RC Pro Am on water, Wave Race became the defining title of water based racing games.

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Wave Race has this frantic arcade-racer feel about it. It successfully feels like racing on water, requiring curve approaches to be different than in standard racers. Some parts of tracks have currents going in a specific direction, along with rocks to bump across and ramps to strategically manipulate. Your jet-ski has a turbo meter that charges up when not in use. This can be used to pull ahead of the pack, speed along straightaways, jump longer distances, curve out of tight turns, and make up for mistakes.

Three modes of gameplay are offered, each with three engine classes/difficulties: Circuit Mode, where you race against three other jet-skis around a series of tracks. More tracks and laps are added as you advance engine classes. Slalom Mode, where the objective is to go through more gates than everyone else. This can get really fun once you start planning track specific strategies. Circuit Mode has eight tracks in total, and Slalom Mode has eight courses. (The Slalom Courses almost remind me of battle arenas in Mario Kart.) The last mode is Practice, which can be used to plan routes and memorize tracks without the stress of other racers. It can also be used as a Time Trial mode, since records made in Practice are recorded on the scoreboard.

What I really like is how there's never one single way to approach a track. Most racing games require specific maneuvers at certain parts, but Wave Race allows a sense of freedom in the way you race. You get to do it your own way. The tracks themselves are designed extremely well, featuring more obstacles and complicated turn patterns as you progress. The game engine is likewise excellent, showing off clever water physics that force you to do more thinking than a standard racer. I normally use Practice Mode to memorize tracks, plan a route, and then kick everyone's asses in one player mode afterward.

You'll be spending quite a bit of addicted time with Wave Race. Most of the tracks in both modes will require route planning and memorization in order to completely dominate the final engine class. And if you can find a friend with a copy, play each other for victory and maybe compare track times to see who tops out. Wave Race supports up to 4 simultaneous Game Boy's in multiplayer, as long as everyone has a copy.

Nintendo later made an excellent 3D sequel on the Nintendo 64. Wave Race 64 drove the inspiration for future water racers like Jet Moto, Hydro Thunder, and Aqua GT. If Wave Race was never around to prove the possibility of water racers, these games would probably not have been made.

Wave Race is a great game for pretty much anyone. Even those who don't like racers will get the hang of this pretty quickly, only to find your ass getting kicked by the later engine classes, and then kick their asses back after some Practice Mode. It is very affordable, with copies today selling for one dollar.

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