Private Pilot
Score: 60% ESRB: Unknown Publisher: Abacus Developer: Abacus Media: CD/1 Players: 1 Genre: Miscellaneous/ Miscellaneous
Graphics & Sound: Spectacular. I though the graphics were great. The detail was right on par with MS Flight Simulator 2000. As a matter of fact, it might even look better (the cockpit does for sure). Everything was full of detail and the texturing was great. I was especially impressed with the additional animations to the instrument panel and the greater detail in the cockpit. The use of color, the smooth texturing, and the attention to detail improves upon the already great graphics of MS Flight Simulator 2000. Even the new planes look better than the planes involved in the original. Whether you play it for the fun or the realism, the graphics will impress you.
Gameplay: Well, what does this add-on add? First of all, there is a baker's dozen worth of small single and twin-engine planes to fly. Okay, so we get 13 new planes - what else? As I mentioned earlier, the instruments and cockpits are greatly improved with more realism and animations. But how does it fly? Supposedly, it flies better than the original. Well, if there is any difference, I can't tell. It played the same to me. The best addition, in my opinion, are the obstacle courses. The game will challenge you with obstacles to dodge during take-off and landing and rings to fly through to test your hand response, just to name a few. Okay, but is the game fun? The obstacles are fun ... for about 10 minutes. Now, you probably want it for the pilot practice, right? Well as far as that goes, it's the best on the market. Will you be able to fly a real Cessna after you master this - I wouldn't bet your life on it (which is what you would be doing). Technically, it's a great sim.
Difficulty: I'm not going to lie; the game is still pretty tricky. The game itself isn't too difficult; it is involved, but not impossible - it's just certain parts of the sims that get to be hairy. Overall, though, I would say that this one is of moderate-to-hard difficulty. All you have to do is follow the flight manual (or should I say novel) and you should be okay.
Game Mechanics: No surprises here. The game runs and plays exactly like it did before (Private Pilot plays exactly like Flight Sim 2000). There are a few more instruments to look at and a few new sights to see, while flying smaller planes, but nothing really changes. It still runs just as fast and as smooth as it ever did, and there were no real changes to the controls or interface. As an added bonus, this add-on comes with individual checklist cards for each craft, a map of Chicago, a FAA Pilot Knowledge Test Sampler, a calculator, and a coupon for an actual introductory flight lesson for $35.
-Storm, GameVortex Communications AKA Jeremy Kelso
Minimum System Requirements: Windows 95/98, 32 MB RAM, CD-ROM, Sound Card, Joystick, Keyboard, MS Flight Simulator 2000 Professional   Test System: P2 300, Windows 98 SE, 128MB RAM, Diamond Viper V770 Ultra w/32MB RAM, 5x24 DVD-ROM, Monster Sound MX400/4 point speakers, Phantom 2 Joystick
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