Aqua Jet (1996, Arcade)

Developer: Namco
Publisher: Namco
Clear Version: Arcade Archives 2: Aqua Jet (2025, PS4/PS5/Switch 2)
Port Developer: Hamster
Port Publisher: Hamster
Clear Platform: PS5
Clear Date: 9/19/25

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Why should I care?
Simple and fun, Aqua Jet is a brief experience but fun to master if you’re into that sort of thing.

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What a spectacle!

Hot on the heels of their release of Ridge Racer to debut the Arcade Archives 2 label, Hamster has released Aqua Jet, another 3D racing game by Namco. This time, of course, the events take place on a marine circuit, but the basic fun factor, silly announcer, and strong course design remain.

Racing on jet skis is obviously a bit looser than racing in cars. Without the traction afforded by tires, you’ll have to take wider angles to handle hairpin turns, and in general it’s hard to go perfectly straight without some discipline. It’s an enjoyable mixup, though, and the game’s stages have the kind of over the top elements you want to see in an arcade game like this, such as a huge plunge off a waterfall and a mid-race jump contest.

You do sort of need to be into the idea of enjoying repeated races and mastering the game though. With only two courses (beginner and expert), this is a game you could finish in not much more time than it will take me to write this blog post. Even if it takes you a handful of tries to win the expert course (as it took me), you’re only looking at about 30 minutes of play before you’ve pretty much done it all. As a bit of added challenge, I made sure to top both the time attack and jump contest leaderboards (on the local emulated arcade machine, not online). Still, I’ve maybe put an hour or so into it. For me, the idea of firing this back up once in awhile for a quick race is fun, but the new $17 price tag for the Arcade Archives 2 series may reasonably scare some off from such a small game.

I do appreciate what they’ve done with the new games, though. The caravan and time attack modes are generally more robust, and the control options have been significantly improved. Aqua Jet in its original form had a full jet ski with a steering yoke and tilt controls. Obviously, it’d be difficult to replicate that in the home, but the game supports racing wheels, flight sticks, and motion controls if you want an experience a bit more akin to the arcade.

I don’t expect this title to turn many heads, but I picked it up as part of my continued excitement for the Arcade Archives 2 series. Hamster has been putting these out at a similar pace to the original series (which also seems to be ongoing), so I can’t wait to see what great games they have in the pipeline.