Nintendo GameCube Review #1 - Wave Race: Blue Storm

                                                             By Shane

Players: 1 - 4

Memory Card Usage: 12 Blocks

Review Version: PAL

Developer: Nintendo Software Technology, U.S.A

Price: RRP $49.95

Release: Launch (17th May, 2002)

Overview:

This hot little title- Wave Race: Blue Storm, is the GameCube followup to the very successful N64 game Wave Race. The first game won acclaim around the world for its incredible water effects, and some would argue that they are yet to be matched, so it was up to the company who produced the first game to better their previous effort. Have they? Read this review and play the game to find out! At its core, Wave Race: Blue Storm is basically a racing game on Jet Ski's, with the aim of the game being to compete in various circuits ranging from normal to expert and win, win, WIN! Four courses are initially on offer, with a further three available through unlocking them. Each course is unique, and varies from all the others in its own special way. So is this game just another run-of-the-mill racer? Or is it something fresh and fantasically special that all Cubers should experience? Lets break the game's aspects down and find out!

Graphics: 9.5

I must say- i was quite literally amazed at the graphical quality of this title. Everything from the incredible water effects to the crashes to the background environments are of an astoundingly high quality. The water in this game is leaps and bounds ahead of any other game i have played or seen, easily the best water effects ever created in the video game world. The waves are incredibly realistic and react accordingly to the environment around them. Not only does the water, and in particular- the waves, look and behave incredibly realistic, it reflects the surrounding environment with superb realism, the developers really did go all out with the graphics powerhouse that is the Nintendo GameCube... and they did extremely well considering the short development time they were given. The characters are all superbly animated and are very well detailed, as are the jet skis they ride on, and the 'trackside world' they fly past. Special mention must also go to the detail gone into basically making this world a living, breathing world, with birds flying overhead and fish swimming below the surface of the water, and the water splashes on the screen is a truly astounding effect. You will definately stop on many occasions to marvel at the level of detail gone into this world... i know i said 'wow' many times, and still do! The menu screens are home to some great water effects also, and are very well designed... id have to say they are the best looking menu layouts and effects ive ever seen! The game regularly runs at a silky 60fps, but sometimes can drop slightly when there's a lot of action onscreen... but it never detracts from the overall experience. All in all, a superb graphical masterpiece that shows how this genre should be done right, and also raises our expectations of what the GameCube is capable of.

Sound: 9.5

Just like with the graphics... Wave Race: Blue Storm excells remarkably in the sound department. Right from the get-go, players are treated to an aural paradise that never seriously falters. The engine noises are spot-on and never irritate like in other racing games. The water makes realistic splashing noises when it hits your craft and the music is great with some catchy tunes and boppy beats. The world is brought to life with birds chirping and background elements eg: boats making their own noises. Each racer has their own personal announcer, and they all seem to fit in nicely with no irritating voices or repetetive commentary to be found. My only gripe with the sound, and it is a very slight one, is how the slashing noise can sometimes overpower every other sound coming out of the speakers. I found this mildly irritating, but didnt really bother me too much.

Gameplay: 9.0

Wave Race: Blue Storm is an incredibly fun game. Nothing beats the feeling you get when tearing across a beautifully detailed stretch of water, passing racers one by one, hitting the turbo button and flying around a corner. You will not grow tired of this game very quickly, unless racing is definately not your thing. The rumble feature of the GameCube controller is utilised here to great effect, you can literally feel the impact of every wave, and really adds to the overall atmosphere of this fine piece of software. The main problem that most people will have with this game is the difficulty level... its really not for the 'slackers' out there, and can get quite stressing! It's very frustrating to be leading the entire pack for most of the race, racing a superb line and not faltering once, only to come unstuck on the last lap and have all the riders fly (float?) past you before you even have time to get back on your Jet Ski... thus placing you in last position. This truly is a hard game, and will test the limits of even the most hardcore racing fanatic out there.

Overall: 9.25

To wrap it all up into a neat little package, Wave Race: Blue Storm is a superb game. Its both fun to play and a dream to watch, the graphics are top notch and will literally make you watch in awe, the sound adds greatly to the atmosphere and its a definate and rewarding challenge to unlock all the extra courses. The stunt mode will keep you occupied for a long time after you grow tired of the racing, if you ever do of course. This game is defnately one of the best of the GameCubes launch games, and will keep you entertained for a very long time to come. Add to that the multiplayer aspect, and you have a truly incredible package that just begs for your purchase. Trust me, you wont regret buying this baby- it deserves a place in every GameCube owners game library! :)

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