| Afraid to fly? No problem. Microsoft's Flight Simulator, | | | | and it showed. It was the first game with photorealistic |
| one of the oldest simulation games around, will take | | | | scenery and a map of the whole world. You could |
| you flying anywhere in the world in just about any type | | | | travel from New York to Paris in real time. This was a |
| of plane you can think of. | | | | major breakthrough in the history of the game. With 5.1, |
| The year was 1982 when the first flight simulator | | | | the ability to handle scenic libraries was added. Also, |
| came out. It was version 1.0. Graphically, it was quite | | | | weather was added to the game such as storms. This |
| simple, but it did give the user a chance to fly a real | | | | was done in 1995. |
| plane. In the early editions they used vector graphics, | | | | Windows 95, which came out in 1996, was the first |
| so the view from the cockpit was pretty much left to | | | | game in the series available for that windows platform. |
| your imagination. | | | | More planes were added, such as the Boeing 737. |
| Click to Get Best Flight Professional Simulator | | | | Photorealistic satellite imaging was added to this |
| As the game progressed, however, the graphics | | | | version as well. Plus, flying lessons were added so you |
| became more real. If you took a plane ride over New | | | | could be flying in a matter of minutes. It was the easier |
| York, you would see a skyline that was letter perfect | | | | simulator to date. |
| to what you would actually see if you were flying over | | | | Flight Simulator 98 added 10 times the number of |
| New York in a real plane. But the transition from | | | | airports than in the previous version so you could take |
| version 1.0 to Flight Simulator 2002 was a slow and | | | | off from virtually anywhere in the world. More planes |
| gradual one. | | | | were added and the graphics became even more |
| In version 2.0 they finally added duel support for both a | | | | realistic. It didn't seem like the game could get any |
| mouse and a joystick. Version 1.0 was mouse only. | | | | better. |
| Plus, the simulator became more popular and versions | | | | But then Flight Simulator 2000 came out. Four new |
| were released on a number of game platforms. | | | | planes were added. Thousands more airports were |
| It wasn't until version 3.0 that the flight simulator went | | | | added. Navigation was greatly improved. Graphics |
| to Windows. This was in 1988. The game featured the | | | | were improved. The control panels were more |
| first multiple windows that you could resize. It also | | | | detailed. Just trying to figure out the controls for a |
| featured 3D windows and panels. | | | | Boeing 777 was a challenge. Yes, 2000 was even |
| | | | better than 98. |
| In 1989, Flight Simulator came out with version 4.0. | | | | But they didn't stop there. Flight Simulator 2002 was to |
| There wasn't a huge difference between this version | | | | be the best yet. The working instruments were more |
| and 3.0 but the scenery was more detailed. The | | | | lifelike. Buildings became so lifelike that it was scary. |
| bridges, roads and buildings looked a lot better than in | | | | New planes were added, including the first float plane. |
| the earlier version. This version also created a demand | | | | Real time interactive air traffic control was added. |
| for add-on products to the game by outside vendors. | | | | If you haven't had the pleasure of trying Flight |
| In 1993, they came out with version 5.0. More than | | | | Simulator, now may be the best time of all. |
| 30,000 hours of development went into this version | | | | |