Nintendo switch online The N64 service added one of the best — but perhaps somewhat underrated — racing games to the system this week. Released in the launch window of the N64, Wave Race 64 Like a tech demo for Nintendo’s new 64-bit system super mario 64the beautiful transparent ocean and realistic waves will amaze any player who sees it, like F-zeroThe Mode 7 Touring was a generation earlier than it was. Shigeru Miyamoto himself insists that the Wave Race 64’s water uses “80% of the power of the N64,” but despite this, the game is more than a gimmicky tech demo.
A first-party N64 exclusive, the Wave Race 64 was designed to work closely with the hardware—not just in obvious visual and technical feats, but in how it made the most of a then fairly new analog control concept.
One of the best sensations in any racing game is when you pull the stick in your direction, either slightly to the left or right, to let the jet ski out through the water and return on its own.It is almost impossible to describe exactly, but it is so Intuition and instinct.just feel correct. You can jump into a Dolphin Park training session with zero knowledge of the controls, and within minutes of experimenting and playing, you’ll know exactly what you can and can’t get away with in terms of handling and start tearing through the water.
water. that water. The water effects in Wave Race 64 elevate it from a mere good game to something truly special. First of all, they’re still pretty impressive, barely improving it in the 26(!) years since its release. Crucially, however, they are a key part of gameplay and mastering Wave Race. They achieve two important things; when you play Wave Race 64 for the first time or just play it casually, the realistic movement of the ocean gives you something to use and play against when you are racing on an equally good track thing. It adds a unique flavor to the car and makes the Wave Race 64 instantly memorable.
Once you dig a little deeper, hit harder difficulties, or try faster laps, you’ll notice a similar timed wave per lap. They’re not random – they’re all triggered at set points around the course – and you’d think that might break the magic, but it actually has the opposite effect and shows how Wave Race’s water race is actually How ingrained it is. You have to learn when to step over them and when to use them to your advantage.
The Ocean Fortress track is a good example. In the beginning there is a huge concrete seawall that you have to run around. However, if you bravely accelerate towards it, a big wave emerges that will make you jump off its crest, clear the wall, and take an important shortcut. To avoid being too mechanized, you have to factor in things like approach speed (too fast or too slow will put you at a disadvantage when hitting the waves), so there’s still some room – instant adaptation.
The waves aren’t always positioned to your benefit, either. Some appear in sharp corners or tunnels and will send you flying into the air and destroy them if you’re not ready. It’s a very satisfying journey of skills from the wave of things you’re simply reacting to to things you’re actively learning and trying to strategize.
Courses are excellent. There are eight in total, with six available in the first tournament, and the other two that gradually increase as the difficulty increases. In addition to common differences in structure and complexity, they also differ in water motion, wave size and frequency. For example, Marine Fortress is set at sea and lets you deal with waves crashing against its walls, while Drake Lake is completely absent, acting as a faster “sprint”-style race in still water.
The best thing about these courses is that they all have their own unique atmosphere. The aforementioned Drake Lake, with its beautiful mirror and fog, rises as you pass a few laps. Sunset Bay, the orange sea of Irn Bru, where dolphins swim alongside you. Blue Harbor, an action-packed chase around (and sometimes through) giant tankers. Some early tracks get new, more challenging routes as the difficulty increases. During the second and third championships, a floodgate in the sea fort opened, revealing a twisty turn path that nearly halved your lap time.
Wave Race 64 is actually made up of slalom races, with yellow and red buoys asking you to pass to the left or right of them. Pass five in a row and you’ll get a full speed boost, miss one and you’ll slow down significantly. Miss five times in total and you will be disqualified. The positions of these buoys change as you move up in difficulty, requiring not only a more skilled maneuvering of the jet ski to navigate them, but also a subtle makeover to the course. It may not be as obvious a change as the aforementioned sluice gate opening a new route, but the buoys forcing you to take wider or steeper corners definitely make a little difference on each route.
As a Switch Online game, the general caveat is that Nintendo may have some emulation issues to work through, and – although you can play some kind of online multiplayer with the Switch Online version – Wave Race 64’s most powerful kit was never it of multiplayer, this is limited to two players, has no AI competitors, and some have significantly reduced water fidelity (which kinda misses the point).
Regardless, Wave Race 64 is a great addition to the service, offering a great opportunity to try out one of Nintendo’s most unique and best racing games from a packed Nintendo console.
Wave Race 64 Starting today, it’s available to anyone with a Nintendo Switch Online and expansion pack membership.
