Gameology 2.0

When I was in middle school, one of my favorite SNES games was Aerobiz Supersonic. From the name, one might assume it’s a game where the player takes control of an airplane and shoots down enemy planes.

Instead, it’s an economic simulator on how an airline is actually run. Somehow, I enjoyed playing this is age 13 and still do every once in a while.

How the hell is Aerobiz Supersonic, a rather dry economic game from Koei (better known now for the never ending Dynasty Warriors franchise), a fun game?

Well, for one, the interface is pretty minimalist and the goal to win the game is pretty simple on the surface of things: become the #1 airline in 5 continents. Each turn in the game equals to a financial quarter and the player gets to make decisions such as where to negotiate to open hubs for new flight destinations, how to tweak existing flight routes to strike a balance between profit and consumer loyalty, and order the most cost-effective planes possible.

Wow, what a boring description. How the hell is this a good game?

I have no idea, but somehow Koei makes it work. The soothing music is not unlike the muzak one hears in an airport, making gameplay less intense than if it had a heavy metal soundtrack. Koei did a very smart thing by making the game turn based so players could savor every tactic before ending their current turn, not unlike in a board game. You can play the game with friends, which makes it a good deal more fun, or against the computer, which manages to speed through its moves fairly quickly and be a competent sort of virtual opponent.

One of the things the game does well is to let players pick what time period they play the game in. This really only affects the kind of planes available, but it’s a nice change from just getting to select a difficulty level. In earlier eras of commercial airline travel, planes weren’t as fuel conscious as they are today, resulting in more expensive planes that couldn’t fly anywhere worth a damn. Just typing this review makes me want to play this game again (and I would, if I didn’t have to leave for work in 10 minutes).

If you have ever enjoyed a game from Maxis’ popular Sims series, or are a statistics maniac, or a turn based strategy game fan in general, try and track down Aerobiz Supersonic for a spin. It’s well worth your time and a bit more innovative than a lot of current games that are out.