I'm am oldie. I have not played wipeout since 2097. I bought a ps3 for wipeout HD alone. mgs4 was a bonus but pc's are my thing mainly.
The thing i miss most is the cornering from 2097. It was possible to swing into the corner then press the other air break to do a sideways skid to clear the corner. It made the speed feeling all the better.
I'm also in the camp for getting rid of the barrel roll. its a wreck the head to have to squeeze them in as often as possible. phantom speed with weapons is fun enough. barrel rolls suck.
But all in all Wipeout HD rocks. I play on my highdef 90" projection screen with my kef 2001's, black out blinds and a big **** off couch. what a buzz!!