| A-Train | |
|---|---|
 European cover art ofA-Train 6 | |
| Genre(s) | Business simulation |
| Developer(s) | Artdink |
| Publisher(s) | |
| Platform(s) | |
| First release | A-Train 1985 |
| Latest release | A-Train All Aboard! Tourism 2021 |
A-Train (A列車で行こう,Ē Ressha de Ikō, lit.Take the A-Train) is a series ofbusiness simulationvideo games developed and published by Japanese game developerArtdink in Japan. The first game in the series was published in 1985.[citation needed] The first release in the United States wasTake the A-Train II, published in 1988 by the Seika Corporation under the titleRailroad Empire. However, the most well known U.S. release isTake the A-Train III, published in 1992 byMaxis as simplyA-Train. There is also the spin-off titleC.E.O.[citation needed]
| 1985 | A-Train |
|---|---|
| 1986 | |
| 1987 | |
| 1988 | A-Train II |
| 1989 | |
| 1990 | A-Train III |
| 1991 | |
| 1992 | |
| 1993 | A-Train IV |
| 1994 | |
| 1995 | |
| 1996 | A-Train 5 |
| 1997 | |
| 1998 | |
| 1999 | A-Train Z |
| 2000 | A-Train 6 |
| 2001 | A-Train 2001 |
| 2002 | |
| 2003 | A-Train The 21st Century |
| 2004 | |
| 2005 | A-Train 7 |
| 2006 | A-Train EZ |
| A-Train HX | |
| 2007 | |
| 2008 | A-Train 8 |
| 2009 | A-Train DS |
| 2010 | A-Train 9 |
| 2011 | |
| 2012 | |
| 2013 | |
| 2014 | A-Train 3D |
| 2015 | |
| 2016 | A-Train PC Classic |
| 2017 | A-Train Express |
| 2018 | |
| 2019 | |
| 2020 | |
| 2021 | A-Train All Aboard! Tourism |
The first iteration of the A-Train series was released in December 1985 for theFM-7,NEC PC-8801,NEC PC-9801,X1 Turbo,MZ-2500,Famicom, andMSX2. AMicrosoft Windows port followed in April 2000.[citation needed]
The second iteration of the A-Train series was released in July 1988 for the NEC PC-9801 andX68000. In the US, it was released under the nameRailroad Empire.[1]
Take the A-Train III (known internationally asA-Train) is the third game in the A-Train series. It was originally developed and published by Japanesegame developerArtdink for Japan, and was later published byMaxis for the United States. It was originally released in December 1990 for the NEC PC-9801,FM Towns Marty,X68000, andPC Engine (TurboGrafx-16).[2] The US version was released in October 1992 on DOS and Amiga.[3] Later, the Japanese version was re-released in March 2000 forWindows 95 and98. Artdink ported the A-Train III along with the editor to Windows 95, and published both titles as a package as the 3rd ARTDINK BEST CHOICE title in Japan.[citation needed]
The game puts players in command of a railway company. There are no rival companies; the player controls the only one in the city and the game is resultingly fairly open-ended. A-Train III is the first game in the series to make use ofnear-isometricdimetric projection to present the city, similar to Maxis's laterSimCity 2000.[4] There are two types of transport that the player's company can take: passengers or building materials. The former is more likely to be profitable, but building materials allow the city to grow. Wherever the building materials are delivered, they can be taken and used to construct buildings for the city. These start with houses, but eventually, as an area grows, roads, and shops and other buildings are built. These can provide extra revenue for a passenger service, but also allowing the city to develop and grow can be seen as a goal in itself. As well as the buildings built by the computer, in response to the materials being present, the player can construct their own buildings, such as ski resorts and hotels, and make profits from them if the conditions are right, and if these areas are populated enough.[citation needed]
A.III. Map Construction, known internationally asA-Train Construction Set, is an editor that can change existing saved games, or to build landscapes from scratch. It comes with 6 sample maps. Maxis also published A-Train Construction Set with A-Train as a single package in Europe, without the Ocean Software label.[citation needed]
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Dragon | DOS:  [5] |
| Famitsu | PC Engine: 29 / 40[6] |
| GamesMaster | Amiga: 82%[7] |
| Datormagazin [sv] | Amiga: 92%[8] |
| Svenska Hemdatornytt [sv] | DOS: 94%[9] |
| The One | Amiga: 90%[10] |
| Publication | Award |
|---|---|
| Codie award | Best Strategy Program[11] |
Computer Gaming World's reviewer stated in 1992 that while he enjoyed the financial and management aspects ofA-Train, "many people will miss out on a fine program because of a steeply graded learning curve".[12]The game was reviewed in 1992 inDragon #187 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game 4 out of 5 stars.[5] In 1993 the game received aCodie award from theSoftware Publishers Association for Best Strategy Program.[11]A-Train's isometric, tile-based graphics and animated elements inspired the visual style Maxis went on to adopt forSimcity 2000 in 1993.[4]
In 1994,PC Gamer UK namedA-Train III the 46th best computer game of all time. The editors wrote, "Fascinating, absorbing and now quite cheap,A-Train is worth a place in any games collection—and don't be put off by the subject matter. It's brilliant fun."[13]
A Ressha de Ikō MD (Ａ列車で行こうＭＤ, "MD A-Train") is a simulation game involving the construction of a railroad in order to boost the city's mass transit system.[citation needed] The game was released to an exclusively Japanese market; with no release ever being attempted for the North American or European markets.
