Gaming Target - PlayStation 2: Wave Rally

Written by Omer Ali on June 03, 2001

First Impressions: Lets make some waves.

How many of you out there have ever wanted to know what it was like to ride a Kawasaki Jet Ski, but never had the guts too? Well now you can, you lilly liverd wuss you. Eidos will be shipping Wave Rally for the Playstation 2 within the next few months, and this shall be your chance.

Eidos recently struck a deal with Kawasaki, the world's leader in Jet Skis. The partnership will mean that Eidos will be able to use the newest and most advanced Jet Skis available on the market, in their game. Kawasaki will be able to show off all their latest models to the video game industry, which will in turn will give them a whole new market coverage. Licensing Manager of Kawasaki, Simon Belton said, УThis partnership with Eidos reflects the evolving opportunities for brand licensing and we see console gaming as a key part of our communication strategy.Ф In a press release from Eidos, Paul Baldwin, Vice President of Marketing, said, УWhen you think of quality, high performance and breakthrough technology involving personal watercraft, you think of Kawasaki and this will be reflected in the game itself.Ф Eidos also entered into a partnership with Jet Pilot, the world leader in personal watercraft apparel and accessories. Cool duds and cool Jet Skis? Wow, what a combination.

Initial screens of the game look fantastic, as the game will make total use of the PS2 engine and drive it to the max. In the game, players will be able to see the latest in wave making technology. What this means is that the waves put out by the Jet Skis will be ultra realistic and enable the player to launch off of rolling breaks and do some hype freestyle techniques. The Japan based company Opus developed the engine of the game, GZWave. The game will also feature several different play modes such as, Arcade, Championship, Freestyle and 2-player Head-to-Head mode. Wave Rally will also take the players around the world to race in different locations such as, Florida, Norway and Venice. Is there anyone out there who doesn't love Venice? I didn't think so.