3-D Ultra Lionel Traintown
© 1999 Sierra On-Line (Vivendi)
Nothing beats an actual train set, but this realistic simulation comes close. Created by Jeff Tunnell and the same team that made The Incredible Machine, this computer train set features a large, true-to-scale set of engines, cars and maintenance vehicles inspired from the Lionel collection. A scenery editor lets you layout your own tracks, and several backdrops like mountain towns, a living room floor, the moon, a classroom and a winter village enhance the view. While it is fun to build your own scene, it is even more enjoyable to try to solve one of the program's 72 challenges. These vary in difficulty from easy to very hard, but all require careful timing and strategy. In one activity, children must route a speeding train through a maze of switches, drawbridges and moving vehicles in order to deliver presents in time for Christmas. In another, children operate eight switches in order to keep traffic flowing. If they can avoid a collision for just 60 seconds, they win. Don't tell the kids, but this fun program is a fantastic, playful exercise in logical reasoning and spatial thinking. The controls are easy to use, and the six challenge levels make it so all members of the family can play. The degree of detail in this simulation is excellent— the smoke coming out of the trains looks real, and the narration and background music are terrific. We also liked the nicely replicated true to scale animated trains, all inspired from detailed models.
$19.95, Win 95, 98, NT (CD-ROM)
Teaches: logic, problem solving, programming, creativity