Is anyone here a fan of the WipE’out” series?

C

Clinton Ducks

472
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
This is my favourite franchise, followed closely by Gran Turismo. However it unfortunately seems to have died a death, which I don’t understand, and it causes me great sadness.

I’ve always wondered and even fantasised, would these games be more popular if there was a proper career/sim element to them?

As they are they are very much an arcade racer. However, if you could really get under the hoods (so to speak) of the racing craft, and really tweak and personalise them, and if there were a lot more different models to choose from - all different ones for each team and speed class, and also loads more tracks to race them on (i.e bringing all the old tracks from the previous games back with a new lick of graphical paint); do you think that would make a new WipE’out” game of interest to ‘serious’ racing game fans?
 
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Yes! Wheels make racing games boring. I'm also a veteran of extreme-G, Episode 1 Racer Arcade, and Hydro Thunder, right down to the blue N64 game and the self destructing blue Dreamcast disc. I have many wipEout, two xG, and several versions of Hydro Thunder in my collection.
 
Around every three years, I boot up WipeOut Hd/Fury and play it all the way.

This series start for me with 2097 (and the best soundtrack of a game ever). It is so much fun.
 
Have you ever played Omega Collection in VR?

It’s something else, by far the most immense VR experience i’ve ever had - even more impressive knowing that the VR mode was just a patch. Makes me feel like WipE’out” was destined to be a VR game. Would love it if a new one was built around VR, and the ‘normal’ chase cam view was the patch!
 
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If it's PSVR2, no. The device is too fragile for a game like that. One touch against my glasses destroyed one of the PSVR2 lenses.
My start with the series is with Saturn wipEout, which I still have complete in the USA long box. I also have a one owner extreme-G 2 cartridge, had it since 1999 or so. I have every wipEout up to pulsE and the Vita one, which I play on a big screen with a hacked PSTV.
wipEout 64 was the best, followed by purE then 2097/XL.
The N64 is popular among retro gamers and wipEout frequently flies under the radar but it's a fantastic addition to any n64 collection. Ditto for Hydro Thunder, though the DC version is slick and fast. You'll want an orange disc to play, the blue ones weren't pressed right and have become collector's items.
And if you've never played the Sega version of Episode 1 Racer, do it. You're in for a nice treat!
Other racing games...Sky Jinks and Barnstorming see you racing aircraft. Barnstorming is a bit rough but fun, and Sky Jinks is graphically impressive. They run on the 2600.
I'm a game collector and have 1,400 titles in the collection plus 40 consoles. If it was popular in the 2600 or Saturn days, I probably have it. I hate the NES but still have and enjoy 60 games for it, wouldn't change that either.
 
Yes I do enjoy WipE’out” 64 too. I’m a Playstation collector (who doesn’t have a 5 - why? Because no new WipE’out”, it’s my form of protest lol).

My start with the franchise was with the original on PS1, it was the pack-in game when I first got that console for Christmas, aged 11. Because back then I only got new games for Christmas and birthdays it was the only game I had for my new system for a long time. Of course at that age you’re a sucker for good graphics, so going from playing the likes of Sonic Hedgehog on the Sega Megadrive to a 3D futuristic racing game with a techno soundtrack felt like stepping into the year 3000 over night! I’ve been absolutely in love with the series ever since, even to the point of being pretty nerdy about all the lore too haha.

I’ve played several other AG racers, but what makes WipE’out” (almost) unique is the combat aspect for one, but mostly it’s its sense of style. It’s really cool.

The best ones for me are Pulse, 3 Special Edition, 2097 of course, and actually HD/Fury - the original PS3 version, not Omega. Omega is great and everything, especially in VR like I said, but they’ve messed the physics up because it’s actually a port of the HD/Fury DLC for 2048 rather than the actual PS3 game so it uses the 2048 engine for the physics making the handling feel way different. I mainly play Omega for the 2048 aspect, because whilst still not perfect (the colours in zone mode don’t look right, and I’m not a huge fan of the new sounds), it’s the best way to play 2048 because honestly, I think the Vita sucks.
 
