Thursday, September 25, 2008

Feisar is More Than Fair


Wip-capital-E-out-capital-H-capital-D came out for the PSN today, and you would do well to cop that shit. My girlfriend asked if it was like Mario Kart when she saw me downloading it today, because it is the only video racing game she's ever played. And actually it is like Mario Kart 'cept that your karts fly and everything is very futuristic-like. I played a shit-ton of the original WipEout back in my Playstation-One salad days, and it is a game ideally suited for the HD treatment-- the original's pleasingly spartan visual aesthetic (created by The Designers Republic) benefits from the clean lines and increased visual detail.

The new version also lets you make your own custom playlists, and though the in-game music is pretty boss I cobbled together a custom soundtrack from my collection. My knowledge of electronic music is wildly uneven, but I spent some time scouring my library for tracks that sounded suitably zoom-y. I think the results are hit-and-miss, but I can say that when you're madly careening down the track and Justice's Genesis hits the :30 mark, the effect is downright pleasant.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

So I guess this means Sony solved that problem with the seizure inducing visuals? Where kids who played it in halloween masks had snakes and scorpions come out of their eyes?

I've actually been really looking forward to this. I have fond memories of the original Wipeout (er, WiPeOoooT or whatever) and am hoping that this blows me away in the same manner. I also really enjoy taking advantage of custom soundtrack options and trying to make them as inappropriate as possible. I played through Excite Truck to the Muppet Movie soundtrack. I'm thinking Wipeout would go well with Dean Martin...

chesh said...

I think the :30 second mark of Genesis is just pleasing no matter what you are doing, and racing a hovercar at 200 mph can only make it more so.

Julian said...

Actually, there's a giant frightening disclaimer/warning (wrt the seizure thing) that you have to click through every. time. you. start. the. game. So I gues they just kind of game up. Try Zone mode, though, and I'm sure you'll understand both what causes the seizures and why they wanted to keep it in. The whole screen throbs and flashes bright colors hypnotically and you speed is fixed at "ever-increasing." It's fun in a Rez/Synaesthete sort of way.

I'll definitely second the hearty recommendation. It's Wipeout, but prettier and slicker than you ever thought it could be.