Common Sense Media Review
By Chris Morris
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Push to buy extras too strong in app version of TV show.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
Wipeout
What's It About?
Players attempt to navigate an obstacle course filled with swinging pendulums, which they must avoid or risk being knocked off the course (called \"wiping out\"). There are also sinking podiums and a series of giant balls the player must jump on and over to get to the finish line. Players move their character left and right by swiping their left thumb, while their right lets their character jump or duck. Finishing a course earns you in-game cash (which can also be purchased using real-world funds).
Is It Any Good?
Wipeout, the TV show, is a program that cries out for a gaming adaptation -- and this app adequately fills that need. But rather than being satisfied with the $2 earned from purchases, ABC and Activision instead chose to include an aggressive in-app purchase program that may not technically be essential to gameplay, but anyone who has trouble getting the timing of the game down will be sorely tempted to buy. Worse, some of those purchases seem especially egregious, such as charging players who fail to meet a time goal (or "wipe out" too many times) to continue. (The alternative is to restart from the beginning.)
Fans of the show might enjoy the chance to run the courses without suffering the bruises, but they'll quickly get tired of being nickeled and dimed along the way.
App Details
- Devices : iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad
- Pricing structure :
- Release date : August 30, 2012
- Genre : Arcade Games
- Publisher : Activision Publishing, Inc.
- Version : 1.0.0
- Minimum software requirements : iOS 5.0 or later
- Last updated : November 11, 2020
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate