Rating: 
Summary: HERE'S A HINT!
Review: I want to answer a question that is on a lot of peoples mind! I have just ordered this game but have played it on school computers! Many people are dissapointed in that you can't crash on this game! Well, you can! Just go to the AIRCRAFT button on the top file bar on your screen! Go to the bottom of the menu that pops up, click REALISM & (some other word). Scroll through the provided links until you come to a place that says CRASHES or something like that. On your screen, it probably says: IGNORE CRASHES Unhighlight it and highlight: RECOGNIZE CRASHES and RESTART or something like that! Now you should be on your way to destroying the city of choice! HAPPY FLYING!
Rating: 
Summary: The Best of FS Simulations
Review: I've had them all since FS4. 2002 is by far the best of all. Games like this can be very problematic, both within themselves and what they can do to your system. Not the case here, at least not with me. I originally installed FS2002 on a Windows ME system. Since then, I upgraded to Windows XP and the Simulator just hummed along without missing a beat. Of course there are things that could be improved (maybe a little more accurate ATC) but what do you want for $50? The Real World Weather works great and you'll want to add FSNavigator and some of the great AI aircraft to keep you company on those long flights. I've heard the horror stories about the new FS2004 and I'm in no hurry to dump my 2002. It's been too good to me.
Rating:
Summary: A Giant Step Up from FS 1998
Review: I've used FS 98 for several years and wanted to have improved graphics and realism. I'm a casual user, not a gamer. FS 2002 graphics are very good. Realism is improved with more ground detail, air traffic control and better flight characteristics. I use a basic joystick and flight characteristics are smooth. Landing, for example, are easier in FS 2002. Overall, a great casual user game but, with the Ground School and other learning capabilities, FS 2002, can accomodate the avid flyer as well. A great deal with the MS $20.00 rebate thru August, 2005. Just find the rebate form and keep your receipt.
Rating:
Summary: Great! As good as MS FS2004. Excellent experiences!
Review: If you run out and get this program thinking your getting a game your wrong. This is a flight Simulator and that is what you get. If your a pilot or an aspiring pilot and want to get some practice flying or try out what it takes to fly an aircraft this is a good way to find out. I've run this program on my PIII 1.1 GHZ WIN-XP laptop with 512 MB ram and 32 MB graphics card as well as a Celeron 1.2 GHz 256 MB ram and integrated 11 MB graphics and it has performed well on both systems. Have even flown between the two systems over my home lan with great ease. This program is much better with a flight stick and is rather difficult to attempt with a keyboard. I use a MS Sidewinder force feedback 2 stick and it works great. Program is a hard drive hog on full install though using up 1.7 Gig per system. Thankfully Microsoft does not make you have a CD in the computer to run the program so you don't need to have the software handy after install. Overall I think it's the best SIM out there besides MS FS2004. If you're looking for a game look at Combat Flight Simulator 2 or some other shoot-em up game. I bought my first FS software to fly the number one freeware aircraft simulator on the Internet - The TR-3B Flying Triangle. I flew fighters for the Air Force in late Vietnam, specifically the F-111 and am rated commercial also. The TR-3B Flight Simulator for Microsoft's Flight Sim, is based on the writings, lectures, and TV interviews of Edgar Fouche who wrote "Alien Rapture." (See amazon) Why? This is what the genius who developed it wrote: "For the experienced flight simmer on FS2002 PRO, I have developed this complete exotic amphibian TR-3B package, which is now available as freeware for download. It includes 3 models - the purple Astra, blue Locust and white Hellas - and as an extra 4th model the TR-3X with its own speedy attacker flight dynamics. The package includes TR-3B panel & gauges, noise cancellation sounds, fsuipc and special lights effects. This TR-3B is a heavy tactical reconnaissance aircraft equipped with a magnetic field disruptor that reduces the weight by 89 percent (it is not the same as anti-gravity, though). It has been created for Microsoft Flight Simulator. All gauges are included. The TR-3B can float like a speedboat at Mach 1.5 over water, fly like a heavy helicopter, like a bush plane, a business jet, like a military jet and lift like a rocket. Cruise speed is approx Mach 4.7 at FL340 and above, and approx Mach 2 at sea level. Service ceiling approx 69,000 feet ASL. Super stable. FSFREEWARE, SURCLARO, FSPLANET aircraft simulator sites have reported as many as 5000 downloads in one week!
