by Vivendi Universal
Platform:
Windows 98 / Me / 95
(6)6 used & new from $69.79
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With 3-D Ultra Lionel Traintown Deluxe, you can build the ultimate railroad system without cluttering up the entire basement. Construct a maze of rail lines for freight and passenger trains to ship goods and people from place to place, become the engineer of a steam engine, or even manage several trains at once as they pick up and deliver needed goods to the factories near the track.
The game begins with a series of tutorials that outline the basic functions of play--driving trains, moving from track to track, and managing loads--before presenting a series of timed puzzle scenarios. Younger players may find even the simplest of these scenarios too challenging, and may prefer the options that allow them (or their parents) to lay out train routes on their own. The electronic element also allows for some creative settings, such as scenarios set on the moon or the North Pole, or ones that include dinosaur farms.
Despite these fictional elements, the program's best feature is the level of realistic detail it provides on the nuts and bolts of train systems. Each train car has a specific function, prohibiting players from loading inappropriate cargo. Track repairs, coupling and decoupling cars, refueling, track switching--all of the basic concepts that rule the railroads are covered in 3-D Ultra Lionel Traintown Deluxe.
Though its approach is low-key, it's also very educational, developing in young players an appreciation for how trains and railroads work--not to mention how food gets from the farm to the local grocery store. 3-D Ultra Lionel Traintown Deluxe may well be everything both a parent and a child could want. It's engaging, well designed, and informative. Best of all, playing it is a lot of fun. (Ages 7 and older) --Alyx Dellamonica