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An Interesting Program whose main strength is its graphics

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 66 / 83
Date: May 02, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I've always wanted to play a simulator for airport management, so was very excited to see this game come out. However, the learning curve was huge. The manual only gives information on the interface and not the actual "rules" of the game. The user must figure it out for themselves and the poor tutorial is of little assistance (it never shows the completion of even a modest airport with the offer of a flight contract - in fact the tutorial runs out of money before it can finish). So the real treat of the game is the 3-d graphics uncommon to most sims. You can really get inside your creation from one of several stunning camera angles. The interface and usability are mainly where the program suffers. Although as a whole a fun and involving simulation, some common tasks (like rejecting business contracts for business types you already have in your airport or dedicating check-in desks to a particular airline contract) must be performed repeatedly and arduously. The patch that is available, by the way, is for the British version of the game, called Airport Inc., but works on Airport Tycoon. In short, if you are a simulator fan and find the airport business model intriguing, you may be able to overlook some flaws. It is only $20 bucks, after all. Otherwise, the whole procedure may be too frustrating.

GREAT GAME GO TO THE WEBRING TO FIND MORE!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 38 / 42
Date: July 17, 2000
Author: Amazon User

THIS GAME IS GREAT IF YOU LIKE BUSINESS GAMES AND HAVE A GREAT PASSION FOR AIRPORTS AND AIRLINES! YOU MUST HAVE PATEINCE TO PLAY THIS GAME THOUGH. IT HAS FAIRLY GOOD GRAPHICS, BUT YOU WOULD NEED TO VISIT WEB SITIES TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY BECAUSE THE TUTORIAL TAKES OVER 30 MINUTES! BUT LET ME TELL YOU IT IS A GREAT FEELING TO SEE THE FIRST JUMBO JET TO LAND AT YOUR AIRPORT! PLEASE IF YOU WANT TO BUY THE GAME OR ALREADY OWN THE GAME DON'T FRUSTRATE YOURSELF WITH THE TUTORIAL! GO TO WEBRING.COM AND TYPE AIRPORT TYCOON! THIS WILL HELP YOU GET THROUG THE PAINFUL FIRST HOURS OF THE GAME!

Good game, STEEP learning curve

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 16 / 23
Date: August 07, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I bought this at Wal-Mart, as some other people did too, apperantly. It installed just fine and runs great (but then again, I have a brand-new PC, so it should...) I enjoy that you can't just build, build, build without having to watch your money. Telling some airlines to get lost is a plus too. The graphics are pretty good for a fifteen dollar game. I've read other reviews saying to get the Sims or Rollercoaster Tycoon instead. Keep in mind those other games are thirty plus dollars each.

I do have a few complaints, though. Why do they limit you to four stinking runways? My local, municipal airport (the town has a population of 98,000) has more than that! Why do shops whose contracts you've regected REPEATEDLY continue to apply? Why is the tutorial so bad? If you still don't like this game and want another bargain-basement "Tycoon," I highly recommend Railroad Tycoon II- Gold Edidtion.

THE Ups and Downs

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 9 / 10
Date: May 16, 2000
Author: Amazon User

The good side about this game is you are in charge of your very own airport! You get to make contract with name brand airline and shops too. The bad sides are in order for a airline to come you need so many things and there is nothing that tells you what you need. Finally when Airplane companies decide to use your airport they ask you for something like a dedicated booth of some sort. So you want them to come so you try this, except how do you do this? The manuel isn't helpful in anything! you neeed to explore and have trial and error. But When you get the hang of it, and airplanes come it is a fun game! It cost 20.00!

Cool!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: June 30, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This game is so great. You manage EVERYTHING, even contracts. If you buy this game and get millions of flight and business contracts, but no petrol or hotel contracts, this is normal. It takes a while to get those. WARNING: NEVER BUILD A TERMINAL THAT YOU WANT TO DELETE LATER, YOU CAN NEVER DELETE A TERMINAL! I say this because you have a maximum of 4 terminals. (and runways)Bomb threats will happen. Luckilly if your police attitudes are careful or cautious, then the bomb threat could be a hoax, or the bomb could be defused. The few bad things. People can walk through your stores. It's kinda cool. You never see planes loading passengers. The last thing: The tutorial is useless. Oops, I forgot a good thing. If you don't want a snowstorm burying your planes, or a deadly fire burning your terminals to the ground, you can turn off hazards. This game is a must have!

Strengths and Weaknesses

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: June 22, 2001
Author: Amazon User

The title Airport Tycoon brings its main strength in graphics. The three dimensional world in which the game is played is in some respects phenomenal. The panoramic world can be rotated a full 360 degrees.

