Virtual Console Roundup Review

By Dan Whitehead Published 17 August, 2007

Waverace 64 and Cratermaze.

Version tested: Wii

The arrival of an N64 game on the Virtual Console is usually cause for some celebration, like finding a great big chocolate cake in the middle of a plate of biscuits. It's wrong, of course, since a great many of these biscuits are as good as, or even better, than a cake and such is the case this week with the gooey cake of...well, frankly, my dessert based analogy is already collapsing around my ears like so much badly made soufflé, so let's just say there's a semi-classic racer and a rather wonderful TurboGrafx title on the VC this week and get on with the show.

Wave Race 64

  • Platform: N64
  • Wii Points: 1000
  • In Real Money: 7 GBP/10 EUR (approx)

Wave Race 64 is notable for several reasons. It was one of the first games to simulate wave physics, and it does such a good job of it that, quite honestly, it can often feel a lot like a playable tech demo. It's also the first game to reach the VC with a little bit of modern tinkering, as banners alongside the courses now extol the virtues of the DS and Wii.

Not that there's anything sinister at work, it's just that Nintendo's original 1996 deal with Kawasaki (whose logo previously occupied these spaces) has obviously come to an end, necessitating a literal change of scenery. Let's face it, if you're playing an N64 game on the Wii, it's unlikely that you need to be sold on the benefits of the machine by an in-game banner.

As a game in its own right, Wave Race 64 is undeniably slick but despite the oceanic setting I've always found it a touch shallow. Arf. While the sensation of bobbing and bouncing across a genuine watery surface still impresses today, the championship races themselves are fairly straight forward affairs with three laps around some very short courses. There are a smattering of ramps, and a few sharp bends, but the real challenge comes from conquering the waves rather than the track.

'Virtual Console Roundup' Screenshot 1

At first it's easy to oversteer horribly, overcompensate for the undulating surface, and find yourself missing the checkpoints - depicted here as floating ice cream cones that must be passed on the left (yellow) or right (red). You can miss five before disqualification, but you also lose power for each one you fail to pass correctly. Conversely, passing them in the right way boosts your power, enabling you to extend your lead or catch up with the other racers.

There's still an often frustrating feeling that even the best racer can be fatally thrown off course by an unlucky wave, while mapping the sharp turn move to a backwards tug on the stick feels weird even once you've mastered it. Ironically, once you have got used to the different skills required for racing on water (using inertia to your advantage, basically) the game actually becomes quite easy, even when the sea gets choppy and random boxes are foolishly left bobbing in the surf.

The two-player mode works very well, since jet skiing is one of those innately fun things that's far more amusing when shared with a human foe, although the stunt mode is nothing particularly special. You race around the same courses, slip through rings and pull of tricks with stick waggles on ramps. Not bad, but not quite the combining stunts with jet skis. It's also a rather ugly game. Just producing the realistic waves obviously kept the old N64 busy and, as a result, the riders look like cardboard boxes held together with string, all oblong limbs and bizarrely enormous square arses.

Wave Race 64 won't be for everyone. The unique handling is an acquired taste, and the ever-changing waves can frustrate as often as they thrill. For those who click with it, it can be one of the most enjoyable racers ever. For those who don't, it's a short-lived curiosity piece. Personally, I've never been that fond of it, but I can certainly understand the appeal.

8/10

Cratermaze

  • Platform: TurboGrafx 16
  • Wii Points: 600
  • In Real Money: 4.20 GBP/6 EUR (approx)

Cratermaze may not be the most original game in the world - it's essentially Bomberman and Dig Dug wrestling in a sack - but, by golly, it's fun. You scurry around sixty mazes, picking up all the treasure until you get the key to move on to the next stage. Monsters plod around, and can be defeated by digging holes for them to fall into. Once they've taken a tumble, fill in the hole and you get a few minutes respite before they respawn.

'Virtual Console Roundup' Screenshot 2

What makes it so compelling is that each level brings some new twist to this basic concept, either in the form of new power-ups (spades allow you to instantly dig long rows of holes, guns trap enemies in bubbles or gems) or environmental objects such as springboards and teleporters with which to traverse the maze.

It's gloriously simply, in the way that all the best retro games are, and the difficulty is nicely judged, giving you just enough time to work out what each new element does before throwing something more tricky at you. And, like most TurboGrafx games, it's bright and colourful and relentlessly cheery. If you bought your Wii for the kids, then this is precisely the sort of game you should be downloading, and you'll probably find yourself slyly having a go when they've gone to bed.

