There was not even a Nintendo 64 article on Medium in three years since most of us are vaccinated/boosted against COVID-19. 25 years later, this video game is part of the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack.
Anyway, here’s Wave Race 64, which was released in 1996 for the N64, as this game has product placement, which is Kawasaki Jet Skis (as you’ve seen the jet skis in the first three RollerCoaster Tycoon games). This post also marks the 50th birthday of the Kawasaki Jet Ski watercraft — and yes, personal watercraft (jet skis) are expensive! Kazumi Totaka is the game’s composer — most notably known for voicing Yoshi, a green dinosaur from the Mario series.
The game has the following playable characters
- Ryota Hayami (18/Male/Japan) is the poster boy of this video game who also made a cameo appearance in Super Smash Bros. DX (大乱闘スマッシュブラザーズDX, Dai Rantō Sumasshu Burazāzu Derakkusu)/Super Smash Bros. Melee (GameCube) as a trophy. He is the older brother of 1080° Snowboarding’s Akari Hayami.
- Ayumi Stewart (21/Female/America) (the only female playable character before Wave Race: Blue Storm was released on the GameCube)
- Miles Jeter (24/Male/Canada)
- Dave Mariner (32/Male/America)
Gameplay
This N64 racing video game in which players race on personal watercraft in different weather conditions and on a variety of courses. The game features three single-player modes (Championship, Time Trials, and Stunt Mode) as well as a multiplayer mode for competitive play. In the Championship mode, the player must race opponents through a series of courses and win the first place. Up to four levels of difficulty can be chosen: Normal, Hard, Expert, and Reverse, the latter being Expert with the tracks oriented backwards. Hard, Expert, and Reverse must be unlocked by completing an earlier difficulty. The difficulty also determines the number of courses played: six in Normal, seven in Hard, and eight in Expert/Reverse. When the player completes a course, points are awarded based on the rank they finished. If the required quantity is not met, the player will be disqualified and the game will be over.
The HUD’s speed is in either MPH (NA release, though Canada still uses metric units) or KPH (Original JP and EU releases). While racing opponents, the player must successfully maneuver the Jet Ski around various buoys. There are two types of buoys: red-colored, which must be passed on the right side, and yellow buoys, which must be passed on the left side. Each time a buoy is correctly passed, a power arrow in the game’s HUD will light, allowing the player’s watercraft to gain speed. Up to five power arrows can be lit in order to obtain maximum power. Therefore, maintaining this process will allow the player to maintain a high speed. Failure to correctly pass a single buoy will result in the loss of all the player’s accumulated power (though the power arrows can be lit again one by one) and missing five buoys over the course of a race will result in disqualification. Leaving the course area limited by pink buoys for more than five seconds will also result in disqualification.
In Time Trials, the player can freely race on a course to perform the best times, which are recorded in the game’s data. In the Stunt Mode, the player must earn points by executing stunts and passing through rings. The points depend upon how many rings the player passes through without missing, as well as the class of stunt that has been performed. The multiplayer mode uses a horizontal split-screen and allows two players to compete against each other on a chosen course. Only the courses that have been unlocked in the Championship mode can be played in the Time Trials, Stunt, and multiplayer modes. The game offers four personalized racers for players to select from, each having their own strengths and weaknesses. A Nintendo 64 Controller Pak can be used to transfer saved data from one game cartridge to another (though not used on the Wii’s Virtual Console, Wii U’s Virtual Console, or the Switch re-releases).
Legacy
On August 6, 2007, the game was released on the Wii’s Virtual Console. Unlike Nintendo 64 version, the Virtual Console release does not feature Kawasaki banners due to expired licensing deals. These were replaced by Wii and Nintendo DS advertisements. When the game was released on the Wii U’s Virtual Console in 2016, the Kawasaki banners were restored. The game was re-released on the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack on August 19, 2022, once again with the Kawasaki banners restored. The Virtual Console versions of the game were generally very well received, with reviewers considering the game to be just as much fun as it was on the Nintendo 64.
I never owned or rode on a personal watercraft, and as stated earlier, boating can be an expensive hobby. I also never owned that game since I did not own an N64… and I would try it if I have a Switch Online subscription. See you later! BANZAI!!!
