SEGALIFE Presentation: 9 Graphics: 8 Sound: 8 Gameplay: 8 Lastability: 8 Rating: 8/10 Developer: Tantalus Publisher: Psygnosis Genre: Racer Players: 1 WipeOut 2097 : Review (Saturn) The PSX racing jewel comes to the Saturn, and we loved it regardless just because the Sony fans weren't happy about it! Mark Podd lets us know. You know, despite all their attempts, F1 governing body just can.t seem to make the sport exciting. They can reduce the grip, the power, the electronic control systems, the down force, but they just can.t make Formula One more than a glorified, two hour parade. But maybe limiting these factors isn.t the answer. No, they should allow for other things, such as the addition of weapons! Schumacher running away with it again? Just stick a missile up his tailpipe! That Arrows in your way? Just pepper it with a burst from your machine gun! Your pit crew not up to speed? Place anti-personnel mines in the opposition.s garage! Sure, it would be hard to win a season outright, what with each team needing a new set of drivers each race to replace the dead/maimed ones, but hey, it would be livelier. Well, perhaps these changes won.t come soon, but if you look at WipEout 2097 for an example, you could see it.ll be a lot of fun. Those of you with keen memories will remember the original WipEout.s port to the Saturn. And as such, you.ll also remember what a shambolic mockery it was. Coming off the back of the awesomely good Sega Rally (SL.com 10/10), hopes were understandably high for a top-notch port, but alas, it was not to be, with PlayStation.s first showcase game failing to impress us at all, from the flawed visuals through to the botched controls to the extent that we gave it 5/10 in our review. However, the lessons of the above (and to the same extent, those of Destruction Derby) have certainly been learnt here. The visuals are wonderful. Immaculately detailed, with a super-smooth frame rate, the game packs virtually the same visual punch that it.s PlayStation source boasts with everything from the lack of clipping to the excellent and atmosphere inducing lighting effects really coming to the fore. Of course, there are some faults, most notably the lower resolution and the persistent transparency problems that have blighted the majority of PS-Saturn ports to date, but the end effect is a game that looks simply fantastic without major compromise, a real example of how the Saturn can .do. 3D to a satisfactory standard. Perhaps the one thing that allowed the WipEout games to become as popular as they have done has been the combination of pumping beats and high-speed thrills, and as such, the Saturn version does disappoint aurally. Ok, so a lot of this was always going to be a problem, what with the fact that most of the PlayStation original.s tunes were directly licensed from the industry behemoth that is Sony.s own music label, and a lot of the tunes that Psygnosis.s own in-house music team, Cold Fusion, are respectable enough, but on the whole, the game lacks that same dynamic punch from the music, while the game.s sound effects are still less than prominent. Fortunately, this hasn.t had too great an impact on the gameplay - this is still one rampantly playable number. Whereas the handling that made the games first outing on PlayStation was totally washed out in the process of porting it to Saturn, the handling of the second instalment has pretty much survived the porting process unscathed. The craft themselves are perfectly weighted, and thanks to analogue support, the game comes into it.s own in some style, convincing with inch-perfect handling and a neigh-on faultless speed rush. The AI gets progressively tougher and more ruthless as the game progresses, which in conjunction with the fact that you can now be gunned down like a stinking pig with the improved array of weapons around 8 circuits in one of four cars, you.ve certainly got plenty to be going on for a fair while, plus with the improved handling and circuit design, the inevitable time attack mode becomes most enjoyable. Indeed, it.s neigh-on impossible to fault 2097 - neigh-on. Sadly, the omission of a dedicated, two player split screen is a blow so large it prevents the game achieving the upper echelons of Saturn excellence, and is something that surely would have brought a lot to the Saturn version. For the racer-starved Saturn faithful, 2097 stands out as one of the finest examples of the genre. A match for Daytona or Sega Rally it may not be, but all the same, is a worthy addition to anyone.s collection for those of you without the PlayStation version (which should be all of you or else we.ll be having words). To use the vernacular, .top stuff. indeed. Rating: 8 - Mark Podd