Put it this way, I happily played through to level fifteen before remembering I was supposed to be writing about it as well, and that's always my handy litmus test for a game's instinctual appeal. Good old fashioned fun? Ain't nothing wrong with that.

8/10

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Picture of Dan.

About Dan Whitehead

Dan has been writing for Eurogamer since 2006 and specialises in RPGs, shooters and games for children. His bestest game ever is Julian Gollop's Chaos.

Read more articles from Dan by visiting the Dan Whitehead archive page.

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Comments (42) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Darren #1 5 years ago

    EG, could you confirm whether Wave Race 64 still has the HER-UGE PAL borders of the original N64 release or has this game being optimised like the VC versions of Super Mario 64 and Mario Kart 64? Thanks.

  • Der_tolle_Emil #2 5 years ago

    The waves aren't all that random if I remember correctly. They kind of happen at set intervals, so if you are good enough to actually get the same lap times all the times the waves are practically the same.

    I might be completely wrong though but I remember that there were always one or two waves that always nearly killed me in some corners and those required for jumps also were always there when needed and you weren't too slow.

    Anyway. Keep up those short reviews, I like them. I will skip on WR64 though since I did everything there was to do on the N64 back then.

    Edit: Darren: The borders are still here and the Kawasaki ads have been replaced with Wii and DS ads. I have no idea about speed but the borders are still there.

    Edit2: If you have a 16:9 TV you might just as well stretch the image since with the borders the image doesn't appear being stretched all that much. Cheap widescreen!
    Edited by 2 at 17/08/07 @ 15:01

  • Sebo #3 5 years ago

    Downloading WaveRace as soon as I switch the Wii on tonight, a worthy addition to the VC

  • pikemon #4 5 years ago

    how's the gamecube waverace btw? which one to get?

  • woodnotes #5 5 years ago

    "Personally, I've never been that fond of it, but I can certainly understand the appeal.

    8/10"

    Another week, another load of VC games get overrated.

  • Der_tolle_Emil #6 5 years ago

    I enjoyed the N64 one more than the cube sequel. I had that with almost every cube sequel - the N64 ones were better. Only exception being 1080 Avalanche, which was even better than the already great 1080 Snowboarding on the N64.

  • cyacomini #7 5 years ago

    "Personally, I've never been that fond of it, but I can certainly understand the appeal.
    8/10"

    Why give it an 8 then if your not that fond of it? I thought reviews were supposed to be based on personal opinion. I'm not that fond of it either, though I can also understand the appeal. I'd have given it a 6....

  • SniperWolf #8 5 years ago

    If you were never fond of Wave race, why review it?. I could never understand this logic. You don't give a game like Bioshock to someone who hates FPS and then ask them to review it. No wonder review scores are all over the place, the system for reviewing games doesn't work.

  • Pac #9 5 years ago

    Wave Race was one of my fave games when it came out and judging by the responses here I was not alone.

    "all oblong limbs and bizarrely enormous square arses"

    LOL

  • Azazel #10 5 years ago

    "Here, I have... a ball."

    /hands woodnotes a ball

  • Azazel #11 5 years ago

    the system for reviewing games doesn't work.

    No! NO! How am I ever going to KNOW WHAT IS TRUE!?

  • Azazel #12 5 years ago

    Sorry, I'm in a bad mood today. Damned work.

  • SniperWolf #13 5 years ago

    Games like Cratermaze get 8/10, games like RE4 wii edition get 7/10,

    I just don't fucking get it.

  • DanWhitehead #14 5 years ago

    Why give it an 8 then if your not that fond of it? I thought reviews were supposed to be based on personal opinion.

    Partially. A review (especially a review of a retro re-release) should be informed by personal opinion, but also by experience and a general understanding of where that game fits into its genre. While playing, it's absolutely clear to me that, objectively speaking, Wave Race 64 is an 8/10 game. It's just, subjectively speaking, not an 8/10 game that I'm a big fan of.

  • Sebo #15 5 years ago

    Woah, you are right, these reviews are totally confusing. Wii RE4 is definitely better than Wave Race

  • fiery_jackass #16 5 years ago

    I liked Wave Race (NTSC version, natch), just cranking up the waves on the menu and pissing about was great fun.

    happier, more innocent times.

    (

  • DanWhitehead #17 5 years ago

    Games like Cratermaze get 8/10, games like RE4 wii edition get 7/10,

    I just don't fucking get it.

    But why on Earth would you compare a maze game from years ago to Resident Evil 4? You compare like with like. Compared to other games of its type, and similar games available on the VC, Cratermaze is loads of fun and very well designed. Therefore it gets a good score. Trying to arrange every numerical score ever handed out into one long definitive hierarchical list of What Is Good is impossible.

