Wipeout 64
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| Wipeout 64 | |
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| Developer(s) | Psygnosis |
| Publisher(s) | Midway |
| Designer(s) | Psygnosis |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo 64 |
| Release date | November 1998 US |
| Genre(s) | Racing |
| Mode(s) | Single player, multiplayer |
Wipeout 64 is the third game in the Wipeout series and the only for the Nintendo 64. At the time of the game's release developers Psygnosis had been owned for 5 years by Sony Computer Entertainment, for whose hardware all subsequent Wipeout games have been released exclusively.
Set in 2098, just a year after Wipeout 2097, Wipeout 64 introduced several elements to the Wipeout series: analog control is embraced, thanks to the Nintendo 64's in-built analog stick, to the extent that digital control - familiar to players of the previous games - is disabled, even though the controller has a digital pad. Analog control left and right was only possible on previous games for owners of Namco's neGcon controller.
Split-screen multiplayer makes an appearance for the first time, as does Challenge Mode – where the player has to complete sets of challenges in predefined classes and tracks: either getting the fastest time (Time trial), the highest placing (Race), or eliminating the most opponents (Weapon).
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[edit] Weapons
Wipeout 64 provides exactly the same weapons as Wipeout 2097 - down to the fact that craft fire three rockets at a time, and missiles can rear-lock - using the same symbols to represent them. The exception being the Plasma Bolt which is incorporated into a new scheme of craft-specific Super Weapons (it becomes the Energy Sphere, exclusive to Auricom). These introduce devices such as cloaks and energy drains that are later made fully available in Wipeout 3.
[edit] Tracks
Most of the tracks in Wipeout 64 feature mirrored layouts of circuits from select tracks in Wipeout and Wipeout 2097, set in different locations. Some conversions are not perfectly accurate, as some corners were eased or cut entirely, elevations were changed, and there were no split track sections. The only truly original circuit is the hidden Velocitar track, obtained by completing all 6 Race Challenges. [1]
- Klies Bridge – Built on a secret radar base in Greenland. Similar to Talon's Reach from Wipeout 2097.
- Qoron IV – Named after, and built next to, an underwater research base. Similar to Altima VII from Wipeout.
- Sokana – Located on an active volcano. Similar to Korodera from Wipeout.
- Dyroness – Set in a hydro-electric plant. Similar to Karbonis V from Wipeout.
- Machaon II – Inspired by fuel pipes and built in South America. Similar to Gare D'Europa from Wipeout 2097.
- Terafumos – Half built by the corrupt Tera Corporation this is a dangerous construction site. Similar to Silverstream from Wipeout.
- Velocitar (Hidden track) – The closest the designers could get to the Moon, this is set at the Lunar Simulation Environment in Texas.
[edit] Soundtrack
Despite the limited capacity of a game cartridge, Wipeout 64 managed to fit 9 music tracks, mostly by Wipeout’s regular composer CoLD SToRAGE, with additional tracks by Fluke and Propellerheads.
Race announcers bridge preceding Wipeouts and Wipeout 3 by having a male voice declare what weapons are about to be used against the player, and a female voice welcome players to the courses, announce in-race events and the result.
[edit] Critical Reaction
Reviews were positive - averaged by Metacritic at 84% [2] - with an accompanying sense of surprise that Nintendo's hardware could present such high quality graphics and sound [3]. Nearly every review compares the game with F-Zero X which came out a month earlier, with the general feeling that whilst Nintendo's own futuristic racer offers more tracks and racing craft, Wipeout 64 has better track design and atmosphere. Despite being complementary, GameSpot and Gaming Age still recommend purchasing F-Zero X instead [4][5].
Opinion is divided on whether Wipeout 64 simply merges the good points of the previous two games [4] or is different enough to be considered a sequel in its own right [6]. Praised elements include 'prettier' [7] and 'grittier' [5] graphics compared to F-Zero X, although the 'explosions are hideous' [6]; and music that 'rocks' [6] but, being short, can get repetitive [3]. Popup and a slow frame-rate are repeatedly mentioned but only as becoming a problem when the screen is split to 3 or 4 in multiplayer [4][7].
[edit] References
- ^ Wipeout Zone
- ^ Metacritic
- ^ a b Game Chronicles
- ^ a b c GameSpot
- ^ a b Gaming Age
- ^ a b c IGN
- ^ a b Nintendojo
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