A new source port for classic 1995 sci-fi racer, Wipeout, has just popped up on GitHub. Purportedly based on the NTSC PS1 release, Wipeout Phantom Edition features a slew of nifty improvements making it an easy sell for those looking to hop back into the cockpit of an F3600 anti-gravity ship. New features, which make this a more attractive alternative to emulation or the original PC port, include:
(Note: All feature descriptions taken from the official GitHub page)
- 🚀Uncapped frame rate: Render frame rate is decoupled from game state simulation using interpolation.
- 🛣️Distant geometry fade: Objects fade into view smoothly, eliminating pop-ins.
- 🚨Ship lighting: Ships inherit coloration from track lighting data, similar to Wipeout 2 and 3.
- 👓Increased view distance: See further into the distance.
- 💥Wall collision response options:
- Modern: Comparable to BallisticNG.
- Classic: Comparable to WipeOut 2.
- Legacy: 🪦
- 📺Maintained PSX-accurate rasterization and blending: Retains authentic PlayStation look by only using blending features available on original hardware, while also providing high resolution smooth graphics.
- 🚒3D audio for sound effects: Spatial audio sources and doppler effect.
- 🎚️Additional options menus: Configure most of the new features.
And more! See the complete list of changes here and grab the latest release of the project here.
With no mention of clean-room reverse engineering or really anything regarding the development process, it’s highly likely that this new source port uses the PS1/PC Wipeout source code which leaked out in 2022 courtesy of Forest of Illusion. Usage of copyrighted source code definitely puts Wipeout Phantom Edition into somewhat of a legal grey area compared to other wholly reversed-engineered decompilations like the Super Mario 64 port. But will Sony care? Well, given how little they seem to care for their own back catalogue under Jim Ryan’s leadership, I highly doubt it. You’ll still need authentic NTSC .bin and .cue files of the game to actually build the port, of course, so I wouldn’t worry about getting a threatening letter from Psygnosis (RIP) if you’re on the fence about downloading this one.
With a moody atmosphere and wicked soundtrack courtesy of 90s club legends like The Chemical Brothers and Orbital, Wipeout is still a very good time even if its gameplay has been overshadowed by its sequels and spiritual successors like BallisticNG. Personally, I’d like to see Wipeout 3: Special Edition released from its shocking 25fps PAL prison and lavished with a similar amount of love and attention.
Grab Wipeout: Phantom Edition down below:
https://github.com/wipeout-phantom-edition