Games To Try Before You Die: Wave Race 64

There was a lot of good racing games out there for the Nintendo 64. Mario Kart 64, Diddy Kong Racing, Micro Machines, etc. Racing games were everywhere during the era of Nintendo 64 and Playstation. Kind of like what we see with First Person Shooters today...they are just everywhere. This game though brought me into the world of 3D racing!

What: Wave Race 64 is a launch title for the Nintendo 64 platform. It was the first 'racer' to grace the console. You get to choose between 4 different jet ski racers and race to the finish!

Why: Something about this game felt so next generation to me when it came out. I remember begging my parents to take me to the local game rental store so I could rent it, and it was ALWAYS OUT!

What was great about this game was the solid control and easy to learn game play. You are probably saying, "Well it's racing, an obviously easy concept." Wave Race 64 had you not only just racing, but curving around Buoys that if you missed 5 of them, you disqualified the race. The first lap is an easy breeze through the course. Then the second lap comes around, and the race changes difficulty. Then the 3rd lap comes around, and the course is out of control! Crazy tall waves, hard to get buoy's, and MADNESS! It was this increase in difficulty that made the game enjoyable, and easy to play over and over again.

You also got to re-name the racers, which was pretty awesome at the time, and the movement of the water, was mind blowing. It looked so real! Though by today's standards, it looks like crap,

One picky thing though, that stupid announcer. This announcer in this game judges you an everything you do with a "Rad Dude Voice." You could quote the announcer in Wave Race 64 as much as you could in NBA Jam!

For a good racer, Wave Race 64 is a lot of fun, and still holds up well today!