There is no better time for this game than the summer. Wave Race 64 takes you through many stages of water action. Choose one of four riders and you’re ready to hit the waves.
If you like games that take place on the beach, there’s a good chance you will like this one. Riding a jet ski through the waves is what you do. You must go left around the yellow buoys and right around the red buoys. Other than that, you just race from start to finish. Ramps are set up through the courses so you can flip through the air. Waves will act like ramps in certain areas. Ten foot waves can launch you a long way.
The good thing about the controls is the fact that all of the characters respond differently. Dave Mariner can barely turn, but he makes up for it with a high top speed. On the other hand, Michael Jeter can whip 180s in a flash, but he can’t keep up with some of the other racers.
The songs are nice and relaxing for a water game. They make the beach experience better. The announcer ruins it, though. “You almost had it,” and the other quotes he says become annoying after you hear them for the first time. The announcer has a voice like a nerdy jackass who stands on the sidelines, shouting random comments at you.
The graphics have a poor quality, but it IS one of the earlier Nintendo 64 games. The characters are blocky and the crowd is just painted on the wall. The best graphic in the game is the water. It doesn’t look realistic, but it does provide the sense that you are in the tropics.
Wave Race 64 is the first Nintendo 64 game I ever played, so I hold it close to me; but I think others would like it, too. The controls aren’t complicated, the music keeps a beat going, and the harder levels provide a challenge. Setting records in the time trials is a fun competition with friends. Wave Race 64 is definitely a great multiplayer game, and it has a lot of replay value.
