Appearance Wave race 64 turn on Switch as part of Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack has been the cause of many celebrations in the Nintendo Life office. That water physics is likely to impress some two and a half decades later, and it still handles like a dream.
If you’ve never played the game – or if you’re a PAL gamer and have only ever played the 50Hz version – we recommend you go in and give it a try. We even recommend subscribing to the higher level service, if only temporarily. Payment procedures Our updated old review for why we are such big fans.
The arrival of this classic on Switch has also sparked an old debate: which Wave Race is best – 64 or the sequel to 2002’s GameCube Wave racing: Blue storm?
There is no debate about which one look the best, with a generational leap of ‘Cube technology offering a much more beautiful experience in the entry developed by Nintendo Software Technology in the United States. The Wave Race 64’s chunky polygons – made even more prominent on the Switch thanks to the higher resolution output – look very primitive by comparison.
However, handling wise, the 64-bit entry of the Nintendo EAD still feels flawless. This writer has also always liked the more precise feel of the N64’s slim analog stick, even if it’s just a fantasy difference. The same mechanism of the N64 pad – a proper stick! – compared to the equivalent ‘ball’ style GameCube that always feels more responsive to micro-adjustments of the track. And those tiny inputs can make the difference between perfecting a wave or plunging into a float and ruining your race. It is the same with F-Zero X fight with GXthough that old chestnut is for another article.
So they’re all great games, but which one do you like best? Let us know in the poll below and we’ll take care of it once and for all.
Oh, and of course also had the first top-down Game Boy racer kicking off the series in 1992. Don’t get us wrong, Wave racing is a good game in its own right (especially if you have a link cable and three friends) and we’ll include it in the polls below. However, we are under no illusions about where it will rank on the podium. Do surprise us, though!
Have you enjoyed the N64 game on Switch? We had a sneaky suspicion that the game didn’t make it to the first wave of Expansion Pack games thanks to Drake Lake and the emulator foibles Confused with how fog and fog effects appear on Switch. Luckily, Nintendo put the work in and improve emulator. Let us know your thoughts below!
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