Surfing H3O
Surfing H3O, known in Japan as Surfroid: Densetsu no Surfer (サーフロイド 伝説のサーファー, Sāfuroido Densetsu no Sāfā, lit. "Surfroid: The Legendary Surfer"), is a surfing video game developed by Opus and published by ASCII Entertainment in Japan and Rockstar Games internationally for the PlayStation 2.
Surfing H3O
Developer(s): OpusPublisher(s): ASCII Entertainment (JP), Rockstar Games (US, EU)Genre: SportsGame review links: Metacritic: 46/100Game description: Surrounded in beautiful scenery, you must master hardcore surfing techniques to handle epic waves. As real as you can get...without getting wet. Before the present 128-bit days, surfing was limited to crude, two-dimensional mock-ups of the real thing. Because of the complex nature of water, a powerful system is needed to accurately render the oceanic environs. With the powerful capabilities of the PlayStation 2, Take 2's Surfing H30 ups the level of surfing games with its visual splendor and water physics. With six different locales full of sun and surf, 11 characters to ride the waves (all with their separate strengths and weaknesses), and a custom X-Board controller to more accurately reproduce the action with your Dual Shock 2, Surfing H30 aims to be the closest thing to surfing short of waxing up your own board and hitting the beach.
When an anime or kung fu film is released in the US, it is often recut in an attempt to make it more palatable for US audiences. Fans of either genre would likely replace "recut" with "butcher," as these edits more often than not produce a film that lacks the personality and impact of the original. Showing that this unfortunate trend isn't exclusive to celluloid, Surfing H3O - the US counterpart to Surfroid, a surfing game released in Japan - attempts to tweak the Surfroid architecture for the better. While successful on some points, Surfing H3O ends up stripping away most of the game's character and adds in a few new problems of its own.
In the end, Surfing H3O is a perfect example of good intentions gone awry. Its Japanese counterpart is by no means a work of art, but the changes made for the US release hurt the game more than they helped. The surfing game genre may be sparse, but there are still several surfing games that are more worth your time than Surfing H3O.
Surfing H3O is the first game to bring the danger and excitement of professional big wave surfing to the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system. Set in beautiful locales, you must master hardcore surfing techniques to handle the most epic waves. Features include 11 playable characters each with specific characteristics, six unique surfing environments, over a dozen aerial tricks that can be linked for unlimited combinations, and an authentic punk rock-powered surf soundtrack courtesy of Hopeless Records. As an extra bonus, early versions of Surfing H30 shipped with a special patented X-Board controller attachment that latched onto the analog sticks of the Dual Shock to simulate the surfing experience. 041b061a72