207: A-Train

Number 207
(8 points)
A-Train
1993: 81

After success with SimCity, Maxis found a Japanese game in a similar style to publish.

On its third iteration by this point, A-Train fits in nicely with Maxis's other titles. Your task evolves as the game progresses: first you build railways and get an efficient train system moving, then use your profits to invest in the local economy by building offices and amenities. Finally, you can expand your horizons and venture into the stock market to become a powerful business magnate. This variety gives A-Train a longevity that similar games may lack, and the beautifully-written manual ensures you won't get stuck on the way.

With 300 games to play through, you can guess that I didn't actually spend more than a few minutes on this, and I can see that you would need a good few hours before seeing everything that it can offer. The A-Train series in Japan has been going strong for over three decades, so there are probably more up-to-date games to try, but since this is one of the few that was fully adapted for the English-speaking market, you could start here. The music is a bit annoying, though.

Recommended TOSEC disk(s):
A-Train v1.00 (1992)(Ocean - Maxis)(Disk 1 of 2)[h SR]
A-Train v1.00 (1992)(Ocean - Maxis)(Disk 2 of 2)