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This early N64 game paved the way for all racing games to come

The Nintendo 64 is home to a lot of racing games. One of the earliest racers on the system (if not the first) was Wave Race 64, a game in which you raced in a watercraft vehicle. Developed by Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo, this water-based racer was released for the N64 in late 1996. To make it even better, the game was actually sponsored by the Kawasaki Jetski brand. The game's water physics were impressive for the time; you really felt like you were on the water. Also, I'm quite certain that this was the only water-based racing game on the system (although you could race over water in Diddy Kong Racing). 

There are five modes: Championship, Time Trials, Stunt Mode, 2 Player Vs, and Options. You can choose between four different racers: Ethan (black guy), A. Stewart (girl), M. Jeter (white guy), and D. Mariner (fat guy)--so races only involve four places instead of eight. When choosing a racer, you can customize their watercraft settings (handling, engine, and grip), which is helpful. There's really not much difference between the characters, except for Mariner, the big guy, who is a little slower than the others. 

Championship mode has three difficulties: Normal, Hard, and Expert. You have to beat each one in order to unlock the next difficulty. You have to acquire a certain number of points in order to advance. The goal of each race is to beat the other racers, but that's not all. You also have to drive your watercraft successfully around buoys in the water. These buoys will have giant arrows pointing either to the left or right (plus they're colored to help you out). By passing each one correctly, you'll gain speed and eventually hit your top speed. But if you miss one, you'll lose all your speed. Also, if you miss too many you'll be disqualified from the race! 

The course designs are great. They can vary quite a bit, from the peaceful ones (such as Drake Lake) to the more chaotic ones (like Marine Fortress). Many of the courses have multiple routes and short-cuts which you'll want to use, especially on the harder difficulties. Also, there's some good attention to detail in the courses. You'll hear seagulls around you in certain courses; one course starts with a fog which slowly moves away as the race continues; and one place even has a killer whale jumping alongside you as you race throguh the water. Races can be tense, so these things go a long way in making everything more enjoyable. 

In Time Trials, you can choose any course you've already beaten in Championship mode and race for the best time. It's nice to be able to race without the tension of other racers around. There's also Stunt Mode, in which you race through rings and try to do stunts. The problem is, I couldn't figure out how to do them! When you go off a ramp, the character will put his hand out, but you can't do any flips or anything like that, so I'm not sure what qualifies for a stunt. 

While WR64 is a great game, it has some flaws. Sharp turns can be hard to make sometimes without your character falling off the watercraft. One course in particular, Marine Fortress, has some really tight turns that are simply a pain because they're so tight. Also, if your racer falls off the jet-ski, it can take a while to get back on, which can be frustrating. Big waves can really mess you up as well. It can be hard to turn if waves are constantly throwing you into the air. Also, sometimes you'll land on the water just fine, yet the character will fall off, which can be frustrating if this happens at an important moment in the race. But here's the biggest problem: on the harder difficulties, if you fall behind in a race, it can be impossible to catch up. There's no weapons to help you, just speed. And you can race perfectly with top speed and still never catch up to the CPU. It's really tough! 

There's also an announcer. He often encourages you--"Great job!" "Keep it up!" "You're in first place!" But he can be annoying, especially when he has to say something every time you pass a buoy correctly. You also want to yell at him when he says "You're way behind." 

If you've got a friend, there's a two player mode. It's always fun to play with a friend. It's too bad the game didn't have four player, though. You have to wonder if it was too difficult to see everything when the screen was split into four screens. 

Finally, WR64 has great music! Many of the songs are peppy and cheery, which are great to listen to at anytime during the day. Some can be quite relaxing. The game has a great main theme which is used in several songs, and it's very enjoyable. Check below to hear a couple of my favorite themes from the game. 

Final Verdict--4 Stars: Recommended

Depsite its flaws, Wave Race 64 is a great game, and is still fun to play today. Some courses can be difficult and seem unfair, but the overall experience is pretty awesome. Nintendo nailed the look and feel of watercraft racing. This is especially impressive since this was one of the first racing games on the N64. They managed to get it right the first time. Just be warned: the harder difficulties are really hard. If you like a challenge, you'll certainly enjoy this one. The game is currently available on the Wii Virtual Console, and you might want to check it out if you missed this game back in the day.