• Saitek Cyborg EVO Joystick (PC)
• Microsoft Sidewinder Mouse
• Logitech Cordless Rumblepad II Vibration Feedback Gamepad (PC)
• Extreme 3D Pro Joystick (PC)
• Logic3 Rumble Pad - USB Game Pad (PC)

From award winning game developer ACES comes Flight Simulator X. The latest installment will include the usual genre leading realism that continues to awe real pilots and will serve as the graphical benchmark for games on Windows Vista. Additionally, Flight Simulator X will deliver for the first time structured game play with more than 55 missions to choose from which will test the skills of players of all levels....
In a nutshell:
Microsoft’s original civilian flight sim is still clocking up the air miles with the most significant sequel for years and a genuine attempt to make it more accessible for non-propellerheads.

The lowdown:
While almost all other flight simulators have fallen from grace on the PC, Microsoft have never given up on the genre with a game that’s as ruthlessly realistic as it is completely free of any kind of violence. Every major, and minor, airport in the world is simulated and every major city has its share of recognisable landmarks, allowing you to fly anywhere in the world. There’s a huge range of different aircraft to fly too: from jumbo jets and seaplanes to helicopters and everything in between. The only problem is that the game needs a seriously powerful PC to run at full whack, but even on lower detail levels this is still a stunning achievement.

Most exciting moment:
Despite the realism, the game isn’t all dry simulation. There are a lot of fun missions to try out, including acting as a Hollywood stuntman, going on search and rescue flights, fighting fires and even flying over the infamous Area 51.

Since you ask:
The deluxe version of the game includes more cities, airports and aircraft as a well as an extra series of twenty-odd missions. There are also some additional multiplayer options, including the chance to share aircraft and have a go in the control tower.

The bottom line:
The most realistic commercial flight sim ever. Again.-HARRISON DENT
Flight Simulator X is the culmination of nearly 25 years of the landmark ‘Flight Simulator’ franchise and the most significant addition to date. Fully optimized for Windows Vista, Flight Simulator X presents players with a wide array of new aircraft to fly in a beautifully rich and believable world containing greater detail than past entries in the franchise. Players will be able to experience what it is like to be a pilot and have real distractions, to shade their eyes from the glare of reflective paint and the glint from glass and chrome. Players will enjoy the opportunity to fly their dream aircraft, from classic seaplanes like the de Havilland Beaver and Grumman Goose to the Cessna 172 there is a plane for every terrain and every player.

Flight Simulator X will also enable players to enjoy a connected world through an improved online experience. With more than 24,000 airports located on every continent, players will be able to explore their home town or a favourite far off city.

Customer Rating:
Summary: PC Spec? Don't worry...
Comment: Its an amazing game overall with accurate flaps (causing drag and lift) and everything just feels right!

Many reviews quote that the specs for the pc are required to be really high. But i have a 320MB graphics card, 1GB RAM and 2Ghz dual core processor. IMPORTANT: Flight sim works best on dual core processors. For single core processors the specs required are generally much higher. My pc can run the game on medium high settings and it works perfect. For ultra high settings i would need another 2GB RAM and probably a better graphics card. It works great on XP, but i havent tried it on vista.

JUST REMEMBER: IT WORKS MUCH BETTER ON A LOWER SPEC DUAL CORE THAN ON A HIGHER SINGLE CORE. for some reason the game plays brilliantly on dual core! For quad core, i dont know beacause i havent tried them.

For a joystick i highly reccomend Saitek Aviator. Its truly amazing and really good value.

Thanks for reading, Trust me, this games gr8!

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Customer Rating:
Summary: FSX
Comment: I have used three versions of Flight Simulator in the past (Fs98, fs2002, fs2004) but FSX is the best so far, even though I have all of the graphic settings at 'low' as my current computer has got a poor graphics card. The multi-player feature on FSX is very good, even though the Gamespy system appears to be unreliable but when it works properly (very occasionally) it is excellent. The problems with Gamespy and FSX include an unreliable network connection with the Gamespy server, and very slow game load compared to previous versions of flight sim. However, if you are prepared to overlook these issues I am sure that you will enjoy this game as it is great fun to play.
Free flight mode is also very good becuase flight sim deluxe comes with a wide variety of aircraft, and the virtual cockpit has been greatly improved. Even though the virtual cockpit has improved I still prefer to fly with the standard flight sim cockpit as I am used to this setup. I have also downloaded over 100 aircraft from simviation.com and have bought several aircraft from sites such as first class simulations.
Overall I still prefer FS2002, but FSX is a very good flight simulator and it is highly recommended.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Well worth being patient for
Comment: The deluxe edition is essentially FSX, but with added scenery and a few axtra missions. If your computer is the type that will struggle with FSX, it is possible that you won't be able to appreciate the added content.

Having said this, I would recommend buying the deluxe edition of this game simply because it will pay off in the future, becuase it really is worth seeing the game in all its glory. I personally had many teething problems soon after installation, even on my brand new computer with an 8800GTX and a quad core processor. My inability to hit the ground running with this game is testament to the amount of fine tuning that is required in order to squeeze the very best in terms of performance to quality ratio.

If you own add-on software such as PMDG or alike, you may want to be slightly more apprehensive about buying this game. Having said this, the new release of the PMDG 747-400X will make the game worth while to play on, but like I say it's a matter of fine tuning the display settings to be able to enjoy FSX!

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Hated it !
Comment: When I purchased it, I was looking for something even better than my current version (2004). Instead it took ages to load and longer to start. Getting started was tedious and I found my self getting bored with all the pop ups whilst waiting to play the simulator. In the end I gave up and even after deleting the game, the photos stayed on file and reminded me by taking over my screensaver. Talk about big brother. I really think with this one they have gone over the top.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Good simulation - weather engine is not as good as others
Comment: Firstly, for FSX you don't need a quick machine (although that helps), what you do need is the best graphics card you can afford - and expect to spend £200 for a good one (ATI or NVIDA).

The second thing is to apply the service packs or purchase the Microsoft "Acceleration pack" for these plus some extra aircraft.

These together make the flight experience pretty good, and are at their best with a decent joystick/throttle, rudder pedals and TrackIR if you can afford them.

The addition of missions and tasks is good and there are plenty of free add-ons out there to download or purchase.

A number of add-on tools can be found or purchased, or you can roll your own using the SDK, which is available.

As a gliding enthusiast, the one included glider is well rendered. Plus there are plenty of others out on the Internet too.

The one big downside is that the weather engine is not realistic for thermals, "wave" and similar aerial phenomena. You can build them in, but the engine has no intelligence to create the environment by default. Therefore don't expect a realistic gliding experience.

For powered flight, brilliant stuff - lots to do and lots to learn.

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