Powerdrome

A little more significant than your average remake, 2004's Powerdrome is a direct follow up to the 1988 original that claims responsibility for the rise of the futuristic racing game in its entirety. That's debatable, but if the wipEout phenomenon is anything to go by, then this is well worth a look.

Set in the near(ish) future, anti-gravity racing has become the be-all-and-end-all of sports. Instead of Formula One vehicles on tarmac, jet-powered Blades are the order of the day as the global championships get underway, and as one of eight pilots, it's your sole ambition to achieve legendary status as the greatest Blade racer ever known.

Very much like wipEout in appearance and style, Powerdrome is one of the fastest racers ever witnessed, and is comparable if not superior to the long-running Extreme-G series of games. The Blades do indeed take a little practice to become used to, but once you've leaned the basics, the real challenge of skill and reflexes can begin.

Each of the Blades handles in a convincing manner, and the game does a fine job of delivering a sense of speed towards the player. It's really not that difficult to begin with. However, the tight corners and unforgiving nature of some of Powerdrome's 24 circuits puts an immense challenge upon its players.

Most importantly though, Powerdrome has been blessed with online play that accommodates up to eight racers simultaneously. And those who do have online capabilities can not only race against players from the other side of the world, they can create their own races and tournaments too. It's a feature sadly lacking in wipEout, Extreme-G et al, making this addition to the genre very welcome indeed.

All in all, Powerdrome isn't as ground-breaking as its 1980s predecessor claims to be, but it delivers that fast-paced frenetic racing experience fans of the genre so badly crave.