Aqua Jet ACA2 Switch 2 Review

Aqua Jet ACA2 Switch 2 Review
Version Reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2

There’s a certain kind of magic in seeing an arcade cabinet from your past light up again, and on Switch 2, no less. Aqua Jet, Namco’s 1996 jet-ski racer, is the third Namco System 22 title to make the leap to the system, following Ridge Racer and Air Combat 22 in the Arcade Archives 2 lineup. Once a fixture of noisy, neon-lit arcades, it stood out for its bright waters, wild courses, and the sheer novelty of standing on a jet ski to steer your way through the waves. Now, nearly 30 years later, it’s here in your hands, promising that same rush of open-water racing, minus the risk of getting drenched.

What’s It Like? Put on your sunscreen, strap into your lifejacket, and prepare to make waves as we review Aqua Jet ACA2 from the Arcade Archives 2 Collection on Nintendo Switch 2.

When Namco rolled out Aqua Jet in 1996, they were making waves, literally. At a time when arcades were packed with fast cars and flashy bikes, Aqua Jet swapped the asphalt for open water, and the result was a jet-ski racer that stood out for the way you played it. Instead of a steering wheel or handlebars, the cabinet came with a full-sized jet ski controller that you stood on and leaned into. Shifting your weight steered you through tropical bays, tight rainforests, and surging seas, with every twist of the throttle sending up more spray on screen.

It was physically engaging in a way that kept players coming back, and in an arcade, that was the magic formula. While Aqua Jet never spawned the long-running series Namco might have hoped for, it’s remembered as one of the era’s more inventive racers. It captured the rush of open-water racing and left a lasting impression on anyone who jumped aboard for a few minutes of arcade escapism.

Now that Aqua Jet ACA2 has come to home consoles for the first time, gamers can dart across the waves, racing and jumping against other CPU-controlled racers in a time attack similar to Ridge Racer. It’s fast and fun, and despite not being able to stand on an actual jet ski while gaming, it still manages to capture the thrill of the game.

There are 2 courses to play, both linear in nature, which see you race around a bay, through a jungle, and do jumps next to ocean liners while dolphins and whales jump about in a celebration and spectacle of ocean life. There’s not a lot to it, but its simplistic gameplay elements make for a good time and keep everything carefree.

The Arcade Archive version of Aqua Jet comes with some additional bells and whistles to make up for the lack of being on a jet ski. These include a rumble feature that works well, mimicking the feel of the bottom of the jetski skimming across the waves, as well as gyro support for both steering and the up/down movement of the ski.

Players can also rebind inputs how they see fit, and the package includes the original Japanese ROM alongside the English one, as well as caravan mode, hi score attack, and time attack mode, which includes online leaderboards. You can customise wide-screen support as well, which does stretch things out a bit, but makes for a more immersive experience.

Hamster has handled the port with care, and the emulation feels spot on with no performance issues, glitches, or stutters. Its bright and vibrant graphics make racing a real spectacle at times, and on my first few playthroughs, I found myself getting distracted by what was happening in the background. There are certain parts of the courses where a whale will breach the surface, or a seagull will glide past your head as you race down the straight.

The graphics are in line with Namco’s other arcade titles at the time; instead of aiming for realism, it aims to entertain, and it works. I found I raced both courses repeatedly for about an hour to capture footage, but also found that by the end of that hour, it was starting to wear thin.

The biggest issue I feel with Aqua Jet ACA2  is that there’s not enough of it. You have 2 courses which are very similar, both can be knocked out in less than 2 minutes, and then there’s nothing much more to do except put in the penguin or mirror mode cheats and be done with them in another 5 minutes. While Air Combat 22 also had a short lifespan, with a 10-minute playthrough, it offered multiple paths and difficulties that made replaying it an exciting challenge.

In contrast, Aqua Jet ACA2 showed me everything it had to offer in less than 10 minutes. This can be expanded for players who like competing with other gamers as the time attack mode features online leaderboards for bragging rights, but for more casual players, there’s not a lot of lifespan here.

All in all, Aqua Jet is like hiring a real jet ski for an hour. It’s fun and expensive, but ultimately over way too quickly, yet you still want to do it again. It’s a bright and colourful throwback to the golden era of the arcades, and the first time we’ve seen Aqua Jet outside of one. Arcade Archives collectors will no doubt already have added this to their collection, but for more curious and cautious buyers, the longevity vs the price will most likely sting more than a bad sunburn.

So, What’s It Like? Aqua Jet is like Wave Race 64, but with only 2 courses.

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