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Game Information
- Platform: Windows XP
- Media: Video Game
Product details
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Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Fun:
Played A-Train 3 for DOS a long time ago. Even with its simple graphics the simulation game play was addictive. Recently I played A-Train 7 and A-Train 8 the Japanese versions as these were the only versions I was able to get imported into the US. Both are great games. It is fantastic now that I can get my hands on a recent version in English.
The learning curve for a first time player is steep but with a little patience the game play becomes addictive. 3D graphics aren't great compared to today's PC and console games but to most simulation players like me the game play is more important.
Overall great game that stays true to the original game play.
A few minor negatives:
-Not all of the trains are available in the UK version, Japanese version had more trains.
-UK version has minor translation errors. (Where it should say "Max Passengers" it says "Train Crew").
-Would be nice if one could zoom out more to get a better view of the lay of the land.
-Needs some tools to better view and organize the routing of trains. Once you get to 40 or 60 trains the organization can get a little hectic.
Tip: In most cases the AR III train is the most cost efficient to use.
I understand some of the complexities of bringing a product to an international market place. However I still wish that the publishers would bring these great Japanese games to the market more quickly, not strip these games of their original content and provide updates.
I've seen there is a Nintendo DS version of A-train and I have money for a publisher who would bring it in an English version.
The learning curve for a first time player is steep but with a little patience the game play becomes addictive. 3D graphics aren't great compared to today's PC and console games but to most simulation players like me the game play is more important.
Overall great game that stays true to the original game play.
A few minor negatives:
-Not all of the trains are available in the UK version, Japanese version had more trains.
-UK version has minor translation errors. (Where it should say "Max Passengers" it says "Train Crew").
-Would be nice if one could zoom out more to get a better view of the lay of the land.
-Needs some tools to better view and organize the routing of trains. Once you get to 40 or 60 trains the organization can get a little hectic.
Tip: In most cases the AR III train is the most cost efficient to use.
I understand some of the complexities of bringing a product to an international market place. However I still wish that the publishers would bring these great Japanese games to the market more quickly, not strip these games of their original content and provide updates.
I've seen there is a Nintendo DS version of A-train and I have money for a publisher who would bring it in an English version.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Fun:
Hooray for builder games! There are just not that many about nowadays, and most, like SimSocieties and Railroads! have been dumbed down so much you are bored with them after an hour or two.
I remember playing the Maxis version of A-Train in the 90s, and found this version was just out. So I bought it straight away. And after about ten hours play, I'm not bored yet!
Yes, the installation is a pig. (I have a reasonably high end Dell from 2006, running XP). Firstly there is no Auto Install, and you have to go searching for the Setup program on the CD. Next, when the installer runs, it says it will install DirectX 9 and then nothing happens. After five minutes I got bored (I already have DirectX 9) and used Alt-Tab, only to find the DirectX wizard underneath, waiting for me to click OK. It finally realised that it did not need to install DirectX and then I got the "Install as Administrator message". I clicked on OK - it was happy. Next it was time to type the code in, but I spotted that I needed Internet Access so I connected mine. After a few whirrs and clicks, I was ready to go. (Who knows who has my IP address now, and I hope I will be able to reinstall when I change my computer....) I ran the Configuration program first, just in case, before the program itself. And there it was, 3D A-Train!
No, there is no paper manual, just an Explorer based one, and it still gives you little clue about how to play. Some of the translations are a bit strange - Diagram for Train Scheduling, and Continuous for Continue. There are only 5 maps, not the 30 promised. Fan-based Internet Forums and assistance are extremely hard to find.
But a lot of stuff is the same - train services encourage growth around the stations, provided you transport the bricks for building. The underlying methods of making money from your trains are the same - start your service in the suburbs at 0800, and from the offices after work at 1800. AR3 trains are still wonderful. Transporting bricks loses money. At the stock market you buy when shares are priced at 2-5, sell at 17-20. Taxes are heavy. Some of the biggest changes are that you cannot sell factories (which do not make money when you are not transporting bricks), and if you build affordable housing to stimulate growth and improve train services, the houses are not yours.
I've played with it long enough to know I'm still a novice. And I hope someone publishes some maps before I've done the five supplied....
I remember playing the Maxis version of A-Train in the 90s, and found this version was just out. So I bought it straight away. And after about ten hours play, I'm not bored yet!
