Amazon Maximum Age: 20 years Amazon Minimum Age: 60 months Binding: CD-ROM Brand: Microsoft EAN: 0805529390072 ESRB Age Rating: Everyone Label: Microsoft Manufacturer: Microsoft Model: G13-00079 Publisher: Microsoft Release Date: January 13, 2004 Sales Rank: 271 Studio: Microsoft
Features:
Dynamic weather system based on realistic atmospheric physics, with true three-dimensional clouds that form and dissipate
Worldwide scenery with accurate 3D terrain and auto-gen objects that fill in the world with appropriate buildings and vegetation
Enhanced interactive air traffic control (ATC), including traffic at all airports around the world
Improved support for 3D graphics hardware acceleration in multiple windows and across multiple monitors
Product Description: Flight Simulator 2004: A Century Of Flight celebrates the world-altering invention of powered flight -- by taking you on a tour of great aircraft from the past and present! Complete set of historical and modern-day aircraft to fly, from the Wright Brothers' Flyer I to the Boeing 747-700
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - fly high
The flight simulator is a flexible product. It allows the use of keyboard flying, if you really want a challenge, or accessory flying with a joy stick or any of the many products on the market today. It is expandable by adding new aircraft. I find it to be a wonderful opportunity to take some time flying and get away from the every day office routine. Microsoft has done a wonderful job with the scenery and many other functions while flying the airplane.
Rating: - Needs Yoke! or at least Joystick
Great real-time simulation. This is NOT a *game*- but an exciting virtual reality flight. It does include ATC but NOT the major civilian airlines like I was hoping (American, Delta, United, etc.)
Above all let me stress in this review: YOU NEED THE YOKE. If you can't afford a yoke the joystick is second best but the keyboard SUCKS. I learned that. So it's okay to use the keyboard for your first few flights but be sure to invest in a Flight Simulator yoke (or joystick) if you haven't already.
PS? Amazon: Where did the game go? You are not offering it anymore! :( only 3rd party sellers now? ITS STILL IN DEMAND
Rating: - Love it. Less taxing on your system than Flight Simulator X
My son Henry and I enjoy flight simulating together. Our last version was 2002, and the 2004 version is far superior. Most noticeable is an increase in the graphics quality of terrain and clouds/weather. The realism of 2004 is certainly acceptable, and is closer to "X" than to 2002.
More importantly, it runs acceptably (even nicely) on lower horsepower machines...I have it on a Sony laptop (1280x768, ~500MHz Pentium M, 512k RAM, XP SP2) with most sliders set to "high quality" (including bilinear anti-aliasing), and we get a pretty reliable 17-18 frames per second (fps). For us, that's a requirement for good control; lower than that and we both get frustrated.
By comparison, "X" on the same machine, with quality set mostly "Low", barely can get 10 fps. So, there's a big difference in performance.
In short, if you've got a machine of limited resources (especially the 3D graphics chip), stick with 2004. It's almost as good as "X", and you won't be frustrated with lower frame rates. Of course, if you've got a fancy new GPU from Nvidia, go for "X"; it's really great.
Rating: - FS2004
The graphics in FS2004 are vastly superior to those in my older, FS2000. Yet, they don't overwhelm my 2-year old WindowsXP machine, as FSX is rumored to do. Very nice, and customizable.
Rating: - Flight simulator
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of FlightTrying to fly a flight from point A to point B I find it difficult to change radio navigation frequencies with no radio panels available. Try to use pause command and then shift 2 to get the radio panels with no successful results. The pitch trim{up or down)does not work like the real world. Must continue to hold up or down elevator force. I had Flight Simulator 98 before and I fill it was more user friendly.
- fly high
- Flight simulator
