Train Simulator takes the obsessive realism of Microsoft's best-of-breed Flight Simulator games down to earth. Six real-world rail lines are included from throughout history, including the Flying Scotsman line of 1920s England and the modern Odakyu Electric Rail commuter line in Tokyo. Attendees at the National Model Railroad Association's August 2000 convention marveled at the game's painstaking attention to detail. But this game is not a model railroad game; it simulates the real thing. The game's developers traveled across the world with cameras and microphones in order to authentically capture the trains in their natural habitats. Train Simulator lets you experience the world's greatest trains in all their glory.
Train aficionados can drive the train, run the rail yard, or dive in with the terrain editor and create the rail lines of their dreams. Or you can just sit back, relax, and admire the beautiful scenery and dreamy click-clack of the tracks. --Andrew S. Bub
UK developer Kuju has announced it is underway with Microsoft Train Simulator, a game which will put enthusiasts in the cab of a variety of locomotives -- including Japan's high speed bullet train. As well as a variety of engines, the simulation will include hundreds of miles of realistic track recreating a variety of famous train routes around the world. Routes on offer include the Santa Fe Railway, the mountainous Hisatsu line on Japan's southern island of Kyushu and the Orient Express route across the Alps."We are pleased that Microsoft is giving Kuju the opportunity to develop Microsoft Train Simulator," said Ian Baverstock, business development director at Kuju. "Kuju's established reputation in creating high-quality simulation software is crucial in helping us deliver Microsoft Train Simulator to the same high standards Microsoft Flight Simulator has set." The game will make its public debut at the National Model Railroad Association's National Train Show, held between 4-6 August 2000 in San Jose, California, USA. -- DailyRadar Review