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Worthy successor in classic series.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 32 / 37
Date: March 25, 2005
Author: Amazon User

It's hard to believe that the first Wipeout was released 10 years ago on the original Sony Playstation (One). Since then, there was one excellent sequel on the PSOne (Wipeout XL, known as Wipeout 2097 in the UK and on the Macintosh), a decent later sequel (Wipeout 3), a capable Nintendo 64 version (Wipeout 64), and a fun but dated Playstation 2 edition (Wipeout Fusion).

The newest game, Wipeout Pure, combines the best elements of all of these games. Like all of them, the action is fast, the framerate is smooth, the difficulty is high, and a pulsing techno soundtrack follows you wherever you go. You get the usual single race series, tournament series, time attacks, and practice laps, all of which open up more tracks and speeds as you finish first in races.

This version adds a bunch of extra ship classes, as well as a terrific Zone option right from the start without needing to unlock anything. In Zone mode, you just go faster and faster until you crash -- a sign of things to come on the later rounds.

The main limitations I've had with this game are because of the hardware. I find that the analog nubbin is not comfortable to use for long periods of time, and the built in speakers do not do justice to the great spatial sound effects and music. Fortunately, the digitial controls are solid and comfortable, and the PSP's stock headphones make listening to the game while you play an absolute joy.

This is a great game, and a showcase for both the terrific Wipeout series, and the brand-new PSP hardware. Even though both the Wipeout brand and the Playstation brand are old now, Pure and the PSP have breathed new life into this classic racer.

Get it.

Great series gets a great port

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: March 25, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Other people have talked about how excellent the series is (which it is) and how old it is (which it is - it really *is* hard to believe it's been 10 years since I sat down and played the original Wipeout). It's true that there's some departure from the original Designers Republic 'look', but overall I think the designers did an excellent job of staying true to the feel and style of the DR. Too bad they got rid of Dr Angryman.

Anyway, let's talk about the game...

Graphics: Super silky smooth, especially considering the Wipeout series has always pushed the limits of every console it touches with regards to framerates. The detail is great, the colors are rich, and the speed is out of control.

Audio: Superior. Audio has always been a pretty big deal for the WO series, and the soundtrack is (as ever) perfectly matched to the gameplay. How can you beat a track by Ming & FS?

Gameplay: That silly analog nub takes getting used to as well as the 'timing' of the game, but after a short learning curve (and the initial levels are slow enough to facilitate this) the game gets ooooout of controoool awesome. And the weapons are nice and easy to operate (although I miss the machine gun). Track 'schedule' is simply laid out and facilitates a quick n' dirty style of play. Zone mode is a pretty interesting and cool new feature too... drink a lot of caffiene and hit it to see what I mean.

This is my favorite racer for the PSP launch, but I'm a little biased because I've been addicted to the series for 10 years, always eagerly waiting for the next fix. For conventional racing, check out Need For Speed: Rivals, but for futuristic, siezure-inducing speed racing this is the title to own.

Finally, a true sucessor to XL/2097

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: March 25, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Just got this with a launch PSP. Finally, a WipeOut game that actually lives up to the legacy of the great WipeOut XL/2097 . If you got hooked on the series in the days of the original or its amazing sequel on the original Playstation, this is for you. The game controls much the same, with some small additions and tweaks. The tracks have a simliar feel to XL, The menu graphics are very similar to WipeOut 3, not as hard to read, but still just as spartan. I would have liked to seen a return to the Designers Republic look from the first two, but the game play and physics more than make up for that one dissapointment. If you are lucky enough to have a PSP right now, this is the game to get.

GREAT

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 6
Date: March 26, 2005
Author: Amazon User

GREAT BEST RACE GAME OUT! A MUST BUY AND A PERFECT GAME! GIVE IT 9 THUMBS UP IF I HAD THAT MUCH!

Wipeout serious fun

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 4
Date: March 26, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Ok now Usually I'm not into hovercraft racing game's I'm usually only a gran turismo typ but This is the 2nd Highest rated PSP game (behind lumines which I also own) Now it's great Fun I'm currently trying too beat the flach class ascension tournament this game has great replay value I only wish there was unlockable vehicle's which you can download new track's/Car's online and store them On you Memory card

Pretty much a racing game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 7
Date: March 29, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Very nice graphics. Vehicle is hard to control, and my thumbs get
tired from constantly pushing on the analog nub and the X button.
Soundtrack is so-so, pretty generic techno stuff. Supposedly there's
a way to hack the built-in web browser so it can be used for
going to sites other than the download page. I'm not quite sure
why there are so many 5-star reviews for this game. It's OK, but
nothing special.

this game rocks!!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: April 01, 2005
Author: Amazon User

this game is perfect for those people who love a fun, greatlooking racing game. if u liked mario kart this is a little like that. the weapons r hot, the music is cool, and over all this is my #1 choice for the best psp game ever!!!!

