USA 1986
https://darth-azrael.tumblr.com/post/181795850282/retrocgads-usa-1986-tokyo-for-flight-simulator
I always loved the exploration aspect of games like Flight Simulator. I don’t know what it is about the wire frame graphics of the time that seemed to add to that sense of exploration. The multiple expansion disks were a mixed blessing though. They continued to open up new areas to explore but they cost extra money too. At the end of the day, I preferred games like Echelon or Elite. Similar graphics style but with a plot that adds some mystery and exploration of the unknown.
Flight Simulator II was an improvement to the original FS1 Flight Simulator which was only available on the Apple II and TRS-80. Flight Simulator II was released for various 8-bit computers and a later edition was also released for the Macintosh, Amiga and Atari ST. I’m not really sure which expansion disks were available on which systems (though I would guess most were available on every system that Flight Simulator supports). As an added bonus, Flight Simulator II wasn’t the only game the expansion disks would work with. They also worked with Jet. As a combat flight simulator, this added a little more variety beyond just flying your plane. Microsoft did their own ports of the Flight Simulator games for the PC and this would spawn a series of games that continue to this day.
This particular ad is from 1986 and features the Japan and San Francisco Bay area scenery disk for the original SubLOGIC version of Flight Simulator II. These were available for $19.99 each (in addition to the cost of the game itself of course). Also mentioned in the ad is a 6 disk set of the Western U.S. This set could be had for the low price of $99.95. I don’t know that I ever had Flight Simulator II but I did have Jet. I never bought any of the scenery disks though.
Flight Simulator and Flight Simulator II really defined the genre of flight sims and are worth giving a try even though there are far more graphically impressive flight sims these days. Both flight Simulator II and Jet are only available on 1980s era computers so you’ll have to track down originals or go for the easier option of emulation. Since these are meant to be realistic flight simulations, improving technology tends to discourage re-releases of these sorts of games.
Screen shots above are from the Commodore 64 version of Flight Simulator II.
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