Wave Race 64 is a unique take on the racing genre, putting the player in the seat of a jet ski, where realism is the name of this game.

Graphically, this one is incredible, and everything is so realistic. The addition of various animals, such as whales, dolphins, and seagulls, only adds to the atmosphere; the water is incredibly well done, with reflections, waves, and more; the jet skis even make water spray up behind them as they're going through the course. The realisticness of the characters and vehicles add to the realism.

A soundtrack is present, but you won't hear a note because of the engine noises, waves crashing, and the announcer. Again, realism has an impact. The engines sound like real engines, while at the same time, the sound of the waves is incredible to say the least. An announcer is present but serves very little purpose. It was as if Nintendo was saying, "Hey, cartridges can have voices, too." The announcer is a little too cheery. He's always saying encouraging words to you, but it just leaves you wondering why he's there in the first place. When you crash into another player, they each have their own scream.

Gameplay is greatly enhanced by the realistic physics. The jet skis react just like real ones, which is what makes the game what it is. There are eight courses overall plus a practice course, four characters to choose from, and three skill levels (you have to beat one to move to the next).

I had a problem with the speed. If you miss one of the markers, your speed decreases, which is the only unrealistic thing about the game. Your speed should not depend on whether or not you go the right way. The N64's setup allows for anywhere from 1-4 players, adding to the game as a whole.

Another cool thing is the effect of tides. During the race, something will be covered by water in the first lap, but it will be above water so that you have to avoid it in subsequent laps. This also affects whehter you see the ground through the water or not.

The shortcuts were kind of annoying since they didn't seem to save you much time if any, but the computer opponents were able to take full advantage of them. This got annoying because one minute you'd be in the lead, and the next, you'd be behind someone even though you never saw anyone pass you.

A highly original idea, Wave Race 64 gave us somthing unique to look forward to for the system. It's also very fun... with the amount of realism present and the addition of a multi-player mode, I had a blast with this one. Replay value is excellent. When you beat the normal difficulty level, you get another level, followed by another one after you beat the Hard difficulty level. Also, you can participate in a stunt mode, where you're judged on the what tricks you manage to pull off.

Screaming realism, this game is a solid example of Shigeru Miyamoto's genius. If you have a Nintendo 64, go out and buy this game; you won't be disappointed.

Overall: 9.5