Go extreme - and go for it now!

WIPEOUT was one of the half dozen or so games that made the PlayStation. Futuristic racers were nothing new, the 3DO had plenty, but Wipeout simply wiped the floor with all of them.

A year later, another future racing title arrived for the Nintendo 64.

Extreme G used supercharged motorcycles instead of hover speeders, but the concept was pretty much the same. Race around a futuristic landscape; blow your opponents off the road (with speed or weaponry, it's up to you) and so on.

The N64 had more processing muscle beneath its bonnet so Extreme G looked nicer than Wipeout. Sadly, the N64's lack of memory still held it back. The courses were great looking but shrouded in fog to disguise what would otherwise have been hideous pop-up and the collision detection was ropey to say the least.

Publisher Acclaim refused to give up. Its British programmers came back with Extreme G2 which looked even better, ran even faster and had exactly the same drawbacks as its predecessor.

What those two games did have was a reputation for maxing out the N64 hardware. They really did look sensational.

Having wrung every bit of horsepower from the ageing Nintendo, Acclaim turned its attention to the PlayStation 2 for the third Extreme G title XG3. And finally, it found a machine with the power to do the vision of future racing justice.

Everything that held the original N64 incarnations back has been put right on PS2.

Every course has been rendered in painstaking detail. In fact, they are so good you can only appreciate the artistry of XG3 by watching an action replay of your race that gives you the opportunity to kick back and take in the lush detail. In the heat of the battle, there's too much going on, particularly when you break the sound barrier and everything turns to a blur.

Boot up and choose from Arcade mode, Time Trial and the full-blown championship.

Gamers familiar with Extreme G may be tempted to dive in at the deep end, select a cycle, sign for a team and go for the Championship. Big mistake.

Freed from the constraints of pitiful N64 memory, the XG3 producers have produced a game that moves so fast it's devilishly hard in the expert mode. The dips and jumps will have you reaching for the vomit bag, particularly if you're trying to learn them in a race situation. Everything is a real test for the reflexes.

It's a better idea to dip into the Time Trials and take a few hours to find your way around this whole new world. Even then it's a whole different race in the championship when a gaggle of bikes tooled up with heavy weaponry are out to get you.

Go for the league option and you'll be rewarded for success. Credits can be spent on machinery upgrades, the ubiquitous speed boosters as well as a whole new arsenal of weapons. As you start with a pretty weedy little gun, some heat seekers are pretty much essential if you're to cut the opposition down to size.

All this is topped off with a cool soundtrack from the Ministry of Sound and an easy-to-navigate menu system.

If you get tired of the single player experience, there is a split-screen option for two. Even better, you can compete against a friend or team up to beat the computer in co-operative mode, a nice touch. Sadly, the four player mode hasn't made it across from the N64.

Each bike handles very well indeed. The N64's analogue stick was rightly hailed as a revelation in fine control for the first two titles. Acclaim has done an excellent job of translating this "feel" to the PS2.

You can use the sticks for steering and acceleration or re-map the pedal to the X button. The shoulder buttons are used as air brakes for particularly tight corners and tricky situations.

It all feels just right, helped no end by the PS2's true analogue buttons that give an extra degree of adjustment over your throttle opening and braking force. Top marks to Acclaim, then.

The only cloud on XG3's horizon is the impending arrival of Wipeout:Fusion for the PS2. Coded by Sony's own in-house team, this promises to be a superb sequel to the original. So far we've seen little beyond screen shots of Wipeout:Fusion. The game was supposed to be among the very first PS2 arrivals and it's months behind schedule. Delays to a game can give programmers time to fine tune gameplay and graphic finery. Alternatively, they can force a team to rush release a title with serious flaws. Until Wipeout: Fusion arrives, we will reserve judgement.

And even if it does turn out to be a stinker (an unlikely prospect) there's always XG3 as a more than acceptable alternative. Anyone less than thrilled by the prospect of waiting until Christmas for Wipeout should try this instead.

GIZMO OF THE WEEK

TIGER Electronics, the Harrogate-based purveyor of gadgets for all ages, has every right to be feeling pretty chipper right now. Not only has the company won the right to produce a range of toys based on the Harry Potter books, but it has also put the finishing touches to a new addition to its Robo range.

We've already had a dog and a cat, now it's time to welcome the Robo Baby. Powered by three AAA batteries, Robo Baby looks like he just fell out of a passing flying saucer with his strange metallic-grey complexion and LED eyes that change according to his mood. Once powered up, he'll laugh, cry and gurgle with delight just like a real-life nipper. Neglect to change his nappy or let him go to the loo (don't ask) and he'll wail and wail (just like a... etc, etc). Feed him with his bottle and he'll laugh with delight before letting rip with a very un-robot like burp (ditto).

As he develops, you'll find the strange little chap crawling across the floor or singing a song.

I found him pretty un-nerving and one young dad was moved to violence when I asked what he thought, but kids just love the thought of a robot that needs loving. As adults it's easy to laugh at the Robo pets but let's remember they teach kids how to look after things in a way that's fun.

At just £24.99 every little girl is going to be asking Santa for a Robo Baby this Christmas.