Amazingly Fun - Highly Recommended

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 55 / 60
Date: April 03, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Wipeout Pure is the Pod Racer game for the Sony PSP. Coming from a 10 year line of Wipeout racing games, the transition to PSP is almost flawless.

In essence you are one of 8 hovercraft racing ships that compete on looped tracks in a variety of arena styles. Your tracks take you through rural landscapes, through busy cities, in underwater tunnels and in high off-the-ground jumps. Whether you're used to this genre from the wipeout series or from the pod racing games, you know how full of adrenaline and fun this can be.

You get the traditional power-ups as you go around the loops, picking up speed boosts, mines, guns, laser blasts, shields and more. Much of the challenge here is to really memorize a track, so that you can whip around its courses with intuitive ease, sliding gently to grab that extra boost to go past your enemy.

The PSP screen might be small, but the graphics are so detailed in this game that you really don't notice. You get roaring crouds, rippling water, great lighting details, customized ships, legible signs. There's no problem at all seeing what the course is doing or where to dodge.

The sounds are going to appeal to some and not appeal to others. If you like dance / electronic music you will really enjoy this. If you'd rather have a hard rock blasting track, you might be disappointed. You can always turn the volume up or down based on your preference. The sound does come across much better in the headphones because of the high notes being played. Try the music that way before you make any judgement.

The learning curve is a little steep - even the first races are a challenge. Don't give up, though. You need to learn how to use the joystick, how to understand the tracks, how to use the brakes and ease up on the accelerator. You can't just blast around the track at full speed, missing the boosts, and expect to win. There is a fair amount of strategy here - when to slow down to negotiate the curves, when to slide left to grab that boost. Give yourself a number of laps to really learn the course - and then use that knowledge to achieve victory.

The sequential challenge mode is really great once you've used the training modes to study the tracks. You can take on 7 other racers and test your skills. It is GREAT with the wireless connections to play against 7 other friends who are on the bus with you or in the same room! That is where this game really shines. You get the great graphics, great gameplay, and now you're effortlessly racing against all of your friends too. You really couldn't ask for much more from a handheld game.

If I *had* to find something to improve for a sequel, I'd ask for a wider range of music selections. That's about it!

Highly recommended!

5/5

the best since the first

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: April 04, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I'm a sucker for a first time experience, so the first Wipeout on PS is still my fave although XL had it's moments. Like the first time I played Tomb Raider on PS1 (way before that type of gameplay ran rampant and got stale), Wipeout on PS1 took me away and made me forget I was playing a game. Wipeout Pure ALMOST does that which is saying a lot.
Wipeout not only shows how solid the Wipeout gameplay can be (with great options and quick plays added that a handheld system needs to keep the replay factor up), it really showcases the graphics/sound of PSP. If this is what a launch title can do on PSP, I can't wait to see when they start pushing the system.

Sounds and looks beautiful, and plays as good as the best Wipeout. So far I'm 3 for 3 in games (Lumines and Ridge Racer are also winners...I am playing Tiger Woods later this week)

NOSTALGIC

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: April 05, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I usually don't play racing games and I mostly stick exclusively to FPS games. This is my first (and as of right now my only) game for my PSP. I never owned a PS2 and never played any of the Wipeout games on it, however, when I got the PS1 in 1995, Wipeout was my first game. Coincidence? Yes! Same feeling from 1995? Absolutely! I used to play Wipeout on the PS1 for hours with my friends; that was the best way to play and it wasn't like other racing games where, if one person gets the lead, they'll own the rest of the race; in Wipeout, there is always a chance to catch up and anything can happen. Luckily, that hasn't changed for the PSP version. When I fired it up in my PSP, right off the bat I was impressed. The graphics are beautiful and colors lush. I was playing this in bed and the crazy thing is that after about a minute racing, I forgot I was holding a portable gaming system in my hands. Some games say "immersive" on the back of their box, but this game truly does immerse you. I would say after about 30 seconds of racing, you'll forget everything around you and be totally consumed. Give it a try; you'll really get into it.
Another thing I like about this game is that you don't have to rack your brain a whole lot. At the end of the day, all I want to do is relax and have fun. Happily, this game fulfills both needs and does so with style. The learning curve is not too bad, just like the original Wipeout, you'll find yourself always running into walls on turns and bumping everything, but after a good half hour or less, you'll look like a pro and it's even more fun. Once you feel confident, you can jump into multiplayer gaming against other people. If you have a wireless router connected to the internet, you can play people that way and you don't need to do a whole lot of configuration, just pick your internet connection when it asks you and then it will list available games for you to join. This game is great, but there are some downsides, for one, there aren't a whole lot of vehicles to choose from, that I know of (although, the game has a download option - not sure what kind of content you can download - when I connected, it said "coming soon"...maybe cool vehicle skins or something) and you can't really give a perfect score to something that was groundbreaking 10 years ago. The game is faithful to the original, but not groundbreaking like the original was. Overall though, if you are a Wipeout fan, you cannot go wrong with this game, it's the same of what we love and a little more. If you are new to Wipeout or are not into racing, check this game out and I bet that will all change.

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