I searched and read many many web pages about his book and the author, Edgar Fouche including; startfinish(put in the dot com.)biz/wise Click on links for Fouche and Flying Triangle. You will find his full presentation, and the download links for the TR-3B. Great Top Secret aircraft simulator which I recommend, and fantastic details on it. So try some of the free aircraft simulators instead of the poorly designed Lock On: Modern Air Combat.
Rating:
Summary: "As real as it gets"
Review: Introduction I bought Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 because I had recently been given Jet Fighter IV and I loved it. But, I was looking for a more realistic game so I went with FS2002. Realistic is what I wanted and realistic is what I got! This game is incredible. You soon find out why Microsoft can only put a new version out every 2 years. From the 21,000 airports to the 12 or 16 (Standard edition vs. Professional edition) completely flawless planes...and helicopters....and glider. Microsoft definitely does not fail in reaching the game's slogan of, "As real as it gets". Game Play - 9.5/10 Whether a novice or a real life pilot, FS2002 has great game play. You can adjust the realism settings from extremely easy to ridiculously hard. If you are new to flying, do not be afraid. The game comes with a 188 page training handbook that covers all of the basics. But, don't worry, it isn't all reading. After each section you can practice what you just read in the air with Rod Machada himself. Once you feel ready, you can go for your pilot's license. After that, if you want, you can go for your commercial pilot's license. So, if you are not a beginner, or after you take all those lessons, what can you do? Well, the answer is, just about anything you want. You can do one of the 50 pre-assigned missions or you can do the best part of the game, free flight. Take off from any airport you want and land at any airport you want. Just make sure that you signal the airport tower on the Air Traffic Control radio first. This new feature enables you to contact airports before departure and landing or to get clearance to go through their airspace. You can even hear other planes on the ATC. This reminds me, there are other planes in FS2002! This new edition allows you to see other traffic in the skies and on the runways. So make sure you look out for them. One of the hardest choices about flying may just be deciding what plane to fly. You can choose from 3 commercial Boeing planes, 4 Cessna personal planes (including an amphibious plane), 2 World War I planes, a stunt plane, a glider (you have to use 'slew controls' which makes this very unrealistic but still fun), a Bell helicopter, and 4 others if you have the professional version. Every plane handles very differently. Don't attempt to do turns and climbs in the 737 that you just did in the Extra stunt plane. You will quickly overstress or stall the plane. That is just how realistic the game is. The only thing better would be jumping in the actual plane. You can see why they use this game for actual flight training! Graphics/Sound - 9/10 My local area is the San Francisco Bay Area so the first thing I did was to go see how realistic the scenery was. Boy was I surprised. The game included every bridge from the Golden Gate to the Dumbarton and every stadium from the Cow Palace to Candlestick (3Com). But, the most incredible part was the downtown skyline which looked to be exactly like real life. The only thing more realistic is the terrain which IS perfect. The auto generated scenery is also a nice feature. You can pretty much make the weather what ever you want and when you do, the graphics show it all very nicely. Overall, the graphics get a 9/10. The sound is another area where FS2002 does not skip on. From the engine noise to the wind to the 15 different voices you can choose to be on the ATC, the sound just adds to the game's reality. Overall, 9/10. Play Time/Replay ability - 10/10 Well, the last two days I have spent about 12 hours playing this game. You can download more planes, airports and even the real time weather and fly in it. I don't think I need to say anymore. Final Recommendation - 9.5/10 Microsoft FS2004 may be out right now in which case you may want to spend the extra money and try it. But, for a guaranteed great game, purchase MFS2002. You just cannot beat that! Just make sure that 1) your system can handle it before you buy it and 2) you don't have anything important to do for a while because this game will take up a lot of your time.
