WipEout 64
Critic Reviews 82% add missing review
Ultra 64 (93 out of 100) (93%)
Malgré les menus défauts cités précédemment, il ne fait aucun doute que WipEout 64 est désormais le meilleur en catégorie course sur Nintendo 64. Sa qualité graphique inégalée dans ce domaine, sa fantastique rapidité à réveiller les morts et son action trépidante contribuent grandement à l'imposer comme l'indispensable de ce mois de novembre. Jamais un autre titre ne pourra vous offrir d'aussi bonnes sensations.
Dec 1998 · Nintendo 64 · read reviewGaming Entertainment Monthly (90 out of 100) (90%)
Overall Wipeout 64 is a game you want to get, because it not only offers a whole new racing experience but it also gives you an action packed, competitive gaming experience that will have you screaming and begging for more.
Mar 14th, 1999 · Nintendo 64 · read review64 Power / big.N / N Games (90 out of 100) (90%)
Rundum gesehen ist Wipeout 64 mehr als das, war wir erwartet hatten! Die Grafiken sind fast perfekt, der Sound haut echt voll rein und das Rennfeeling kommt absolut geil rĂŒber. F-Zero X haben wir jetzt erst mal getrost beiseite gelegt, denn das hier ist der Hit! Fehlt jetzt nur noch ein Top-Rennspiel mit richtigen Autos...
Nov 1998 · Nintendo 64Total! (Germany) (1.75 out of 6) (85%)
Mit wipEout 64 legt Psygnosis ein ausgezeichnetes N64-DebĂŒt hin. Sowohl die Steuerung als auch das Leveldesign und die einzelnen Modi sind absolut gelungen. Leider hapert es an der Gesamtzahl verfĂŒgbarer Kurse, daher leidet die Langzeitmotivation ein wenig. Dennoch macht das Spiel eine sehr gute Figur und sollte daher von allen Highspeed-Freunden bei ihren geplanten EinkĂ€ufen in die engere Wahl gezogen werden.
Oct 1998 · Nintendo 64Jeuxvideo.com (17 out of 20) (85%)
WipEout 64 est à posséder dans sa collection de jeux sur Nintendo 64. Malgré sa difficulté apparente, l'entraßnement porte rapidement ses fruits et c'est une fois lancé à toute vitesse que le titre révÚle pleinement son potentiel. Véritablement jouissive, la série WipEout réussit son petit détour sur la console de chez Nintendo : c'est fluide, beau, dynamique et en plus c'est jouable jusqu'à quatre en écran scindé. Qu'attendez-vous pour goûter aux joies de la formule 1 du futur ?
Jul 15th, 2011 · Nintendo 64 · read reviewVideo Games (84 out of 100) (84%)
Die durchaus hĂŒbschen Endzeit-Strecken bieten deutlich mehr fĂŒrs Auge als Nintendos âF-Zeroâ, haben aber von den Effekten weniger zu bieten als 'XG2â (Lens Flares, Dynamic Lighting, Local Stage Sounds etc.). DafĂŒr gefĂ€llt mir das âwipEoutâ-Handling noch eine Spur besser: Hier hat man im Gegensatz zum Acclaim-Racer wirklich das GefĂŒhl, mit viel Training eine perfekte Runde hinzukriegen. Den Ausschlag fĂŒr die geringere SpielspaĂwertung hat aber die im Vergleich zur Konkurrenz magere Ausstattung gegeben: Nur sechs Kurse (plus eine Bonusstrecke), vier Gleiter und acht Techno-Trax sind einfach auf die Dauer etwas wenig (etwa im Hinblick auf âF-Zeroâs 30 Strecken plus Editor), auch wenn durch die gesunde und faire HĂ€rte im Spiel fĂŒr ausreichend Motivation gesorgt ist. Auch im 4P-Mode fĂ€llt W64 gegenĂŒber Nintendos Racer ab: Um die Frame-Rate halten zu können, mĂŒĂt Ihr hier auf sĂ€mtliche Backgrounds und Gegner verzichten.
Nov 1998 · Nintendo 64Nintendo Power Magazine (8.3 out of 10) (83%)
This is definitely the best Wipeout to date. The racing challenge mode makes players use a mix of battle and speed tactics. The multiplayer race is another reason to love this game. The mix of racing and combat is perfectly balanced.
