02/07/00
NEW SNOWMOBILE RACING GAME AT DAVE AND BUSTER'S!!!!(Colorado Center)

Howdy folks, I visited D&B's yesterday and found a new game in the back. It's MIDWAY'S ARCTIC THUNDER. Arctic Thunder is a follow-up to HYDRO THUNDER. In Arctic Thunder, you race on snowmobiles on 6 tracks(2 easy, 2 medium and 2 hard) and choose for one of 6 different riders(3 guys, 2 girls and a gorilla) each with varying degrees of attack and defense capabilities. There are 4 Arctic Thunder machines linked together for multiplayer action. The sit-down machines feature a snowmobile you sit on with snowmobile handlebars for steering. Mounted in the steering is a small fan which blows air on you as you race, creating the illusion of being in a real snowmobile race.
The 6 tracks are wickedly fun. They feature massive cliff drops, active environments(In Moscow for example, a HUGE sub comes crashing through the ice as it surfaces on the frozen stream you're racing on) and beautiful graphics. The difficulty of the courses isn't a big issue because if you go off track, you will be bounced back on course and shouldn't have any more trouble finising a hard track than you would finnishing an easy one. Track design is creative too. There is a track called "Blizzard in D.C.", where you race in a snowpacked Capital straight into the white house hallways! Another track called "Haunted Forest" has giant Tarantualas and other movie related scares. Graphically, this game is gorgeous.
Control is pretty tight, and each character has different handling abilities. There is an attack button that you use to punch/kick your opponents off of their sleds. Also, the courses are strewn with power-ups, so you can fire weapons at your opponents like missiles, and turbo boosts. SPeaking of the turbo boosts, the seat in Arctic Thunder is equipped with a vibration feedback source, so as you race you feel the vibrations in your derriere. When you pick up a turbo boost, the seat vibrates REALLY HARD and it will really give you a shake!
ARCTIC THUNDER is a great racing game. Excellent control, beautiful graphics, creative game design and 4 player link racing add up to one of the most enjoyable arcade games to come along in a while. The only thing bad about it is it ain't cheap to play...but then, nothing at Dave and Buster's is! Do yourselves a favor and head on over to D&B's and give this game a go. It's in the back by the coupon redemption counter, where the 2 Ferrari F355 machines used to sit
--Mike O'Toole