PSPs are not cheap. I know this as I have spent the $249.99 to claim one as my own. I remember thinking that there was no way I would buy one at launch and that I would wait comfortably with my Nintendo DS until the PSPs price dropped. Well, it just so happens that Wipeout Pure is the game that changed my mind in less than 30 seconds. All it took was to hold the system in my hands and race my hovercraft through one lap of Wipeout Pure's first track. Next thing I knew, I was out around $300.00.

Being a huge fan of Wipeout XL (which is now almost 10 years old) I am of the opinion that Wipeout Pure is the long-awaited return to glory the series has needed for some time now. Those of you who played Wipeout Fusion on PS2 know that the series started leaning toward wider tracks with more emphasis on combat via the series' trademark random weapon generators. You'll be happy to know that Wipeout Pure is all about racing through those narrow tracks while the wings of your ship scrape the concrete walls and the weapons are a happy coincidence. The concentration necessary to navigate chicanes, hairpins, and jumps, all at high speeds, is the foundation of this awesome little racer. Weapons do have their place, but think of them as being more like a random deal breaker where the craft in front or behind you can quickly be dealt with if you happen to pickup the right thing at the right time. More often than not, your results will depend on how flawlessly you can zoom around the track and react to surprises like bombs and mines rather than getting every kickass weapon on the block and pummeling everyone else into submission.

Other changes for the better include the way a ship's shields affect gameplay. Instead of heading into the pits for a recharge like before, you can now just absorb those weapons you may not have an immediate use for and get energy instead. You probably won't find yourself debating this too seriously though, despite the increased damage an enemy attack or a collision with a wall can inflict. It's really just designed to keep the speed intense and make players decide on the fly whether they need energy or not.

There are also new classes of ships to pilot. This time, there are 8 different team crafts to choose from. I'd be lying if I said they all felt different, but most of them have distinct pros and cons to suit a player's preferences. They're also designed really well from a visual standpoint. Each one looks like something out of a sci-fi fan's wet dream. In fact, everything in the game looks like this. Imagine a cross between "Blade Runner" and Daytona USA and that's about where Wipeout Pure clocks in. The racecourses all have eye-catching lights and big huge banners that have anything on them from the name of the track to more obscure references like "Robots Build Robots". Its all kind of how you would imagine Times Square to look in 20 years. Your senses just get overwhelmed with all this crap to look at. That's really been the signature of Wipeout though. If you're not in awe of all the things begging for your attention, the game isn't doing its job, but thankfully in that respect, Wipeout Pure comes through big time. They have even managed to make the "Quake" weapon look as good as it did 10 years ago. By that I don't mean that the graphics look as good as a 10 year old game, but that when you see it for the first time, you will be calling out how awesome that looked just like you did when you saw it all those years ago. I think I even like having the weapon used on me better than when I'm the one administering it. You can hear the quake rumbling up behind you as your screen starts to turn red and little bubbles appear on the bottom of your screen to give the impression that its melting from all the heat. Even better is watching the "Bomb" weapon activate. A circular ring of warning spreads out the instant before a massive explosion rocks the track and consumes your screen. For a hand-held, it's really a sight to behold. To be completely honest, it even looks good for a console game. Yes, it's that damn good. Just wait until you race through a tunnel and see the light-bleed effect at the exit. Knockout visuals are all over the place in Wipeout Pure.

Another big part of what sold me on the game was the attention to detail that was put into the sounds. When you think of Wipeout, you HAVE to think of the electronic beats that the series has been known for since day one. This time is no different. Personally, I'm more of a metal fan, but some of these songs in Wipeout Pure are fantastic and you really could not find a genre more suited to compliment this kind of gameplay. I've always had a soft spot for Cold Storage, who started out as Psygnosis' in-house music team back in the days of the original Wipeout, and they come back for this one with a vengeance. Theirs is the opening track when you play the soundtrack in sequential order and it really shows off the quality that the PSP system itself is capable of producing. For me, it was the standout track of the bunch. There are a few more in there that really rock the house, and then the rest just kind of round things out. There's nothing bad or annoying, just not as notable as the 4 or 5 asskickers in the bunch.

Explosions also play a big part in Wipeout Pure's sound. There tend to be a lot of them in the duration of a race, so it's good to hear that they are very loud, gritty, and jarring when they happen. What more could you want? Mines warn oncoming traffic with a gentle yet piercing series of rapid beeps, bombs whine in the distance several seconds after they've been planted, and speed power-ups resemble the sound the Enterprise would make when entering warp. Its all here, and its exactly as it should be.

Wipeout Pure is as good a reason as any to buy the PSP right now. It's a very high-caliber launch title and it showcases the system's capabilities like no other. When your friends ask you what the PSP does, this is the game you need to show them. It will make a believer out of anyone who plays it for just a few minutes. Just remember to have some headphones handy as the sound adds greatly to the overall experience.