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Graphics: 5 out of 5: The graphics in Wave Race are incredible! The water looks and moves extremely realistically -- it has to be seen to be believed. The action is extremely fluid (pun intended) with no slowdown in sight. Like Pilotwings 64, Wave Race does not fill the whole screen. This is hardly even noticeable, however, because the game is letterboxed (unlike Pilotwings, which just had a black bar across the bottom), giving the game a classy, polished look. There are lots of very impressive graphics effects such as mist, wonderful reflections, and real time lens flares! Music: 5 out of 5: The music of Wave Race 64 is by far the best music yet on the N64. The crisp, CD quality tunes full of high quality instruments and synthesizers ooze from the game. The music fits the game beautifully, keeping the mood light hearted and relaxed (no hyper Mario tunes here!). Sound FX: 5 out of 5: Tons of voice! I can't imagine how they got it all on a cart. There are both male and female announcers throughout the game. They give you feedback on how you're doing, and often encourage you when you're not doing so well. The male announcer is who you hear during and after each race, and the female announcer welcomes you before each race and give you tips while warming up.
The other effects in Wave Race are sharp, clear and realistic, which only adds to the gaming experience. 9 out of 10: This game lets you come close to oneness with the computer! The analog control allows for wonderful control of the Jet Skis. The stunts can be a little hard to master -- but not impossible or frustrating at all. The reason Wave Race doesn't get a 10 in play control is that the different racers control so differently that it is a little difficult getting used to each character. Some characters are actually fairly difficult to control. All the players are completely customizable though, so if you mess with the settings enough, you're sure to find a satisfactory setup. Frustration Factor: 2 out of 10 (10 being the worst): Wave Race is just plain fun. The game opens up tracks for practice when you reach them in the Championship mode and not after you complete them, so you can practice and master each track before trying to go through a whole circuit in one Championship game. The net result is steady, enjoyable progress in the game. The only thing that can be frustrating is that you can get wiped out by another player or obstacle and quickly lose a game before you know what hit you. You can literally go from being less than a second away from first to a second away from fourth -- with little control over the situation. This is more prevalent in the Hard and Expert modes, where the opponents and the courses are much tougher. Overall, losing this quickly doesn't happen often, but when it does, it definitely sucks! This is really the only frustrating part of the game.
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