Nov 1998 · Nintendo 64Mega Fun (83 out of 100) (83%)
Den direkten Vergleich mit Extreme G2 braucht WipEout 64 wahrlich nicht zu scheuen. Grafisch gesehen bietet es genauso viel Abwechslung und Effekte wie der Konkurrent, bleibt aber im Multiplayer-Modus hinter den Erwartungen zurĂŒck. Die schon im Single-Player auffallenden Aufbauprobleme werden noch einmal wesentlich schlimmer. Auf der anderen Seite verzichteten die Programmierer vollstĂ€ndig auf den Einsatz von Nebel, so dass man ĂŒber diesen Schwachpunkt hinwegsehen kann, zumal der Sound mit seinen Sprach- und Motoreneffekten sehr gut zum Endzeitambiente dieses Fun-Racers passt. Alles in allem sprechen der ĂŒppigere Umfang und die innovative Grafik fĂŒr XG2, und WipEout 64 bleibt nur der respektable zweite Platz.
Dec 1998 · Nintendo 64 · read reviewGame Revolution (B+) (83%)
Although Wipeout 64 is an excellent racer, it's really just a translation of XL for the N64 with a couple of goodies added. I'd love to give this game an A grade, but it just doesn't offer a lot of innovation to the genre. For the next sequel, I'd like to see fully customizable craft, maybe multi-level racing, and shortcuts would be ideal. With the glut of "anti-grav" racing games on the consoles as well as in the arcade (like Vapor TRX, also by Midway, surprise, surprise) you gotta come up with something really mind-numbing to get that coveted Revolution 'A.'
Nov 1st, 1998 · Nintendo 64 · read reviewPower Unlimited (8.1 out of 10) (81%)
Custom Made en razendsnel: WipeOut 64 is een heel nieuw spel geworden. De besturing is verbeterd en de more-player mode is een zegen.
Nov 1998 · Nintendo 64Retro 101 (8 out of 10) (80%)
It would be fair to say that Wipeout 64 is the black sheep of the family â Nintendo exclusive, four player mode, remixed circuits â but it is distinctive. Being marketed to a Wipeout starved Nintendo audience it does its job very well. For existing fans of the series it offers multiplayer and challenge modes not found elsewhere and as is essential.
Oct 25th, 2012 · Nintendo 64 · read reviewAdrenaline Vault, The (AVault) ( ) (80%)
Wipeout 64 is one of the best racers to come out for a home system in quite some time. While it doesnât have the frantic turning and skidding of other titles like S.C.A.R.S. and Test Drive 5, the graceful banking turns and weapon systems more than compensate. Itâs a terrific racer and a great game by any standard.
Feb 5th, 1999 · Nintendo 64 · read reviewClassic-games.net (8 out of 10) (80%)
Wipeout 64 is a great game that upholds the seriesâ sterling reputation and stands out in the N64 racing library. Considering the sheer volume of racing games on the system that is no small feat. I would still recommend F-Zero X first but this is a close second for sci-fi racing fans.
Jun 25th, 2021 · Nintendo 64 · read reviewComputer and Video Games (CVG) ( ) (80%)
The graphics are very impressive, though the PAL version does have a slightly lower frame-rate than we'd hoped for. The ships still go extremely fast at times and the handling works very well with the new analogue control. Although PlayStation WipEout 2097 is still the ultimate game in the series, WipEout 64 is a brilliant alternative to Nintendo's F-Zero X and one which fans of high-speed action will adore.
Feb 1999 · Nintendo 64 · read reviewGame Chronicles (7.7 out of 10) (77%)
WipeOut 64 is the third reincarnation of this racing title, and I will have to admit it is definitely the best. The few areas where it is lacking are easily compensated by the incredible control offered by the analog stick, the new tracks, great graphics, and the quality music. If you've never played another version of WipeOut then this will certainly be an eye-opening experience, and if you are a Anti-Grav Racing Veteran like me, WipeOut 64 will offer you countless hours of racing enjoyment with the control you have always dreamed of.
Feb 2nd, 1999 · Nintendo 64 · read reviewGameSpot (6.9 out of 10) (69%)
WipeOut 64 isn't horrible, it just feels like the developer's first effort for the system at times - which it is. The one- and two-player modes are worth exploring, but the game will still likely be disappointing for hard-core fans of the series who expected more improvements after the two-year wait. Those looking for a more worthwhile futuristic racing game on the N64 might want to check out Nintendo's F-Zero X or, for a more combat-oriented take on the theme, Acclaim's Extreme G (which has a sequel due very soon as well).