Rating:
Summary: "As real as it gets"
Review: Introduction I bought Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 because I had recently been given Jet Fighter IV and I loved it. But, I was looking for a more realistic game so I went with FS2002. Realistic is what I wanted and realistic is what I got! This game is incredible. You soon find out why Microsoft can only put a new version out every 2 years. From the 21,000 airports to the 12 or 16 (Standard edition vs. Professional edition) completely flawless planes...and helicopters....and glider. Microsoft definitely does not fail in reaching the game's slogan of, "As real as it gets". Game Play - 9.5/10 Whether a novice or a real life pilot, FS2002 has great game play. You can adjust the realism settings from extremely easy to ridiculously hard. If you are new to flying, do not be afraid. The game comes with a 188 page training handbook that covers all of the basics. But, don't worry, it isn't all reading. After each section you can practice what you just read in the air with Rod Machada himself. Once you feel ready, you can go for your pilot's license. After that, if you want, you can go for your commercial pilot's license. So, if you are not a beginner, or after you take all those lessons, what can you do? Well, the answer is, just about anything you want. You can do one of the 50 pre-assigned missions or you can do the best part of the game, free flight. Take off from any airport you want and land at any airport you want. Just make sure that you signal the airport tower on the Air Traffic Control radio first. This new feature enables you to contact airports before departure and landing or to get clearance to go through their airspace. You can even hear other planes on the ATC. This reminds me, there are other planes in FS2002! This new edition allows you to see other traffic in the skies and on the runways. So make sure you look out for them. One of the hardest choices about flying may just be deciding what plane to fly. You can choose from 3 commercial Boeing planes, 4 Cessna personal planes (including an amphibious plane), 2 World War I planes, a stunt plane, a glider (you have to use 'slew controls' which makes this very unrealistic but still fun), a Bell helicopter, and 4 others if you have the professional version. Every plane handles very differently. Don't attempt to do turns and climbs in the 737 that you just did in the Extra stunt plane. You will quickly overstress or stall the plane. That is just how realistic the game is. The only thing better would be jumping in the actual plane. You can see why they use this game for actual flight training! Graphics/Sound - 9/10 My local area is the San Francisco Bay Area so the first thing I did was to go see how realistic the scenery was. Boy was I surprised. The game included every bridge from the Golden Gate to the Dumbarton and every stadium from the Cow Palace to Candlestick (3Com). But, the most incredible part was the downtown skyline which looked to be exactly like real life. The only thing more realistic is the terrain which IS perfect. The auto generated scenery is also a nice feature. You can pretty much make the weather what ever you want and when you do, the graphics show it all very nicely. Overall, the graphics get a 9/10. The sound is another area where FS2002 does not skip on. From the engine noise to the wind to the 15 different voices you can choose to be on the ATC, the sound just adds to the game's reality. Overall, 9/10. Play Time/Replay ability - 10/10 Well, the last two days I have spent about 12 hours playing this game. You can download more planes, airports and even the real time weather and fly in it. I don't think I need to say anymore. Final Recommendation - 9.5/10 Microsoft FS2004 may be out right now in which case you may want to spend the extra money and try it. But, for a guaranteed great game, purchase MFS2002. You just cannot beat that! Just make sure that 1) your system can handle it before you buy it and 2) you don't have anything important to do for a while because this game will take up a lot of your time.
Rating:
Summary: Nice, but didn't fully live up to the hype for me ...
