Rating: 
Summary: The Best
Review: I am a pilot and have flown some of the planes listed in this simulation. When I sit down and play this simulation it is like getting back in the cockpit again.
Rating: 
Summary: MSFS2004: a century of flight!
Review: Of course, after reading all these reviews, most people don't see the similarities. As I read, I noticed most of the people who ranked the game a 3(-)had either an ATI card, or a computer slower than 2.4 ghz. Now, if you have an ATI card, you will notice bad receptions as far as scenery goes, either because one of your drives or PCI cards are too close to the video card, interfering with it's operations, or because you aren't using the full potential of your video card. And as for the Computer Speed, Microsoft recommends a minimum of a Pentium 4 2.4 GHz, a MINIMUM. If you are running less than that, you may as well spread your wings and jump off a cliff, cause you will burn your PC out. I recommend getting the highest powered nVIDIA GeFORCE card you can get for the best results. (preferably a 256 MB card from tiger direct, real low pricing) Because ATI just ain't what it needs to be to harness the real power of this simulation. Now, onto the game. I found the enhanced ground features, such as the thuroughly adjusted airports that look a little more realistic, a plus. The runway graphics with tire tread and tire burn marks are also a plus. But most important, I appreciate the ability to choose whether I want an ILS, VOR, or Visual Approach to whatever runway can take it. Lets start looking at the bright side people. And start thinking, are you just not that enthused about the game, or could it possibly be that the computer you use just ain't powerful enough to see the whole thing. Get the facts first.
Rating:
Summary: A century to learn. . .
Review: Loading FS2004 into Windows ME, using a 1 gig, 256 MHz, system takes a little longer than the 2002 version and you'll need to load disc #4 every time you fly. But many of the new aircraft and the improved scenery were worth the wait and bother. I'm sorry to say; I found the Wright flyer a disappointment. You'll overcome the "challenge" of keeping it in the air for over 12 seconds, in no time, and then you'll find yourself flying from the Kill Devil Hills, out over Manteo Island and Albermarle Sound or maybe touring Mann's Harbor. The new Garmin GPS system is wild, and great, if you want to sit in the left seat like the real flyboys. Believe me, at the minimum, most of us will want to print the 41-page guide for this NAV aid, from the fabulous library of manuals in the Learning Center. I know I will also have to go back and do Mr. Machado's ground school for real to make use of most of the GPS's features. I do miss the dynamic map coordinates available in the FS2002 Pro.'s GPS. Remember the frustrating 1983 Kilauea eruption flight and the useless update to it in the 2002 "read me" file? I found that by looking up Kilauea's map coordinates in an atlas, then plotting a course using the appropriate radial from the Hilo VOR (212 degrees), I could check my track against the updated longitude and latitude as I flew to where I hoped the volcano would be. I have to pause the flight every time I want an update, now. The Kilauea eruption flight is no longer listed but you can still enjoy the eruption by clicking the "World" tab and using the calendar feature as a Wayback Machine, before you head out to find it. The biggest challenge in FS-2004 will be learning to use all of the features of the new Garmin GPS 500 or GPSMAP 295. Once you do, then a lot of flying is done for you. That's why pilots can doze at the stick in modern aircraft. I didn't buy the FS2004 as a sleeping aid. Another reviewer panned the panel lighting. I agree, but, I imagine the DC-3 just had a bright dome light, anyway. If you fly that machine in the dark, you'll need it, too. Positive vs. negative, would I still buy it. Yup!!!! Oh. I think you'll have even more fun if you get an M.S. Force Feedback 2 Joystick. Try getting "funny" with the DC-3 using that stick. It kicks . . ..
Rating: 
Summary: 1 Star for misleading system requirements... 5 for the sim!
Review: BUYER BEWARE: Although it has always confounded me why some software developers insist on
setting system requirement so low when in fact you need a much larger to machine to just get a
title up and running (smoothly)... it's not lost on most people why they do it, simply put they need
to get gamers into the seats. So what if they have to stretch the truth a bit to sell units, after all, if
the program will at least load at the stated system requirements who's hurt right? To be honest
the developer, publisher and consumer. Now there's no question our friends at Microsoft
develope the best flight sim programs in the world (I gave Flight Sim 2002 5 stars) but stand by
for the dirty little truth about Flight Sim 2004, at the bare minimum system requirements of...
Windows 98/2000/XP/Me, Pentium 450 or greater processor, 64 MB RAM for 98/Me, 128 MB
RAM for 2000/XP, 8 MB/3-D with DirectX 7.0 or later videocard, 1.8 GB hard drive space,
(as stated on the pretty tin box) it's questionable if you could run it at all. I tested it on a PII 450,
256 MB Ram, Win 98 machine with a 32 MB ATI video card with current drivers and found that
I couldn't leave the ground at more than 4-8 frames per second (fps) or cruise at more than 11 or
12 fps with settings a rock bottom! The world outside my cockpit was jagged and twisted as my
777 chugged painfully through the not so friendly skies like a wounded wildebeest trying in vain
to outrun a charging cheetah! Now if you've got the flight sim bug and are ready to plunk down a
heap of cash on the latest greatest that Microsoft has to offer in flight simming but you don't have
a high end machine (say a P4, 2.2 GHZ, XP machine with at least 256 MB of ram and a huge,
very fast hard drive) to launch your pretty aluminum cylinder into the stratosphere take a deep
breath and spend less on more... Flight Sim 2002, which on the test machine I mentioned above
runs fairly smoothly (16fps-40fps +) with options set nominally, it may not be quite as gorgeous
as you'd like but at the very least it will run and will no doubt allow you to get your feet wet until
Christmas when you get that mother of all gaming machines you've been hinting at all year long.
