Out of all nine of them, I particularly love Port Blue. Instantly memorable, every single track is a winner. It sounds ridiculous to have to mention that, but there will be games in this list that just don’t get this.Ĭourse design is phenomenal. Your racer bobs and bounces around exactly like you’d expect them to – it’s a racing experience that actually feels like you’re racing on water. Each of the jet riders have their own feel, but each of them are an absolute joy to take out onto the water, and thanks to some customizable settings, they can be as quick or as heavy as you want them to be. Wave Race did it first, and it still hasn’t been bettered. This mix of unpredictability and reliable controls are what almost all subsequent water racers lack, some waaaay more than others. A wave here and there, and each section of the any given course has its own parameters – some sections would be smooth, others a great deal choppier, with particularly memorable set-pieces in certain courses going nuts with the wave action. Each course definitely had some scripted stuff going on. It’s both comfortable and reliable, whilst still offering a level of unpredictability from race to race, thanks to its killer water simulation. It’s not just all flash and spectacle – Wave Race 64 has some of the most satisfying controls in any arcade racer, whether said racer features the wet stuff or not. It was also virtually the first to go all in on the wave physics and weave them so completely into its control scheme. A Nintendo 64 launch title in western territories, it showed the world what the system could do straight out of the gate. Wave Race 64 is the undisputed KING OF THEM ALL. Strap in, because we’re going to hit the highest of highs, and the lowest of lows. Let’s get on with it, shall we? Here’s a bunch I dig, in order of best to worst. There’s already enough negativity in the world, and besides, I’m saving it for the two games at the bottom 😉Īs always, this isn’t an exhaustive list, these are just ones that I’ve played myself, and even then it’s not all of them. It’s seen its fair share of stinkers too, but I dunno… lets start with the good stuff, yeah? A good water racer will offer stunning visuals, great physics and a one-of-a-kind of racing experience that’ll stick with you a long time.Īnd over the years, a few have done just that. It’s all in the colours, the undulating clear waters, the music and the ride. There’s just something about the aesthetics of these games that I love. When done right, it’s all blue-skies, even bluer water and wave-hopping fun. If there’s one racing sub-genre that is sorely under-represented these days, it’s the water-based arcade racer.

I hate riptide gp renegade