Difficulty:

Hard

Time Spent:

20 to 40 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Instant classic"

Gameplay: 10/10
Graphics: 10/10
Sound: 10/10
Value: 8/10
Tilt: 9/10
Final Score: 9.6/10 (A)

Since I enjoy going to the beach with my friends and the N64, I decided to get this game on Ebay at a good condition and dirt cheap price. 14 years after it was first released, I found this title to be just as fun today as it was back in the day. Wave Race 64 is excellent with a capital E, providing wave racing action not matched even to this day.

As a fan of Diddy Kong Racing and its water levels, i figured Wave Race 64 would be the ultimate water game for the N64. I first played the championship mode on Normal mode, trained, and then played it. I found the game has an initial learning curve, but once I got used to it, I was HOOKED like a fish on a worm! And I was a fish that would never EVER let go! The only person that enjoyed the game in the 2 player mode was my brother, but my friends complained of a lack of many shortcuts or powerups. TAKE IT FOR WHAT IT IS IDIOTS!! This game does have a few shortcuts, but I could care less about them.

Basically, you move in and out of colored buoys racing in waters with jet-skis. You go to the left of yellow ones, and the right of red ones. If you miss too much, you'll be disqualified. The gameplay is simple as can be, and the water effects are STILL some of the best I've seen in a video game. It's so realistic, I had to wear a swimsuit to play this game the day I got it (which was the first day of Summer).

The championship mode lets you play 8 races, and it's addictive and fun as hell but never frustrating. You can customize the wave conditions, and get this, you can always delete a SECTION of your time trials, or stunts, instead of the entire game! Sweet! My favorite course has to be Drake Lake with its fog and smooth waters, as well as log obstacles. Sunset Bay is orange kool aid, Port Blue is basically the Gulf of Mexico with its pollution. Marine Fortress has a bunch of waves that give you big air! There are also a few unlockables as well.

But by far the games best feature is its Stunt mode. The stunts are complex, but the tutor in the normal mode (Dolphin Park) tells you how to do them all. You can do flips, barrel rolls (Not to be confused with Star Fox 64), handstands, standing on your jet-ski, and even spinning on your jet ski. You can always beat your high score in it, and I love Drake Lake's land stunt in between the track! That's right, you can do flips on LAND!! An awesome Time Trial and 2 player mode back it up for more fun. If I had one complaint, it would be the lack of an exibition mode and no two player stunt mode. Otherwise this is a fine racer on the N64 gem train.

The graphics are still one of the best the 64 can offer, even for a 1996 game! The water effects are superb, with realistic wave splashing and beautiful scenery. The character models are awesome too, although I found a minor flaw; the arms of the racers seemed to be RIPPED when waving their arms up. Still, it's barely noticeable. The music is awesome, reminding me of Sonic Adventure, Pokemon, Pokemon Snap, Star Fox 64, and Ocarina Of Time. The announcer is also inspiring, and the splashes sound realistic.

Overall, if you enjoy living, you'll probably enjoy Wave Race 64. It is so much damn fun, I actually have to put a LIMIT on my video game time because of it! There's no reason to hesitate; you can easily find a good copy on Ebay for a reasonable price. You have to get Wave Race 64 if you own a Nintendo 64. If you don't want to, you are a moron.