Nintendo’s ‘Wave Race 64’ Is a Once-in-a-Lifetime Game
Nintendo’s ‘Wave Race 64’ Is a Once-in-a-Lifetime Game
by hop3less
14 Comments
Cattango180
I don’t agree with the whole once in a lifetime game. The jump from Nintendo 64/Gamecube era of this genre of game would be enormous moving to the Switch 2.
nykovah
I just made my boyfriend play this the other night on the nso and all my childhood memories came right back. I played this game so much trying to perfect every turn and course.
Roam1985
It certainly was not.
There was a better one on Gamecube.
That’s two waveraces in my lifetime.
peter-man-hello
I was around when wR64 came out and goddamn it was miraculous.
….and it hasn’t been topped. I love the sequel but it’s not as good.
I still listen to the soundtrack regularly.
It’s funny, it’s a rather basic arcade game so it didn’t seem to get its GOAT status until maybe decades later when everyone realized how well it held up, how timeless the music was, and how perfect the controls feel.
Looking at my CIB copy on my shelf right now.
One of the best games of all time. I’ll be playing it when I’m an old man with a smile on my face.
brentsg
I had a sweet import game store near my work and I came across this one Friday night on my way home. Everyone in the store was playing the hell out of the Japanese version just after it launched, and it wasn’t yet available in the USA.
My N64 was Japanese (though modded) so I asked if I could buy this, but they only had the store copy so it wasn’t for sale. Turns out $120 was the going rate for games that weren’t for sale, and it was an amazing weekend.
By the time N64 was finished, I owned this one, the Japanese rumble pack version, and the USA version. I have no regrests.
NewDamage31
I bought a N64 controller for NSO mostly for this game and it was worth it 🤣 wave race 64 is one of my most played switch 2 games so far
GrimmTrixX
Those early N64 games just had amazing vibes to them. Wave Race 64, Pilotwings 64, Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire, Super Mario 64 all rank highly for me in top games of all time due to this
BenovanStanchiano
I remember being in awe on the water.
Hybrid_Divide
Wave Race is fun, but I still REALLY wish they had kept the beta concept for the game.
Shortly after the N64 was revealed, some footage of Wave Race was shown, but it didn’t use Jet Skis, instead it used boats where the pontoons could be brought in to make the boat slimmer to go through narrow spaces. It looked super cool.
So while I always enjoyed Wave Race, I was always a bit disappointed.
This, Diddy Kong, and Daytona are my favorite racing games of all time.
livinxloud13
Seeing someone hit a backflip off the big jumps blew my little mind back in the day. I rented this game so many times after that.
atlasdtalos
this is true, they’ll never make another Wave Race 64 again.
JordanxHouse
Would be true if not for Wave Race.
azureal
When the N64 released, me and my best friend bought it on day 1, we both got a copy of SM64, he got Pilotwings and I chose Wave Race.
I know without doubt that I got the best game. I loved it so goddamn much, nailing corners, jumps, rolling down off waves for speed, scraping 0.1 speed off your best lap time. The lake/duck pond level was my favourite, as the sun came up over the water.
14 Comments
I don’t agree with the whole once in a lifetime game. The jump from Nintendo 64/Gamecube era of this genre of game would be enormous moving to the Switch 2.
I just made my boyfriend play this the other night on the nso and all my childhood memories came right back. I played this game so much trying to perfect every turn and course.
It certainly was not.
There was a better one on Gamecube.
That’s two waveraces in my lifetime.
I was around when wR64 came out and goddamn it was miraculous.
….and it hasn’t been topped. I love the sequel but it’s not as good.
I still listen to the soundtrack regularly.
It’s funny, it’s a rather basic arcade game so it didn’t seem to get its GOAT status until maybe decades later when everyone realized how well it held up, how timeless the music was, and how perfect the controls feel.
Looking at my CIB copy on my shelf right now.
One of the best games of all time. I’ll be playing it when I’m an old man with a smile on my face.
I had a sweet import game store near my work and I came across this one Friday night on my way home. Everyone in the store was playing the hell out of the Japanese version just after it launched, and it wasn’t yet available in the USA.
My N64 was Japanese (though modded) so I asked if I could buy this, but they only had the store copy so it wasn’t for sale. Turns out $120 was the going rate for games that weren’t for sale, and it was an amazing weekend.
By the time N64 was finished, I owned this one, the Japanese rumble pack version, and the USA version. I have no regrests.
I bought a N64 controller for NSO mostly for this game and it was worth it 🤣 wave race 64 is one of my most played switch 2 games so far
Those early N64 games just had amazing vibes to them. Wave Race 64, Pilotwings 64, Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire, Super Mario 64 all rank highly for me in top games of all time due to this
I remember being in awe on the water.
Wave Race is fun, but I still REALLY wish they had kept the beta concept for the game.
Shortly after the N64 was revealed, some footage of Wave Race was shown, but it didn’t use Jet Skis, instead it used boats where the pontoons could be brought in to make the boat slimmer to go through narrow spaces. It looked super cool.
So while I always enjoyed Wave Race, I was always a bit disappointed.
Here’s a link to some footage on youtube.
[https://youtu.be/nQ2kSA52ouc?si=KAQ47hhKqmUipKaV](https://youtu.be/nQ2kSA52ouc?si=KAQ47hhKqmUipKaV)
This, Diddy Kong, and Daytona are my favorite racing games of all time.
Seeing someone hit a backflip off the big jumps blew my little mind back in the day. I rented this game so many times after that.
this is true, they’ll never make another Wave Race 64 again.
Would be true if not for Wave Race.
When the N64 released, me and my best friend bought it on day 1, we both got a copy of SM64, he got Pilotwings and I chose Wave Race.
I know without doubt that I got the best game. I loved it so goddamn much, nailing corners, jumps, rolling down off waves for speed, scraping 0.1 speed off your best lap time. The lake/duck pond level was my favourite, as the sun came up over the water.