The sound effects are realistic while inside of terminals, thought they are nothing to speak of. They are simply computer-generated effects with common airport phrases.

Game play is very confusing at first as the manual provided is very meager, and the tutorial does not teach very much. When starting, a choice of countries and cities is presented with a difficulty level for each location. After choosing the location, three plots of land are available at different distances from the city, and higher or lower prices.

Following selection of a land plot and purchasing the land, an empty area is shown, and the airport creation process begins. To open the airport, at least one runway is necessary, along with a terminal. (I tried creating a cargo airport, however this did not work.) Once the necessary elements are in place, you press a button on the toolbar to 'cut the ribbon' and open the runway(s) for use.

In building the airport, you have a certain quota of cash to spend, and then you must rely on the income from shops and flights in your airport. This is realistic, however loans can not be taken out. Another issue in constructing an airport is the limitation on the number of runways that can be built a maximum of four. Take Chicago O'Hare airport for example, it has seven runways, one which is 13,000 feet long. The game does not strive for realism in that or several other respects, but in some it does.

Airline contracts will be presented, and as the manager of the airport, you must decide whether to take them up or not. Runway slots for each flight must be assigned. Businesses will start to have an interest in placing their shops in your terminal's retail areas. I found this part most confusing.

Once you accepted the contract and were given the tool to place the shop, it didn't always place. This resulted in misplaced franchises, which could not be moved. Once the retail area is full, you continue to receive contract requests, which must be declined. After declining these, the same businesses apply. This is quite a hassle and a nuisance. Additionally, shops continually send complaints that there is competition to your pager. In the game, your pager is how you are alerted of new contract proposals, problems, etc.

Another issue with the game is spelling. Many things in the game are spelled 'creatively' as a young child would spell in grade school. This I think is extremely annoying. The developers have not released any sort of patch for any of the problems in the game, and it does not appear that they will.

Overall the game is very unique. It is one of a kind in providing an environment to simulate airport management and construction. It has a great future should the developers wish to upgrade and enhance the product where necessary.

Good gameplay, Horrible Graphics

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: September 24, 2002
Author: Amazon User

In this age of 3D-accelerated EVERYTHING....very few people actually stop to notice the older, cheaper games that populate the market.

Airport Tycoon is one of them. The graphics are horrible, the sound is mediocre, but MAN, is it fun. This is not a game where you can jump right in and start building a thriving airport: you will undoubtedly fail in your first few attempts. But as you learn the ropes, this game becomes increasingly addictive. From choosing the site of your airport, to the layout of the terminal, this is one of those PC games that will whittle away hours of your time.

HOWEVER...there is a tragic, tragic flaw in Airport Tycoon: the graphics. What you see is not reality; the running of the graphics does not correlate to what is recorded on the data tables. For example, the graphical representation of your airport may show two planes landing in a single day, whereas the data table (that can be accessed through a menu) will show about 20 flights passing through your airport! The poor graphics are a horrible misrepresentation; do not take them seriously. On top of that, the layout of your airport REALLY doesn't matter...I've had vending machines in my terminal that have been shoved backward against a wall...and they still manage to generate profit.

If you're more into the math and statistics of a simulation game, Airport Tycoon may be for you. But if you're more of a graphics person (like most gamers are) then stay FAR AWAY from this crazy game.

Good, But Not Great

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 8 / 11
Date: November 02, 2000
Author: Amazon User

This is a good bussiness type game. You accept or decline contracts from airlines. Some of the airlines want special things like check in desks.You can also get cargo planes. Some might want cargo facilities. Each flight that comes in you get a certain amount of money. The bigger the plane the more money you get. The smaller the plane the less money you get. Some people might threaten to bomb your terminal. Fires might go off some were in your airport. Planes might crash in mid air or while their landing. You should have fire stations and hospitals for that. In the long run i think this is a good game.

THE MOST HORRIBLE SIMULATION GAME CURRENTLY!!!!!!

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: July 25, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This is one of the worst games in the world. The tutorial is poorly built and confusing. Even DinoPark Tycoon is funner. It seems like this game only took 1 day to make. The management is horrible, graphics are horrible, and this game will make a good sleep pill. It is so difficult to learn and once you master it, it is boring. I recommend that you don't buy this game if your life depended on it.

Airport Tycoon 2

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: August 03, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I haven't bought this game but it's on the way. After reading all of the reviews, they all have something in common. Not enough money. It says that its Air Mougl but that's not the game. It takes time! In the real world, you don't just POOF! Money floods in! You need to start small, maybe 1 plane and a small terminal etc. Don't build a gigantic airport and then expect money to come when you have no planes! Save up money, and once you have enough, build on. DuPage Airport didn't just appear out of nowhere and it became the best airport!

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