Originally released on DOS and Playstation in 1995, Wipeout is a futuristic first-person racing game where anti-gravity racing has become the world’s most popular sport in the year 2052. Players race in high-tech hovercraft vehicles, equipping weapons and shields to come out on top in the F3600 Race League. There are four teams and six circuits in the main ‘Championship’ mode of play which, once completed successfully, unlocks the more difficult “Rapier” racing class. ‘Single Race’ and ‘Time Trial’ modes are also available.
The game was ported to the Sega Saturn by Tantalus (then Tantalus Entertainment) in 1996. Tantalus has few original titles, but they became major players in videogame ports having designed their own engine for cross-platform conversions. Studios who worked on the porting process, however, were rarely formally credited in games materials, as seen in the Sega Saturn Wipeout manual included in this entry. The in-game credits though include the Tantalus team in addition to the original creators.
The Wipeout port received mixed reception. Some reviewers noted the graphics on the Playstation were ultimately superior to the Saturn, while others praised Tantalus for improving the steering controls in their version.
Version Information
Some minor changes were made to the Sega Saturn port, including an improvement to the steering controls. There was also the need to add new music because Sony held onto the rights of some of the Playstation version’s tracks. Music by Rob Lord and Mark Bandola was therefore added to the Saturn port.
