First Euro Review!!!
A new Densha de go title so quickly? Not quite.
No, I was ever so disappointed to see this is actually based on the Train Simulator Real series, not Densha De go, despite what?s been written. The Densha de go bit basically features the Densha front end cab and scoring system. The graphics are actually streamed off DVD. That?s not to say the games poor.
I used to prefer the Densha de go series because I hate FMV based games.
Actually TS ?real? highlights the immediate restriction with FMV games and that?s the fact that what happens on screen cannot be controlled.
Of course, limited control applies to anything on-rails, esp. a train, so you can see why they took that route. The footage is of decent quality, although I don?t think its true DVD quality.
Like the other versions in the series (Featuring JR?s Yamanote line and the Keishin line), the programmers have gone down the cheap route of one FMV for the whole game. If you control a fast or slow train, day or evening, it matters not. Its still daytime and you always see the same trains in the same places. As Anal as it sounds this is equivalent to having AI cars in a racing game always moving to the same spots, but again, its another restriction with FMV.
This is very cheap, as Taito?s game features full weather effects and light hues relevant to the time of day. Actually, the engineering work Taito have input into their game over the years is quite amazing, esp. on Densha Pro 2. (74 miles worth of buildings, nearly all different, on one route alone, theres 5 routes, each of which have their own feel, So its far better value to by this really.)
Interestingly theres no mention of Taito anywhere in the Manual, at least in English, although Play-Asia mention the game as being produced by them.
That aside, lets ?jump aboard? and take a look at what this game is about.
Firstly the route itself. The game concentrates on the lines around the Shibuya part of Toyko. Not the JR lines (which have been covered in nearly all the DDG series and the aforementioned TS? Yamanote line).
Rather, the smaller local companies that exist within Japan, who were not allowed through central Tokyo when the railways were being built. Your likely to see the TS ?reeal? series get the licences for the smaller companies whilst Taito will have exclusivity to JR based lines.
Tokyu (full name Tokyo Kyuko Dentetsu = Tokyo Express Electric Railway) is one of the major private railways in Japan with a network of seven railway lines and one tramway line with a total length of 100.7 km. In terms of size of network, Tokyu is the 13th biggest private railway in Japan, but it transports more passengers than any other of the private railways (2.6 million per day). Actually JR East and JR West are the only railway companies in Japan with more passengers than Tokyu. In spite of the many passengers, Tokyu does not have the biggest total daily income (4th of the private railways), but the biggest income per route-km of all Japanese railways: 2.5 million Yen per km and day. But riding on the Tokyu is not expensive, in fact it is one of the cheapest railways in Japan, where you can take a trip up to 3 km for only 110 Yen on some lines. Another feature of the Tokyu is that the average trip length per passenger is only 9.4 km, less than the 14.1 km for the other big private railways.
That?s the info behind the game. Not exactly original I grant you, but hey.
Theres 3 of the 7 routes open, featuring 10 trains.
The routes are the ?Denentoshi line?, from Shibuya to Chou Rinkan. The ?Tokoyo? line from, Sakuragicho to Shibuya, and the Oimachi line from Oimachi to Futago-
Tamahawaen.
Seeing as theres no screen shots, here?s some of the trains you can drive?
(Copyright Japanese railways society)
Interestingly the game manuals map shows all 7 routes in bold, but whether these are bonus routes I?m not sure. They take around 20 mins to 1 hour to complete.
In the TSR version, you get the chance to drive the routes or take an exam. Points are awared for smooth driving, arriving with 50cm of a platform, speed restriction adherence, non application of ATC (the train warning system that stops trains speeding, use of the 5,3,1 brake method (when approaching a station at a given speed, you move to brake notch 5, then 3 and then 1 and must come to rest within the 2 meter platform clearance. I?ve only ever done this once but when you do the game goes all spooge mode and gives you some message with multiple exclamation marks!!! You also get lots of points.
In Densha mode the screen layout is the same as Densha de go your scored like Densha. Most of the same rules apply as TSR.
Intrestingly the game knows where the tunnels and curved stations are and you?re marked for sounding the horn. Your score is then placed on High score tables for every train.
General movement is very good, esp., during braking, as the train cab lurches forward although it gets silly when your at speed as everything moves faster. Its quite frightening when your slowing at a station and an express approaches (like the gut feeling you get when an express passes you under a footbridge).
Control wise, you?ve got 5 notch brake and accelerator, notch 0 (neutral) buttons, a cab-panel zoom, horn and Emergency brake, plus a button assigned to putting the brake into notch 1 only (for slowing down without using a clumsy Dpad).
Of course you can one of the many ?train-type? controllers available on import which adds to the feel.
Overall then, well, if you like this type of games then fair enough. As a game for a train enthusiast, you?ll proberly get quite a lot of enjoyment. Its not as varied as Densha De Go so if you own Pro 2 you may want to forget it.
If your new to the genre again, I?d recommend Densha Pro 2 or M$ Trainsim (for P.C) .
Its really only a game for train-fan completists although the Densha de go part may add to its value in years to come. I?m unsure if the games run is that limited.
I got mine from Play-Asia which is proberly the cheapest place I know.
Score 5.
