'Wave Race 64' Brings the Best-Looking '90s Water to the Switch

One of the Nintendo 64's first US-released games is bound for the Nintendo Switch as part of its still-growing N64 games library.

It's official. Wave Race 64, is headed to the Nintendo Switch, giving you yet one more reason to stick with the console. This release bolsters the Switch's expanding N64 library even further after already receiving other classics like Pokemon Snap and Super Mario 64.

Wave Race 64 was one of the N64's first racing games in the US, coming out just behind Super Mario 64 and Pilotwings 64, and about three months before Mario Kart 64 would eclipse the other games in popularity. What set Wave Race 64 apart from most other racers at the time, even on other platforms, is its combination of aerial acrobatics and water physics. Things that may not stand out so much now, but 26 years ago, when video game consoles were just starting to embrace 3D, they were pretty impressive.

As with other N64 library games on the Switch, Wave Race 64 isn't a remake or a remaster. It's basically just a digitized version of the original, played through the Switch hardware, so the visuals are a bit smoother looking. So it may look a bit better than it did back in 1996, but it's still definitely of its own era, visually.

Wave Race 64 will be added to the Switch Online Nintendo 64 library worldwide on Friday, August 19, at no cost. Though if you aren't a Switch Online + Expansion Pack member, you'll need to subscribe in order to access it.