Wipeout 2097 - absolute class

[Ian(not Ian)]

I get the same message that you mentioned before about "Wipeout 2097 is not properly installed" when I tried that patch. Does it have to be installed somewhere specifically?

1. Install 2097
2. download and install whe netwoxl.zip patch from 3dgamers. (this patch is for XL which is why it doesn't work with 2097)
3. download and install the 'euro patch hack' from http://morane.j.free.fr/

Once all that's done run 'wolobby' from the game folder. Note the original wipeout exe file still runs at breakneck speed, only the multiplayer game works at 30FPS. Also the music is disabled in multiplayer mode.

[Concept]

I'm almost the reverse to Papercut here.

I used to be wildly in love with 2097, and didn't think much of three, until a few weeks before Sidez's posted a thread on it about a year or so ago, I picked it up again. Now there's little doubt that 2097 is absolutely superb...

For one, I feel it has the most balanced soundtrack of the series to date, splicing funky techno with breakbeat electro. I particularly thought Photek's track fitted the game down to a tee, and there should have been more dark cyberpunk-styled d'n'b offerings.

For me though, Wipeout 3 beats the others in the series hands due mostly to a mixture evident in its aesthetic presentation and the refinment of the craft handling. Graphically, things are very, very subtle. I find the colour schemes present on the backdrops beautifully gradual in the way they shift... And they often create an ethreal atmosphere due to a continual balanced contrast of colours. If you pay close attention, the design really is rather magical in places, and I can't help but sometimes get the urge to consider what an RPG in Wipeout 3's world would have been like. There's a continual mix between cold/clinical futurism and more warmer/recognised slices of life that we're used to. You know... Insane twisting tracks set in everyday shopping malls or expansive countryside overlooking the edge of a huge metropolis. I believe those contrasts are handled expertly over the entire series, yet reach a peak in the third game.

Such minimalism is also partly reflected in the interface, and I like the stripped down menu system and GUI overlay present. As for the craft handling... It's smooth like silk, and still representative of the future-racer genre at its very best in my opinion. Where an extra layer of vital strategy gets implemented is in the boost mechanism which you can use anywhere on the track. Now, using this obliterates your energy, so you have to constantly weigh up the risk of damaging your own defenses to further your own race position, and that for me adds another tactical edge to the races involved.

This is probably where Wipeout 3 has the edge over 2097... Down to a slightly more delicate asthetic which sits well with me from a personal point of view, and the fluidity evident in the control itself. Oh, and on a side note, it features my favourite track of the entire series.

Manor Top. The race that takes place on top of those huge skyscrapers we've often been teased with in previous games by either racing around the foot of them, or seeing them far off in the horizon... Wipeout 3 finally allowed a city course to take place, yet in the most unconventional way imaginable. Hugely challenging on the faster speed classes and wonderfully atmospheric too I might add.

You'll have to forgive my vague and slightly disjointed reply on this thread. I did originally have the intent to type something out a little longer, but I'm feeling floaty today.

[Sir_Brock]

Hey,

This post must be ages old, but I really want to play Wipeout.

I downloaded it off the-underdogs.org and applied the netwoxl patch, but now its asking for the cd. If anyone could help me get the 'euro patch hack' that used to be on http://morane.j.free.fr/ then I'd be very greatful.

Thanks in advance,

Austin

----

Ah surprisingly not that old. :P

[Budge74]

Ive got a WipeOut 2097 PAL and Boxed Mint Negcon that i'm gonna put up in my for sale thread in a mo.

?5er for the game, ?15 for the negcon.

[df0notfound]

I've just been playing wipeout 3 today, for the first time actually. Played the others in the past and never really thought much if them due to the horrific collision physics and floaty handling. Although I certainly think 3 is the best of the bunch its still nowhere near as good as it could have been. Firstly the problems with wipeout are that its just not fast enough, looks pathetic next to F zero-X secondly I think they should scrap the weapons they add NOTHING to the game and just ruin the serious racing feel. If I'm going to win I want to win from good driving not from getting lucky with powerups. Oh also the sasha tracks on 3 are terrible and theres too many and the all sound samey, obviously the TDR menus, logos/branding and such are ****ing gorgeous and prolly worth giving it a whirl a few times even if you hate the gameplay Shame they hired some hacks to rip it off for fusion.
Shame we can't have the design work of wipeout with the gameplay and tracks of f zero.

[dataDave]

You'll have to forgive my vague and slightly disjointed reply on this thread. I did originally have the intent to type something out a little longer, but I'm feeling floaty today.

Aye, I wish you'd gtf with all these troll posts.

Anyone have a US 2097 going spare?

[warci]

can anyone believe i played this to death on my -- AMIGA --
Runs a tad slow, but the gfx are way better than on the playstation. Controlling your ship with the mouse sucks mothballs though

[mid]

The Amiga version was a port of the rather shiny-looking PC release, yes. With the added bonus of playing single-player at the correct speed, probably...

[womblingfree]

Interesting. I've been thinking of picking up Wip3out SE for a couple of days and now all this talk of 2097!

Which is better? I always considered WO3 SE to be the series pinnacle.

[mid]

Tough call, really. I prefer 3:SE, as I find the style more unified and the handling a touch more flowing. 2097 is pretty stunning too, though.

However, 3:SE was only released in PAL-land, I believe, so in Tokyo you're stuck with either the non-SE 3 release or 2097. Frankly, I'd suggest getting both, as neither invalidates the feeling of the other.

[Salsa Party Animal]

Is there a Wipeout 2097 for NTSC consoles ?

[mid]

I honestly don't know about a Japanese release (though I can't think why there wouldn't be one). The US release of 2097 is called 'WipEout XL', which might be why you've not seen it.

[Concept]

Aye, I wish you'd gtf with all these troll posts.

Anyone have a US 2097 going spare?

What was that attack for?

I may not have artriculated myself fluently, but I gave my thoughts on why I preferred Wipeout 3 over 2097. The whole point of this thread, no?

[jimtendo]

The Japanese version is also called 'wipeout XL' and has the same coverart, if i remember correctly.

[Papercut]

wise fwom your gwave...

working single player patch for Wipeout 2097/XL PC with instructions:

http://mitglied.lycos.de/schmaltes/tut/

also enables 1024x768

seems to be from a US XL update, so some characters are misplaced (slightly different textures in XL I guess).