Video: A Wii Wave Race Project Got Far Enough to Have Its Own Patents

Nintendo.... always either making or destroying your childhood memories, hopes, and video gaming joy. Never a happy medium balance, though. Maybe someday there will be another Wave Race, 1080, F-Zero, Earthbound, Metroid, Kid Icarus, Ice Climbers, etc.

I would probably pick up a new Wave Race game if it had depth. As fun as the old ones were, they didn't have a ton of depth.

I loved Wave Race 64 back in the day!
I had no idea that Wave Race started on the Game Boy!!!

Nintendo could have said we don't like the control scheme come up with a different one or the standard remote n nunchuck usage and we will release the game.

I also loved Wave Race 64. If I recall I swapped one of my N64 games with the ice cream van man to get it lol.

Bought Blue Storm at launch and also loved it.

How about Wave Race Resort set around Wuhu Island using Miis?

@MikeW it was pretty much moving a black dot around a birds-eye view track.

@Zach777 all those are franchises that are commercial bombs and doesn't make sense, in this time and age, to keep making games that don't make profits. of course, Pikmin should be there too because is a failed project but that's miyamoto's baby and nobody messes with miyamoto's ego.

To make a Wave Race for Wii U or NX and have it as a retail release would need something with a huge amount of depth in terms of story, missions and races etc. And as a franchise I am not too sure how well it would hold up in today's world.

So I wouldn't be surprised if we never saw another game in the series.

Oh my heart...How I miss Wave Race and 1080. Racing isn't dead!

Thought the series was cool, it's more like F-Zero but race on water rather than gravity. I always felt that the 1080s, Wave Race and F-Zero series were competing against each other as those were racing games with different concept.

@DarthNocturnal
Uprising was a one-timer that established Pit and company a proper storyline that will not effectively be continued by Nintendo. You know it for a fact that Uprising will not be followed up on in this decade or the next. I would be shocked if it were otherwise. You will probably see a HD remake on NX... Probably... but no true sequel. I can almost for certain guarantee that.

@Minotaurgamer
You do realize Nintendo could effectively revive any one of these franchises and make them into commercial success. Nintendo has a way of making games (that they actually invest time and resources in) worthwhile to the public. They have a certain way of doing things and when they tap into that potential the results generally speak for themselves. For example... A Link Between Worlds (time, resources.... success) and Triforce Heroes (hardly any time, poor resources... mediocre). It's hard to miss these observations, especially when interviews with Nintendo developers reveal this to be true.

@dkxcalibur

I'm sorry but that's factually incorrect, Blue Storm has tons of depth. There are so many things to consider when playing. Go try again

What annoys me most about the whole debacle with Nintendo and older franchises is that they (Shigsy) still maintain that there needs to be scope for 'innovation' before they greenlight new iterations.

Yet Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash is exists and has the least content of any Mario Tennis game. Also Mario Party etc etc. They should just be honest and say they don't think those games will sell enough, although even that is Nintendo's own failing.

@dkxcalibur

The water in some of the courses was pretty deep.

@Mogster Well it was not a fact since it was my opinion, so it's you that needs to give it another try.

For me, 8 characters, 8-10 tracks (can't remember), 2 typical racing modes, and a "stunt mode" that was weak in comparison to some other stunt modes in other games was not enough. The game itself was very fun, but I grew a little bored with it.........I would like to clarify before someone else nuts -out again that this is only my opinion. I forgot that you're not permitted to have an opinion about a game on the internet anymore.

Noooooooooooooo! Make a wiiu one then! And 1080!

If Mario Tennis U can happen... Wave Race U can happen... just take all the courses from 64 & Blue Storm... use MK8 engine... done.

Unseen64 don't mention Project Hammer enough.

Glad this particular pitch didn't get off the ground/water - the Wii could play GameCube games anyway and wasn't that much more powerful to give it much more distinction, and those controls sound terrible. I adore Wave Race 64 and the GameCube game just doesn't touch the 'original' N64 version, so I'm glad they didn't get to ruin the memory a second time. It's a major shame the Wii U hasn't got a Wave Race title - here's hoping the NX gets it.

@get2sammyb

Yeah, fantastic game. Sadly the follow up was kind of meh, but I would've loved to see how a new Wave Race for Wii would've turned out. Very disappointing it didn't happen.

Blue Storm is one of the best first party titles for the Cube. Excellent physics, precise control with immersive force feedback and great graphics.

It was all for the best.
NST wasn't very good at making games (still aren't).

Also Wave Racer just doesn't sell well enough to keep around.
There are better uses for the resources.

