Wave Race 64
Reviewed by J.M.Vargas
With the recently released "Top Gear Rally" already going
through the mixed review routine (many like its realism,
tight control and sharp graphics; others say the bad music,
lacking two-player option and boredom level make it a dud),
its now more than ever than "Wave Race 64" shows itself as
the premier racing title for the Nintendo 64. Sure, there
will be plenty of racing action heating the platform in the
near future ("San Francisco Rush", "Lamborghini 64" and
"Rev Limits", to name three), but will they play as good as
they look? And will they look as good as "Wave Race 64"?
Released in November of 1996, this water jet ski racer sold
out mostly because the audience was hungry for anything N64
after the shock of "Super Mario 64" and "Pilotwings" faded.
Not that this 64-bit upgrade from a little known 1992 Game
Boy title didn't have plenty of merits by itself: stunning
graphical presentation, life-like water effects, supreme
control and playability, etc. This was also the first game
that allowed multi-player gaming via split-screen between
two players. I wasn't really planning on buying the game
when I stumbled upon a free copy when visiting an EB store
in upstate New York; knowing it would be sold out until
after the Christmas rush of 1996, I took the bait and
bought the cartridge along with a red controller.
In a nutshell, "Wave Race 64" is still the best realistic
racer available on the N64 (and that will probably remain
true until "San Francisco Rush" gets released in November)
with supreme controllability and unequaled eye candy (even
on two-player mode). "Mario Kart 64", although a cartoony
racer, is a more fun and polished multiplayer game due to
the fact that "Wave Race" is too simple and repetitive for
two players. Where "Waver Race 64" excels is in the number
of options it offers for the single player game, with a
wide assortment of challenges and competitive CPU-driven
challengers (no fake, poor Artificial Intelligence...yes!).
Did I mention the game has graphics from the Gods, with the
most realistic water ever seen on a gaming platform? I'd
like to see the price tag a Pentium PC with graphic
acceleration would run in order to emulate what this $150
console achieves without breaking a sweat (not even in two
player mode).
GRAPHICS / VISUALS: A+
The best way to value this game's performance is to compare
it with other racers on all platforms: on the N64 this game
is still graphically unmatched by either "Mario Kart 64",
"Multi Racing Championship" or "Top Gear Rally" (although
the last one has some neat features like the ability to
customize your car's artwork). On the Sega Saturn, only
"Sega Rally Championship" stands up to the challenge and
actually compares quite favorably to "Wave Race 64": they
both have tight control and a split-screen for two-player
gaming that kills the graphical background in exchange of a
kick-ass framerate ("Sega Rally" also has Net Link
compatibility for internet gaming, the only console racer
to date that has that feature). Sony's PSX, a system with
racers coming out at record numbers, doesn't have a game
with the complete package intact: some look better ("Ridge
Racer" series, "Porsche Challenge", etc.), others are a
mixed bag (Accolade's "Test Driver" series, "Need For
Speed" series, etc.). The closest comparison to "WaveRace
64" would be Singletrac's "Jet Moto"...enough said!
The closest comparison to the graphical eyecandy in Dr.
Miyamoto's game comes from the arcade Jet Ski simulators
from Konami, Namco and Sega, and only "Wave Runner" (a
Model 2 based arcade game from Sega) has better-looking
water and paths. With a steady 30 frames-per-second, lens
flare effects (Sunset Bay), water that can be calm or rough
depending on the tide and activity surrounding it,
"Wave Race" features graphics at home that people would pay
money at an arcade to play. With nine tracks available for
all sorts of racing action (from the iceberg-covered
Glacier Coast to the "Waterworld"-inspired Marine
Fortress), "Wave Race" offers plenty of choices of where to
race the watercraft (lack of tracks is the one key flaw
that can sink a game; think of Sega's "Manx TT"). There is
variety in all tracks, and each have adverse obstacles and
ever-changing wave patterns to contend with.
