On its initial release, shortly after the PlayStation itself, Wipeout changed the perception most people had about videogames, and it was partly responsible for the PlayStation's early success. It featured ludicrously fast hover-like vehicles, with a futuristic arsenal, which hurtled around helter-skelter racetracks. This was engaging, but it was the accompanying music which lifted the game to hip status. The sequel Wipeout 2097 improved some glitches in gameplay (for example, scraping a wall used to bring a craft to a shuddering halt, instead of just slowing it down). It also improved the music further by including tracks by groups such groups as the Chemical Brothers and the Prodigy. Wip3out is the third incarnation of the game and it is unlikely to be the last. New additions include split-screen mode, support for the Dual Shock analogue controller and new teams and weapons. The craft also have a limited turbo boost, activated by the R1 button. In addition to familiar weapons such as the quake disrupter (which sends an energy wave through the track, draining energy from opponents), new weapons include a force wall that lets you sail through, but blocks opponents and an energy drain that transfers the energy of the nearest craft to yours. The all-important music was the responsibility of the renowned DJ, Sasha. Along with his own contributions, he included tracks from Orbital, The Propellerheads, Paul Van Dyk, MKL, Underworld and, once again, the Chemical Brothers.
Wip3out improves on an already great game but, despite some innovation, it is really just lamb dressed up as fresh lamb. Wipeout fans will love it and now may be the time to indulge for those who have never played the earlier versions.
Capcom Generations, Sony PlayStation, £39.99
This compilation of 13 of Capcom's classic games is to videogames what those 1980s rock-anthem compilations are to music. The latter are often mail-order only, but Capcom's four-CD set can be bought in the shops, probably because being seen buying the old games is rather less embarrassing than being spotted shopping for dinosaur rock.
This collection features the excellent 1942 and other treats such as Commando, Ghouls n' Ghosts and Gun Smoke. 1942 was one of the most popular arcade games of its time. The player controls a plane and shoots as many targets as possible, while avoiding what sometimes seems like several thousand missiles. The game had an extremely distinctive sound that could be heard over the other games in the arcade and that sound is reproduced perfectly here, as are all the games. Incidentally, the sequels to 1942 (1943, 1943 Kai) are also included. Wanting just one more coin to have just one more go is a familiar longing for arcade players. However, some of the games here prove that you can have too much of a good thing. The "continues" that cost another coin each time in the arcade are often infinite here - as well as being free of course. Some games can therefore be played from start to finish with reckless abandon in under 30 minutes (why avoid that bullet when , you can always get another continue?). It is hard to imagine anyone reared on the PlayStation appreciating these games. Curiosity might provide a spark of interest but is unlikely to sustain it. For nostalgic arcade veterans, it is a nice collection, though.
SONY held a press conference in Dublin last week to follow up on the recent announcement of details of its next-generation PlayStation 2 (PS2) console. It should be in Irish shops in autumn next year, giving Sega's Dreamcast a one-year start in the market. The PS2 will be available in Japan from next March and Sony says it plans to ship over one million units in the first week.
In Japan, 89 software publishers have signed up for the PS2, with 46 in North America and 27 in Europe committing themselves to developing software. By 2001, Sony hopes to be distributing software over the Internet for download to an add-on hard disk for the console. The PS2's 128-bit "Emotion Engine" CPU will be teamed with 32MB of RAM, a 24x CD-Rom drive that doubles as a 4x DVDRom drive. Sony has sold some 60 million PlayStations world-wide (making it more lucrative market than its traditional products such as televisions and stereos). By year's end, Sony calculates that 500,000 will have been sold in Ireland. One factor which will help the PS2 in the market is that it is backward-compatible, allowing current PlayStation titles to be played. There are no details so far on when Nintendo will launch its new console, and rumours abound that Microsoft is working on its own little box of home-gaming tricks.
games@irish-times.ie