Vita owners have a great world of WipEout to enjoy. We can play the original PlayStation release on the Vita, up to the joyous WipEout 2048 native experience, plus WipEout Pulse from the PSP days.
Now, thanks to some smart coding from PhobosLab, a remaster of that "wow-moment" PlayStation original (but the PC version) is here for us to enjoy again, or for the first time.
Ported to the Vita by scene stalwart, Rinnegatamante, the new version is just a 4MB download from your choice of homebrew downloader. and an instant joy to play while the original's challenge remains as tough as ever.
With upscaled visuals, 60FPS+ (typically 160fps in external view, up to 300fps internal, depending on the on-screen action), there's also improved sound, CRT post-processing, and endless coding tweaks to do the legacy justice.
PhobosLab's effort (do read his detailed article on the revamp, one note - "I would have loved to work this into an officially sanctioned remaster, but as you can imagine getting a hold of anyone at Sony is impossible. So here we are.") also puts into perspective the low-value efforts Sony is putting into getting those recent PSP ports on PS Plus. But, I guess as long as the games live on that's the main thing.
Play the tunes, read the WipEout book
One benefit of the PlayStation original is that it has all the exclusive tunes from the likes of The Chemical Brothers (Chemical Beats), Leftfield (Afro Ride), Orbital (WipEout) and others. The PC version in the remaster still has the very tasty CoLD SToRAGE tracks, so there's good reason to swap in and out of both games.
Talking of, the
2023 WipEout Zero Gravity Soundtrack from Cold Storage (fed up of all the mad capitalisation) is out now to buy or stream on most music sites, or as a gorgeous physical multi-vinyl album for €39 arriving in early December.
Or, if you like your coffee table books, the
WipEout: Futurism Limited Edition book is coming soon at at a meaty £75, but yummm! Badged as the definitive illustrated history of the cult videogame – a heart-thumping fusion of groundbreaking graphic design, architectural futurism, electronic music and high-speed racing, why not?
The Enduring Joy of WipEout
The new WipEout gives those Rapier and Venom ships a fresh lease of life within the tight confines of the OG's tracks. And it should definitely help lead players into the sublime world of Pulse and 2048, which is why it is important those games remain available on PSN.
The remaster version can also be played in a browser and across modern PCs with insane framerates, but really feels at home with the PlayStation's buttons and triggers making the desperate lunges and tactical overtakes.
It is also great to see the Psygnosis badge again, and it remains one of Sony's greater crimes that they binned Studio Liverpool (as they became) when a PS5 WipeOut would have been a thing of true beauty.
