<s>
Wipeout	B-Application
(	O
stylised	O
as	O
wipE′out″	O
)	O
is	O
a	O
futuristic	O
racing	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Psygnosis	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
Wipeout	B-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
originally	O
released	O
in	O
1995	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Device
and	O
DOS	B-Device
,	O
and	O
in	O
1996	O
for	O
Sega	B-Device
Saturn	I-Device
,	O
being	O
a	O
launch	O
title	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
in	O
Europe	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
re-released	O
as	O
a	O
downloadable	O
game	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
and	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
Portable	I-Operating_System
via	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Network	I-Device
in	O
2007	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Set	O
in	O
2052	O
,	O
players	O
compete	O
in	O
the	O
F3600	B-Application
anti-gravity	O
racing	O
league	O
,	O
piloting	O
one	O
of	O
a	O
selection	O
of	O
craft	O
in	O
races	O
on	O
several	O
tracks	O
around	O
the	O
world	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unique	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
,	O
Wipeout	B-Application
was	O
noted	O
for	O
its	O
futuristic	O
setting	O
,	O
weapons	O
designed	O
to	O
both	O
stall	O
and	O
destroy	O
enemy	O
opponents	O
and	O
its	O
marketing	O
campaign	O
designed	O
by	O
Keith	O
Hopwood	O
and	O
The	O
Designers	O
Republic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wipeout	B-Application
spawned	O
several	O
sequels	O
to	O
critical	O
acclaim	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wipeout	B-Application
is	O
a	O
racing	O
game	O
that	O
is	O
set	O
in	O
2052	O
,	O
where	O
players	O
compete	O
in	O
the	O
F3600	B-Application
anti-gravity	O
racing	O
league	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
all	O
tracks	O
have	O
been	O
completed	O
on	O
the	O
Rapier	O
Championship	O
,	O
a	O
hidden	O
track	O
(	O
Firestar	O
)	O
,	O
set	O
on	O
Mars	B-Application
is	O
unlocked	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wipeout	B-Application
features	O
a	O
multiplayer	O
mode	O
using	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Link	I-Device
Cable	I-Device
,	O
allowing	O
two	O
player	O
to	O
race	O
against	O
each	O
other	O
and	O
the	O
six	O
remaining	O
AI	O
competitors	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
also	O
supports	O
the	O
NeGcon	B-Device
,	O
a	O
third-party	O
controller	O
designed	O
by	O
Namco	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wipeout	B-Application
was	O
developed	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Liverpudlian	O
developer	O
Psygnosis	O
(	O
later	O
known	O
as	O
Studio	O
Liverpool	O
)	O
,	O
with	O
production	O
starting	O
in	O
the	O
second	O
half	O
of	O
1994	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Lee	O
Carus	O
,	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
artists	O
,	O
Wipeout	B-Application
took	O
14	O
months	O
to	O
develop	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
concept	O
began	O
as	O
a	O
conversation	O
between	O
Nick	O
Burcombe	O
and	O
Jim	O
Bowers	O
at	O
a	O
pub	O
in	O
Oxton	O
,	O
Merseyside	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
proved	O
popular	O
,	O
and	O
Wipeout	B-Application
was	O
approved	O
and	O
production	O
began	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
vehicle	O
designs	O
were	O
based	O
on	O
Matrix	O
Marauders	O
,	O
a	O
3D	O
grid-based	O
strategy	B-Application
game	I-Application
whose	O
concept	O
was	O
developed	O
by	O
Bowers	O
and	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
Amiga	B-Device
in	O
1990	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
name	O
"	O
Wipeout	B-Application
"	O
was	O
given	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
during	O
a	O
pub	O
conversation	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
inspired	O
by	O
the	O
instrumental	O
song	O
"	O
Wipe	O
Out	O
"	O
by	O
The	O
Surfaris	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Designing	O
the	O
tracks	O
proved	O
to	O
be	O
difficult	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
lack	O
of	O
draw	B-General_Concept
distance	I-General_Concept
possible	O
on	O
the	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
received	O
completely	O
random	O
weapons	O
,	O
resembling	O
Super	B-Application
Mario	I-Application
Kart	I-Application
in	O
their	O
capability	O
to	O
stall	O
rather	O
than	O
destroy	O
opponents	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Burcombe	O
said	O
that	O
Wipeout	B-Application
was	O
influenced	O
by	O
Super	B-Application
Mario	I-Application
Kart	I-Application
more	O
than	O
any	O