Review: Let me say right off the bat that for anyone who wants a "true" flying experience, this is the simulator to get. My personal favorite feature is the "realism" settings, which effectively lets you adjst a variety of options from "real" to what I call "easy", which means that you can easily get into the air to do some "sight seeing". I only have 2 gripes about this game: #1 - The graphics on MY machine are not even close to what you see on the box. I have a Pentium III Xeon machine (667Mhz), with a 32MB ATI All-In-Wonder card (the chipset is pre-Radeon). After playing games for a couple of years like Need For Speed III, I thought FS2002 would look fantastic. However, to me the ground looks just like that game "Flight" from a few years ago, except with a few buildings here and there. The FS2002 scenery doesn't look nearly as good as any driving simulator that I have seen in the last 3 years. Sure, you can adjust the detail levels, but I'm just saying unless you have a fairly new machine, don't expect the eye candy you read about and see on the box. One final note ... although the ground looks lousy (at low altitudes), the buildings really are amazing, even on my slow machine. #2 - In order to save some hard drive space, I chose the "custom" install menu. There were checkboxes for many regions around the world to include in the installation. I left out about half of them. Well, now every time I turn the game on, there is an error message that pops up lecturing me that a certain file (and it includes the menu path) is not loaded. My point is that if at all possible, do the full installation, because if you do a "custom" installation, you might run into some bugs. All & all this is a really neat game IF you are a true aviation enthusiast, with a nice assortment of aircraft to fly. I give it 4 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Nice, but didn't fully live up to the hype for me ...
Review: Let me say right off the bat that for anyone who wants a "true" flying experience, this is the simulator to get. My personal favorite feature is the "realism" settings, which effectively lets you adjst a variety of options from "real" to what I call "easy", which means that you can easily get into the air to do some "sight seeing". I only have 2 gripes about this game: #1 - The graphics on MY machine are not even close to what you see on the box. I have a Pentium III Xeon machine (667Mhz), with a 32MB ATI All-In-Wonder card (the chipset is pre-Radeon). After playing games for a couple of years like Need For Speed III, I thought FS2002 would look fantastic. However, to me the ground looks just like that game "Flight" from a few years ago, except with a few buildings here and there. The FS2002 scenery doesn't look nearly as good as any driving simulator that I have seen in the last 3 years. Sure, you can adjust the detail levels, but I'm just saying unless you have a fairly new machine, don't expect the eye candy you read about and see on the box. One final note ... although the ground looks lousy (at low altitudes), the buildings really are amazing, even on my slow machine. #2 - In order to save some hard drive space, I chose the "custom" install menu. There were checkboxes for many regions around the world to include in the installation. I left out about half of them. Well, now every time I turn the game on, there is an error message that pops up lecturing me that a certain file (and it includes the menu path) is not loaded. My point is that if at all possible, do the full installation, because if you do a "custom" installation, you might run into some bugs. All & all this is a really neat game IF you are a true aviation enthusiast, with a nice assortment of aircraft to fly. I give it 4 stars.
Rating: 
Summary: ??
Review: Looks like I got to write just to see the reviews: never owned it, of course, just shopping! Stupid set up, ain't it? forget the stars!
Rating:
Summary: Great Improvement, Although could have been even better
Review: Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002, although outdated by now, is still worth every penny. You can fly to any airport around the world, even the tiny ones. From Leguardia to Malvern Mun (Small town in Arkansas), you can fly all over the united states, with a borrage of planes. This game lets you experience the Landmarks of the U.S. You can fly as a freestyle mission or you can fly one of the missions Microsoft gives you, such as circling the Colluseum or flying from New York to Japan. The only problem with the flights to unknown or small airports, is that the graphics and the land under you is all repetitive and dotted with little buildings, it's all the same. Overview: Fun- 10/10 great for you flight buffs. Grahpics- 7/10 Awesome in well-known places, but repetitive onceyou get into the unknowns of the U.S. Gameplay- 10/10 Just liek you're a real pilot. Difficulty-N/A Not really any difficulty. Overall-27/30 This game is a lot of fun to play, if you know what you're doing, but if you wamt the real combat experience, I reccomend Flight simulator: Battle for Europe. Try this game out though.
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