WipEout was the right game when Sony needed it. When Sony launched the PlayStation they had a hell of a challenge ahead of them. Sega was coming off of a series of failed add-ons for their first successful console, the Sega Genesis. Nintendo was touting "SGI this" and "SGI that" where ever they could. Sony was the underdog to say the least in this trio. They were the second to launch thanks to Sega making a HUGE mistake with the Saturn. Sega launched six months early without telling anyone. Um, Sega, it is called marketing. You did it so well in the later years of the Genesis, what the hell happened? Sony, being great at marketing, pounced on this mistake. Repeatedly.
Sony was the underdog
Sony was at a disadvantage, they had no recognizable, read marketable, properties to pull from. They couldn't pull from their 16-Bit endeavors through Sony Imagesoft and they didn't hold any special licenses at this time. Sony needed original titles, and fast. Psygnosis was one of those companies that they took a chance with and it paid off BIG TIME.
WipEout was unique and alone
WipEout, or as it is known in their ads "wipE'out", is a futuristic hover car racing game. Gamers truly never experienced anything like WipEout on other systems. Worst of all, for Sega anyhow, there was nothing close to it on Saturn either. Sega had Daytona USA as their racer early on.
The graphics were awesome, they still are quite good though they have not aged as well as some might wish. Still, the sense of speed was impressive. The feeling of anger at getting knocked out by an opponent was strong. The sense of accomplishment when you win a tough race are there and never get old.
Size matters
It seems that there is a discrepancy with the PlayStation Network listing for WipEout (Digital). PSN states you will need 3,930MB (about 3 gigs) free on your Memory Stick Duo to download WipEout. The game is only one CD-ROM. I am not sure where they are coming up with over three gigs required to download it. Weird. Can anyone confirm this?This game has made the rounds over the years as this list shows:
WipEout (original)
WipEout PSN
WipEout PC (DOS)
WipEout Saturn
WipEout 64 features some mirrored tracks from the original (and the sequel, 2097).
The only digital release available is for the original on the PSN. Sony has done a good job in keeping newer versions of this game available on their various platforms though.
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This article was originally published on the Retro Gaming Magazine website.