Transport Tycoon (PC)

Transport Tycoon was originally created and released in 1995 by Hasbro Interactive.

It has been very much a long-standing game within my small collection of games for my PC. It may be ‘old’ now, but in my opinion, is still one of the best strategy games available.

I recently purchased this game (as my other disc got scratched by my cat) from a local independent games retailer for £5. It didn’t have a manual or box, but the instructions are in full on the CD-rom. So you can pick it up for a very reasonable price.

About The Game:
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This game is very similar to that of one produced by the makers of SimCity. The concept of this game is simple, you are tasked to create the most efficient transport network, with the ultimate objective being to make as much money as possible and force your competitors out of the market.

The game begins with an undeveloped landscape, with some industries dotted around the place. These include, for example a forest and a sawmill. Now, to make money, you must create a transport link between the forest and the sawmill to transport trees to create sellable wood, see what I mean?

There’s a wide range of different industries that appear without your control, you just have to set up the networks to support them. Naturally it costs you money to set up the links, but in return for your efforts, you get paid for each successful transportation, so an eye for money managing is a must.

Each landscape is unique (unless you specify to play in a replica place). The landscapes can either have the theme of four different environments.

The modes of transport available to you depend on the date in which you are playing. Starting in 1900 you would have buses and trains to your disposal. But these soon develop into aircraft and shipping too. You do everything from lay the roads and rails to buying the trains and telling them which stations to go to.

Extra Features:
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In addition to the standard features, you also have the option of creating your own terrain, with it’s built in landscaping tool, this can be great for creating your own, ultimate empire.

The game can also include simulated competitors, that try and ruin your empire. However, if you have enough money, you can just buy them out!!!

System Requirements:
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25mhz with 4 megs of RAM or higher is recommended (so that’s everyone who is reading this, lol)

My Opinion on the Game:
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It’s truly amazing to play this game, especially as it’s nearly 6 years old. It really is one of the best games around and could easily beat all of the ‘current’ simulation games on all aspects of what people look for, from graphics to playability and simulation.

For £5, it’s a snitch and real must buy for all of you who love this genre of game.

Potential Problems/Draw Backs:
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This game runs within MS Dos, if you don’t know what this means, don’t worry. However, it can be a bit challenging to install yourself. You have to search for a specific icon to run this game. Once you’ve found it, you can simply create a short-cut to it, but it’s a bit of a job finding it in the first place.

And Finally:
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The game is very entertaining, so much so that you’ll find yourself playing this over night if you aren’t careful! I wouldn’t be surprised if many of you ‘took a sicky’ the day after buying this, it really is a spectacular game.