Microsoft Flight Simulator (v4.0)

The Good
This game was (for me) a revelation at the time. I had zero understanding of flight mechanics or how to set the radios to navigate, so I cannot attest to the accuracy (or otherwise) of the flight model, but this game had a real sense of "being there" and being in control. One of my most memorable moments playing this game was trying to land my Cessna in heavy thunderstorms at night (the "Thunderstorms at Champaign ILS" mode) with the cockpit all lit up, the menu bar switched off and the marker beacon lights illuminating on your descent, just like in a real plane. There is a tremendous amount of customisation available, especially with the add-on scenery packs that were to become a big feature of the series from FS4 onwards, and the game had some nice training modes to help you understand how to fly the plane, as well as some entertaining diversions such as crop dusting, WW1 ace and the plane designer. Plus, this is the only flight simulator game I've played that actually had decent keyboard controls!

The Bad
The graphics may have dated, but (actually) this is irrelevant provided that the flight model and navigation is realistic enough for you.

The Bottom Line
Worth checking out purely for the nostalgia value, but this is a classic and well worth playing. Although the Microsoft Flight Simulator series has evolved over time to bigger and better things, FS3 and FS4 represent the high watermark for the earlier titles.