the multiplayer and stunt modes give the game longevity. In March 1997, EGM editors named Wave Race 64 their Sports Game of the Year and a runner-up for their Nintendo 64 Game of the Year award (behind Super Mario 64), citing the realistic physics and variety of tracks. Legacy After its release on the Nintendo 64, Wave Race 64 has been included in several top lists. In 1997, EGM ranked the game 68th on its list of 100 Best Games of All Time. In 1999, Next Generation ranked it 20th on a similar list, commenting that Wave Race 64, along with Mario 64, demonstrated more graphical power for the system. IGN editors ranked it 33rd on their 2003 list of Top 100 Games of All Time, and 37th on another list published in 2005. They remarked that Wave Race 64 incorporated water physics into racing unlike any game before it, or any since. The simple concept of racing on jet skis was complicated by changing wave patterns, swells, and rising tides, and Nintendo added its trademark depth to broaden and deepen the unique racer. In 2006, Nintendo Power placed Wave Race 64 at 127th in its "Top 200" games list. In 2009, Official Nintendo Magazine ranked the game 49th on a list of greatest Nintendo games of all time. A sequel, Wave Race: Blue Storm, was released in 2001. Wave Race 64 was released in China for the iQue Player console in 2003. A 1-hour demo of the game was also included with the console. On August 6, 2007, the game was released on the Wii's Virtual Console. Unlike Nintendo 64 version, the Virtual Console release does not feature Kawasaki banners due to expired licensing deals. These were replaced by Wii and Nintendo DS advertisements. When the game was released on the Wii U's Virtual Console in 2016, the Kawasaki banners were restored. The game was re-released on the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack on August 19, 2022, once again with the Kawasaki banners restored. The Virtual Console versions of the game were generally very well received, with reviewers considering the game to be just as much fun as it was on the Nintendo 64. Codemasters producer Guy Wilday cited Wave Race 64 as a key influence in the design of their 1998 racing game Colin McRae Rally. According to Wilday, Wave Race 64 is "a fine example of