other	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wipeout	B-Application
gained	O
a	O
significant	O
amount	O
of	O
controversy	O
on	O
its	O
initial	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
poster	O
branded	O
Wipeout	B-Application
"	O
a	O
dangerous	O
game	O
"	O
,	O
with	O
Wipeouts	B-Application
lead	O
artist	O
Neil	O
Thompson	O
suggestingand	O
designer	O
Nick	O
Burcome	O
denyingthat	O
the	O
"	O
E	O
"	O
in	O
Wipeout	B-Application
stood	O
for	O
ecstasy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wipeout	B-Application
was	O
first	O
released	O
alongside	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
in	O
Europe	O
in	O
September	O
1995	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
's	O
best-selling	O
launch	O
title	O
in	O
Europe	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wipeout	B-Application
was	O
ported	O
to	O
the	O
Sega	B-Device
Saturn	I-Device
in	O
1996	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Because	O
the	O
company	O
behind	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
,	O
Sony	O
,	O
owned	O
the	O
applicable	O
rights	O
to	O
the	O
last	O
three	O
tracks	O
of	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
's	O
soundtrack	O
,	O
new	O
music	O
was	O
added	O
for	O
the	O
Saturn	B-Device
version	O
by	O
Rob	O
Lord	O
and	O
Mark	O
Bandola	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Sega	B-Device
Saturn	I-Device
version	O
was	O
released	O
by	O
SoftBank	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additional	O
music	O
tracks	O
were	O
licensed	O
from	O
more	O
established	O
electronica	O
acts	O
to	O
create	O
the	O
soundtracks	O
for	O
the	O
PAL	B-Language
and	O
Saturn	B-Device
versions	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
promotional	O
album	O
,	O
Wipeout	B-Application
:	O
The	O
Music	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additional	O
music	O
featured	O
in	O
the	O
PAL	B-Language
version	O
of	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
game	O
include	O
tracks	O
from	O
Leftfield	O
,	O
The	O
Chemical	O
Brothers	O
,	O
and	O
Orbital	O
(	O
also	O
appearing	O
on	O
Wipeout	B-Application
:	O
The	O
Music	O
)	O
,	O
while	O
the	O
Saturn	B-Device
version	O
includes	O
three	O
additional	O
tracks	O
by	O
Rob	O
Lord	O
and	O
Mark	O
Bandola	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
promotional	O
album	O
Wipeout	B-Application
:	O
The	O
Music	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
CD	O
and	O
vinyl	O
in	O
1996	O
,	O
and	O
features	O
the	O
aforementioned	O
three	O
tracks	O
by	O
Leftfield	O
,	O
The	O
Chemical	O
Brothers	O
and	O
Orbital	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
additional	O
tracks	O
by	O
New	O
Order	O
and	O
The	O
Prodigy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Burcombe	O
explained	O
that	O
the	O
choice	O
of	O
genres	O
was	O
based	O
on	O
an	O
experience	O
he	O
had	O
while	O
playing	O
Super	B-Application
Mario	I-Application
Kart	I-Application
:	O
he	O
had	O
just	O
finished	O
in	O
first	O
place	O
but	O
had	O
"	O
The	O
Age	O
of	O
Love	O
"	O
playing	O
instead	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
soundtrack	O
,	O
and	O
thought	O
it	O
fitted	O
the	O
moment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Edge	O
cited	O
that	O
it	O
was	O
hard	O
to	O
criticise	O
"	O
such	O
a	O
beautifully	O
realised	O
and	O
well-produced	O
game	O
which	O
 [ exploited ] 	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
's	O
power	O
so	O
well	O
"	O
,	O
but	O
did	O
show	O
similar	O
concerns	O
over	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
longevity	O
regarding	O
its	O
"	O
reliance	O
on	O
track-based	O
power-ups	O
"	O
that	O
would	O
"	O
limit	O
Wipeout	B-Application
's	O
lifespan	O
"	O
in	O
comparison	O
to	O
Super	B-Application
Mario	I-Application
Kart	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
GamePro	O
gave	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
a	O
rave	O
review	O
,	O
predicting	O
that	O
"	O
Wipeout	B-Application
's	O
taut	O
action	O
and	O
grueling	O
courses	O
will	O
lure	O
many	O
diehard	O
racing	O
fans	O
to	O
this	O
new	O
system.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
said	O
the	O
fact	O
that	O
multiplayer	O
is	O
only	O
through	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Link	I-Device
Cable	I-Device
is	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
one	O
major	O
flaw	O
,	O
since	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
still	O
had	O
a	O
low	O
installed	B-Operating_System
base	I-Operating_System
at	O
this	O
point	O
and	O
thus	O
this	O
would	O
not	O
be	O
an	O
option	O
for	O
most	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Maximum	O
opined	O
that	O
of	O
all	O
