Wave Race 64 | |
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Developer(s) | Nintendo EAD |
Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
Designer(s) | Shigeru Miyamoto (Producer) |
Composer(s) | Kazumi Totaka |
Platform(s) | Nintendo 64, iQue, Virtual Console |
Release date(s) | Nintendo 64
iQue
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Genre(s) | Racing |
Mode(s) | Single player, 2 player simultaneous |
Rating(s) | ESRB: K–A (Kids to Adults) |
Media/distribution | 64-Megabit ROM cartridge |
System requirements
Controller Pak 2~121 pages per save file (optional) |
Wave Race 64 (ウエーブレース64 Uēbu Rēsu Rokujūyon ) is a racing game for the Nintendo 64 that was released on September 27, 1996 in Japan and on November 5, 1996 in North America. In Wave Race 64 the player races on jet skis in many different weather conditions, on a variety of different courses. The game was sponsored by the Kawasaki Heavy Industries brand. Wave Race 64 was released August 6, 2007 for the Wii Virtual Console in North America;[2] in PAL territories it was released on the 17th of August.
The original Nintendo 64 version of Wave Race 64 has been called one of the worst NTSC-to-PAL conversions of a release on the console, with its slower game play and large black borders.
Contents |
The objective of each race is to beat the other racers while also successfully maneuvering the jet-ski around various buoys. There are two types of buoys: red colored, which are signified by an R on them and must be passed on the right side, and yellow buoys, which are marked with an L and must be passed on the left side. Each time a buoy is correctly passed, a power arrow will light and the jet-ski will gain speed. Up to five arrows can be lit in order to obtain maximum power.
Failure to do either of these will result in a loss of power (though the arrows can be lit again) and missing five buoys over the course of a race will result in disqualification. Leaving the course (either by leaving the area limited by pink buoys or by leaving the water altogether) for more than ten seconds will also result in disqualification.
The game modes are:
The options menu allows the player to check audio, look over and erase records, and manage saved data from either the game itself or the Controller Pak. The names of the characters and the racing conditions (required laps, wave conditions, etc.) can also be changed.
Wave Race 64 was originally developed as a racing game featuring futuristic speedboats that changed forms by retracting or expanding itself, as shown in footage from the 1995 Nintendo Shoshinkai show. Because of its similarities with the then still-in-progress F-Zero X, the game took a drastic turn in its concept. Shigeru Miyamoto once stated that Wave Race 64 "taps 80% of the N64's power" and remains one of the most advanced N64 games ever released. The game features accurate wave physics, which are notorious for being difficult to program. Tomonobu Itagaki, the creator of the Dead or Alive series, included a jet-ski mode on the game Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 because he is a great fan of Wave Race 64. Kazumi Totaka, song composer for the game, has a hidden song in many games for which he composes the music, but it is unknown whether or not it appears in this game. Ryota Hayami appears as a trophy in Super Smash Bros. Melee, though the trophy depicts him in his Blue Storm outfit.
Wave Race 64 only has four characters, and they are:[3]
Every character's categories may be customized before starting the race. However, this will only change the skills of the character in a limited tolerance. For example, even setting Dave Mariner to maximum control will not result to an equal controlling experience as with Miles Jeter.
Reception | |
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Aggregate scores | |
Aggregator | Score |
GameRankings | 91.92%[4] |
Metacritic | 92/100[5] |
Review scores | |
Publication | Score |
Allgame | [6] |
GameSpot | 8.6/10[7] |
IGN | 9.7/10[8] |
Wave Race 64 was a critical success. It was rated the 127th best game made on a Nintendo System in Nintendo Power's Top 200 Games list.[9] It received a rating of 9.7/10 from IGN,[10] and 9/10 on the Wii's Virtual Console[11] and in a list of 100, Wave Race 64 was rated, by IGN, as the thirty-third greatest game of all time.[12] In another IGN list, its position was to 37.[13] GameSpot gave it an 8.6 and praised the game for its graphics and controls.[14]
Like Super Mario 64, Wave Race 64 was also re-released in Japan in July 1997 as Wave Race 64 Rumble Pak Support Version (ウエーブレース64 振動パック対応バージョン Uēbu Rēsu Rokujūyon Shindō Pakku Taiō Bājon ). This re-release took advantage of the Rumble Pak accessory, as well as adding ghost functions for time trial.[15]
Wave Race 64 was released on the Wii Virtual Console on August 6, 2007. Unlike almost all other Virtual Console games, Wave Race 64 was modified, with the in-game Kawasaki banners removed, most likely owing to an expired licensing deal. The replaced ads show Wii and Nintendo DS advertisements instead.[16] The Jet Skis themselves have also been slightly modified and bear no Kawasaki logos. The Kawasaki logo on the title screen was also removed.
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