Wipeout 3 (PlayStation)

At one time, there were those within Psygnosis who were unsure that Wipeout would return to the PlayStation, because it wasn't clear whether anything more could be done within the confines of the aging platform. But the advent of the analog controller, SCE's PlayStation code optimization utilities, and a few new imaginative ideas on the part of Psygnosis have all combined to make the series a trilogy. (Yes, let's just decide right here and now to forget Wipeout 64 entirely.)

Futuristic racing is the rule of the day in all the Wipeout games. You compete in a series of winding courses that can only be raced by the sleekest of antigravity hovercraft. You gain boosts in velocity by flying over speed pads and acquire offensive capabilities by going over the weapon pads. Each vehicle is equipped with shields, which are worn down by enemy fire and by bumping into track walls, and are recharged by entering each course's pit lane. W3 introduces a new element that drains the shield energy: the hyper-thrust. By hitting the R1 button, your craft can achieve incredible speeds, but it is then much more open to crashing or being blown up by opponents. The tightrope walk of balancing thrust and shields is the first main difference between Wipeout 3 and its predecessors.

The first tournament (not the only mode in the game, but its meat and potatoes) is incredibly easy. You can beat it without using the hyper-thrust, a single offensive power-up, or the air brakes, which help you coax your machine around corners. But the tournament mode then goes from very easy to unbelievably hard, as the courses in the second tournament are so difficult that it's hard to place in any of them, let alone all in a row. The first two tracks - Sampa Run and Hi-Fumi - are very challenging, but you can master them after playing them for an hour to an hour and a half each, while the third track - P-Mar Project - is so snaky that it's evil that the developers didn't save it for later. There is no middle ground in W3. The learning curve in the first two games was gradual and fun to play, but this one is surprisingly severe. You'll have to hit the hyper-thrust on the straight-aways, aim into the pit or steal shield energy from opponents by using the energy-drain power-up (one of several new weapons), and use the air brake to shimmy around every corner just to place at all. It calls to mind hopping around while trying to balance a plate at the end of a stick from the tip of your nose, two index fingers, big toe, and knee. It can be that tough, but if you give it enough time - a lot of time - it actually becomes almost second nature.