Con-gra-tu-lations!

Wave Race 64 is not a game that lends itself to lengthy discussions of its gameplay. You choose one of four characters, you select a difficulty, you race around the track for three laps, staying to the right or left of the flashing buoys, depending on what they direct you to do, and you try and win. There's time trials, and versus mode, and you can customize the characters' stats, since some have better acceleration, or handling, or a higher top speed. So really, not much to it.

And yet, it's still a game worth talking about because of my expectations of it. It was technically the first N64 game I received, though I always consider it the second game, because I got Mario 64 with the N64 from my parents, but we didn't have that Christmas until a few days after the Christmas get-together with my mother's family, which is when I got Wave Race. So I had the game for about two days before I could actually play it. I distinctly recall my reaction being one of those where you have to try real hard to look like you're happy, because honestly, I wasn't much of a racing enthusiast, and jet skis? No thanks.

But it's a game that grows on you, because it's easy to get into, and the difficulty doesn't increase too sharply from Easy to Medium to Hard (and then - Reverse! Yes, run the tracks backwards, at Hard difficulty!), so it gets tougher, but not to the point where you give up in frustration because the lower level did nothing to prepare you for it. Which isn't to say I didn't feel like the game cheated me sometimes, as it seemed like I'd hit waves hard enough to spill off my jet ski at the oddest times, and always near the finish line in a close race. Funny how that happens.

My character of choice was a fellow I recall being named Ryoto Hayami. He had the second best top speed, and solid handling and acceleration, especially once I made a customized version, with better acceleration, and a tighter grip on the handles. Naturally, since you can name those customized characters whatever you wish, I named him after myself. Because I'm awesome, and capable of both adequate acceleration and a good high speed. I went ahead and named the other customized characters after my friends. Of course, I didn't feel any of those characters were as good as mine. Because I'm an egotistical smartass.

The Wave Race people certainly liked to have wildlife in the games. There were dolphins racing alongside you (which is pretty impressive since I was going 120 km), gulls in the sky, and on Drake Lake, you're constantly scaring ducks into the sky. At least none of it actually affects you're characters, because I'm sure otherwise my character would have kept getting blinded by freaking mallards at key points in the race.