggish and can be a pain some times its nothing really significant though.
there only around 8 characters to choose from. id like a little more variety.

THE VERDICT
this is a great game it has some flaws but nothing harmful. it may get boring after a couple hours of strait playing so dont play it for 3 hours strait. the multiplayer mode is kinda bad it gets boring after a while. the graphics are amazing the gameplay rocks.its a good investment if you ask me so buy it.