Classic Review: Wave Race 64
The year was 1996, the Nintendo 64 had just launched, and absolutely everyone was fascinated with the new world of 3D graphics. Back then, if you were lucky enough to get the console but didn’t have any games yet, you rented everything and anything.
That was the exact case for my brother’s best friend Jorge. He didn’t buy a game with his system, so we relied entirely on Blockbuster. You couldn’t just grab whatever game you wanted; you had to settle for whatever was left on the shelf. That is how we came across Wave Race 64.
The Single-Controller dilema
Because he only owned one controller at the time, multiplayer was out of the question. We passed the controller and took turns playing single-player races. Honestly? It wasn’t too bad.
The concept of a racing game entirely on the water was incredibly fresh. You could launch off massive waves, pull off barrel rolls, and experiment with different mid-air tricks. The variety in the stages kept things interesting.
Plus, there is a legendary easter egg that the real ones definitely know about: that sunken pirate ship from Jolly Roger Bay from Mario 64 is in the Southern Island stage. I’m convinced it’s the exact same sunken ship and you can check out my video to see for yourself unless I’m crazy.
Despite those cool details, it just wasn’t the most exciting game in the world to me back then. It was okay.
A Modern Replay: Does the Water in Wave Race 64 Still Hold Up?
I went ahead and booted it up again recently to see how it holds up today. At first, I was genuinely enjoying myself. However, the nostalgia wore off and I got tired of it pretty quickly.
To be fair, I’m not going to completely bash the game. That’s just how I am when it comes to the racing genre. There are only two racing games that can completely hook me and hold my attention:
If I start diving into those two, I’ll start salivating, so I’m going to stop right there and save that discussion for another time!
The Verdict
Wave Race 64 did pretty well for its time, but by today’s standards, those graphics are definitely showing their age. The controls also feel a bit dated when you give it a go.
Because I’ve still never actually played this game head-to-head with a friend, I don’t know how much fun it could truly be with the right companion but for a single-player experience just trying to beat the game? It’s a bit of a “meh.” It’s just okay.
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