JAP Wipeout Link ?

[richi902]

I heard many rumors that it has link support ?
but I never found Infos on the web.

[djandy76]

Hi richi902,

I'm a bit of a Wipeout fan too, and your query made me curious. Anyway, I'm still checking a few things, but for now I can confirm the following:

- The Japanese versions of both Wipeout and Wipeout XL use the term "1人用" ("One player only") on the spine cards
- Numerous Japanese websites list the Saturn version of Wipeout as being compatible with the "対戦ケーブル" (Lit. "Battle Cable"), which I guess is the "DirectLink Cable" elsewhere in the world

I own both games in Japanese, but I'm afraid they're in Japan at the moment and I'm not. If you, or anyone else, has access to the first game's manual and can scan the contents, I'd be more than willing to translate any relevant parts into English.

Additionally, there might be some information inside the "Wipeout Perfect Guide", a book released in Japan to accompany the Saturn version of the game. I think these are pretty rare, but there's one up on Yahoo! Auctions JP as we speak:

http://page5.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp...973#enlargeimg

I'll update this thread if I find out anything more...

[richi902]

thanks man!

but i dont happen to own that game right now, i just wanted to be sure about that, since i'm planning on buying a link cable, etc...

well i also lookd at cover scans/pics found on the internet, but i couldnt see aynthing related to the link cable on the case, that made me worry about that .

[djandy76]

Glad it was of some use!

I found something else during my search too. It's a scan from an old UK Saturn magazine that happens to include a piece on the link-up feature. Take a look under the section reading "LINK UP OPTION ON THE WAY!". Enjoy!

[richi902]

thanks,

did the japanese version came out later?

if yes, then it seems they added the link mode later in the japanese version, when the cable was available.

[djandy76]

Yes, according to what I can find, the Japanese version was released significantly later than the European release of the Saturn port (with the North American release in between):

European: February 1996
North American: 5th March 1996
Japanese: 12th July 1996

That would presumably give the dev team enough time to include the feature, seeing as the cable would've been available then.

[Druid II]

For what it's worth, the game headers do not indicate link cable compatibility for any of the five games (Wipeout usa/pal/jp, Wipeout 2097, Wipeout XL).

[djandy76]

Thanks for clarifying that, Druid II! You don't happen to have access to the instruction manual for the JP version of the original game for the Saturn, do you? If the link-up function is mentioned anywhere, I'm betting it'll be inside.

[Segafreak_NL]

http://www.segacollection.com/specials/lug.htm, a write up I did on the subject.

[richi902]

thanks everyone, so it seems that it was just a rumor and they completly dropped it...

[Druid II]

Thanks for clarifying that, Druid II! You don't happen to have access to the instruction manual for the JP version of the original game for the Saturn, do you? If the link-up function is mentioned anywhere, I'm betting it'll be inside.

I have access to the games but not the manuals, also, I don't have a link cable to test it with.

[Chilly Willy]

I got a link cable from consolegoods back when I got my Saturn... at some point I will get a second Saturn for testing linking in homebrew, but haven't gotten it yet. Consolegoods had one cheap, so I figured I'd better get it while it WAS cheap instead of having to pay big bucks on ebay later (like with the damn DC link cables... a DC link cable runs over $100 most of time you see one being auctioned).

[djandy76]

Even if the feature never made it into the final retail build, perhaps it's accessible in development versions. Not sure how easy it'd be to locate a copy to try out though...

[Shinebi]

I might be a ble to source both a DC & Saturn link cable for cheap...
Just for instance: the PAL DC F355 version had no word of the link option IIRC, but it was still in-game if you pressed Y at the menu...