Wipeout Pure [PSP]

Sony owes a debt of gratitude to the Wipeout series. Launched alongside the original PlayStation, this futuristic racer set the bar for high speed action, integrated licensed music into games for the first time, and helped cement the fledgling system's reputation as a true "gamer's" device. Later versions on other consoles appeared, but failed to match the acclaimed style and sensibility. With the release of the appropriately named Wipeout Pure for the PSP, the series is returning to its roots. It is Wipeout at its finest.

Spread across 16 tracks, the game offers up a bevy of speeds and ships to choose from. Initially, only the slowest two classes will be unlocked, but after you've mastered the introductory levels and become accustomed to the game's feel and controls, the true fun really begins.

Wipeout Pure continues the series' traits by providing fine control at insanely high speeds. Whether you're using the digital D-pad or the analog stick for steering, your ship handles beautifully. New to the series is the introduction of a "sidestep" maneuver. By tapping either air brake in quick succession, your ship strafes to the side without affected forward movement. It is subtle, but just enough to avoid last minute hazards such as a freshly laid minefield.

Another change to the series involves how the shields and weapons systems work. There's no longer a recharge field near the starting line to run through. Instead, your ship has the ability to absorb an unwanted weapon, diverting its power to your shields. It's a simple change, but one that forces more strategic play -- especially as the fighting increases in intensity. Sure, taking that shot might catapult you into the lead but is it worth taking if your shields are so weak that you'll go down on the next hit?

The in-game AI is challenging, but not obscenely so. Rather than cheat, the AI simply plays well and offers up a solid competition at any level of play. Each racer's AI functions individually so you will see them attempting to take out each other, as well as trying to take out you. You might see a few blowout races on the easiest difficulty settings, while on the harder levels, you'll earn every last gold medal. This is a game where a split second can mean the difference between winning and simply finishing.

Design-wise, the game clearly borrows elements from previous titles. Both the tracks and ships share a stylistic synergy that looks great. The first two courses keep things relatively tame, but that's "tame" by Wipeout standards. After marveling at the beauty of a tropical city, you'll find yourself speeding through an underwater tunnel before moving on to a track with a 150-degree turn. Other obstacles an open pit (which splits into two lanes around either side), plenty of jumps, and a high altitude race that is missing side boundaries at key sections.

Mastering the initial eight tracks, spread across two tournaments, will open up the four track classic tournament which is designed to appeal to Wipeout veterans. As the name implies, the classic tournament features four tracks from previous games in the series. All have been preserved as far as course layout is concerned -- so they will play exactly the same -- but they've been given a neon overhaul straight out of Tron.

Aside from the more traditional racing options, Wipeout Pure also features a four track "zone" mode where the weapons and enemies are dropped in favor of pure, unadulterated speed. Littered with speed boosts, the purpose of zone mode is to race, with each lap increasing in speed, until you finally lose control and destroy your ship in a ball of flame. Expect to see this mode drive a high level of competition between fans.

Music has always been a major part of the Wipeout series. The focus on a solid soundtrack has not been lost, though the series now carries enough weight to demand the attention of well established electronica artists as well as up-and-comers. All of the music for Wipeout Pure is completely original and includes tracks from artists such as Aphex Twin and Tiesto.

In addition to a superb single-player mode, Wipeout Pure also offers a sublime multiplayer experience via the PSP's ad-hoc WiFi connection. Up to eight players can quickly connect and battle it out over an individual race or a full tournament. Sadly, there's no support for infrastructure mode, which means Internet play is not available out of the box (though third-party "tunneling" programs may solve the issue).

Despite the lack of Internet play, Wipeout Pure does go online in a limited fashion. Built into the game is a download function that can be used to download new tracks, ships, music, and skins. Sony plans to offer fresh content over a six month period after the game's release and all of it will be completely free. The only catch is storage space -- the content will quickly overwhelm the tiny 32MB memory stick included with the PSP Value Pack, so expect to be purchasing more proprietary Sony memory sticks in the near future.

The only real problem we had after our play testing was thumb pain -- but this is going to be a frequent complaint with the PSP's analog stick placement being unnaturally low. Quick, precise movements over a sustained time period really start to cause aches. Not that Wipeout can be blamed for this.

Offering a perfectly balanced mix of features, gameplay, and style, Wipeout Pure is one of those rare gems that fires on all cylinders. No matter what your favored style of play, it is worth checking out. Without a doubt, Wipeout Pure is the PSP's first killer app.