@dkxcalibur #19 Yeah, tell me about it. It's just us oldies fighting against all the anonymous keyboard warriors...
On a serious side note though, you do have to see Wave Race for what the series is, and that is an arcade racer, so I personally don't expect a lot of depth in games like that, same as with 1080, F-Zero and you could also replace these 1st party titles with any third party title (Ridge Racer, WipeOut, Amped to name a few similar ones) that falls into the same category.

They generally all have a similar setup: 3 difficulty settings, 10 or 12 tracks, extras in the form of stunt or time trial tracks, 4 or 5 characters, some upbeat music and more often than not no realistic damage/collision physics, but all of that is what you can expect from an arcade racer.

And Wave Race Blue Storm did improve upon the N64 game in many ways, so it may not have an enormous amount of depth, but it still offered quite a nice package for an arcade racer, so maybe you should take that into consideration when making a final verdict on the depth of it, regardless of one's personal taste...

@Xenocity So you're saying that they never made any good games?
I checked the entire list here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_Software_Technology#List_of_software_developed and lo and behold: many classics, so maybe it is just you. Nothing wrong with personal taste, but saying for a fact that they never made any good games is quite a ways removed from being correct...

I had no idea Wave Race was on the GB; I have to check that out. The buttonless control scheme sounds interesting, provided it works and allows for tight controls. To this day, I LOVE Mario Kart Wii, but I usually play it with a Gamecube controller cause it allows for better vehicle control then the Wiimote steering wheel. Sad to see the franchise stuck in limbo, but I play the hell out of Wave Race on the N64 and Gamecube.

I would so want a new Wave Race or even Project Hammer over a stripped down Mario Tennis.

@DarthNocturnal

You did read all I said before commenting, I hope... Since I did say I would be shocked if my statement were otherwise (it would be reading it correctly to say I was implying that you ''know'' as in suppose to have seen or have experienced experienced decades of delays for sequels). Kid Icarus, followed by of Myths and Monsters saw a 25 year delay before a sequel (Uprising) arrived. I have seen that and therefore "know" how Nintendo has treated their ''other franchises'' (i.e. anything not Mario/Zelda). Of course no one knows of a certainty what Nintendo will do with anything. Shoot, Nintendo itself more than likely has no idea what it is doing with anything anyways right now. Look at them and how they are doing stuff. I feel like I don't need to explain myself any further regarding my statement.

@dkxcalibur
Apart from being a hilarious pun, the idea that wave race lacks depth is wrong. I think what you meant was that it lacks career, XP, decals, hundreds other jet skis from different manufactured and all the rest of the ephemera modern racing games have introduced. Blue Storm undoubtedly had fantastic control and deep gameplay. A tough game to play well. I hate the trend to put hundreds of tracks and vehicles into a game to hide handling, mechanical deficiencies. One nurburgring is worth a hundred street courses.

@Zach777 Lots of strawman arguments. It doesn't hold up at all.

@Shigmin nice

@Marlowe1877 Again........my opinion.

Again! For me, I grew board quickly with both games. It played good and it was fun at first, but I grew board. I was looking for more tracks and characters and I thought the stunt mode was lacking.

But you know what, I was wrong to have an opinion. Please disregard all opinions from this site going forward, LOL.

@Marlowe1877 Again........my opinion.

Again! For me, I grew board quickly with both games. It played good and it was fun at first, but I grew board. I was looking for more tracks and characters and I thought the stunt mode was lacking.

But you know what, I was wrong to have an opinion. Please disregard all opinions from this site going forward, LOL.

Wave Race needs a new game on a HD system. I miss the series. I would also take a new Splashdown game as well

@Mogster well said about the franchise creativity regarding other generic Mario sports etc.
It's the selective ignorance from Nintendo regarding the management of some older ips that's so hard to accept at times. Especially when some franchises are sure to pop up EVERY generation with little change.....

It's a pity NST pretty much killed the craftsmanship of Wave Race 64 and 1080. Both games were technical masterpieces on release and offered realistic takes on their respective sports with sumptuous graphics and gameplay unrivalled on other platforms on release.

Wave Race BS sold out and looked more comic book in appearance as did 1080 Avalanche with their more American popcorn candy styles. Both inferior to the N64 editions. Is the untalented NST closed down? I hope so.

Anybody remember sadness....... I still wish that game got released.... As well as that western style warewolf game from high voltage software but I forgot it's name.........

Also waverace 64 was amazing, the first console I ever bought using my own cash and I wasn't dissapointed one bit. But Tom just what was wrong with the pal version? Seemed fine to me.

