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I'm not impressed.

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: August 09, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I got this game at a used video game store for $9.99. It was in mint condition. To kick off the review, I'd like to comment on the fact that this game is a blue bottom. If you are like me, and have an older playstation, you will have difficulty running this game or any other game that is a blue bottom.I did get to play the game though, after I turned my PS vertical (although it still made a lot of racket).

I think that what most people have in their minds when putting this game in their disc trays is the good ol' days of Wave Race 64. I remember seeing WR64 for the first time at a friends house and was just flabberghasted. My jaw was hanging for a whole 30 minutes. The aquatic sounding music, the echoing voice of the commentator, flying birds, and dolphins swimming along side you. What a surreal experience. Now, forget all of what I just said - It's time to talk about Wave Rally.

This game doesn't have nearly as much personality as Wave Race 64 did. Right off the bat, I went to freestyle mode and was greeted by cardboard spectators, water that looked like mercury or some other kind of toxic liquid (but not THAT bad I guess), a bland-looking rider, a few dumb birds if you really looked for them, and NO DOLPHINS. Actually, I didn't dislike the trick system as much as some other people are saying they did but ramping and jumping waves just didn't stir emotion the same way Wave Race did. There's no thrill in it. So much for freestyle.

The races grew on me a little bit after a while, but then they started throwing in a few weather effects or made it night time and made you do the same dumb tracks again - sucks. At times though, the tracks do look sort of pretty and the free fall at the end of the dam track was kinda fun. I made my way through the first parts of the championship mode after a while, got a dumb picture of a dumb trophy and that was it. I had seen enough.

A quick breakdown:
Presentation: Cool cover art (I fell for it didn't I?). The Kawasaki license attracted my attention as well. I've always been a Kawasaki fan. The menus are also quite nice - better than Splashdown's if ya ask me (almost had me thinking I was about to play something fun). Memory card saving was confusing.

Gameplay: Lots of wave turbulence is difficult to overcome but perhaps more realistic. The constant wobbling gets old quick. Trick system feels a little like Wave Race but no where to really use it and have fun. There is no rewarding feeling after playing any of the game modes.

Graphics: Not downright crappy, but not very exciting. The tracks are bland looking most of the time and the mercurous water just looks weird I think. Riders have no personality to them either. Spectators really make the tracks depressing looking.

Sound: SUCKS. I hated the music. I think that with better music, this game could have been quite a bit better. When I'm seeing fluid movement, I don't want to hear a square techno pulse. Should have sounded more aquatic and soothing.

Overall: This game is strange, because as much of a bust as it seems like it is, it really could have been GREAT without too much more work. It feels like playing a beta game or something. This game isn't totally bad, it's just rough around the edges - but there are MANY edges that are rough.

Since it played crappy in my PS, I took it back and got store credit for it, so it was basically a free rent. I got Splashdown this time which is better but has sort of a lite feeling to it (the trick system is TOO easy). I think that if you combined the core of Wave Rally (license, game modes, trick system, realism) with the pretty cosmetics, theme, humor, and smooth "edges" of Splashdown, you'd have the perfect game.

I OWN IT!!!

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: March 03, 2005
Author: Amazon User

WAVE RALLY IS OKAY IT WAS A GOOD ATEMPT AT BRING SKI AND RUNABOUT TOGETHER. IT WAS FUN THE FEW TIMES I PLAYED IT. BUT SINCE I BOUGHT IT NEW FOR 3 BUCKS I DON'T CARE. tHE TRICKS ARE HARD TO DO AND THE RACING IS OKAY.

Wav Rally vs. Splashdown

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: December 11, 2001
Author: Amazon User

If you are unsure about which of these to games to buy I would say Splashdown. Wav Rally really does not have a good game play and only has one track that is unlocked. It is hard to see where you need to be on the course. Splashdown has several courses that are unlocked and tricks are much easier to pull off. I love the 360 degree invert! So my final review would be, buy or rent Splashdown!!

not much more to say beside's this game (...)!!

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: December 11, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Well this game (...)....really there isnt much more to say, the water look's real, but the jet ski doesnt handle like a real one AT ALL!!! The trick's are hard to do, and there is barly any trick's to do, You can do barle roll's with out a jump, ur jet ski just jump's up in the air and does a barel roll...Pretty stupid huh! When I looked at the pic's for this game I thought that it would kick (...)......But oh man was I wrong.... So if you dont belive me then at least just rent it first....u will be thanking me after u play it!!!! ttyl LATEZ

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