Steve S.
A new Densha de go title so quickly? Not quite.
No, I was ever so disappointed to see this is actually based on the Train Simulator Real series, not Densha De go, despite what?s been written. The Densha de go bit basically features the Densha front end cab and scoring system. The graphics are actually streamed off DVD. That?s not to say the games poor.
I used to prefer the Densha de go series because I hate FMV based games.
Actually TS ?real? highlights the immediate restriction with FMV games and that?s the fact that what happens on screen cannot be controlled.
Of course, limited control applies to anything on-rails, esp. a train, so you can see why they took that route. The footage is of decent quality, although I don?t think its true DVD quality.
Like the other versions in the series (Featuring JR?s Yamanote line and the Keishin line), the programmers have gone down the cheap route of one FMV for the whole game. If you control a fast or slow train, day or evening, it matters not. Its still daytime and you always see the same trains in the same places. As Anal as it sounds this is equivalent to having AI cars in a racing game always moving to the same spots, but again, its another restriction with FMV.
This is very cheap, as Taito?s game features full weather effects and light hues relevant to the time of day. Actually, the engineering work Taito have input into their game over the years is quite amazing, esp. on Densha Pro 2. (74 miles worth of buildings, nearly all different, on one route alone, theres 5 routes, each of which have their own feel, So its far better value to by this really.)
Interestingly theres no mention of Taito anywhere in the Manual, at least in English, although Play-Asia mention the game as being produced by them.
That aside, lets ?jump aboard? and take a look at what this game is about.
Firstly the route itself. The game concentrates on the lines around the Shibuya part of Toyko. Not the JR lines (which have been covered in nearly all the DDG series and the aforementioned TS? Yamanote line).
Rather, the smaller local companies that exist within Japan, who were not allowed through central Tokyo when the railways were being built. Your likely to see the TS ?reeal? series get the licences for the smaller companies whilst Taito will have exclusivity to JR based lines.
Tokyu (full name Tokyo Kyuko Dentetsu = Tokyo Express Electric Railway) is one of the major private railways in Japan with a network of seven railway lines and one tramway line with a total length of 100.7 km. In terms of size of network, Tokyu is the 13th biggest private railway in Japan, but it transports more passengers than any other of the private railways (2.6 million per day). Actually JR East and JR West are the only railway companies in Japan with more passengers than Tokyu. In spite of the many passengers, Tokyu does not have the biggest total daily income (4th of the private railways), but the biggest income per route-km of all Japanese railways: 2.5 million Yen per km and day. But riding on the Tokyu is not expensive, in fact it is one of the cheapest railways in Japan, where you can take a trip up to 3 km for only 110 Yen on some lines. Another feature of the Tokyu is that the average trip length per passenger is only 9.4 km, less than the 14.1 km for the other big private railways.
That?s the info behind the game. Not exactly original I grant you, but hey.
Theres 3 of the 7 routes open, featuring 10 trains.
The routes are the ?Denentoshi line?, from Shibuya to Chou Rinkan. The ?Tokoyo? line from, Sakuragicho to Shibuya, and the Oimachi line from Oimachi to Futago-
Tamahawaen.
Seeing as theres no screen shots, here?s some of the trains you can drive?
(Copyright Japanese railways society)
Interestingly the game manuals map shows all 7 routes in bold, but whether these are bonus routes I?m not sure. They take around 20 mins to 1 hour to complete.
In the TSR version, you get the chance to drive the routes or take an exam. Points are awared for smooth driving, arriving with 50cm of a platform, speed restriction adherence, non application of ATC (the train warning system that stops trains speeding, use of the 5,3,1 brake method (when approaching a station at a given speed, you move to brake notch 5, then 3 and then 1 and must come to rest within the 2 meter platform clearance. I?ve only ever done this once but when you do the game goes all spooge mode and gives you some message with multiple exclamation marks!!! You also get lots of points.
In Densha mode the screen layout is the same as Densha de go your scored like Densha. Most of the same rules apply as TSR.
Intrestingly the game knows where the tunnels and curved stations are and you?re marked for sounding the horn. Your score is then placed on High score tables for every train.
General movement is very good, esp., during braking, as the train cab lurches forward although it gets silly when your at speed as everything moves faster. Its quite frightening when your slowing at a station and an express approaches (like the gut feeling you get when an express passes you under a footbridge).
Control wise, you?ve got 5 notch brake and accelerator, notch 0 (neutral) buttons, a cab-panel zoom, horn and Emergency brake, plus a button assigned to putting the brake into notch 1 only (for slowing down without using a clumsy Dpad).
Of course you can one of the many ?train-type? controllers available on import which adds to the feel.
Overall then, well, if you like this type of games then fair enough. As a game for a train enthusiast, you?ll proberly get quite a lot of enjoyment. Its not as varied as Densha De Go so if you own Pro 2 you may want to forget it.
If your new to the genre again, I?d recommend Densha Pro 2 or M$ Trainsim (for P.C) .
Its really only a game for train-fan completists although the Densha de go part may add to its value in years to come. I?m unsure if the games run is that limited.
I got mine from Play-Asia which is proberly the cheapest place I know.
Score 5.
Steve S.
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