I'll admit this now, I have never played Wave Race before. Ever. I didn't get the N64 version and missed it at The Nintendo Show. So this was completely new to me.

This game is wet. It's absolutely soaking. The foam from your craft carving through trails around, you can see this when your opponents are ahead of you. The handling not as difficult as I expected. I did fall off and miss buoys, but I managed to keep a place most of the time.

The effects in the background are incredible, there are so many little details. Lorries driving on the overhead bridge in City Harbor, birds flying overhead in Southern Island, and of course the dolphins of Dolphin Park. Stray your eyes for a while and there is so much to see. In fact, I was so busy admiring the backgrounds of Aspen Lake I drove straight through a wooden hut! Looked very impressive.

I didn't get to see a rainy level, only sun and clouds. The water goes from smooth to choppy, and you really feel this through the rumble and change in handling. One level started off with fog which later cleared. On a nice day the reflections in the water are amazing, especially in Southern Island where all the green banks can be seen.

The announcer gives you tips in English when you make mistakes. The sound effects of your craft are not too loud. With the turbo boost your racer will give a yell, great fun!

I liked this game more than I thought I would. There's a first time for everything, my playtest has lead me to think about getting this game when I wouldn't have before.