While difficult to get accustomed to, Wave Race provides a racing experience unlike any other game you've seen before.
Presentation: The presentation in Wave Race is good. The menus give a nice feel of a game with a watery presentation, and the game also provides a stylized look similar to its predecessor. There are memorable characters from the N64 game as well, so it can bring back some good memories. However, load times can take a while during sections of the game between races, and the in game voice work sometimes sounds a bit befuddled. However everything else in Wave Race is smooth and represents the game itself quite nicely.
Graphics: Now the graphics in Wave Race Blue Storm are interesting. Firstly, the water effects are brilliant. Its hard to judge the water based on looking at still screenshots, but actually seeing the game in motion promotes greater eye appeal. Dont be turned off by the stale screenshots on the back cover, this is one of those games that you will need to see to believe. Another thing to notice, is that the water is extremely realistic; and still to this day has the greatest representation of an water stylized game to date. While the water is quite beautiful however, everything else can be considered a bit average. Character models are good, but they are slightly blurry and blocky. The textures are a little shallow as well, but it is the water that truly sets this game apart and is the main attraction, so that is one icon that won't be overlooked.
Sound: I enjoy the sound in this game quite a bit . I find the music to be pretty catchy sometimes (mainly the title theme), and it sounds great. Engine noises from the jet skis are a bit loud in the beginning, and sound a bit strange a first (like an automobile actually) , but you'll get used to it. They have some character voices as well and are done good, but they sound a bit blurred in contrast to the other sounds going on. Gameplay: Now for the most important aspect of any game: Gameplay! Well I for one really enjoy this game. Everything runs nice and smooth/controls nicely, and it is just overall a fun racing experience. Now lets talk about the actual game itself: The main aspect of the game is basically the same as any racing game; race against (8) opponents and try to defeat them to the finish line.... sound familiar? Well what makes this game different than any other racing game is the fact that you are racing on jet skis on water. Given the fact that water provides less friction than land, you can get a sense of speed that is unlike other racing games. But what makes racing on water a lot different than racing on land? Well, it is all in the controls actually. Well for one, you have to be very careful during your turns. You have a standard turn which turns an amount that is good for maneuvering around edges, but some turns just seem a little too tight. So to get through these, you need to lean into your turns (L and R Buttons). Its not all easy, you have to control your turns wisely so you don't lean to far into the water; if then, then you will have a wipe out. Its these kind of crashes that really can tick you off during a game, and this is because of its recovery time. While realistic, it does take your character a while to recover after being knocked into the water. But as well, these can immediately place you from first to last place... dreadful. Not to mention your jet ski will float in different directions whilst your not on board, so you'll have to do a careful U-Turn to get back on course, which is much tricker than a lean in turn and it slows you down a lot more too. That is why it is so important to time your turns and speed perfectly; its all about smarts here in Wave Race, only then will you succeed. Well everyone else knows that there is another trademark of the Wave Race series that sets is apart; you have to maneuver around buoys. These are buoys that you have to go around, either left or right (Red buoys mean go right, Yellow buoys mean go left) and you literally HAVE to traverse each buoy correctly, or the consequence will settle in. For one, you will get a check on your record for the current race. This happens every time you miss a buoy. Well, when you miss five buoys, you are disqualified from the race. Yeah, it may sound like a pain in the behind, but really it leads to alot more strategy and intensity in the game. Now there is one advantage to making your buoys correctly, but also has a counter disadvantage. Well the advantage is that whenever your character maneuvers five buoys correctly (or perform five tricks, explained later) , your character will gain a Turbo. This is new in Wave Race Blue Storm, and can really help you in a tight situation. Your character will put on a great burst of speed when using a Turbo (Z Button) and can pull ahead quickly (but remember NOT to use it around corners!). The disadvantage here however is that when you miss just one buoy, the number of buoys you racked up to gain a Turbo is lost until you traverse 5 buoys again. This can be a pain too because even if you have a Turbo fully charged up and miss a buoy, then you will still lose the effect; pretty frustrating. But if you are having trouble controlling characters, don't fret; there are ways to help you. This is based on character selection; in total there are 8 characters in the game, each one stronger in different areas than the other. Some racers weigh more and can knock players off course, while others are light weight with great recovery time, and can perform tricks a lot easier. As well, you can customize your character to suit you even better. You can adjust the balance of their Acceleration and Top Speed, and also how Tight or Loose you want their turns to be. It takes some experimenting to find which character is best suited for you, so better get practicing! Well remember when I said characters can perform tricks? Well this can help in some points in the game. Your character will constantly go off ramps when in the water, and you will usually get high points in the air. Well you can perform tricks as well. Doing tricks, such as (Frontflips, Supermans, Barrell Rolls, etc) will help boost your Turbo Meter. The more tricks, the more Turbos. You must time then carefully however, as your character may wipe out if he/she misses a trick, whether it be in air or on the water itself! So there are the basics of racing in Wave Race, and that really is your main objective. So what Game Modes are there?
