Wave Race 64
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| Wave Race 64 | |
| Developer | Nintendo EAD |
| Publisher | Nintendo |
| System | Nintendo 64, Virtual Console (Wii, Wii U) |
| Release Date | Nintendo 64 JP September 27, 1996 US November 5, 1996 EU April 29, 1997 JP July 18, 1997 (Rumble Pak Version) iQue CH November 2003 Wii Virtual Console JP July 31, 2007 US August 6, 2007 EU August 18, 2007 Wii U Virtual Console PAL December 31, 2015 JP July 13, 2016 US August 11, 2016 |
| Rating | ESRB: K-A |
Wave Race 64 is a jet-ski racing game. The game featured Kawasaki brand jet skis. Originally, Wave Race 64 was going to feature ships that changed shape as they turned. The concept was considered too similar to F-Zero X, so they decided to use jet-skis.
The game is one of the most advanced games for the Nintendo 64. Shigeru Miyamoto has stated that the game uses 80% of the Nintendo 64, largely due to the game's difficult wave physics.
Gameplay[edit]
The game not only required the player to beat the opponents, but they also had to go pass buoys in a slalom-like style. Each time the player passed a buoy, they gained more speed. Missing a buoy resulted in the player losing speed and missing five resulted in disqualification. Also, if the player left the area marked with pink buoys for more than ten seconds, they were also disqualified.
The game had several different modes. Championship pitted the player against computer opponents on a number of different tracks. Time Trial had the player trying to beat a track's best time. In Stunt Mode, the player tried to achieve a high score by performing tricks. In 2P Mode, two players race each other.
Legacy[edit]
Ryota Hayami is available as a trophy in Super Smash Bros. Melee. Also, Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 featured a jet-ski mode because the games creator was a great fan of Wave Race 64.
Ports and Remakes[edit]
- In Japan, a special version of the game was rereleased in mid-1997 that supported the Rumble Pak.
- Wave Race 64 was made available for download over the Wii's Virtual Console in 2007 and the Wii U's Virtual Console in 2015/2016.
Sequels[edit]
In 2004, Wave Race: Blue Storm was released for the Gamecube.