I have no internet on my computer right now so I can’t upload videos of testing until mon-Tuesday.

I did testing that compared load times and the countdowns on NTSC-U,VC-U, and IQue.

Here are the results over the course of a 1p mode speedrun @ 30fps US N64: 1;18;14 IQue: 1;18;12 VC U: 1;18;03 Edit: PAL EU: 1;18;17 This suggests that the Wii has far better load times than the N64 and gives a slight advantage(1/3 a sec) just on load times.

I haven’t tested the ingame lag differences because I am not aware of a way to induce lag the same way consistently with just one player(the IQue only allows 1p unless I get a rare 500+ dollar multiplayer setup). If anyone has some ideas of how to properly test this let me know.

Back when I was somewhat relevant one disagreement Pikashy and I had was the amount of time saved by playing on IQue over the course of a 1p run. It was asserted by Pikashy that the difference was 10-12 sec iirc based on what now looks to be undocumented and flawed testing. My theory was that it was about 5-8 seconds but I didn’t put in words why my estimate makes sense to me based on my experience.

The way this game lags on 1p mode it usually only drops about 1 frame @30fps any time it lags up to about 3 frames when it gets really bad. A time difference of 10 seconds for example would require 100 instances where 3 frames are dropped in the course of about 6 mins. More realistically it would require 300 instances of a single frame drop or 150 instances of 2 frame drops. My 5-8 number is rough but it’s much more realistic if you actually look at how many times a run has dropped frames on an N64. An estimate is gonna be inaccurate no matter what, it’s just an estimate. No matter what specific testing is done to measure lag frames on moves we will struggle with two variables when making an accurate comparison.

1. the N64 does not appear to lag at a consistent rate
2. the amount of lag produced is variable based on the moves used on CPUs and how many hits of multi hits they receive, if a Pokémon comes out, someone gets a star/bomb etc.

I have been playing all 3 of these versions for years and my inclination is that the lag differences of IQue vs N64 are comparable to the lag differences of VC vs N64. In addition I have now proven a slight advantage of loading times for the wii. I think my original estimate will hold up somewhat if the difference isn’t even less(3-5 might actuallly be more accurate).

I am willing to do more testing to prove my hypothesis but ultimately there will never be an accurate comparison of how much faster an IQue run will be vs an N64 run that has not occured yet. Tackling a single run’s differences might allow for a accurate comparison just for that run given enough work but the difficulty of getting very similar runs on all 3 versions + extensive editing to match all the moves in each specific area with everything matched seems like estimate 30 hours of unpaid and meaningless, repetitive work that would introduce hundreds of opportunities for human error.

Ideally a comparison would compare footage from loading zones and countdown, the countdown is the only place I notice consistent lag showing up on n64 depending on stage. I was ironically appreciating the lowered lag on VC compared to n64 enough to notice it when I recently did some VC runs before this was brought up. It could have just been confirmation bias but I feel pretty comfortable spotting lag frames especially in this game. Maybe I will do some testing but not tonight/tomm.

I do know VC ports on the wii almost infamously and unanimously save time over their N64 counterparts in loading times across all of the communities that I am aware have tested it. The texture buffer in specific IIRC is a big difference in addition to the GPU which were both not present on the N64 console. I haven't seen any other testing videos other than the couple I created for announcer cutscenes and timer on/off, if there is comparisons anyone can link that I missed maybe I am ignorant but it seems like VC would have a similar advantage as IQue given their superior hardware from 2003/6 vs 1996 if not for the announcer cutscenes. In my announcer cutscene comparison video I remarked 3 years ago in a comment that I believed it would be faster due to load times if not for the announcer difference.

Here is a rough comparison of 3 of my PBs using the exact example you listed pikashy, I couldn't match it to the frame doing it quickly like this but the VC and IQue runs in particular look to be only a couple frames off perfectly matched. https://viewsync.net/watch?v=InaRVFV7V44&t=359&v=rBiLe0yR3wc&t=375&v=kT1JxOUkk04&t=397&mode=solo

The IQue version in my comparison was extremely comparable to the N64 given comparison of footage in just the announcer cutscenes, this would suggest that without the introduction of lag inducing variables N64 and IQue run pretty much the same speed. The IQue version,NTSC-U and J, and VC version are capped to run about 59.97fps or approx 60hz.

The game runs the same on all 3 versions unless lag inducing variables like bombs, samus' upb etc. are present, if anything on paper the Wii should run a little faster/with more stability than IQue(assuming you ignore the announcer cutscenes). I haven't seen real world comparisons where that lag difference has been accurately tested and the amount of lag would depend on the actions in each individual speedrun.

