Wipeout Pulse racing to PSPs

When the PlayStation Portable launched in March 2005, one of the better reviewed launch titles was Wipeout Pure, a portable version of Sony's popular racing series. Today, Sony announced that the franchise is returning to its handheld with the upcoming Wipeout Pulse.

The new game is currently in development by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe's Studio Liverpool, which is also working on a PlayStation 3 edition of the Wipeout franchise. Wipeout Pulse will be a PSP exclusive and is due out in September.

As is tradition with the series, gamers will race along at high speeds in futuristic vehicles outfitted with weapons. New to the franchise with Pulse is a mag-strip, a part of the track that locks the vehicles onto the track, allowing them to race through loops, 90-degree-angled parts of the track, and steep drops.

There will be seven different modes, wireless support, 24 new tracks, and eight teams. Sony promises that downloadable content will be available immediately when the game is released. The game's soundtrack features tracks from Stanton Warriors, Loco Dice, and Mason, but players can opt to play their own MP3 files from a memory stick.