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The only PSX game I still have a physical copy of is Wipeout 2097, I credit it with being my first exposure to electronic music (which I still love) and "proper" graphic design (which I got a degree in but fell out of love with because the industry pretty much requires you to work for free and I wasn't willing to do that).

The death of Wipeout is one of gaming's greatest tragedies in my opinion. Imagine if Gran Turismo had stopped after 4, at its peak, that's how I feel about Wipeout. Then again, looking at Gran Turismo, maybe it saved us from years of eager anticipation of bad games by a developer that clearly doesn't understand why people ever liked the franchise.
 
Definitely a die-hard WipEout fan here. Been playing every single title since Pure back in 2005.
 
WipeOut 3 on the PS1 is one of my favourite games ever. I played 2097 to death on a demo disc but 3 was the one I bought and I still love it even if I haven't played it for ages. In fact I don't know if I even still have it, will have to check the darkest depths of my games cupboard.

The newer ones- the PS3 era and then Omega Collection are great too but 3 is the one that really meant something to me.
 
Yes! The third one is definitely the best of the PS1 era. Graphics wise it really pushes the console to its limit, best graphics I’ve seen for the PS1 - Ridge Racer Type-4 takes that crown for most people, but for me, Wip3out edges over it in terms of how well it holds up today and the sheer speed of it all. The handling has been just slightly refined from 2097 too, as well as doubling the number of teams. Incredible game that was sadly overlooked, coming out at around the same time as the PS2 and because it was more of a refinement of the formula rather than a revolution.

Try the Special Edition if you haven’t already, it’s the full game with the addition of a sort of ‘best of’ collection of racetracks from the first two games. If only it came out a year or so earlier, it would’ve been huge!
 
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Wipeout Fusion was the one and only title that I've played, I did really enjoy it, just never hooked me enough to go back to it. Banging soundtrack IIRC.
 
Actually I think Wipeout Fusion is quite comfortably the strangest/worst (delete as applicable) game in the series - if you liked that you’ll probably love the others. It was a bit of a direction change, Fusion, that is a bit of an outlier in the series.

3 - Omega Collection - 2097 - OG - Fusion

For me in that order, out of the ones I’ve played much of. Omega Collection maybe objectively is the one to start with but 3 and 2097 have the nostalgia and memories.
 
Yeh I was gonna say, while it’s not a bad game exactly, Fusion is the least good one out of the series.

However what MatskiMonk said I think is a problem with these games and who they appeal to. I doubt anyone really hates the WipE’out” games, but the majority play them, enjoy them, but because they’re generally short, and there’s not much to do after beating the championship mode most people just kinda forget about them and don’t really get excited about the prospect of a new one coming out.

The die hard fans, whom I’m glad there’s a handful here, are a very niche market who unfortunately aren’t worth investing in for Sony.
 
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I loved Wipeout. I occasionally will still just say "shields" or the best one "plasma bolt" and remember that electronic voice that spoke them in the game.
 
I have all of the WipEout games from the PS1-Vita. Never bought and played the remaster Omega Collection.
 
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F1Smith94
I have all of the WipEout games from the PS1-Vita. Never played the remaster Omega Collection.
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Omega is only worth playing if you have PSVR really. If you’re a fan of the series (which you clearly are lol) then playing it in VR is ridiculous. It’s a match made in heaven. Makes me dream of a purpose made original trilogy VR remake with a full motion rig and G force simulation.
 
I love the aesthetic of it, and I own the Omega Collection, but truth be told, I'm just not very good at it 😂
 
I also got the Omega collection, a while back. Haven't played it yet, although I've played plenty of Wipeout 3, speedrunning it as well.
 
Played Omega collection via VR1 on my PS4 pro. Worth the cost of VR. It was epic. I’m hoping for a VR2 PS5 update.
 
Tired Tyres
Played Omega collection via VR1 on my PS4 pro. Worth the cost of VR. It was epic. I’m hoping for a VR2 PS5 update.
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I remember being able to get the Platinum trophy of WipEout Omega Collection in less than a week. Great times.
 

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