When the Playstation was released in 1995, a lot of people doubted whether or not it was more powerful than Sega's own Saturn was. Well, the release of the original Wipeout seemed to change that. Not only did Wipeout show that a fully polygonal racing game could be done at break-neck speeds on the PSX, but it also became one of the Big Three system sellers during the first year of the PSX's existence (along with Battle Arena Toshiden and Twisted Metal).

The Facts:

-6 tracks (+1 hidden)
-15 weapons
-4 different racing teams (+1 hidden)
-4 racing classes
-Supports up to four players
-15 total competitors in a race
-Various game modes, including Time Trials, Challenges, Tournament, Single Race, and more.
-Supports the Rumble Pak and Controller Pak

Actually, I think this game can best be summed up by using each of the eight tunes in the game as a separate paragraph. So, here goes....

Chasing Radium (PC Music)

The original Wipeout was certainly as rare as radium: a fresh take on a tired genre. Wipeout almost single-handedly infused new life into the stiff racing genre, and has since been copied by many, many clones. Although F-Zero for the SNES was surely the inspiration for Wipeout, Wipeout took the futuristic racing genre to new heights.

Despite being on more powerful hardware, Wipeout 64 seems to be just behind the Playstation version in almost every respect. There are less tracks, less music, and less cars to choose from. Notice that I said, "seems to be". What is here is arguably better than that found in the Playstation version, with the possible exception being the music.

Feel At Home (PC Music)

Veteran PSX Wipeouters will certainly feel at home with Wipeout 64. Wipeout 64 preserves everything that you've come to love about the series and translates it almost flawlessly to the N64. The speed is perhaps even faster than the Wipeout XL, the music is still techno-based, the tracks are brilliantly designed, the settings are futuristic, and all of your favorite weapons are intact in Wipeout 64 (plus some new ones).

Monolith Boy (PC Music)

Much like a monolith, the Wipeout series has stood the test of time. Each Wipeout game has been better than the last, and Wipeout 64 is certainly no exception. Despite some annoying problems, overall it's still a better game than Wipeout XL.

Tomorrow Reborn (PC Music)

The first Wipeout offered perhaps the first true glimpse into just what the 32 and 64-bit age had in store. It promised insane speeds, insane tracks and weapons, and a coolness factor that couldn't be matched. Wipeout 64 recaptures the spirit of the first, bringing all of these things to N64 gamers for the first time. F-Zero X may be just as fast, but when you factor in Wipeout 64's outstanding visuals, F-Zero X pales in comparison.

Sonic Trip (PC Music)

The main focus of the Wipeout series has always been about speed, and Wipeout 64 definitely follows the tradition. Precision control is necessary in order to navigate the harsh track design, but luckily analog control makes this game focus more on skill and less on luck than its predecessors. Wipeout 64 (and XL for that matter) was designed to be more open and more focused on speed than the first, and the people at Psygnosis have pulled it off admirably. Cars now scrape along the walls when they would've come to a complete stop in the first, allowing for the speed to stay high and the competition to stay fierce.

Absurd (Fluke)

Everything is absurd about this game….in a good way. The track design is absurdly great, the music is absurdly good for a N64 game, and the speed and intensity of the game can only be described as absurd. In addition, the weapon design is also absurd. Along with some old Wipeout favs like land mines, the game also features weapons like Quake (ripples the whole track), Power Snare (takes an opponent's power), and Super Weapons (which usually mean an early departure for the competition). Unfortunately, the over-the-top weapon design may perhaps be the game's only downfall. The extremely powerful weapons make the game very unbalanced in multiplayer mode, and in the end almost single-handedly kill the multiplayer experience. This is sad too, because the previous Wipeouts only allowed for multiplayer via the Playstation link cable (which almost no one bought). Wipeout 64 could've been an excellent multiplayer game on par with Mario Kart 64; instead it's only average.

Bang On! (Propellerheads)

Wipeout 64 does have a few flaws however. First off, the game may just be too hard for some people. It certainly isn't a game that you can just jump in and expect to win-it requires a lot of patience. Despite the fact that I own both Wipeout and Wipeout XL, I still found myself having a hard time mastering Wipeout 64. The track design is sometimes too harsh, and when combined with the extreme speed of the game some people may find it hard to keep up with the pace of the game.

Secondly, although the techno is rather good it can become annoying after a while. Do to the limited space that a cart provides, some of the tunes are really short. During extended gameplay sessions it can become annoying. Also, there are some people that just don't like techno music in the first place.

Third, there is a significant amount of pop-up in the game. Although this doesn't really effect the gameplay any (and is done to keep the speed up-a good trade off in my opinion), it can be annoying at times.

Finally, the weapons are sometimes too powerful. Even in the one-player mode, they can become annoying. I've found myself racing an almost flawless race, only to be hit by a missile and passed at the very last second. A good AI system would allow for extreme weapons, while at the same time rewarding gamers who manage to master a track. Although it certainly isn't as bad as the AI in Mario Kart 64, sometimes the computer can (and will) cheat.

Goodnight Lover (Fluke)

In the end, the whole game is definitely better than the sum of its parts. Wipeout 64 is an excellent first N64 title from Psygnosis, and perhaps it will finally lay to rest the notion that good music cannot be achieved on the Nintendo 64. Like the end of an evening with your significant other, you certainly will not want to say goodnight to this gem of a game.

Overall: 9.5