Oh Nintendo. With one hand up you giveth and the other you taketh away

The Wii Sports Resort game was good fun, I'd have definitely bought a full Wave Race gave with motion controls after that and it's not even a brand I'm at all attached too. That should have been the teaser to get people excited for Wave Race Wii not the replacement!

But then again the Wii did get excitetruck............. I can seriously hold my hands up and say I had just as much fun the Wii generation with excitetruck as I did with waverace on the n64......... Other than it not featuring a Rideable dolphin it was pretty much perfect.

Didn't they say back in some E3 when they were talking about Wii Sports Resort minigame that "this will be better than Wave Race." Well, I played that mode in Resort and laughed.

@gamermole
Excitetruck AND the superior Excitebots, which Europe didn't get at all. A great racing title with speed (unlike Mario Kart). Even though F-Zero is always highest on my list for a new game in the series, I wouldn't mind Excitebots 2.

Noooooo. Now I'll have to moarn and cry in a corner for another great Nintendo racing game that never was. Come on Nintendo, there are more racing games than just MK.

@Luffymcduck I wondered what happened to Excitebots! I was looking forward to that, I assumed it got canned. Bah! Stupid NoE. They still won't give us Rusty's Real Deal either.

I didn't realise there was also Excitetrucks. Maybe one day they'll give it to us on the VC. :/

Nintendo was too busy developing Freedom Force and Triforce Heroes

@Minotaurgamer are you kidding? All 3 pikmin games are great and the most recent looks amazing. Sales or not, I think he has earned the right to have a "commerical bomb" like pikmin when his other games sell millions.

@gamermole the grinder. Both games I thought would be surprise wii u titles.

So things like this and multiple F-Zeros get the axe, but Federation Farce and Amiibo Facade get greenlit? I see.

I so want a new Wave Race game. Loved the N64 game back in the day.

@Donutman That's subjective. I have played them and found them boring and uninteresting, both to either children that are hooked on Minecraft or RTS players that have better things to play on PC.

And that cult to Miyamoto is ridiculous. In a more serious company he would have been demoted, removed or even retired. But because is a japanese company where old memebers are never wrong he can still keeps burning money and losing customers while pursuing his selfish interests.

@Zach777 Oh I agree. The question here is: does Miyamoto want to? seeing Triforce heroes (and the hiring of Eiji "I dont like zelda and yet I keep making them lol" Aounuma), the "New" mario series (they sell well but is obvious that Miyamoto doesn't give to Fs about it because his ego tells him those games are beneath them) and Star fox (looks mediocre but I hope it gets better)...I don't think so.

@electrolite77 Oh of course. Heck they can even make them budget games to appeal to a niche userbase or what the heck, really give out all their might and make great revivals.

But like I asked to Zach77777...Does Miyamoto wants to? because maybe you guys haven't realized it but Nintendo is miyamoto's playhouse and like the magic conch shell, if he says no, is no and nobody can question him.

It's good to know Wave Race wasn't completely forgotten about. I think a new Wave Race needs to fill the space before a MK gets released. Fingers crossed!
@DarthNocturnal
Blue Storm is brilliant You should definitely get it. It plays slightly different to WR64 in that it's more sensitive to how much you move the analogue stick and using the shoulder buttons is a must. It looks amazing, especially if you have a 3D telly. Plus you can go back to your friend and say 'What are you thinking!'

I love Wave Race 64, it was amazing back in the day. I'd actually explore the levels, ride dolphins, etc...
I didn't much care for Blue Storm, I remember being most impressed by the water effects on the menus.
I would like the series to return, but I can't imagine it capturing me like the N64 version did, all those years ago.

I think Nintendo has become famous for killing a lot of ideas that don't fit in their small box of expectations. I think that's why a lot of third parties have just stopped trying to make games for them. I have to say I'm already looking into another console and I haven't had my Wii U for a year. I've played the games I wanted to for the system, but waiting around for other games that peaks my interest on this system is taking a painfully long time. Doesn't help that half their games get delayed.

I would have loved a new Wave Race! All three are my favourite racing games on their respective consoles.

I was furiously hoping for a new Wave Race on the Wii and again for the Wii U. Man....I loved the N64 version to death! The GC version was nice too. But man....am I glad that a version with motion controls was never made!

Wave Race and Mario Golf were two games that I never got 'why they never came out' on the Wii...it would've been perfect for the Remote.

