Apparently, Nintendo wanted to give people time to appreciate what a great game
Wave Race 64 truly was, time to miss it and develop a craving for a sequel. Well,
its been five years now, and if you are like me, you have a hankerin for
something new. Lucky for us Wave Race: Blue Storm is looming on the horizon; its
just a GC launch away.The word from Nintendo
is speed. Blue Storm promises to eliminate processing annoyances like draw-in, clipping,
dropped frame rates, and fog. When all eight racers are on the screen, during the most
turbulent weather conditions, even during multiplayer races, there will be no hint of
slowdown. From the videos I have seen, this is indeed the case. As racers fly by, plunging
under the water, jumping over piers, or as dolphins swim and jump along side of you, the
game doesnt seem to falter at all.
But Blue Storm has more going for it than speed. Fans can expect
all of the great game play from the previous title, as well as new features to bring it
into the next generation. As before, players must race against the opposition while at the
same time navigating between buoys and performing tricks. However, now there will be more
emphasis on tricks, with a new trick system that includes both the original directional
controls and additional C-stick controls. Performing tricks will also build up Turbo
Boosts, which players can use during the race to catch up to opponents and access
shortcuts. Thanks to the power of the GC, Blue Storm also boasts more realistic wave
physics than ever before. Players will be able to customize the height and types of waves
they will encounter, including an ominous tsunami. The weather effects can also be
customized, from a clear, calm day to a raging storm, and they can even be set to
fluctuate during the race. For multiplayer races, Blue Storm will support up to four
players.
To top it all off, this game is incredible to look at. Gone are
the days of opaque water, bland textures, and N64 fog. From what I have seen so far, the
crowning achievement of Blue Storm is the wave modeling. Every inch of the water is
reflection mapped, so that the surrounding landscape, buildings, piers, the characters and
jet skis, everything, is reflected upon the water. The reflections move realistically with
the waves. In addition to that, the water is translucent, so the landscape underneath is
visible. The effect is quite cool. And now, when you submarine, you will be able to see
your submerged character and ski beyond the reflections and waves. The weather effects are
impressive as well. One race I have seen takes place during a severe thunderstorm. The sky
is gray and turbulent, the rain, wind, and waves palpable. The landscape is hazy,
obscuring the distant landscape except when lightning flashes, illuminating the horizon. I
cant wait to race under these conditions.
Wave Race remains one of my favorite N64 titles, and one of my
favorite racing games, period. It sounds like Nintendo and NTS have done a good job of
creating a sequel that retains and refines the core elements of the first, while adding
new features and taking advantage of next-generation technology. I think I am safe in
saying that Wave Race: Blue Storm is one of the GCs must-play launch titles.