Once upon a time, Jet-Ski games were all the rage. Arcade cabinets and fifth generation consoles were replete with these high-speed polygonal racers that sent you careening around tracks set in sunny locales with bobbing water physics. Aqua Jet was an early example of the trend and released the very same year as Wave Race 64. Now, you can play it in all its glory on Switch 2.
Hamster Corporation has recently released two other classic Namco arcade titles on the new console in Air Combat and Ridge Racer, and Aqua Jet is just as lovingly curated as those games. In lieu of riding a replica personal watercraft, like the original cabinet offered, there's some nice feedback from the HD rumble and togglable gyroscopic controls. Elsewhere, there are widescreen format options and the ability to play both English and Japanese versions of the ROM.
There is such a wealth of customisation and ways to tailor your experience here that it's a shame the actual game doesn't warrant much of your time. Only two courses are available and unlocked from the start, with the advanced course being simply an extension of the normal course.
The Switch 2 version features High Score and Time Attack modes, which offer some replay value, while a Caravan mode gives players a continuous five-minute block to set the best scores. You can also rewind if you're not happy with a turn.
The tracks still look great, with bright colours popping in both docked and undocked modes and an impressive sense of speed. Big jumps send you plunging underwater to catch a brief glimpse of the fauna, while whales and helicopters dart about at the periphery of the course.
Mirror variants and a goofy penguin mode can be unlocked with cheats detailed in the menus, but that’s still only two more versions of the same track. So unless you're a hardcore aquatic racing fan, or a big fan of the arcade original, this might not be the right game for you.
Aqua Jet offers one other nice feature in online leaderboards to keep you cracking away at course times, but with no multiplayer, there's barely any reason to revisit this once you're satisfied with your performance.
Still, Hamster has done another solid job bringing a '90s arcade classic to Switch 2 and making it sing. Unfortunately, without much content present in the base game, there are only so many times you can revisit this colourful racer before things get repetitive.
Comments 34
The whole appeal of the arcade machine was its custom made control scheme by which you actually felt like you were controlling a jet-ski. Lose that, and the game becomes little more than your standard racing game.
It's an old arcade game. Drop in a coin and play for a bit.
Looks good, hopefully anyone who plays this enjoys it!
The price of these Arcade Archives games of late has gotten a bit steep, and from looking at the eshop they are offering 2 versions, S1 and S2, i don't really see the point, what's different?
I have bought about 15 of these while i am pleased with the emulation and options however the variety of games is lacking, still waiting for R-Type Leo.
So far I've picked up all these Arcade Archives 2 versions, $17 is a lot, sure, but these games are much more difficult to emulate properly, plus the extra modes are nice. I feel better paying $17 for this than $8 for Pac-Man.
Aqua Jet is actually my favorite of the three so far, it's only got the two tracks and mirrored versions, but the controls feel so good even on an analog stick and the graphics are quite pretty. Hoping they skip Ridge Racer 2 and go straight to Rave Racer or Time Crisis.
@HalfAWorldAway The Switch 2 versions add VRR, Time Attack mode, Online multiplayer (when applicable, so far none of the three have it), rewind, quick start, and 5 save slots instead of 1 quick save. Worth the extra 2 bucks imo
Reminds me of that Hydro Thunder cabinet I played from time to time at a pizza buffet...Never was the best at it, but still...
@stephalear
Yeah I agree. (Though I'll probably get it anyway since I'm old/nostalgia/etc!) The best part of this game was the arcade experience.
Hmm. Wow. I missed Air Combat coming out?! (Looks like it was the week I was on vacation in Mexico). I'll have to grab it sometime.
@IceClimbersMain Cyber Commando would be the most unique System 22 title they could give us, so I'm hoping for that one.
Oh wave race how I miss you…
Maybe it's in and not mentioned but they need to start utilising the HD Rumble for these sorts of games to mimic the arcade feeling. Imagine a jet ski game that simulates the sensation of water bobbing as you're riding. That would be pretty gnarly.
