Win Your Custom Boat Skin in Hydro Thunder Hurricane

UPDATE:  The Design-A-Skin contest is now closed.  We will be announcing the winners shortly.  Thanks.

Vector Unit announces user-generated Design-A-Skin Contest  

San Rafael, CA – August 16, 2010.  Vector Unit, the developer of Hydro Thunder Hurricane announces the Hydro Thunder Hurricane Design-A-Skin Contest:  two winners will each art-direct their own custom boat skin for inclusion in the hit game’s upcoming downloadable expansion pack.

To enter, contestants simply upload a video of themselves to YouTube yelling out the name of the game in the classic Hydro Thunder announcer’s voice, “Hydroooo Thunnnnderrrr HURRICAAANE!”, and describe the skin they’d like to see for their favorite boat.

On August 23, two winners will be selected to make their mark on Hydro Thunder history by having their custom skin idea created for the boat of their choice.  Each winner will also receive a code for a free copy of the downloadable content pack when it becomes available early this fall.

“Every Hydro Thunder fan has his or her favorite boat,” says Vector Unit’s Creative Director Matt Small.  “We’ve received such enthusiastic feedback from players about the online game, including tons of ideas for new skins -- how they’d love to have an all-platinum Razorback, or an old timey wooden Damn the Torpedoes.  We figured, why not make it a contest and see what people come up with?”

“The best part is, you don’t have to be an artist to enter this contest.  Just describe what you want, and if you win we make it.  Then you get to play against friends and online in your very own boat skin.  All you need is some love for the game and a little imagination.”

A full description of the contest and rules about how to enter is available on Vector Unit's website atwww.vectorunit.com/hth-contest.  A video announcement of the contest is also available on Vector Unit's YouTube channel:  http://www.youtube.com/vectorunit.

Hydro Thunder Hurricane is the official sequel to the classic Midway hit Hydro Thunder, and is a Summer of Arcade selection available for download exclusively on Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE Arcade.  In addition to single player game modes like Race, Ring Master, and Championship, the game supports a thriving multiplayer community with 8 player online matches, 4 player split screen, and support for local split-screen plus online in combination.

Vector Unit Brings Back Arcade Favorite with Hydro Thunder Hurricane

Boston, MA – March 26, 2010, Microsoft Game Studios and developer Vector Unit today announced Hydro Thunder Hurricane, an Xbox LIVE Arcade-exclusive sequel to the legendary Midway speedboat racing arcade game.  Featuring all-new, over-the-top themed environments, rocket-powered speedboats, gorgeous visuals, and amazing dynamic water physics, Hydro Thunder Hurricane is the adrenaline dripping sequel fans have been waiting for.

Hydro Thunder Hurricane includes 8 brand new "theme park" environments, each set in a different location around the globe.  Each world is packed with animated surprises, destructible objects, and special events that players trigger in-game. New game modes include Ring Master, a series of slalom-style challenges with progressive difficulties;Gauntlet, an explosive new take on time trial; and a series of multi-event Championships. Fan favorite speedboats from the original Hydro Thunder also make a return like Razorback, Cutthroat, and the flying saucer shaped Rad Hazard with beautifully redesigned models, multiple unlockable skins, and articulated boost animations with massive rockets folding out from hidden compartments.  Each boat features unique handling characteristics.

"We're huge fans of the original Hydro Thunder," says Matt Small, Creative Director at Vector Unit.  "There's so much there that already works -- the exhilarating boost speeds, the crazy shortcuts, the gigantic jumps and drop-offs.  We knew we wanted to keep all of that -- even add more of it.  At the same time, we had to bring something new to the table, something more than just recreating the original game with high-res graphics."

Technical Director Ralf Knoesel adds, "We decided to take the ideas that worked from the original, and then start over from scratch.  The water physics engine is completely new. Everything affects the racing surface -- the boats leave wakes behind them that other boats can jump off or draft in, falling rocks and explosions create huge waves, we've got wave machines, whirlpools, the works.  The water is always changing, so you never get exactly the same race twice."

Hydro Thunder Hurricane introduces support for 8-player online racing on Xbox LIVE..  The game also allows for local split screen multiplayer with up to 4 players -- or any combination of local and online play.   In addition to races, players can team up in the new Rubber Ducky game mode.

Hydro Thunder Hurricane is showcasing at Penny Arcade Expo East at booth #811 this weekend. The game launches summer 2010, exclusively available only on Xbox LIVE Arcade.