P.S. Dear Microsoft, how about listing the your recommended system requirements? After all, not everybody's as well off as Billy Gates. :-)
Rating:
Summary: ...
Review: The simulator indeed is great, but it has a problem. The problem is that it FPS rate is very low so the game won't run OK. I have a 2.5 GHZ, 512 MB RAM computer and instead it won't run as it should
Rating:
Summary: Back to Basics
Review: I have owned a flight simulation game before but found it to be too advanced for a beginner like me. When I read the description of FS 2004 that offered a Piper Cub as one of the aircraft I was intrigued enough to want to buy the game. After the easy installation and simple start-up, I immediately went for the Piper Cub flight and now I'm hooked. I can easily see how this sim will allow me to progress easily to more advanced planes. In the meantime I am really excited about the outstanding graphics and the sophistication of this sim. Just for fun try flying a helicopter around Paris or Rome to view the beautiful cities. Or try flying a Piper Cub over Los Vegas at night. Be careful though because you will find yourself not paying attention to your flying. This game is absolutely terrific as are the sights, sounds and realism. If you have not bought this flight sim game yet, shame on you.
Rating:
Summary: If you liked the ones in the past, you'll love this
Review: I basically bought a new computer and joystick for this game! I fly for real, and this is the closest it comes to doing the real thing. The visuals just keep getting better, although you gotta get a good graphics card to handle them now. The weather improvements are dramatic, although they still have some problems. Compared to the last version though, they're awesome. The only downside is that the new planes aren't that cool - I flew all of them once, and then returned to the old ones I flew in the last version. Of course you can always download others off the web (the fighter jets are fun for a while) but the flight rules for those planes are not at all accurate. If you just want an action shoot them up game, don't get this. This is for people that want to feel like they're flying a real plane. I play this game almost everyday - even if it's a short hop from Midway to Ohare.
Rating:
Summary: DO NOT ORDER THIS AMAZON
Review: I PRE-ORDERED THIS SOFTWARE FROM AMAZON EXPECTING TO GET IT AS SOON AS IT WAS RELEASED. I NEVER RECEIVED IT!!!!! I TRIED TO CONTACT THEM BY E-MAIL AND BY A CERTIFIED LETTER, NO REPLY ON THE E-MAIL AND THE LETTER WAS SIGNED FOR BUT I RECIEVED NO REPLY. MY ACCOUNT WAS CHARGED BUT I NEVER RECEIVED THIS PRODUCT. YOU CAN NOT CALL THEM AND THERE IS NO CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!!!!!
I FINALLY PICKED UP THE FLIGHT SIMULATER FROM WALMART.
I AM A PRIVATE PILOT AND HAVE HAD MICROSOFT FLIGHT SIMULATER SINCE THE FIRST ONE WAS RELEASED. IT GETS BETTER WITH EACH RELEASE, MY ONLY COMPLAINT WITH THIS RELEASE IS THAT THE BRIDGES ARE MISSING, HOPING FOR A PATCH TO FIX THIS.
Rating:
Summary: Worth every dollar
Review: I've owned FS2002. Now it is true, that you won't see a whole lot of change in graphics. There are huge improvements however in weather control, tutorials, the new Garmin GPS system, and the programing of flights and weather. I've just started my Private Pilot Lessons 2 months ago. It's amazing how much of a jump start this program has given me. I purchased the CH flight sim yoke and rudders. Both of these are about $300. They are worth every dime if you are going to take flight lessons. In all reality, this game and the controls could save your life if you are going to fly a real plane. There are emergency manuevers and taxiing practices that I've done which I can't do for real. Also, since you can control your own weather scenarios, it's the best practice you can get for cross - controlled landings, high wind take offs, and stalls. There's no better product out there for any price that I'm aware of.
Rating:
Summary: Same old graphics
Review: There are not only fans who play these games to learn how to fly a plane, but there are also many people who just want to enjoy the scenery as they fly from country to country. That said, don't bother wasting your money if you already have FS2002. The graphics look almost the same as FS2002. As usual looking down at the terrain from a high altitude is great. On the other hand, once you come down to a lower altitude you can't tell if it's a field or a brown block. Sounds like they've used the same old programmers from FS2002 into 2004. Microsoft needs better programmers so we can appreciate the scenery at low altitude. They should also add farms and houses on mountains. It is completely desolate in the game with no lights at night. What happened to the Amazon rain forest in Brazil? It looks like a brown block with twigs sticking out. I can't see Microsoft making a giant leap, with regards to graphics, into FS2006. I'm going to have to wait for FS2008.
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