  • sickpuppysoftware #18 5 years ago

    Games like Cratermaze get 8/10, games like RE4 wii edition get 7/10,

    I just don't fucking get it.
    One's a cheapy retro release, the other's a full priced new game.

    Which part do you struggle with?

  • IMadeThis #19 5 years ago

    @DTE "I enjoyed the N64 one more than the cube sequel. I had that with almost every cube sequel - the N64 ones were better. Only exception being 1080 Avalanche, which was even better than the already great 1080 Snowboarding on the N64."

    +1 Cannot agree more. Anyone not owning this fantastic/overlooked game should get it (cheap as well), as it's a fantastic addition to e GC catalogue.

  • Sebo #20 5 years ago

    Except RE4 was only £25 and had been changed from the original, albeit, slightly

  • polymorph #21 5 years ago

    god, i have been waiting for this since the wii launched, downloading now, lets see if i am as badass at it as i was so so many years ago (probably not).

  • Ceatlan #22 5 years ago

    I'm sure I read this article and all its comments the other day :-/

  • Azazel #23 5 years ago

    ^ heh

  • lasermink #24 5 years ago

    "This is Chevalier, Montage, Detente, Avant Garde, and Deja Vu."
    "Have we not met before, Monsieur?"
    "I don't think so."

  • siro #25 5 years ago

    Is Wave Race really as dark as in that screenshot? Are the huge arses blocking the sun or what?

  • kasabian72 #26 5 years ago

    did someone just throw out a Top Secret reference?

  • polymorph #27 5 years ago

    @kasabian72 ,
    I hope so!
    which post?

    OK i see it now,
    lasermink .
    Edited by 1 at 17/08/07 @ 17:30

  • smelly #28 5 years ago

    >how's the gamecube waverace btw? which one to get?

    Beautiful.

    But i could never get the hang of it.

  • Santino #29 5 years ago

    i actually prefer Blue Storm to 64, although 64 is really good too.i hope they make a wii version.

  • polymorph #30 5 years ago

    Blue storm was great,
    but i could never shake the feeling that the first was better.

  • hokuto_no_rob #31 5 years ago

    Waverace 64.

    £7 on VC or 99p on eBay.

    Tough call.

  • Santino #32 5 years ago

    99p? lies. including postage and buy it now price/bidding finished amount it'll end up costing around the same as this version at the end of the day. So for someone who doesnt already own the game, wants it, and has access to the VC its a no brainer

  • figaro7 #33 5 years ago

    I dont think waverace 64 has been topped to this day as the best water based racing game?

  • Abscido #34 5 years ago

    Games are beginning to make my brain hurt. This industry is hilariously uncertain of itself. That's why I love it.

  • Dale_Gribble #35 5 years ago

    I remember paying £50 for Wave Race on n64 back in day.. and it was worth every penny! The physics completely blew me away. Unfortunately the Cube version lacked whatever made the original version magical (tricks especially seemed harder to pull off)..
    I would recommend this to all Wii owners, even tho I dont have one.

  • Shonuff #36 5 years ago

    Waverace and 1080 were my absolute favorite racing games on the N64. I had a ghost run on 1080 that absolutely none of my friends could touch, ever. God i wish I still had that cart.

    Waverace was genius, the waves weren't "random" but that was fine. In two player mode once you memorized the tracks it made for some truly epic races between me and my friends. Good good times.

  • NewYork #37 5 years ago

    "Wave Race is s***, but perhaps you'll like it.

    8/10".

  • Sulaco #38 5 years ago

    I loved Wave Race all those years ago. However this vc version does not seem to have been optimised like Mario 64 was. There are noticeable bars at the top of the screen. Also the game (both presentation and actual gameplay) hasn't aged well at all in my opinion.

  • Sebo #39 5 years ago

    I second that sulaco.

    I downloaded it at the weekend. It certainly hasn't been optimised, there are borders.

    Although it has aged quite badly, I still enjoyed it. I would recommend it. Makes me want Pilotwings too.

  • homerramone #40 5 years ago

    Wish they would release the original 3 Mario Partys on there :-(

  • Dr_Lobster #41 5 years ago

    Dan's right on this one, guys -- value's a factor here too. RE4 Wii is on its third platform at $30, where Wave Race is returning at a lesser price.

  • Carrybagma #42 5 years ago

    Cake?

    ON A FRIGGIN BISCUIT PLATE?????