The only problem is the look of the racers: they have
jointless limbs that resemble stick figures more than
competing racers. And what's with the ridiculous artwork of
the outfits they wear? A guy wears what looks like a little
ducky helmet, and other has a greenish fish-skin look to
his suit. Only A. Stewart, the woman, has a halfway decent
outfit that doesn't distract from the action and looks
cool. Also, the split-screen, two-player mode removes most
of the detail from the background: buildings, trees,
spectators...they're gone. But the waves are still there,
and the frame rate is kept at 30 per second; the game,
therefore, is not affected.
MUSIC / SOUND EFFECTS: C+
One of the few N64 games that allow you to listen to the
game's music with an Audio Option (only "Tetrisphere" and
"Mace: The Dark Ages" have the same option that I'm aware
of); why can't other games provide this feature? I'd like
to listen to some "Super Mario 64" tunes without having to
play the game. Unfortunately the music in "Wave Race" just
plain sucks! Not since the NES has the music in a game made
me this sick; it's obvious the graphics and playability
took precedence over the aural pleasure of the gamer. You
may silence the game if you so desire in the options; I'd
suggest you take a good listen and adjust it to you liking.
The sound effects are simple and clean: the crash of the
waves against your watercraft and surrounding structures,
the roar of your engine and those of competing watercraft
(gets louder or softer depending on the distance), and the
constant yelling/screaming from the racers as they crash
against one another. The announcer is a little hyper and
overenthusiastic for my taste, but has a large amount of
speech samples that actually help and taunt the player's
racing experience (think of the "Ridge Racer" announcer on
drugs). If it weren't for the cheesy-as-hell music, this
could easily score a B+ in the audio department.
GAMEPLAY / FUN FACTOR: A+
If a game ever screamed for Rumble Pack compatibility it is
this one! Having never driven a watercraft before, I had no
idea how much inertia, gravity and tactile response were
required to ride on top of waves. The slightest tap on the
stick will affect the way your racer interacts with the
water; since you can customize the game's elements (random
wave patterns, grip/acceleration of the racers, etc.). As
in real life, the racer's attributes play a big part in the
way the watercraft controls: the heavy guy can't take off
as fast as the other players, or accelerate to those speeds
but he cannot be knocked off by waves, crashes or other
waves as easily as M. Jeter or A. Stewart. For the record:
the names of the racers can be changed, and a Rumble Pack
compatible version of "Wave Race 64" (with a ghost for
racing against your best record) has been released in Japan
and is rumored to be coming to America.
You have plenty of options of what type of racing you want
to experience: Championship pits you and the other three
racers in a circuit featuring all the courses; you must
play in Normal and Hard in order to get access to Twilight
City and Glacier Coast (as well as the other seven courses)
in the Time Trial Mode (score your best time). Stunt mode
lets the player go wild with all sort of water-based stunts
to get points toward several secrets (like riding the
Dolphin). Two-player mode is...well, you know.
The game excels in the small touches that Dr. Miyamoto
games are known for: the dolphin riding alongside you in
the Practice mode, the ever-changing position of racers
during the opening montage (are two ever the same?), the
boxes with the profiles of the racers (in Championship
mode) showing us that a racer has fallen off the watercraft
by lowering the figure (and the edge of the box turning
checkered when crossing the finish line), etc.
OVERALL: A-
The best racer on the N64 isn't taking place over asphalt
but over lakes, ponds and the open sea. The sequel should
include more freedom to go anywhere and less restrictive
tracks, better animation for the players, and polish the
water effects a little better (by increasing the frame rate
maybe). Rumble Pack compatibility will provide the sense of
the tide changing, and increase the involvement of the
player in the experience. But that's for the future:
"Wave Race 64" is Nintendo 64's best racer until...when?
"San Francisco Rush"? "F-Zero 64"? "Mario Kart 64 2" The
suspense is killing me...and giving my bank account a swift
kick in the butt.