Yes, the installation is a pig. (I have a reasonably high end Dell from 2006, running XP). Firstly there is no Auto Install, and you have to go searching for the Setup program on the CD. Next, when the installer runs, it says it will install DirectX 9 and then nothing happens. After five minutes I got bored (I already have DirectX 9) and used Alt-Tab, only to find the DirectX wizard underneath, waiting for me to click OK. It finally realised that it did not need to install DirectX and then I got the "Install as Administrator message". I clicked on OK - it was happy. Next it was time to type the code in, but I spotted that I needed Internet Access so I connected mine. After a few whirrs and clicks, I was ready to go. (Who knows who has my IP address now, and I hope I will be able to reinstall when I change my computer....) I ran the Configuration program first, just in case, before the program itself. And there it was, 3D A-Train!
No, there is no paper manual, just an Explorer based one, and it still gives you little clue about how to play. Some of the translations are a bit strange - Diagram for Train Scheduling, and Continuous for Continue. There are only 5 maps, not the 30 promised. Fan-based Internet Forums and assistance are extremely hard to find.
But a lot of stuff is the same - train services encourage growth around the stations, provided you transport the bricks for building. The underlying methods of making money from your trains are the same - start your service in the suburbs at 0800, and from the offices after work at 1800. AR3 trains are still wonderful. Transporting bricks loses money. At the stock market you buy when shares are priced at 2-5, sell at 17-20. Taxes are heavy. Some of the biggest changes are that you cannot sell factories (which do not make money when you are not transporting bricks), and if you build affordable housing to stimulate growth and improve train services, the houses are not yours.
I've played with it long enough to know I'm still a novice. And I hope someone publishes some maps before I've done the five supplied....
2 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Fun:
I first played this game under DOS on a 286. It was the most addictive game I've come across. However, there's no way I can find out if this is as good.
The first thing I found was I could only install it if I logged onto as Administrator. This is despite my account having all the admin rights. I've tried to load it under XP on two machines, with no luck; even though the hardware matched the back of the box. Finally managed to load it without a hitch on a third machine, which has Vista on it would you believe. Unfortunately I can't run it as an unintelligible error message keep coming up.
Logged onto the publisher's website, which only seems to cater to the press. Have registered, but no reply as yet and without the link I can't download the latest patch, if there is one.
There is one last machine to try, so watch this space. Frankly I would wait until this game is about £3, then it won't seem such a waste.
Final Bit
To sum up I have tried to install this game on the following machines.
-Toshiba R500 with XP: unsuccessful at installation
-Toshiba R500 with Vista: successful installation, but with error message on startup
-Toshiba Qosimo with Vista Ultimate: unsuccessful installation.
-Dell Vostro 1700 with Vista Ultimate: unsuccessful installation, errors reported indicating conflicts with Adobe CS3(?)
-Alienware something or other with XP: successful installation and activation.
Other observations
Not quite sure how you would activate this game without the internet.
Not convinced about the level of support available for this game in regard trouble-shooting or patches.
Having installed this on the Alienware, which weighs in at about a metric ton, I'm not sure where I'm going to play it. The intention was to have it as a travelling companion. Ah well.
The first thing I found was I could only install it if I logged onto as Administrator. This is despite my account having all the admin rights. I've tried to load it under XP on two machines, with no luck; even though the hardware matched the back of the box. Finally managed to load it without a hitch on a third machine, which has Vista on it would you believe. Unfortunately I can't run it as an unintelligible error message keep coming up.
Logged onto the publisher's website, which only seems to cater to the press. Have registered, but no reply as yet and without the link I can't download the latest patch, if there is one.
There is one last machine to try, so watch this space. Frankly I would wait until this game is about £3, then it won't seem such a waste.
Final Bit
To sum up I have tried to install this game on the following machines.
-Toshiba R500 with XP: unsuccessful at installation
-Toshiba R500 with Vista: successful installation, but with error message on startup
-Toshiba Qosimo with Vista Ultimate: unsuccessful installation.
-Dell Vostro 1700 with Vista Ultimate: unsuccessful installation, errors reported indicating conflicts with Adobe CS3(?)
-Alienware something or other with XP: successful installation and activation.
Other observations
Not quite sure how you would activate this game without the internet.
Not convinced about the level of support available for this game in regard trouble-shooting or patches.
Having installed this on the Alienware, which weighs in at about a metric ton, I'm not sure where I'm going to play it. The intention was to have it as a travelling companion. Ah well.
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