Railroad Tycoon II

"So addictive, you'll need rehab after playing!"

Every classic game is addictive for a different reason. Final Fantasy VIII is addictive because there's so much to discover you may never see it all. NCAA Football 2000 is addictive because the gameplay is conducive to long sessions. LUNAR is addictive because of the beautiful anime scenes.

But Railroad Tycoon II for the PlayStation transcends mere video game addiction. Take Two Software has expertly combined a business simulation which ranks among the best ever seen on a console, and combined it with the choo-choo trains we all loved in our youth to create a classic for the ''management sim'' genre. This game is so engrossing that even those who normally look down upon this sort of game will find something to enjoy.

GRAPHICS: 9/10
I'm giving this a 9 not because of any sort of spectacular visuals (because none exist). I'm giving it a high mark because everything is clearly defined and well-thought-out. You can (after a while playing) tell at a glance which train is using which engine to carry what cargo. There is never any doubt as to what is going on unless you're using the widest possible angle (a distance roughly equivalent to viewing a Lionel set from the vantage point of the Goodyear Blimp). You never have to ask ''what's that?'' which frees up the player to concentrate on keeping up with the task of running his/her railroad.

PLAYABILITY: 7/10
The demerits here are counted because there is a slight tendency for the simulator to slow way down when there's too much on the screen (although whether this is a game flaw or just my ancient relic of a PSX is anyone's guess). However, this point is often moot because in most cases the scenario will reach the win/loss condition before hitting this point.

Barring that flaw, the gameplay is seamless, even more so if you have an analog controller and can bypass the slightly awkward (but only at first) digital control of more than one element at once. In fact, if you have an analog controller, bump the Playability rating up to an 8. Menus are intuitive once you get used to them (it only takes half an hour tops) and become second nature in a hurry. A good sim is one that stays out of the player's way, and this is one such sim.

CHALLENGE: 9/10
It's never the same game twice, like most sims, and there are enough levels of difficulty, conveniently rated by the game on a ''percentage scale'' from 5% difficulty through 100% (the ''average player's'' level) all the way to 195%, in which the player is severely handicapped and the computer is given a HUGE advantage. The percentage reflects the changes as selected from the setup menu by the player. Scenario and Campaign modes provide a progressive series of challenges, and the player will have to master all of the game's distinct skills in order to master the game.

REPLAYABILITY: 10/10
See Challenge above. Also note that two months after purchase, I STILL can't put this game down. Most simulations hit a ''saturation point'' after which you don't ever want to see another screen from the game. Railroad Tycoon II looks to be beyond the limits of saturation.

OVERALL: 10/10
High praise, I know. But, simply put, if you like simulations, trains, interesting games, nineteenth-century industrial history, or just plain having fun, buy this game. It will be WELL worth your money.

That's the news, and I am out of here.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 04/19/00, Updated 04/19/00