Wipeout (wipEout) was one of the first PlayStation games to floor me. Not only was it visually impressive  - downright amazing back then, actually – but it had a soundtrack that perfectly matched its memorable aesthetics and revolutionary controls and flight dynamics. I recall playing it on the PlayStation Picks demo disc ad nauseum and following that up with endless hours with the full release. The truth is, I couldn’t stand the game when I first played it. The controls just didn’t feel right and the cornering was beyond tricky. Then, after hours of practice, it all clicked in one instant: it was perfect. That particular moment truly was one of the defining moments in my gaming history. I followed up with the sequel Wipeout XL but then subsequently lost interest as the series’ reemergence years later by BAM! left many disappointed.

I never got around to trying Wipeout Pure, the first entry of the series on the PlayStation Portable, with it sliding right under my radar. If it was anything like Wipeout Pulse, as I’m hearing it is, then I missed out, because Pulse is, in every way, a fantastic racer. In terms of modes and options, it more than delivers. The single-player route contains Race Campaign and Racebox. The campaign consists of 16 grids with each grid composed of cells that represent one of several event types including standard races, time trials, and zone challenges. The zone challenges are especially interesting as it entails a solo race where the speed increases gradually through each zone as points rack up until the uncontrollable vehicle takes too much damage and explodes. Those familiar with Pure will be used to the zone challenge, but newcomers will find it exhilarating. Winning gold, silver, or bronze with a particular craft will increase your loyalty ranking with the associated team, gradually unlocking new tracks and racers. Tracks completed in the campaign also become available in the Racebox, a mode that allows for custom one-off races and grids, both of which can also be saved for later use.

Multiplayer supports both ad hoc and infrastructure play, as well as a plethora of online options. A link from the menu will connect your PSP – wireless network willing – to the Wipeout website, where new craft skins, a skin editor, wallpaper (in multiple resolutions), leaderboards, and check out team rankings and info. It is a very thorough approach to online functionality, almost beyond Xbox Live implementation, and really shows how behind so many other companies are and what is possible on the PSP.

Of course, all of the modes and features in the world wouldn’t matter if the game weren’t enjoyable. Fortunately, it is. Much like its predecessors it is a challenge, too challenging at times. The process of mastering a track can sometimes be a grinding experience, but it is always worthwhile. It’s difficult to describe the feeling of buoyancy that Wipeout conveys, because there is nothing else out there like it. There have been contenders, from the Sega Saturn’s Cyber Speedway to the Xbox’s Quantum Redshift, but none have been able to capture the same feeling of a weighted object being just a hard turn away from smacking into the ground. With power-ups that include weapons, from machine guns to landmines, and strips that’ll zip you along or keep you close as you take dizzying turns and loops. I found the weapons almost a distraction now, focusing more on properly taking turns – a sort of floating drift using airbreaks – and drafting. This isn’t Twisted Metal, mind you: the weapons are merely a means to an end, and you will be disappointed if you go into it thinking otherwise. That isn’t to say that it isn’t fun to send an earthquake down the track, creating a wave under the track and opponents to take serious damage, because it’s always a sweet site to see a pesky rival’s career end in a fiery explosion. It also doesn’t hurt that the game is absolutely gorgeous.

There are also a lot of nice small touches as well, like an included digital copy of the manual and the ability to play your own music from your memory card. The standard techno is back, which fits the serious well but not necessarily my tastes, so it’s nice to be able to step out of the insta-party-in-an-abandoned-warehouse vibe and enjoy my own soundtrack. For fans of the genre, there are tracks from some of the more recognizable acts out there: Aphex Twin, Kraftwek, Loco Dice, DJ Fresh et al. Icing on the cake for all.

Overall: 9/10

I hear that Wipeout Pulse is strikingly similar to its predecessor, Wipeout Pure, but I missed that release and can only say that Pulse is an absolute blast. The difficulty can ramp up, but the racing mechanics are unmatched and there is so much to do in single- and multiplayer that the robust community features seem like overkill. There is so much to like here that it is definitely worth your $29.95.