Nintendo Switch Online gets a fan favorite Nintendo 64 racing game

digitaltrends.com:

Nintendo has revealed the next Nintendo 64 game coming to the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack service on August 19 will be Wave Race 64.

Wave Race 64 was one of the earliest N64 titles on the home console. A sequel to a Game Boy title simply called Wave Race, this racer swaps out the traditional cars and race tracks for the far less common jet skis and beaches to race across. Another distinguishing feature was that racers, in addition to trying to simply come in first, also had to make sure they maneuvered correctly around the buoys on the course in order to build up speed.

The next update for Nintendo Switch Online will bring Wave Race 64 to subscribers after last month’s Pokémon Puzzle League. Wave Race 64 has previously been offered for purchase on the Wii Virtual Console as well as on the Wii U. Unlike those re-releases, however, the version coming to the Switch will retain the original Kawasaki branding from the N64 original that was removed when brought to the Wii and Wii U.

Wave Race 64 was a fan favorite racer for the N64, with cutting-edge (at the time) graphics, especially in regards to the water. The game features four racers with different stats, a Championship Mode, Time Trails, Stunt Mode, and a two-player option.

Even though the output of N64 titles coming to the Expansion Pass service has been slow, each addition so far has at least been one of the library’s best. Considering how small the total N64 catalog is, it does make some sense for Nintendo to trickle out releases, despite how frustrating it might be for players to wait for their favorite childhood game to be added.