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A-Train 6

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    A-Train 6

    Right, first, a rant. It?s almost the problem that P.C users are having with their hard drives. An A-Train save game is 6000KB. About 6MB. Or ? of the memory card.
    So. Back to Play.com you go and order their Ps2 twinpacks with this game, because its likely you?ll need them.
    Rant over?.

    You?ve got to love companies like Midas. Theyre a budget company that are buying old titles from Japan and selling them over here in the UK. This is a good thing because not only do you get some oddities that breath life into Uk gaming, but it means you don?t need to wade through loads of Kanji.
    This particular title is quite interesting because there are very few god sims on PS2 and it also features that most enjoyable method of transportation (at least if you don?t live in the UK) ? the train.
    Not the trains your used in the UK though. No. These are Japanese super trains.
    They are to the railway what PSP is to handhelds. Ubertrains.
    The A-train series has always been a big seller in Japan. Proberly because the Japanese love their trains, and because it puts you in control of an urban enviroment, of which Tokyo is the largest in the world.

    Okay, onto the game then. Firstly 50/60hz is selectable (good move) as is widescreen and the choice for higher or lower res graphics (These are Tokyo style cities remember!)
    Upon loading you set up your mem card and away you go.
    Cue lush orchestral music!
    The options are to start the game, an options menu, and a gallery, which gives you a detailed history of all the trains (over 40). You can change their colours to the relvent colours of those used on Japan lines.
    You are in control of a Railway company the aim is to develop an area using your uber transportation system. How your city pans out is entirely up to you, and dependent on who you build your rail system.
    To start with there is only 1 map, but 5 more will become available as your progress. New trains also become available later in the game.
    Once started, you are set a target to complete that scenario.
    In scenario one you have 4 small areas and must create a rail system to sustain the transportation of 40,000 people.
    You do this by creating passenger and freight lines, and by attracting people, industry, and commercial development.
    Use up all the cash and its game over.
    In order to construct large scale buildings you must supply materials from factories on your map. Construction of the buildings can only occur with factories located nearby so you must develop your town and bring the materials as close as possible.
    Cargo transport systems have their own stations that stockpile the materials required. The trains do not stop at passenger station and VV.
    In order to develop your area, you must lay a track into that area, then build a station. You then attracted business to that area and so the expansion continues.
    Cargo/Passenger Stations come in 3 sizes, and are limited to how many trains they can handle. This does limit the amount of trains you can run although you can place points and ?passing loops? (duel track to single track) to allow two trains to operate between two station. This can then be increases but one serious fault is that if your trains are scheduled poorly, with one train in a station as one approaches, both trains will stop and will have to be rescheduled.
    Scheduling trains is easy, but takes time as you schedule a trains movements over 24 hours. Any potential conflicts with other trains are not taken into account and this is where you need a pen and paper to work out what times your trains will be over a given junction. Of course, you could just have two trains leave two different stations at the same time and meet on the ?passing loop?, but short of lengthening the trains, your can?t really add anymore, although you.
    Becoming a timetable Otaku, it seems, is paramount if you want to create complex layouts, to save money on track. The trains will always leave at the same times every day so by working out gaps, you can plan another train but it could have been automated better. In fact, using the automated process does not allow for other trains so any potential conflicts (with other trains) cannot be seen in this way.
    Its made harder by the points, which also need a timetable if you have any additional trains you want to route through them. Again, setting up a base service first, then working out timings of additional trains is the best way to go.
    Trains can be scheduled to pass, stop, and turn at stations, or load and unload cargo (for freight).
    Once you?ve built a station, people will move in and build housing. Rice paddies (Japans made agriculture) also start to appear. Theres a limit on the amount of development around a station, so to improve development, you add another, then people will travel to that station and more development will occur.
    By interacting the stations (running trains) you can then attract business to a town to promote its development. Here, you buy land and sell it with a condition. The conditions are Farming, Industry, House, Commercial, Tourism and No condition. The relevant buildings will then appear in that area.
    You could have Houses in A, Commercial in B and Industrial in C.
    How these are connected are up to you. So I?ll let you play the rest.
    The controls are easy enough, but is would help if you could pan out further. Sometimes you might want to lay track between two areas and basically guess where the line must go as you can?t see the other town. Not a big problem in 2D but slows things down in 3D.
    Another point of note is the viewpoints.
    Pressing R3 switches the viewpoint to the cursor on the ground (First Person) so you can watch the world about you grow, and your trains run to your hearts content.
    You can also select a train and the viewpoint will follow the train. Pressing R3 will switch to inside the train. You can?t drive but watch your city in full 3D. Something sorely missing from games like Sim City and the Railrioad and Transport Tycoon games (Ps1 version excepted).
    Views can also be split and controlled separately to aid construction.
    It?s a very nice game to play, although as said scheduling is a bit of a pain.
    The music is only average consisting of old skool Ragtime, C&westen and jazz. Typical of this kinda game but helps add to the overall ambience.
    Train sounds are fair.
    Graphically, the game is quite nice. The trains themselves are like models but as the gamearea is massively open, pop-up does occur (although its at some distance, and its faded)
    Water is only average and not an issue until later in the game.
    Overall the game is very relaxing to play (as these games tend to be) and you always start with a large sum, so big cities don?t take to long to take shape.
    I disagree with Midas?s pricing arrangement here. This game is shown priced at 29.99 at their offical site (oh no, 27.99 ? discount when ordered from their site!) ? the same as Sim City 4 deluxe on the P.C.
    For a game 4 years old! (I wonder if they took advantage of Edges budget game coverage???)
    Still, Play.com are doing the game at a far better 17.99 deal. I?d also recommend buying the mem cards from there too as these again are well priced.
    Bought from play, this game is competent enough, but is quite simplistic compared with Sim City 4 (which can be complex in parts).
    I?m enjoying the game as it?s a bit like having a hi-tech model railway and is always relaxing to watch.

