Hydro Thunder

Cheats, codes, hints, tips, tricks, Easter eggs and game help

All boats and tracks

To unlock all boats and tracks, get one of the top five times in any track and enter ?DL as your name.

Fishing boat

To race in a fishing boat, enlock all hidden tracks, then highlight the Thresher at the boat selection screen and hold L and R and press Y two times. Select the Chumdinger to race in the fishing boat.

Tinytanic boat

To unlock the Tinytanic boat, complete the Catacomb level. All bonus boats are unlocked by getting first place in each bonus track

No timer

To remove the timer, press X, Y, B and Start at the main menu.

Quick start

For a quick start, hold L before the race begins. When the number "3" appears release L and hold R. When the number "2" appears, release R and hold L again. When the number "1" appears, release L and hold R. This should result in a start with a four second boost. Adjust your timing to when the numbers begin fading before switching buttons if you do not get the boosted start. Note: This trick assumes the game is under the default controller setting.

Boosted jump

To jump without a ramp, collect boost power-ups, then hold L and press A.

Full pause screen

To remove the text from the pause screen, pause the game and press X and Y together.

Medium difficulty tracks and boats

To unlock the medium difficulty tracks, successfully complete all three easy difficulty tracks in first, second, or third place.

Hard difficulty tracks and boats

To unlock the hard difficulty tracks, successfully complete all medium difficulty tracks in first or second place.

Bonus tracks and boats

Successfully complete all medium difficulty tracks in first place to unlock the Nile Adventure bonus track. Successfully complete this track in first place to unlock the next bonus track. A total of four bonus tracks can be unlocked by finishing in first place. All four bonus boats (Fishing Boat, Armed Response, Blowfish, and Tinytanic) will be available after all four bonus tracks are unlocked. In two-player mode, medium difficulty tracks and boats will appear for the first three tracks. Race on the three tracks and hard boats and tracks will appear. Race on all three tracks and the Nile track will appear. Race on the Nile and three other bonus tracks and all boats, including the fishing and tour boats will be unlocked. Keep playing in two-player mode to always finish in first place.

Hint: Arctic Circle: Shortcut

For a shortcut on the Arctic Circle track, locate the houses near the start There is one house on which you can only see the roof. Jump off the roof and you should jump up about three or four places ahead.

Hint: Arctic Circle: Secret area

When you reach the area on the Arctic Circle track with the big oil tanker and penguins, jump over into a secret area with a red boost.

Hint: Catacomb: 9 second boost

At beginning of the Catacomb race there are two columns. Go between them and you will get a 9 second boost.

Hint: Far East: Shortcut

About half way through the Far East track, you will reach a place where the water will drop three times. When you're on the third one, immediately do your booster jump when you get on the edge. When your boat jumps into the air, hold Boost. If done correctly, you should land on top of a place above the tunnel ahead. This will make it much faster than having to go in a big "L", but will require some practice.

Hint: Far East: Boost

When you pass the first dragon shortly before the finish line in the Far East track, make sure you have some boost remaining for the little island holding the second dragon. If you boost/jump through the lanterns on the island, you will get extra boost. You can get an eight second boost if you hit both lanterns precisely.

Hint: Lake Powell: Shortcut

On the Lake Powell track, there are two gaps and a cement ramp-like wall separating them near the end. Use your booster and go up the ramp. You should land on the train tracks and get a 9 second boost.

Hint: Lost Island: Shortcut

Go through the waterfall at the beginning of the Lost Island track. You will get a red and blue boost, fall out a small waterfall, and immediately find a small village. At the end of the village, before the slight turn, go towards the left side and you will find a cave. Go through it and get a red boost, then a blue. You will exit the cave and be above the track. You will then get another blue boost and a final red boost. This level has three shortcuts. If you turn to the left after going through the waterfall at the start, then perform a Hydro Jump (hold Brake and use Boost) before going through the tunnel, you will encounter a secret area. If you miss it, you can also go up the other waterfall but you will take damage. You can then go through the volcano, but use a turbo off of the ramp to get an invisible 9 second boost.

Hint: New York Disaster: Shortcut

Near the beginning of the New York Disaster track is a silver revolving door that appears to be solid. Go through it and you will find a blue boost and a red boost. To get the red boost you have to use a Hydro Jump (hold Brake and use Boost). Just after the start when you enter the first tunnel, you will see a chequered pattern on the left wall (just before exiting the tunnel). This is a shortcut that will bring you to where the revolving door was, and will take you five or so places further into the pack.

Hint: New York Disaster: Boost

In the New York Disaster track when you are racing through the left side of the subway tunnel with the Rescue boat cutting you off and bumping into you, instead of jumping for the nine second red boost in the centre to the right, bash into the Rescue boat. Your boost level will remain where it was for the remainder of the race.

All boats and tracks (European version)

To unlock all boats and tracks, get one of the top five times in any track and enter ?PB as your name.

Hint: Recommended boats

The following is a list of recommended boats to use on the easy and medium tracks:

Track	Boat
Thunder Park	Damn the Torpedoes
Lost Island	Midway
Arctic Circle	Damn the Torpedoes
Greek Isles	Midway
Lake Powell	Thresher
The Far East	Thresher or Midway

CodeBreaker codes (version 1.0)

This cheat requires the CodeBreaker cheat device.

Effect	Code
Unlimited Boost for Player 1	01256446 00004090
Unlimited Boost for Player 2	01256766 00004090
Always Place 1st for Player 1	0125643C 00000001
Low Lap Time	022597B8 00000000
Unlimited Time	022597BC 41C80000
Enable All Tracks And Boats	0126B8D0 00000001 0126B8D4 00000001 0126B8D8 00000001 0126B8DC 00000001 0126B8E0 00000001 0126B8E4 00000001

CodeBreaker codes (version 1.1)