the	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
's	O
European	O
launch	O
line-up	O
,	O
"	O
not	O
one	O
title	O
can	O
match	O
up	O
to	O
the	O
awesome	O
nature	O
of	O
Psygnosis	O
 '	O
WipeOut	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Making	O
particular	O
note	O
of	O
the	O
lack	O
of	O
pop-up	O
,	O
the	O
coherent	O
style	O
and	O
concept	O
,	O
the	O
soundtrack	O
,	O
the	O
unlockable	O
Rapier	O
mode	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
PAL	B-Language
optimisation	O
,	O
they	O
gave	O
it	O
their	O
"	O
Maximum	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Month	O
"	O
award	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
later	O
Saturn	B-Device
version	O
also	O
received	O
generally	O
positive	O
reviews	O
,	O
though	O
most	O
critics	O
agreed	O
that	O
it	O
was	O
not	O
as	O
good	O
as	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Sega	B-Device
Saturn	I-Device
Magazine	O
,	O
Rad	O
Automatic	O
praised	O
the	O
large	O
number	O
of	O
tracks	O
and	O
the	O
distinctive	O
flavour	O
of	O
each	O
one	O
,	O
and	O
remarked	O
that	O
the	O
gameplay	O
is	O
very	O
easy	O
to	O
get	O
into	O
but	O
provides	O
more	O
than	O
enough	O
challenge	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
criticised	O
it	O
as	O
not	O
being	O
as	O
good	O
as	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
,	O
though	O
he	O
noted	O
that	O
none	O
of	O
the	O
shortcomings	O
impact	O
the	O
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
four	O
reviewers	O
from	O
Electronic	O
Gaming	O
Monthly	O
similarly	O
praised	O
the	O
number	O
and	O
variety	O
of	O
tracks	O
along	O
with	O
the	O
strong	O
challenge	O
the	O
game	O
presented	O
,	O
and	O
were	O
much	O
more	O
approving	O
of	O
the	O
graphics	O
than	O
Sega	B-Device
Saturn	I-Device
Magazine	O
,	O
describing	O
them	O
as	O
"	O
vibrant	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
gorgeous	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
Next	O
Generation	O
critic	O
said	O
that	O
while	O
the	O
graphics	O
are	O
slightly	O
less	O
sharp	O
and	O
the	O
controls	O
feel	O
different	O
,	O
the	O
Saturn	B-Device
version	O
is	O
essentially	O
the	O
same	O
game	O
as	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Both	O
Air	O
Hendrix	O
of	O
GamePro	O
and	O
a	O
reviewer	O
for	O
Maximum	O
argued	O
that	O
the	O
Saturn	B-Device
version	O
is	O
noticeably	O
not	O
as	O
polished	O
as	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
but	O
still	O
excellent	O
in	O
absolute	O
terms	O
,	O
making	O
it	O
a	O
pointless	O
purchase	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Device
owners	O
but	O
recommended	O
for	O
Saturn-only	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1996	O
,	O
GamesMaster	O
ranked	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
41st	O
on	O
their	O
"	O
Top	O
100	O
Games	O
of	O
All	O
Time.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
initial	O
success	O
led	O
to	O
Psygnosis	O
developing	O
several	O
sequels	O
which	O
would	O
later	O
become	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
Wipeout	B-Application
franchise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
direct	O
sequel	O
,	O
Wipeout	B-Application
2097	I-Application
,	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
and	O
Sega	B-Device
Saturn	I-Device
in	O
1996	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
met	O
with	O
positive	O
reviews	O
,	O
especially	O
aimed	O
towards	O
the	O
vastly	O
improved	O
game	O
engine	O
and	O
new	O
physics	O
the	O
game	O
offered	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
spin-off	O
,	O
Wipeout	B-Application
64	I-Application
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
1998	O
and	O
was	O
met	O
with	O
considerable	O
praise	O
from	O
critics	O
,	O
but	O
was	O
noted	O
to	O
be	O
too	O
similar	O
to	O
the	O
original	O
Wipeout	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Wipeout	B-Application
in	O
1995	O
,	O
the	O
awareness	O
of	O
the	O
underground	O
techno	O
community	O
in	O
England	O
was	O
significantly	O
boosted	O
,	O
with	O
critics	O
praising	O
the	O
vast	O
"	O
unique	O
techno	O
soundtrack	O
"	O
the	O
game	O
offered	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wipeout	B-Application
has	O
been	O
described	O
as	O
being	O
synonymous	O
with	O
Sony	O
's	O
debut	O
gaming	O
hardware	O
and	O
as	O
an	O
early	O
showcase	O
for	O
3D	O
graphics	O
in	O
console	O
gaming	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
has	O
since	O
been	O
re-released	O
as	O
a	O
downloadable	O
game	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
and	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
Portable	I-Operating_System
via	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Network	I-Device
in	O
2007	O
.	O
</s>
