Wave Race 64 is the next N64 game coming to Switch Online

Nintendo has announced that Wave Race 64 will be added to Switch Online’s Nintendo 64 library this week.

The iconic jet ski racing game will join the service on August 19 and will be available to Switch Online Expansion Pack subscribers.

Wave Race 64 was originally released for the N64 in 1996 and was produced by Shigeru Miyamoto.

The game was considered groundbreaking at the time for its water physics, which arguably still hold up more than 25 years later.

Players ride jet skis on a series of courses, with the aim being to not only finish in first place, but to do so while slaloming between a series of buoys to keep their jet ski’s power topped up.

The game was originally set to feature transforming speedboats, but this was later changed to jet skis and the game became a sequel to 1992 Game Boy title Wave Race.

When it comes to Switch Online this week, Wave Race 64 will be the 18th game released on the N64 service in the west, following the addition of Pokémon Puzzle League in July and Pokémon Snap in June.

Once it’s added, the full list of N64 titles on the service will be as follows:

• Banjo-Kazooie
• Dr Mario 64
• F-Zero X
• Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
• The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
• Mario Golf
• Mario Kart 64
• Mario Tennis
• Paper Mario
• Pokémon Puzzle League
• Pokémon Snap
• Sin & Punishment
• Star Fox 64
• Super Mario 64
• Wave Race 64
• WinBack
• Yoshi’s Story

Further reading

Steam now officially supports Switch’s retro controllers

NES, SNES, N64 and Mega Drive controllers now work on Valve's PC service

Switch Online’s Expansion Pack tier launched in October 2021 alongside a library of Nintendo 64 games. This was initially met with frustration from some players, due to emulation issues and a lack of features including button mapping.

However, regular updates to the service have seen the emulation improve, and now most major issues have been remedied.