Standard Edition
StandardIn the box
- Nintendo 64 cartridge
- Cardboard box with cover art
- Instruction booklet
Nintendo 64
Wave Race 64
Wave Race 64 is a 1996 racing video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It is the second entry in the Wave Race series following the 1992 Game Boy game Wave Race.
RacingSport
- Update patch
- No patch
- Time to beat
- about 3.8 hours
- Plays offline
- Yes
Overview
Wave Race 64 is a 1996 racing video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It is the second entry in the Wave Race series following the 1992 Game Boy game Wave Race. Gameplay involves the player racing on a personal watercraft on a variety of courses while successfully manoeuvring the vehicle around various buoys. A multiplayer mode where two players can compete against each other on a chosen course is also included. The game supports the Controller Pak, which allows players to transfer saved data from one game cartridge to another. The game is presented in a letterboxed 14:9 aspect ratio.
Originally referred to as "F-Zero on water", the game was intended to feature high-speed boats with transforming capabilities, but these were ultimately replaced with Jet Skis as producer Shigeru Miyamoto felt that the game would not be differentiated enough from other titles on other systems. Wave Race 64 received acclaim from critics, who praised the game's satisfying controls and dynamic watery environments and considered as one of the best games ever made. The game is credited with helping Nintendo effectively make its paradigmatic leap from the 16-bit 2D graphics of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System to the Nintendo 64's 3D capabilities. It was re-released for the Wii and Wii U's Virtual Console in 2007 and 2016, respectively, and on the Nintendo Classics service in 2022. A sequel, Wave Race: Blue Storm, was released for the GameCube in 2001.
Official trailer
Trailer. Watch on YouTube
Gameplay
Wave Race 64 - N64 Gameplay, N64guide. Watch on YouTube
Screenshots
Game details
- Genres
- Racing, Sport
- Developer
- Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development
- Publisher
- Nintendo, iQue
- Series
- Wave Race
- Platforms
- Nintendo 64, Wii U
- Age rating
- ESRB E
- Modes
- Single player
- Yes
- Local multiplayer
- Yes
- Online multiplayer
- No
- Co op
- No
- Age ratings
- ACB
- G
- ESRB
- E
- USK
- 0
- CERO
- A
- PEGI
- 3
Release dates
| Platform | Region | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Nintendo 64 | Japan | 1996-09-27 |
| Nintendo 64 | North America | 1996-11-04 |
| Nintendo 64 | Europe / PAL | 1997-04-29 |
Editions
Players Choice
In the box
- Nintendo 64 cartridge
- Players Choice box
Wave Race 64: Kawasaki Jet Ski (Rumble Pak Version)
In the box
- Nintendo 64 cartridge
- Box with cover art
Standard Edition
StandardIn the box
- Nintendo 64 cartridge
- Cardboard box with cover art
Space and patches
Update patchNo patch
DLC
No DLC. Nintendo 64 games had no downloadable content.
Playable today
Playable offline todayYes
No online features; every mode works today. The cartridge runs on any Nintendo 64, and the game is on Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Ever released on disc | Yes, on Nintendo 64 cartridge |
| Ever released in the store | Yes, 6 August 2007 On the Wii Virtual Console. Later on the Wii U Virtual Console in 2016 and in the Nintendo 64 library of Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack in 2022. |
| In the store to buy today | No The Wii and Wii U shops have closed. Playable with a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership. |
| Can be downloaded again if you already bought it | Yes Wii and Wii U Virtual Console purchases can still be downloaded again. The Nintendo Switch Online version needs an active Expansion Pack membership. |
| Disc runs with no patch | Yes |
| Disc runs with the final patch | Does not exist No patch was ever released. |
| Has online features | No |
| Online servers running today | Does not exist |
| Playable offline today: campaign | Yes |
| Playable offline today: local multiplayer | Yes Two players split screen. |
| Playable offline today: online multiplayer | Does not exist No online play. |
| Playable offline today: DLC | Does not exist No DLC. |
Online
Plays offlineYes
Reception
- Aggregates
Outlet Platform Score Scale Metacritic Nintendo 64 92 100 - Critics
Outlet Score Scale Famitsu 34 40 IGN 9.7 10 Electronic Gaming Monthly 9.3 10 Edge 9 10 Game Informer 9 10 GameSpot 8.6 10 N64 Magazine 90 100 Next Generation 5 5 AllGame 4.5 5 Computer and Video Games 4 5
Staff and cast
- Staff
Role Name Developer Nintendo EAD Publisher Nintendo Directors Katsuya Eguchi, Shinya Takahashi Producer Shigeru Miyamoto Programmer Keizo Ohta Composer Kazumi Totaka
Notes for collectors
- Started as F-Zero on water with transforming boats; Jet Skis replaced them on a suggestion from Rare's Tim Stamper.
- Uses the Nintendo 64's alpha blending to make the water both see-through and reflective.
- Sold 2.95 million copies, the best-selling Wave Race. Japan got a Rumble Pak Version in July 1997.
- Red buoys are passed on the right and yellow on the left. Miss too many and you are disqualified.
Credits
- Publisher
- Nintendo, iQue
- Developer
- Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development
- Director
- Katsuya Eguchi, Shinya Takahashi
- Released
- 1996-11-04
- Age rating
- ESRB E
- Region
- US
- Time to beat
- about 3.8 hours
Spotted something that's wrong? Tell me and I'll check it.