RetroCompaqGuy | 3D Acceleration Comparison Ep3: Whiplash / Fatal Racing - 3DFX/Rendition/S3 Virge/SVGA Software @vetzRetro | Uploaded July 2012 | Updated October 2024, 2 hours ago.
Whiplash / Fatal Racing was one of the first games to get 3D accelerated. It was first released in 1995, and patches/OEM 3D accelerated versions followed quickly in 1996. Music is from the CD audio track.
This episode was alot of work! I had so much problems capturing this footage and trying to get around all of the quirks with all the different versions. Worst off was the rendition version which runs the menus at 60hz and the game at 75hz. Utility programs (renutil and ssutil) to lock the hz at 60 only affect the menu and not the game itself, so they were useless. The rendition version is also the only one that have texture filtering in the menus. So I ended up only getting a 533x400 picture on my main computer which I then captured with Fraps. It works, but the Rendition version looks better when you see it live. Other than that, this version support replays, but the UI is missing, so you are stuck to the hotkeys given in the manual. It is probably the best looking version. You get full 640x480 picture, texture filtering in both game and menus along with replay support and normal race UI.
Edit: I fixed the recording issues. See more Rendition footage in good quality here: youtu.be/f94D7SDOmco
S3D version looks like it's running at a lower resolution and is then scaled to 640x480. It has no graphical enhancements, but seems to run at a higher FPS than the others (notice how fast "Whiplash" is flashing). This makes it easier to drive in the races. Does not support replays.
The SVGA software version only runs at 640x400, but picture output is at 640x480, thus giving black bars up and down on the screen. Otherwise the colors in the SVGA version are the best, it is also has the sharpest image. It is pretty clear that this game was made for software mode and that the 3D accelerated versions only was an afterthought.
The 3DFX version has the colors all washed out. It looks too "clean". Also it has a very small UI when driving which is quite hopeless. Does not support replays. 640x480 can be activated by writing /fx480 after the executable, otherwise it runs at 640x400. There are no differences in the 3DFX patches between Whiplash and Fatal Racing.
CGL mode is not tested as I do not have a Creative 3D Blaster PCI card, but from what I've read it runs and looks exactly the same as software mode.
Captured on hardware:
Asus P3B-F (Intel 440BX chipset)
Intel P3 1ghz w/ Slot 1 adapter
1024MB SDRAM CL2
Techworks Vortex SuperQuad
With these cards:
Orchid Righteous Voodoo 1 4MB
Diamond Stealth S220 Rendition V2100@V2200 4MB
EON S3 Virge DX 4MB
Whiplash / Fatal Racing was one of the first games to get 3D accelerated. It was first released in 1995, and patches/OEM 3D accelerated versions followed quickly in 1996. Music is from the CD audio track.
This episode was alot of work! I had so much problems capturing this footage and trying to get around all of the quirks with all the different versions. Worst off was the rendition version which runs the menus at 60hz and the game at 75hz. Utility programs (renutil and ssutil) to lock the hz at 60 only affect the menu and not the game itself, so they were useless. The rendition version is also the only one that have texture filtering in the menus. So I ended up only getting a 533x400 picture on my main computer which I then captured with Fraps. It works, but the Rendition version looks better when you see it live. Other than that, this version support replays, but the UI is missing, so you are stuck to the hotkeys given in the manual. It is probably the best looking version. You get full 640x480 picture, texture filtering in both game and menus along with replay support and normal race UI.
Edit: I fixed the recording issues. See more Rendition footage in good quality here: youtu.be/f94D7SDOmco
S3D version looks like it's running at a lower resolution and is then scaled to 640x480. It has no graphical enhancements, but seems to run at a higher FPS than the others (notice how fast "Whiplash" is flashing). This makes it easier to drive in the races. Does not support replays.
The SVGA software version only runs at 640x400, but picture output is at 640x480, thus giving black bars up and down on the screen. Otherwise the colors in the SVGA version are the best, it is also has the sharpest image. It is pretty clear that this game was made for software mode and that the 3D accelerated versions only was an afterthought.
The 3DFX version has the colors all washed out. It looks too "clean". Also it has a very small UI when driving which is quite hopeless. Does not support replays. 640x480 can be activated by writing /fx480 after the executable, otherwise it runs at 640x400. There are no differences in the 3DFX patches between Whiplash and Fatal Racing.
CGL mode is not tested as I do not have a Creative 3D Blaster PCI card, but from what I've read it runs and looks exactly the same as software mode.
Captured on hardware:
Asus P3B-F (Intel 440BX chipset)
Intel P3 1ghz w/ Slot 1 adapter
1024MB SDRAM CL2
Techworks Vortex SuperQuad
With these cards:
Orchid Righteous Voodoo 1 4MB
Diamond Stealth S220 Rendition V2100@V2200 4MB
EON S3 Virge DX 4MB
