When Infogrames announced that they would be publishing Splashdown, I became elated. The game was under development by Rainbow Studios, the same fine folks who developed the surprise smash hit ATV Offroad Fury. Therefore, expectations were high for Splashdown. The game came out as scheduled as one of two titles to signal the return of Atari under the Infogrames label. The result is quite satisfying. While not as deep or exciting as ATV Offroad Fury, Splashdown does offer a nice rounded package of racing and aerial trickery with water effects that rival anything available this holiday season.

Splashdown is simply delicious from a visual standpoint. Screen shots do not do the game justice as you must see it in motion to truly appreciate it's elegance. Rainbow Studios promised realistic water effects and for the most part they have delivered. As far as watercraft racing games go, I have never seen water this realistic. I have all of the consoles and Splashdown looks a lot more realistic than Waverace on Gamecube. The water moves fluidly as it should. Water spray is done well thanks to the use of particle systems, as are course altering waves, detailed reflections and water transparency. Although the waves cause you to make adjustments, they never really challenge you as much as they could have. The over 40 track designs are varied and span the globe in 18 locations such as the Amazon Jungle, Hawaii, Bali, Venice, the Nile River and many others. Course layouts range from narrow, twisting riverbeds to wide-open, wavy oceans. The courses also include a number of shortcuts to make things a lot more challenging. In addition, players will find stadium courses equipped with jumps and pools that create a supercross type of experience. The 5 watercraft featured in Splashdown are fully licensed models from Sea-Doo. The game has a solid soundtrack featuring both licensed and original music from top artists and indie bands. Popular groups such as Blink 182, Smashmouth, Sum 41 and many more are present. The problem is they all tend to get quite repetitive early in the game and the fact that many of them have already appeared in games this year deters from their overall effectiveness. The sound effects on the other hand are great as the sound of splashing water surrounds you.

Splashdown is quite comparable to ATV in terms of gameplay. It is a fast and challenging game to play. The controls are easy enough to use even on the first try. Where things get a tad difficult is utilizing the intricate trick system. Splashdown features a performance meter that when kept full, enhances character skills and increases the speed of players' watercrafts. To keep the performance meter at maximum strength, you must navigate slalom buoys throughout each course. In addition, pulling off insane tricks during a race adds to the performance meter. The trick system offers over 30 acrobatic stunts per character, including signature tricks such as Cyclone, Top Spin and more. All of this sounds good and it does play out well but as you progress through the game things tend to repeat themselves and this may bore some gamers. My only gripe is that Rainbow Studios has not been able to recreate the sense of space like they did in ATV.

As already mentioned, Splashdown features 47 courses in 18 locations. Players can select from one of 8 riders, each equipped with unique attributes and skill levels for speed, acceleration, handling and stability. Game modes include Arcade, Career, VS. and a very detailed Training Mode. Career mode offers the most value as you embark on a worldwide racing tour while trying to build up a team of champion racers and take them to the World Finals at Lake Havasu. A nice addition are the Challenge rounds found within the career mode. After every three or four races, you can race an optional Challenge Round, where you compete against one of the characters of your choice. If you win the race, your opponent will join your team and you will be able to race with him or her in upcoming races during the season. As you progress through the career mode, a number of items such as courses, racers and wetsuits are unlocked. The Arcade mode allows you to race against opponents or in a timed race on any of the courses cleared in career mode. The VS. mode is standard two-player head-to-head action with the addition of a Copycat stunt game.

It is nice to see Atari return to the gaming world with a worthy piece of software. Splashdown is the best jet-ski racing on any console this holiday season. It may not offer as much depth as Rainbow's previous effort ATV, but it still has enough bells and whistles not to mention luscious visuals to warrant a recommended purchase.