In my comparison the differences in IQue, J, and U are all down to human error margins for mashing:

Hardware Stats:

Wii Processors: CPU: PowerPC-based Broadway processor, made with a 90 nm SOI CMOS process, reportedly† clocked at 729 MHz GPU: ATI Hollywood GPU made with a 90 nm CMOS process,[131] reportedly† clocked at 243 MHz Memory: 88 MB main memory (24 MB internal 1T-SRAM integrated into graphics package, 64 MB external GDDR3 SDRAM) 3 MB embedded GPU texture memory and framebuffer Graphics: 410 million polygons/second, 16.7 million colors

IQue Processor: R-4300 64-bit CPU, 140.625 MHz Memory: 16 MB DDR (8 MB available) Graphics: 100,000 polygons/second, 2.09 million colors

Both consoles have no problem running the game without little interruptions from lag present on N64 in my anecdotal experience. The VC emulation is known for being a bit off like any N64 emu however and I may have confirmation bias.

Does this mean IQue can be legal now?? If we are gonna ignore the lag reduction on VC then would the same logic apply to IQue as well considering it's most likely comparable to VC with the announcer stage difference removed?

A difference I haven't seen mentioned is the gamecube controller, VC has a modified control mapping to accommodate the GC controller and it affects the game even if you use an adapter to use an n64 controller. I find the sensitivity makes it more difficult to complete runs on and the layout is different on the default controller for buttons. I prefer n64 vastly more as someone who speedruns on both consoles sometimes and wouldn't compare my VC runs in earnest to my N64 runs.

also the bonus stages are darker, most important difference ever!

I don't really care about this too much, you all do what you want. -Ghillie

To KM: as a moderator you can click the dots next to the submission and edit it if someone made a simple mistake like this then approve if it meets criteria.

To ryangorrell11: You can alter submissions by going to your profile page, clicking pending options on the sidebar, then clicking on your submitted run then edit it to be accurate.

It depends on where you buy them for cost/local currency exchange, google "GV USB 2" it will popup with amazon and ebay links. If you are looking for cheaper options you are probably better off recording video on your phone. The google should also provide you with the setup guide which you will need once you get it in the mail.

Assuming you already have an N64 the cheapest and most cost effective recording setup is a GV-USB2 External video capture card for your PC. Dazzle DVC 100 is a more common option but it's more expensive and has a worse picture quality. Some people record using their phone camera as well, that can look ok but having a dedicated capture card will give you a much nicer picture and isn't that expensive.

With a capture card you would need to buy composite splitters and 2 extra composite cables to split the signal between your TV and the capture card.

Once you have the capture card download OBS studio which is a free capture software and google how to set it up for recording, if you have any other questions post back here.

First you will need to upload your video file to a video sharing site like youtube or twitch, once you have it uploaded copy the address of the hosted video into the "video link" field on the submission page.

Spend time watching videos of other players with goal times for you and not just the WR, often times different and possibly easier strategies are used by different skill level players. A small amount of time spent playing is fine per day, if you come back to it a lot and watch videos of others you can improve quickly. Good Luck and Have Fun :)

I think a character that builds solid fundamentals mario, samus, or pikachu is a good choice to start running with.

DK is the easiest but doesn't utilize many of the skills required to excel overall in speedrunning the game.

I am extremely grateful to all of the people who have worked to make this change to the level leaderboards as I know it was a team effort and it was not a small undertaking.

Thank you for all your hard work!

Moderator application from doctorfeesh has been accepted and will take effect immediately. Welcome to the Wave Race 64 Moderation Team!

Informally we want to encourage competition on the n64 releases as the best players have played on n64 for 20 years. Competing on N64 means you are able to compare yourself to the very best. Other versions are welcome in Time Trial and only IQue is banned from RTA. To allow IQue to be compared to the other versions would allow a limited number of players to gain an advantage and give other players invested in RTA an incentive to move away from the traditional methods of competition on N64.

Emulated Wave Race 64 has been discouraged for not only the load time/frame rate inaccuracies but also because of the accessibility of console versions. It's one of the best selling games on n64 and was also released on VC. In addition it's one of the cheapest n64 carts.

Load comparison to fastest n64 version

No known advantage in time trials for IQue player

The IQue player is legal for Time Trial Completions but not legal in Championship mode speedruns due to the lack of accessibility and inherit framerate/loading time advantages. In addition Everdrives and Flash Carts are banned from use in all categories. Please refer to the rules for each category as they are up to date with community decisions.

I suggest if you have a PAL n64 submitting using an actual cartridge as they are cheap and we are welcoming players onto PAL, If you just want to compete in Time Trials you are welcome to submit runs on the IQue Player. Comparing your IQue championship times to the runs on the system from myself and Shibbypod without submitting is another option.

If you have any other questions let me know, it is advised that you join the discord if you are interested in learning this game to gain access to top players. Here is a link: https://discord.gg/YVdf99F

Moderator application from Stonecoldhard has been accepted and will take effect immediately. Congratulations and welcome back to the moderation team.

I have created a video playlist documenting the largest events of our community for future players to know our story. Here is a link to that playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlAkSmzMhm7oULX5rMZRSmteAEEZegTsV

Moderator application from the_androgyne has been accepted and will take effect Jan 1st 2018. Congratulations and welcome to our team.