When the Nintendo 64 was first released, the software available for the system, while above and beyond all that the rest of the market had to offer, was few and far between. Wave Race 64 was the third game published by Nintendo itself and was quite an important game for early adopters of the Nintendo 64 who were yearning for a new challenge. It was the first racer, multiplayer, and sports game released for the system and it was the second N64 game from the acclaimed Ead development team, led by gaming legend Shigeru Miyamoto. When it hit the shelves in November, 1996, it was state-of-the-art and became an instant critical and commercial success. It also set a gameplay standard -only recently challenged by 1080º Snowboarding, which was created by some of the same people.

Wave Race 64 is one of only a handful of jet-ski games ever released. The main objective, as in any race game, is to beat the competition and come in first. The game throws 4 different modes at you, each with slight variations on the main objective. Two player mode allows you to challenge a friend to a race via split screen. Time trial mode pits the player against the clock in a pure test of the player's ability to negotiate a track in the shortest amount of time. Stunt mode is where you show off your jet-ski acrobatic ability and hot dog for points, much like a freestyle on water. The last mode, and the main feature of the game, is the championship mode, which is a grand prix-style tour of several tracks against three competitors for position points. Whoever ends up with the most points at the end of the circuit is the champion.

When Wave Race 64 was released two years ago, the graphics were nothing short of amazing. Never had water been so realistically reproduced on a videogame screen. Transparency, depth, reflections, white caps and all the features of water were present, and it was something to be seen. Environmental mapping, alpha-blending, and anti-aliasing enhanced the water graphics to levels previously only available in high-end arcade machines. Even today, no developer has managed to impress with water effects as realistic and aesthetically pleasing as in Wave Race 64. If there is any problem in the graphics department, it would be with the racers and the jet skis. Even in 1996, low poly counts and joint seams in the human racers could be seen. (There are also some minor clipping problems.) These are especially apparent today. It's not necessarily a fault of the game though. The low poly count riders are not a distraction and do not hinder the gameplay experience one bit. In fact, the simple design of the riders only enhances the incredible water effects. Compared with today's videogames, this two year old game still holds its own in the graphics department.

Now for the real test: How does it play? Wave Race is one of those rare games where the graphics actually play a vital role in gameplay. The aforementioned water graphics make the game, and they're the main factor in the gameplay department. Since the game's races are on jet-skis and take place on water, the game is all in the waves. Nintendo managed to include several types of water in this game. Tracks are set in calm lakes, choppy bays, and thrashing ports. Every wave is different, and piloting a jet-ski over water is quite different than driving a car on asphalt. Each wave can be navigated in an infinite number of ways and the incredible graphics and physics give the player the ability to do just that. Wave Race's control scheme is deceptively simple. The analog stick controls movement, and the "A" button is the accelerator. That's basically it. But once you fire it up on the water you realize that there is a lot more to it. Driving a jet ski requires a unique set of skills. You must accelerate to turn, and there are no brakes -- absolutely no way to stop -- and the "road" is constantly in a state of flux. Herein lies the game: once you feel the flow and begin to understand the game, and the jet-ski, can do, you can truly appreciate the graphical and gameplay mechanics at work here. Once you catch the crest of a wave and feel the rush of water under your thumbs, the sensation is truly different.

In terms of options, this game still stacks up well in most areas. It has 8 tracks, all of which can be raced in reverse, and all of them can be adjusted for wave types and difficulty, bringing the game well within today's accepted track totals. The game does come up a little short in racer selection though, as there are only four different racers to choose from. However, each of their respective jet-skis can be customized and the settings can be saved to a control pak. As mentioned before, the game does offer four distinct play modes, and the multiplayer, though it only supports two players, is still quite fun. More recently released copies of this game also support the Rumble Pak.

When Wave Race 64 hit the shelves two years ago, it was one of the best games available for any system. It had it all: great graphics, solid gameplay, high replay value, and loads of fun. Two years later, the exact same can be said. Gameplay, the main draw of Wave Race 64 hasn't tarnished one bit. The graphics still stand up to today's games with some of the best water effects ever produced. The combination of an excellent physics engine and unparalleled water graphics makes this game an incredible experience. The character graphics are a little dated, but they weren't that great when the game first appeared on the scene. It's probably an even better buy nowadays, because of added Rumble Pak support and the fact that it can be found at the bargain price of $40.00 or less. Wave Race 64 is a solid buy and a great addition to any game library.