709 - Wave Race 64

Best Games - Wave Race 64

Some games just feel right.

There isn’t really much to Wave Race 64, when you get right down to it. The big, beautiful, 3D sequel to a simple Gameboy jet ski racing title. There aren’t really that many tracks. There are only a few riders and they aren’t very different from one another. There are stunt and time trial modes. You can play split screen multiplayer. On paper, a pretty uninspiring package for a racing game.

At the time, nothing felt like Wave Race 64. Even today, very few games feel as good as Wave Race 64.

You could sit someone down with Wave Race 64 and if they only have a passing familiarity with a game controller, they will be up an racing in a few minutes. The game just feels right.

It’s the water. Before 3D capable consoles and PCs, there was really no way to simulate a fluid, even in a rudimentary way. Sure you could have sprites slide around and be subject to momentum and gravity and any number of physics sims, but simulating movement on water in three dimensions was simply impossible. Then Nintendo nailed it first time out.

The way you tilt the stick to adjust your riders position in the water feels so natural there is almost no need for the simple tutorial included in Wave Race 64. Sure, it’s nice to know that you can do tricks like flips and hand-stands, but just steering your jet ski, but sliding your water craft around slalom buoys is a snap.

Wave Race 64 probably doesn’t stand out when it comes to other racing games. It’s not as complete or demanding as a Gran Turismo or even a Mario Kart. It’s own sequel Wave Race: Blue Storm is a much more complete package. Still, no game before, and shockingly few since, have just felt right the way that Wave Race 64 feels right.

Certainly one of the Best Games.