Slipstream 5000

I was to lazy to find my CD and run through the installer and I so I decided to buy it of gog.com. I must say that I'm very pleased with what I received for this very small price. I used to go through the cumbersome DOS installation back in the days but the GOG installer takes care of everything. You can now launch the game from the startmenu, by clicking the included Slipstream 5000 icon (which looks nice btw). No hassle with setting up sound in the Dos setup as it runs perfectly out of the (Dos)Box. That's right, Windows-compatibility is ensured using the DosBox emulator which has sound, memory,processor, display & network preconfigured so it will run the game without problems. However, I have not tested the network mode. Note that this is the full version, which means that the awesome intromovie and pilot taunts are included. The MIDI version of the soundtrack is included as MP3 files which sound different from the ingame music as the game is configured to play music using SoundBlaster FM Synthesis. The included manual comes in English, French & German. In short, I would like to thank gog.com for providing this very complete package at a small price !

tl;dr version: This . Is . Not . A . Wipeout . Clone. It's an awesome racer. That is all. Slightly longer version: It's a racing game that allows you to move not just left and right, but also up and down - for those confused. You get to use weapons with different specs, including homing missiles and blasters, and pick up powerups in the course of a race. Win a race, earn more money, and get better stuff to blast your opponents. You can also choose from several ships that have varying advantages and disadvantages (IF I remember correctly, of course). There are multiple paths to take during a race - some are shortcuts, provided you can manoeuvre through tricky, narrow spaces. It's one hell of an experience. And it was released in 1995. That is all. (best played with a joystick)

The other 5 star reviews say nearly all there is to say about this game. It's great, it's fun, it has dated graphics you won't really notice while playing. It also runs fine in dosbox (under Linux too) , it has several *voiced* languages, varied tracks ... AND it has splitscreen (although the grafics really take a hit when the resolution is halved). The splitscreen mode alone is already worth the price if you have anybody to play with (and a couple of joysticks or pads around). Nothing like blasting at a friend and then hitting Turbo on the last lap.

Tour around the world in this sci-fi racer / shooter that offers six degrees of freedom (think: Descent).While it was arguably the best in its class back in the day, now it just feels lacking. There isn't much variety in weapons choice, and it just doesn't feel as fast as it used to. That said, the courses are laid out nicely, and the smack talk coming from other pilots is well done.

Slipstream 5k is one of those games no one ever talks about, let alone play. Off course being an old 3d game with no hardware accelleration that runs in dos(box) it's a bit of a hard pill to swallow if you're used to superhigh resolutions and a gazillion frames per second. But what Slipstream 5k lacks in graphical fidelity it has in spades what most games lack..... personality. Which in my oppinion is worth buying this game for alone. The inbetween screens are very well done where you can choose your pilot (and aircraft) and I like how the championship is presented like a real sports event with an announcer and commentator. The ongoing banter between the pilots during the race is pretty hilarious, something more racers should do. The gameplay itself is quite good for a racing game, though expect an arcade experience. The aircraft are easy to handle and once you get to know the tracks it shouldn't be too much of a problem. Because of this I think it's safe to say this game is kid friendly, which shouldn't put you off if you are an old geezer (like me. :) ). Overall a fun game from which aspiring gamedevelopers should take note.