In White Water! your goal is to raft down a river in the shortest time possible. The river features many dangerous turns, rocks, whirlpools, barrels, and other obstacles that get in your way. You begin your trip with three men, and if you don't navigate carefully they can fall out of the raft! If any men remain in the raft, they can try pick up anyone who has fallen out but must do so before they hit a rock, a whirlpool, or leave the screen (if all of your men fall out of the raft, the game will end). In the easier game variations, your score is based on how quickly you can reach the finish line. In the more difficult game variations, you not only need to reach the finish line as quickly as possible but also need to earn points by landing your raft at various beaches along the way and collecting treasures that can be found in the forest. Some of the treasures will be guarded by the natives, so be careful (also be sure not to wander too far into the forest, or you'll become lost). The game ends when you reach the finish line, or all your men are lost either by falling in the river or in the forest.
The rafting action is challenging and certainly original, but it's often more frustrating than fun. There are just too many obstacles, which in turn encourage you to go slow -- instead of taking chances. This tends to understate the thrills and excitement associated with real white water rafting. The instructions provide the best advice: Don't try to steer all the time; let the rapids carry you. Hitting rocks can send men flying out of the raft, but you can try to pick them back up by moving over them. The beaches give you an opportunity to stop your raft and head into the woods to break up the monotony. The flag game is simple but provides some variety and introduces some much-needed strategy. White Water is great in concept, but it failed to win me over.