If you’re a fan of the show, and you’ve always wanted to take on those “Big Balls” in real life, Activision lets you and up to 3 of your friends play as contestants in ABC’s Wipeout: The Game.  The game’s Show Mode is modeled almost exactly after the TV show. After choosing your characters and difficulty level (easy, medium, difficult), each person takes turns to maneuver their way in 3 rounds of ridiculous obstacle courses before reaching the famous Wipeout Zone. The show’s commentators, John, John, and Jill, lend their voices to crack cheesy puns about you and your spills, drawing you into the TV game show experience.

The game requires the Wii-mote and nunchuck, and the controls are very simple (walk, jump, duck). The obstacles require mastery of timing, where even the obstacle’s slightest touch of your skin will send your character screaming and flailing around ridiculously, which is hilarious at first but gets pretty annoying after 10 seconds.  The challenge is really being able to stand without falling off while your kind friends aim and throw tennis balls, medicine balls, and briefcases to knock you off balance during your turn. I personally watch the show for the slow-mo recaps of people painfully losing their dignity, and you get to relive those glorious moments in the slow-mo recaps of your own wipeout.  If you aren’t successful by attempt 3, that’s a wipeout, and your friends take their turns. The fastest player to beat the course wins the game, although, no, you don’t get the grand prize of cash they promise you in the beginning. Disappointing, I know.

If losing to the computer in Show Mode as single player isn’t your thing, you can play as single player in the Challenge Mode to set records of best times on the obstacles. You can pick between Qualifier Rounds to do the outdoor daytime obstacles, or you can choose the Wipeout Zone to test yourself in the nighttime fire stage at the end of the show. As you progress through the obstacles, you can unlock all characters and up to 50 total obstacles.  One thing you’ll miss in Challenge Mode is some background music or noise – there are no wiseass commentators to crack jokes and it gets pretty lonely without being bashed physically AND vocally.

Whether you’re familiar with the show or not, Wipeout the Game is a fun family game that offers laughs and challenges to kids and adults alike.  Though the controls may be frustrating, the humor and multiplayer mode make up for it. Good news is you can satisfy your dream of taking on the TV show’s crazy obstacle courses without the real-life consequences of muddy water, injuries, and eternal shame.