Wave Race 64

"A Cartridge of Romantic Racing"

Wave Race 64 is a unique racing game. Why?
Wave Race 64 is compassionate to players who are new at racing games and provides an ample challenge to racing game veterans. How?
Wave Race 64 is a must have game for Nintendo 64. Why?

Wave Race 64 is a unique racing game.
Ok other than Jet Moto, how often do you get to race in jet skis? I am surprised that Wave Race 64, released in 1996, has not inspired more companies to create Jet Ski racing games. Racing jet skis is very unique because the faster you move, the EASIER it is to turn. Now in most games to turn quickly around a corner, you need to apply the brake and take it at a slower speed. Not in Wave Race 64… or any real jet skis. And really… what other game can you mount a dolphin and into the sunset?

Anyway, so it is easier to turn… where is the challenge in that? Well the game makes up for it by sometimes having several turns with different degrees of sharpness one right after the next so you have to be accurate with throwing your joystick around. So it CAN be challenging…?

Wave Race 64 is compassionate to players who are new at racing games and provides an ample challenge to racing game veterans.

I played the normal difficulty circuit and won every single race with so much room to spare I could fit the State of Rhode Island in between. However when I moved onto the expert level difficulty… well I got 1st place on the first two races, and last place on the last six or so races. The reason it gets to difficult is how rough the sea and waves are. AH never thought about THAT did you? The waves can be so obnoxiously choppy that you could be going a comfortable 125 km/h, hit a choppy wave, SLAM into the bottom of the next choppy wave and slow down so much you are at a stand still. Now this would be fine normally… but the computer racers are very fast and competitive so any half seconds lost could be fatal. So this game is good for the beginner and veteran racing gamer alike… Learn to roll with the waves or the waves will roll onto you.

Wave Race 64 is a must have game for Nintendo 64.
Wave Race 64 has many modes of play so if you get bored with racing, you can select stunt mode and perform some simple stunts all controlled with how you move the joystick. They are easy to do, but this mode gets addictive because you try and see how many stunts you can get done in the timeframe and what interesting combination stunts you can pull off. Another unique thing in the game is that an announcer will verbally tell you how far ahead of far behind from the other racers you are. I find this very helpful because I don’t have to look for it on other parts of the screen and chance a crash and lose my racing position. If you don’t like this feature then you can just turn it off anyway…

Everything from the think mist that clears a little bit more each time you make a lap around Drake Lake track, to the tides moving into low tide in Sunset Bay track make this game a spectacle to see and witness. The water is beautifully textured, if you care to notice it. The more you play this game, the more things you will notice that you will like.

Considering what other racing games that are out there for Nintendo 64, Wave Race 64 is like a rat exterminator in New York City. Any Nintendo 64 collection is not complete without Wave Race 64.

... And really what other game CAN you mount a dolphin and into the sunset?

Gameplay: 9/10
Graphics: 8/10
Sound/Music: 7/10
Replay 7/10
Overall: 8/10

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/12/03