Well Wave Race has a pretty good selection of modes. There is Grand Prix, the heart of the game, VS, Time Attack, Practice/Free Roam, Tutorial, and Stunt Mode. Grand Prix mode is really the main portion of the game, and the mode you will most likely be spending most of your time on. Well its simple enough as in any racing game, however its the effects of Wave Race that can make Grand Prix Mode a lot fresher than other racing games. Well basically, you have four difficulties to choose from (Expedition, Normal, Hard, Expert). They each last their own amount of days as well, which is also the amount of course. For example, Expedition lasts 4 days, so it has 4 levels to it. But Hard Level has 6 days in its event, so it has 6 courses. Now the difference here is the weather. Each day, you will have a forecast of the oncoming weather. This may be Sunshine, Clouds, Rain, or Thunderstorms (Blue Storms really). Now what makes it fresh is that the weather is completely randomized throughout the game, and completely effects the performance of the race. Levels with Sunshine have smaller calm waves with higher visibility, but Rainy weather will promote low visibility and high waves which really throws characters off course. Now I know I said it makes the game longer, and this is because Wave Race only has 8 courses in the entire game. It is a bit of a bummer, but weather will make the levels different. But don't be too discouraged, the levels of each racing park change depending on which difficulty you choose. For example, the course Southern Island (a remake from the N64 by the way) will be slightly longer and have more traversing in Expert Mode than Normal Mode. This is what really keeps the game a lot fresher. Now the whole point is to win a difficulty. This is by scoring points, which is determined by your rank of players. (1st place 12 points, 2nd place 10, etc). There are eight positions in Wave Race in which you must battle for the top, each with amounts of points. But the catch here is that you have to be in a certain place in order to not be disqualified from the circuit. Thats right, you heard me, you need to maintain a certain amount of points at then end of EACH race or its game over for you pal. Thats why buoy traversing, timing, and speed is very important. Well if you do this all, then you will win a circuit and gain a trophy, which is nothing special really, but at least you can now say that you have beaten Grand Prix of Wave Race Blue Storm. The next mode is VS, by which you can race 2-4 players in split screen. This mode is very intense and adds to the gaming value a lot (which is good due to the unlockable limitations-virtually nothing) and will keep you entertained. Just race and see who crosses the line first! Next is Time Attack where you compete for the fastest time on different courses; and the weather is recorded to so you can compare your performance with different weather conditions. Next is Free Roam?Practice, where you can just mess around throughout any level that you have raced on. No limitations either, and there is also the discovery of hidden places and shortcuts. Keep in mind that this is a good place to practice tricks and stunts. Then there is Tutorial, which teaches you all of the gameplay aspects of the game, as well as all of the tricks in the book. Its a fun mode actually for learning tricks and stunts, and these will help you in the final mode: Stunt Mode. Well I can say here that this is the second heart of the game. Basically, you will traverse through a course and try and score the highest amount of points by doing tricks in a level, while also reaching checkpoints in a faster time. There are rings that you travel through too, ones that give you Turbos or score points (the points increase in succession through rings in order by the way). All you really do is go for the highest score, but this mode is a blast. I have also heard that this Mode is why gamers wanted a new Wave Race in the first place, and I have to agree. I myself have honestly spent hours with it just competing for scores; not to mention on three difficulty settings as well! Well theres just about everything there is to Wave Race in terms of gameplay, but there is one fault that I haven't said that may turn away some casual gamers. The Learning Curve. This game actually has a pretty steep learning curve and takes a lot of practice. The game is not what you might consider hard, but it takes a lot of getting used to in comparison to other racers, because this game is so different and realistic. But either way this game is great and you shouldn't be turned away; spend some time with it, and it will last you a lot longer than you originally though.
Multiplayer: Well I already told you this game has a VS mode, so it obviously has Multiplayer. Well this game is really engaging in terms of spit screen racing, alot more than many other racers out on the market. This is because ot its challenge and technique in the game by which gamers must learn, and it is always a blast to watch your friend bail out right when they were about to achieve there double back flip!
Value: While Wave Race won't last you forever, but it is one that you will come back to occasionally. The Grand Prix has different courses with different weather affects, so it will always keep the experience fresh. VS will keep you spending some good time with friends, and its a blast. But don't forget, Stunt Mode will last you for hours; its is highly addictive and pretty challenging too, so it should keep you on your seat during the first time of purchase, and later months on end. If it weren't for the Stunt Mode and VS, then this game wouldn't be as great as it really is. But remember that whilst this game has a pretty steep learning curve, you should give it a chance; by doing so, Wave Race Blue Storm will prove to be a splash!