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Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000 is the latest version of
Microsoft's highly realistic, graphically advanced flight simulat
or, the best-selling PC flight simulation ever produced.
Microsoft has worked closely with leaders in the aviation
industry: aircr aft manufacturers, training and pilot
organizations, data suppliers, and flight instructors to make
Flight Simulator 2000 Professi onal Edition as real as it gets.
Flight Simulator 2000 is the civilian flight simulator for the
new millennium. Built on a foundation of realism that spans over
17 years, Flight Simulator 2000 is the largest leap forward in
Microsoft Flight Simulator history. For the first time ever, we
are o ffering a "Professional" Edition of Microsoft Flight
Simulator in addition to Flight Simulator 2000. The Professional
version of F light Simulator 2000 is geared to Flight Simulator
enthusiasts, real pilots, those who want "more features and more
content" and t hose who are interested in using Flight Simulator
2000 as a PC-based flight training and proficiency aid.
Review
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Fifteen years ago, Microsoft ruled the computer skies with
Flight Simulator. More recently, the civilian flight simulation
market has seen some impressive competition rise to challenge the
longstanding champion, including such sims such as Looking Glass'
Flight Unlimited 3 and Terminal Reality's Fly. However, in what
can only be seen as good news for fans of the civilian flight
sim, Microsoft has met its challengers with another superb
product in the Flight Simulator line.
Excluding Combat Flight Simulator, the last version of
Microsoft's sim was Flight Simulator 98 - and what a difference
two years can make. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000 is available
in standard form and in what's called the professional edition.
The professional edition includes two additional aircraft (the
King Air 350 and Mooney Bravo), six additional cities (plus the
six present in the regular edition), and various extra features,
including a flight-dynamics editor. Both versions enhance Flight
Simulator 98 by adding the Concorde and the Boeing 777-300, as
well as updated versions of some old favorites. But the real
payoff comes in two disparate aspects of the game: its graphics
and documentation.
One of the most daunting things about the early versions of the
Microsoft Flight Simulator series was the feeling that you had to
do a lot of homework on your own before having any fun with the
game. However, Flight Simulator 2000 includes tutorial
information right in the manual and actually makes it fun. The
outstanding tutorials and accompanying text take you all the way
from keeping the aircraft aloft to making an ILS (instrument
landing system) approach, and many details in between. There are
more than 100 pages of text devoted to these tutorials, and they
are supplemented by a great deal of additional material within
the game itself. The text is written by Ron Machado, a
professional flight instructor whose explanations are uniformly
clear, informative, and even amusing. There are even tests you
can take to prove your progress. The instructional part of Flight
Simulator 2000 is exceedingly well done and should assuage the
fears of anyone who is interested in flying but is easily daunted
by a steep learning curve.
The greatest strength of Flight Simulator 2000 is undoubtedly the
graphics. The whole series has been known for its detailed and
wide-ranging terrain, and Flight Simulator 2000 ups the ante with
12 tremendously detailed cities as well as outlying terrain that
also looks good, even far beyond the major urban areas. Weather
effects such as clouds and lightning are equally impressive and
are modeled accurately during flight. The aircraft look great,
and the instrument panels remain the best in the business.
Although the graphics in Flight Simulator 2000 might be heaven
for the flight sim enthusiast, getting them to look good has a
very steep hardware requirement. The box actually says the
minimum system for the game is a Pentium 166 with an optional 3D
accelerator, but you'd best not even try the game with a machine
that slow. In fact, you shouldn't even bother unless you have a
high-end Pentium II or Pentium III, or else you'll be too bogged
down by poor frame rates to care about much else.
If you can get it to run, you'll find that the flight models in
Flight Simulator 2000 are superb and seem like improved versions
of those included in the previous game, in that they are slightly
less forgiving than before. The only problem is that the smaller
aircraft ride too smoothly and encounter few of the continuous
bumps and jolts that are experienced in such planes even in
relatively calm air.
One of the key draws of the Flight Simulator series has always
been its expandability. Users could always expect a host of
third-party commercial and free add-on products in the form of
additional aircraft and scenery. However, in this case, such
expansions are hardly necessary, as the world of Flight Simulator
2000 is impressively detailed right out of the box. You can even
join virtual airlines online and fly specified routes. Its
expandability and large user base are a significant advantage
that Flight Simulator 2000 has over its competitors.
The Flight Simulator series has quite an impressive pedigree, and
the latest in the line still shows its good breeding. While its
strong competition means that Microsoft's product is no longer
the only great simulation out there, the reigning champion isn't
yet ready to relinquish its title. If you have the hardware to
run it, this simulation really stands out. -- Bruce Geryk
--Copyright ©1999 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction
in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written
permission of GameSpot is prohibited. -- GameSpot