A single track for fifteen bucks is ridonkadonk. I love Hamster, I have a whole slew of AA and Neo-Geo games of theirs...but these extra high prices for these 'special' games (what makes them so much more special? who knows!) is going to keep me from buying any of them. There's not even an IP like Star Wars or something that needs to be upcharged for their needing to license it.
Wave Race: Blue Storm for NSO GC?
I felt that I got mugged for buying Ridge racer, I won't be making the same mistake again. The price point for me should be £2.99.
This game makes me vom a little bit. Sorry not sorry
Thanks for the review, while not a priority for me also considering the cons (and that I really should finally play Wave Race 64 first and foremost, also hope that Blue Storm will eventually come to NSO) I'm still interested in getting this at some point - regardless, hope those going for it will enjoy it!
I don't get the price for these games, you pay more but get less contents in return. I know it's an old arcade game but I had a feeling that they overcharge these just cause they are 3D games. I think I'll wait for a sale on these.
@HalfAWorldAway It's a good game, but isn't an R Type game other than in name.
@WheresWaveRace Wave Race 64 eats pieces of **** like this for breakfast
I would love a NEW wave race game that takes advantage of the Switch 2 hardware.
If you're entering this expecting Wave Race you clearly don't understand what this experience was. This was more like an interactive ride than an arcade game; an experience. I appreciate having this port not for never-ending amazing gameplay but more for preservation than anything else. It was nice to see again and to jump back into that world, even if it's very short-lived. Whether that's worth 16 bucks to you or not, is up to you.
@TenEighty Yeah I don't understand how this is being compared to a home console full fledged game. That's not what this is, or was intended to be.
I’ve enjoyed the game a lot, yes it’s only one track and a slightly different version of it, but it’s got that immediate satisfaction only an arcade game can give.
The funniest thing to me is that all these years later and Wave Race 64 is still the best jet ski racing game ever, and believe me I’ve tried loads of the alternatives hoping someone could scratch that itch. Aqua Jet is probably one of the stronger contenders too!
@BulkSlash Wave Race 64 is the golden standard for sure, even Blue Storm pales by comparison.
@BulkSlash
So on point!
I never got the same satisfaction from Bluestorm as from the 64 version, still remember the fog lifting over Drake Lake when closing my eyes
As someone above mentioned, bring on some Wave Race to Switch 2 pretty please 😁
@w1p3out
Yeah, if this were an arcade game with as many courses or features as WaveRace, you would have spent a lot of coin back in the day.
Wait a minute: Switch 2 version, the Arcade Archives 2 version, the 16,99 € one, wasn't supposed to come with online multiplayer and other enhancements over the standard version? Why the couple extra euros / dollars / pounds then?
@Moroboshi876
Literally says on their site it doesn't include network mode, so not sure where you're getting that expectation. The 2 dollars is for it including VRR to "closely reproduce the original arcade gameplay", which the S2 is powerful enough to do. Whether that's worth it for you or not is up to you.
@datamonkey For real, yo!
@canaryfarmer wait for Hamster sale
@w1p3out I can tell you.
Straight from the Wikipedia:
In May 2024, Hamster announced ACA 2 Neo Geo[c] for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. Main features of standard ACA 2 Neo Geo games include Time Attack and Network (online play) modes.
Arcade Archives has always had all the features from ACA Neo Geo, thus the upgraded version is expected to have them too. If not, I can't see why the difference in price between Switch and Switch 2 version, as if it wasn't enough to double the price of regular arcade releases, which I find reasonable but many people think should be cheaper because of their age.
@kendomustdie Noticed a typo: "it's age" should be "its age".
Thanks for reviewing. As someone developing their own jet ski racing game, I'm always interested in these types of titles. Even if they're relatively short and simple.
@Qwiff good luck with your game! We need more jet ski racers!
Cheers for the review.
Sounds sweet from a retro perspective but I can't see playing it much beyond the first set of playthroughs. Even in a "pick up and play" way. Maybe I'll download it when deeply discounted
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