Wave Race 64, a game released early on in the N64 era, it came as a shocker for many as it really drew many people into its jetski-ness and its realistic waves, so a sequel must have been very anticipated. A flagship game for the release of Nintendo's Gamecube back in 2002, Waverace shocked again with its great water graphics and its tight controls.
Now in late 2007 the game is still playable as it was back then. The game may not look as great as games in this HD-era but the graphics still hold up well. Water graphics still look quite nice, and react quite well to the weather system that is set up in the game. The characters themselves dont look too great but the underwater scenery can be smashing such as seeing coral reefs and sea animals underneath. The track is also littered with billboards saying Nintendo or sponsors such as McDonalds and DrPepper.
In fact the weather system can change a track quite conciderably making it easier or harder depending on the severity of the weather. The weather system ranges from Sunny to Extremely Stormy and can change the height of waves which can make the lap very hard.
The game offers many characters, 8 in particular and the main aim of the game is to go through championship mode which can be done on a variety of difficulties.
It can be done quite quickly, but the Expert mode can be quite challenging to some gamers, but again can be mastered just through simple skill. There are many shortcuts in the game that can be found but tend to be fairly narrow and risky to take as it can either make or break your lap.
The other modes such as Stunt mode, Time trials and Multiplayer all offer varied amounts of gameplay but don't really keep your attention for that long. Unless you have 4 friends who are devoted to the game as you are.
The game does has a certain amount of life before you put the game down and say that its had its day, but for a rainy day, to drag it off the shelf and dust it off its quite a good reminisant value to it.
The musical score is also fairly decent, not amazing but it does suffice whilst gameplay and really blends quite well in opinion keeping the game fairly upbeat.
Gamespot Score: 8.5
IGN Score: 9.2
Cubed 3: Never reviewed
Flynnies score as of 2007:
Graphics: 7/10- Still looking bright and vibrant especially for a 2002 Cube game
Sound: 7/10- A nice lil score from the game, it will keep you in the game but none of the tunes are really memorable for you to be humming around all day
Gameplay: 8/10 - Again the game really does have some difficult turns that you have to master with the use of the extrodinary Gamecube controller. The tracks are nicely mapped and the characters are varied in their abilities.
Value: 8/10 - As of 2007, the game is fairly cheap to pick up, but difficult to pick up, if you can find it, the game will provide you with great value. every penny you pay will be worth it.
Final Score: 7.5 (8 for the sake of C3)
Perhaps slightly generous, but nevertheless a great game to pick up for the Cube, and a nice lil collection for those of you that still own that purple box. For those that missed out on the great generation should pick this up, perhaps even download Waverace 64 if its there on the VC.
Who owns this game?
Maquis
Ikana
Revolution