There are times where it takes a while for a sequel to be made. Often times when a sequel does get made, it doesn’t even arrive on the same platform. This is the case with the action boat thriller known as Hydro Thunder, which actually released first for the Sega Dreamcast back in 1999 and then had an outing on the N64 and PlayStation in 2000. The arcade version from which all this stems was developed by Midway and was part of their Thunder series.

Fast forward to today where independent developer Vector Unit is bringing out the sequel that fans of the original Hydro Thunder having been waiting for. The sequel will be called Hydro Thunder Hurricane and it will be based primarily from the Dreamcast version, according to our sources.

Hydro Thunder Hurricane will be exclusive for Xbox Live Arcade when it is released and will feature a four player split screen play, as well as eight player online multiplayer support.  The look of the game, of course, has improved and it takes advantage of all of the latest in graphic technology which makes it look much like the old Hydro Thunder.

The team working at Vector Unit has been working with Microsoft who was able to obtain the Hydro Thunder license from Midway. While the new title does have noticeable ties to the original game, the physics and water are especially different from the original. The game itself has apparently been in development for some time and no release date has been announced, although from the whispers we hear the title will likely be available for download on XBLA in the fall. No pricing has been announced, but we think it will follow the current trend of title releases and be sold for 1200 Microsoft Points, or $15 if you prefer, when it makes it to release.