There's a few franchises that I wish nintendo would do again...Wave Race, 1080 Snowboarding, Kid Icarius, Ice Climber, Balloon Fight, Hogan's Alley, Duck Hunt, Faxanandu, Earthbound and Startropics just to name a few. Hopefully, their next system could help bring back these and some of their lost classics. It would be nice to be able to play Chibi Robo even on the next system, instead of having to pull out my gamecube every time I want to enjoy it again.

Wave Race Blue Storm was on of my favourite games on gamecube and the water effects/physics are some of the best I've ever seen, even today. For those saying there is no depth, just play Aspen Lake on a sunny day then compare that to the course in the harbour during stormy weather and you'll realise how differently you have to play. I would dearly love for Nintendo to make a new one but it seems these days that if it can't stick a crappy, sorry innovative control scheme onto an old game, they get ignored.

@Minotaurgamer Both GC Pikmin games sold over 1 million copies each on a single console that was my doing very well. Hardly a failure for such a niche title.

Pikmin 3 though, sure it's on a console that's doing worse than the GC but still it should have done better. I can't find any concrete lifetime sales (and I don't trust Vgchartz) but 2013 it was only around 200k for Worldwide sales which is poor.

@dkxcalibur I'm not too sure about a lack of depth, but in terms of control and physics it has tremendous depth. Only those who got into the games, and those who were actually good at playing them can understand this. It was so much more than just a pretty face. I hope one day Nintendo re-visits the series.

@MC808 That's why I said above that it plays great, but for me I grew bored with it.

You're also assuming that I suck at the game. I mean, I must suck at the game if I said the game lacks depth....right?

@dkxcalibur No no, I didn't mean to imply that at all. I was just using your comment about the depth to expound upon and give my opinion. Sorry if it sounded like I was insulting you.
It's similar to what I've observed with the Wipeout series, in the sense that people who are awful at it tend not to like it as much as those who are good at it, even though they want to like it. hehehe But I suppose that can be said of many games. And I'm not saying you fall into this category, I'm just saying it happens.
Wave Race 64 and Blue Storm are two of my favorite games ever, and I believe they are highly underrated. All the other boat/jet ski games I've played just don't even come close to the feel or look of Wave Race. I think both games also truly demonstrate the graphical capabilities of the N64 and GC . Blue Storm is still freakin' gorgeous to this day.
I suppose I can understand how some would get bored with them, but I never have. The effect the weather changes in BS have on each course is massive. It completely changes everything. It's not like some other racers I've played that have a reverse or mirrored version of a track and call it "new". Ridge Racer comes to mind.

I added your friend code, feel free to add mine.

@TheRealThanos Personally I wouldn't categorize Blue Storm as an arcade racer, if only because of the control and exceptional physics, which are actually quite realistic. At the same time however, I wouldn't categorize it as a racing sim either. EVERY other boat/jet ski game I've played easily falls into the arcade category.

@MC808 Yeah, you could have a point there. The handling, water physics, realistic engine sounds (by Kawasaki if I remember correctly) and so on could warrant the game being regarded as a bit more than just a simple arcade racer. But overall it indeed misses the mark of a sim, so nowadays we have a new word to label such a game: a simcade.

But then the same would be true for 1080 Snowboarding: also realistic physics, snow movement, handling of the boards/riders and so on, but other than that, it isn't complicated enough to be regarded as a sim.

Reportedly, back in the day, Amped on Xbox was regarded as more of a snowboarding sim than 1080, even though that also had arcade elements in it.

@TheRealThanos Ahh...simcade, that works. hehe It's definitely a grey area. In between a Gran Tourismo and a Ridge Racer. Or a WRC and a Sega Rally. There's a lot of room in-between those two.
Reminds me of an X-Files quote:
"If we fail to anticipate the unforeseen or expect the unexpected in a universe of infinite possibilities, we may find ourselves at the mercy of anyone or anything that cannot be programmed, categorized or easily referenced."

....and yeah, Kawasaki owns the term "jet ski', literally.

@MC808 In all honesty: I don't even know if the word applies for jet ski (or snowboard) games, as simcade is a word that has been invented by the racing sim community, as in car racing sims. Apparently, Forza Horizon is a simcade, and so is Drive Club, to name a few. Simply because of them not being enough of one or the other category, so they mixed it up and labelled them simcades. If you google the word, all you will find is sites and discussions about sim racers, so that more or less shows you how the word is used up til now. Might change though, if the word is going to be widely accepted and becomes a mainstream term. Then we will be able to go out and ask gameshop owners for a simcade game...

@TheRealThanos Meh, who knows. At least we know what we're trying to say.

@MC808 Couldn't agree more. Simple case of "for lack of a better word", I guess...

Yeah, why making a proper new Wave race when you can make a cheap Mii knock-off....