Railroad Tycoon II: Platinum

The Good
Being my first introduction to the Railroad Tycoon series, I had few expectations, especially since I grabbed it from the price-buster bin at Comp USA. This thing sat around on my desk for a month before I installed it. All I can say is "WOW", this game pak is incredible. The graphics are beautiful, the game play is excellent. I've only played one scenario (several times before I finally figured out how to make money), but I can see the great variety of options throughout.

Along the lines of the hallowed Sim City series, this is a sim game that really challenges you to think, plan and execute strategic and tactical moves throughout the entire gameplay. It's interesting, historical and a whole lot of fun.

Very highly recommended.

The Bad
So far, I haven't seen anything I don't like. It is a bit challenging to learn, but it is do-able and rewarding.

The Bottom Line
Railroad Tycoon Platinum is a compilation of the many Railroad Tycoon game offerings. Your job is to run a railroad empire. You've got money and the ability to purchase things like engines, train stations, hotels, post offices, etc,. To make a profit, you need to make these assets produce cash, which means you need to strategically connect areas on the map that supply, or demand, various goods & services that can only be provided via rail transport. If you send the wrong goods to a station, nobody will buy them, and you eat into your cash reserves just managing your assets. The trains don't run for free! You've got to maintain them, upgrade them, upgrade & maintain track, maintenance buildings, hotels, restaurants, etc.

If you like sim games, and if you like trains, you will LOVE this version of Railroad Tycoon!