Nov 12th, 1998 · Nintendo 64 · read reviewVideo Game Critic, The (B-) (67%)
Other problems include track sections that are too dark and an overly-difficult single player mode. Some players may also frown on the paltry number of tracks (six) and vehicle styles (four). Fortunately the trademark techno music has been retained and contributes greatly to the ultramodern feel of the game. Despite its flaws, Wipeout 64 offers engaging, high-tech racing fun.
Apr 1st, 2001 · Nintendo 64 · read reviewPlayer Reviews
State-of-the-art sci-fi racing in 64 bits.
The Good
Wipeout, Sony's successful anti-gravity racing series, made only three appearances off the Playstation format. Part one and two were released on the PC as exact replicas of the original games. Wipeout 64, however, a conversion done by Midway for Nintendo's N64, is an independent achievement. And an amazing one at that.
Midway made what could best be described as Wipeout 2,5. Why? Because feature-wise Wipeout 64 does a lot which clearly differentiates it from Wipeout XL, or 2097 as it was named in Europe, and what would later appear in Wipout 3. Where part two is about successively unlocking race challenges, faster classes and additional tracks, Wipeout 64 offers three different types of challenges from the start: race, time trial and weapons challenge. Of course, single races are still there as well. Time trial again differs from other Wipeout games. Instead of doing 2, 3, 4 or 5 lap races, you will be driving as many consecutive laps as you choose. Although some players might so complain about the loss of race records, this mode makes gameplay much more fluent as there are no more interruptions from waiting time in between your attempts.
Another change from it's Playstation counterpart, Wipeout XL, is that even though the fifth craft again has to be unlocked by playing through the various game modes, the Piranha is no longer the ship that stands out from the rest. Instead, it now has weapons and some considerably "downgraded" flight characteristics, so it would fit into regular gameplay.
Graphics-wise the game uses most of the elements from XL. Some of the weapon effects are less flashy, but well done nonetheless. In fact, Wipeout 64 is faster than it's predecessors with no observable slowdown throughout the whole game.
We are again being offered eight tracks to compete on, each set in a different environment and all of them entirely unique to the N64 version. Everything is there; from the easily accessible first courses to the more difficult steep-hills-with-tricky-turns tracks for the experienced driver.
One aspect central to the success of the series always has been its soundtrack. Being limited to the data storage capacity of only a cartridge instead of a CD that can house several common audio tracks, the N64 Wipeout seemed at a loss. Yet still Midway managed to put a large amount of high-quality audio into their game, which is sure to satisfy even the most spoiled electronica fan. Wipeout 64 features some of the most forward and exciting tracks in any Wipeout game. And they come in a quality that is almost up to the class of CD music.
The rest of the audio has been done just as well, reusing many of XL's sounds. There is even slightly more in this package, since we now get a short spoken welcome to the track that we are about to fly on.
The Bad
There is not much were Wipeout 64 is flawed. However, a rather serious bug needs to be mentioned. Every now and then, preferably at very specific points on certain courses, it happens that the game simply freezes. It may help to just leave the game and come back minutes later in order to find it running again. Mostly, though, you will want to turn off your console in order to get back to playing - and this way lose all your latest accomplishments.
Apart from that, there are only a few minor issues worth mentioning. First and foremost, the N64 version cannot be controlled with the directional pad. Since Wipeout requires precise nose control in all four directions, this makes gold medals harder to achieve than necessary as handling the controller stick does not exactly allow for the most accurate movement. The second thing you might find annoying is that other crafts no longer have highly visible exhaust emissions. This makes it difficult to spot ships ahead of your own, so you will get some frustrating moments from running into contenders just because you had no chance of seeing them in time.
Something that differentiates Wipeout 64 from its cousins is that your ship reacts much more sensitive to control inputs. This probably makes the game easier at first but also results in a loss of precision in control over your craft. Add this and the control issue explained before to the fact that Wipeout 64 is arguably the most difficult in the series and it should become obvious that this game is not for the casual gamer who is looking for quick results.
The Bottom Line
Do not put too much value on the downsides of the game. Apart from the freeze bug I mentioned, they all are minor concerns that can easily be overlooked. Wipeout 64 is furiously fast, exciting, challenging and by far more than a side product of Sony's prestigious franchise. Midway did a fantastic job at bringing the Wipeout experience to the realm of Nintendo games and showed F-Zero X a thing or two about AG racing.
by G'Kyl (50) on Sep 29th, 2004 · Nintendo 64
Contributors to this Entry
Critic reviews added by Alsy, Jeanne, Patrick Bregger, jaXen, Lain Crowley, coenak, vedder, Cavalary, sayewonn wisseh, Tim Janssen, Wizo, Kabushi, Big John WV.