    Water : 4.
    Physics : 2
    Overall Score : 7.

    Like this game?
    Try?.

    Sim City 4 (P.C)
    Transport Tyoon 2 (P.C. ? quite old, proberly doesn?t work on XP)
    Densha De Go Pro 2 (PS2 - train driving game)
    Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 (P.C)
    Suicide Circle
    Train Groupers Kiha 3

    #2
    Is it a bit like Railroad Tycoon?

    Comment


      #3
      A little. Simpler in some ways and harder in others. I prefer this because its totally 3D.

      And the trains don't break down like Tycoon.

      As a result, both games are very realistic.

      Comment


        #4
        For a minute there I thought you were writing about a 10+ years old PC game!!

        Is this in any way related to that? It sounds similar in scope (from what little I remember) but this seems Japanese in origin whereas I thought the PC game was a Maxis game. So presumably not... and the name is just a coincidence.

        Or am I just talking my usual rubbish...

        Comment


          #5
          No coincidence! This is the latest version of the PC game you're thinking of

          The PC game was developed in Japan by Artdink. The subsequent games in the series weren't released over here until now (or if they were, they must have been very low-key).

          Comment


            #6
            I don't actually know if Artdink have released A-Train 6 for the PC.

            This game if 4 years old in itself!

            Comment


              #7
              A-Train was brought over by Maxis/EA on PC, then in 95/96 SCEE released a later game in the series as AIV Evolution Global in the UK, infogrames/ocean handled a PC version.. then that was it until this new one.

              I had the AIV game and it was really comprehensive, looked great but was completely utterly unplayable thanks to no on-screen help at all, a crap manual and one of the least logical menu/control systems ive ever seen.. even with a PS mouse it was hell ft: shame because i really wanted to get into it.. i tried so many times, read the manual cover to cover again and again then gave up .. came back to it a few months later.. failed again.. now i dont care

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