I know what you're thinking...is this really a 'game?' Why would someone ever want to play this? It's like watching the grass grow. If that's what's running through your head -- move on to the porn sites. This game is definitely not for you. But for us PC aviators Flight Simulator 2002 Professional is a must have. Why? I'm glad you asked.
Since most of you who reading this I'm sure are armchair pilots (like myself) I won't bore you with minute details about FS2002. I've played Flight Simulator 2000 Professional almost every day and have been looking forward to seeing this update to the franchise. Overall I was happy but there are some things I wish were better.
Installation of FS2002 was easy but be warned! FS2002 dumps all the graphics, etc. onto your hard drive. So clean off all those MP3s and make room for 1.9 GB (yes gigs) of space and some extra for cache. You'll also need some pretty powerful hardware to appreciate everything in the game. If you were contemplating a time to upgrade -- now is that time.
Oct 24, 2001 Flight Simulator 2002, Standard Edition includes a wide variety of aircraft for you to fly-from a new Cessna 208 Caravan floatplane to the Boeing 747-400 jumbo jet. You can splash down in a lake, hover in the Bell 206B JetRanger III helicopter, practice aerobatics in the Extra 300S, or fly like a famous World War II fighter ace in a Sopwith Camel. Microsoft Flight Simulator Aircraft Downloads for FS2002 also known as Flight Sim 2002, FlightSim 2002, Flight Simulator 2002.
After the install, you're greeted by a new menu design. Though it's nothing you couldn't do yourself by clicking through 5 different menus in FS2000, Microsoft puts all the most common used features in one handy menu -- selecting aircraft, time/date/season, weather, flight planning, etc.
There are some new aircraft to choose from (more if you get the Pro version) Vought Corsair Navy fighter plane, Boeing 747, and Cessna Caravan Amphibian (can land on water) are just a few. You can also choose the colors (or airline) on some of the aircraft.
I chose my favorite -- the Boeing 737 for my initial flight. Then I clicked onto the flight planner and scheduled a flight from San Francisco to LAX (Los Angeles). When you're planning a flight there's a very cool new feature -- the ability to start your adventure at the gate, cargo or on the runway. Finally you will no longer have to taxi from the end of the runway to a gate.
In the cockpit you won't see much difference. Controls are the same except for a few new buttons. Those of note are the checkmark looking box for your kneeboards, and a wavy line looking thing. That's the ATC or Air Traffic Control button. Microsoft has made ATC very simple to use (especially for newbies). By just pressing a number (e.g. 1) the pilot can set their radios and speak to the tower. Though you don't need this to play it will add to the realism.
Once upon a time you couldn't push back from the gate (FS2000 for example). Well things have changed. By pressing the Shift-P keys you will slowly be pushed back until you hit Shift-P again. Though not a huge deal, it's just another one of the nice touches they put into this game. Taxiing to the runway is now easier with the introduction of guide markers. Though you can't use letters to identify (alpha, beta, charlie) the taxi-ways, these yellow lines (or green dots at night) will keep you centered.
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The plane physics are very nice in FS2002. As usual you can set how real you want the physics to be -- easy, medium or real. For the experienced pilot you will be challenged with plane failures such as the engine going out, or the radios failing to work. For the newbie, FS2002 can ease up on the physics until you get more daring and try to master flying with a realistic physics setup.
At E3, Microsoft promised that FS2002 would have improved graphics over its past Flight Sims. More terrain, buildings, trees, shading and so on. I'm happy to say the graphics live up to the hype. Just look at the screenshots. Shading is very cool -- especially when the plane is airborne. Check out the reflection from the ground on the underside of the plane. Very cool indeed.
Further adding to the realism, Microsoft added air traffic in the skies and on the ground at the airport. The air traffic also interfaces with ATC so you'll see the drone planes taking off and talking with the controllers which further enhances the realism.
Though overall FS2002 Professional will satisfy you like Chinese food, you somehow are yearning for more later in the day. One of my biggest beefs with FS2002 is the inability to use your mouse as a yoke. For those who've played previous versions of Flight Sim, you could right mouse click then select the mouse to be the yoke. This was especially handy when a monstrous Sidewinder joystick couldn't be lugged around. Why did they take this feature away from us? Though a joystick is a preferred method to fly, Microsoft should have allowed this option as it did in FS2000.
Why can't I see the controls in the virtual cockpit at night? A bug perhaps? It would be cool to see the flight deck lit up when flying at night.
Air Traffic Control is useless. I'm sure Microsoft worked hours and hours on making this work but in the end it was more annoying than realistic. When I took a flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu, there was ATC in the vicinity of LAX but nothing the rest of the way. Not even a handoff to a center! And when I got to Honolulu there was no ATC -- not even an Aloha. I had high hopes for this but even at E3 I wasn't impressed with this. If you want good ATC I recommend buying the add-on pack from AETI called 'ProFlight 2000.' Not only will it give you more realistic ATC, but also flight planning is better. With SIDS and STARS routing for jet flights and more than 40 voices it's definitely a better choice.
Now let's talk about the Flight Management Computer (FMC) -- Okay, this is going overboard but where the heck is it? I was expecting it with a Pro version of the title (especially if you're shelling out another $20 for it). I understand that Microsoft is trying to cater to a mass-market crowd so anyone can enjoy flying. However with two SKUs on the shelf they should've included this. Once again there is an add-on pack for this (at least for FS2000), which is also included in ProFlight 2000.
One last gripe: Why can't Microsoft put real airline names in their program? I'm tired of flying Orbit airlines! In Wilco Publishing's 'Airport' series of expansion packs the planes are the real deal as well as their logos at the terminals. Come on, Microsoft, you've got the money -- license their names and logos.
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Okay so you're not the advanced pilot -- you just want to learn how to fly. Flight Simulator 2002 will teach you the basics through videos hosted by Martha and John King. You can also get flight school training (in cockpit) with some guy named Rod Machado. The bottom line is that Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 Professional is definitely worth your $$$ if you've played its predecessors. If you're a newbie then I recommend purchasing the regular flavored version.
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Despite the beefs I have, FS2002 Professional is a must-have for any armchair pilot.