Michael Powell‘s Powerdrome is a futuristic 3D racing game that pre-dates WipEout. It was first published by Electronic Arts for the Atari ST in 1988.

Powerdrome includes six separate tracks across five different planets, and players race jet-engined anti-gravity bikes called ‘blades’ around closed tracks.

At first you’ll wonder how the heck anyone can ever win a race in Powerdrome because your race machine handles like a Ferrari on black ice – it’s all over the place. Whether you choose joystick or mouse control (or keys) the blade is very tricky to control. Especially around twisty, turny, tunnel courses like these ones.

Powerdrome had people wetting their knickers back in 1988 when it first came out. The hype – and the game – didn’t last long though. Powerdrome is not really enjoyable enough, and is too frustrating to play for long periods, to be considered a classic, but it’s an interesting curiosity from the past and was undoubtedly influential.

More: Powerdrome on Wikipedia