The player must use the resources at hand to build a railroad connecting the two ends of a map in each scenario. A train can be controlled throughout the day (05:00–17:00) while building new tracks and stations. Nighttime activities (17:00–05:00) involve changing train schedules to better suit the needs of the player's growing mass transportation hub. New developments will spring up around the tracks and stations. This permits the player to increase the amount of money that can earn; resulting in the increased ability to build railroad tracks and stations for the growing city. Five scenarios offer a tutorial mode for first-time players, an extremely hard scenario for veterans, and three more scenarios for players in between the two extremes in difficulty levels. Players can play using speeds that range from slow to normal to fast.[citation needed]
Released in December 1993 for the NEC PC-9801,FM Towns Marty,Windows 3.1 andWindows 95. It was later re-released on March 17, 2000, forWindows 95 and98 under the titleA-Train 4 15th Anniversary, and again on March 26, 2004, under the nameA-Train 4 XP, this time including support forWindows 2000 andXP. Related versions include the Japan-only console launch title releaseAIV: Evolution in December 1994 for thePS1 andAIV: Evolution Global (released under the titleA-Train in North America), also for the PS1, and re-released in January 2007 for thePSP andPS3 andAIV Network$ (known asC.E.O. in North America) in 1995 forMS-DOS and Windows 3.1.[citation needed] Also released in North America was the "A Train Evolution Pack", which included the PlayStation version ofAIV: Evolution Global, aPlayStation Mouse, anA Trainmousepad, and a PlayStation memory card.[14]
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | 28 / 40 (PS1)[15] |
| Famitsu | 9 / 10 (PS1)[16] 31 / 40 (PS1)[17] |
| Next Generation | (PS1)[14] |
| Famitsu PS | 27 / 40 (PS1)[18] |
| Joypad [fr] | 84% (PS1)[19] |
| Video Games (magazine) [de] | 83%[20] |
On release,Famitsu PS scored the Japanese PlayStation version ofAIV: Evolution a 27 out of 40.[18] Five months later,Famitsu magazine's Reader Cross Review gave it a 9 out of 10,[16] and the following weekFamitsu scored it a 31 out of 40.[17][21] The four reviewers ofElectronic Gaming Monthly were divided about the PlayStation version ofAIV: Evolution Global; Andrew Baran and Mark Lefebvre described it as an addictive and pleasantly time-consuming simulation, while Mike Desmond and Sushi-X felt it to be dull compared to most simulation games, especially other Maxis titles. They scored it 28 out of 40 (average 7 out of 10).[15] Like Desmond and Sushi-X,GamePro felt the game "just doesn't roll with the same FunFactor of other sim games."[22]Next Generation said it was "a quality management title. Unlikely to set the world aflame, however."[14]
Released in December 1996 in Japan forWindows 95, this was the first A-Train game to use3D graphics with aPowerVRgraphics accelerator. It was re-released in December 1997, this time including support for theDirectX andDirect3DAPIs for the Windows release, and at the same time saw its debut on thePS1. The PS1 version was re-released in April 2007 for thePSP andPS3.[citation needed]
Released in May 1999 in Japan for thePS1, this was a re-imagining of the first game's setting and objectives, using the 3D engine of A5. A reworked version with an anime aesthetic was released onPSP in June 2006.
Released in March 2000 in Japan for thePlayStation 2 as a launch title. The game sold over 1 million units in Japan.[23] The game was later published in Europe during 2004. A-Train 6 features improved graphics over A-Train 5, as well as the ability to play the game entirely in the 3D view across six different regions, each with a task for the player to meet before progressing.
The game also includes a train viewer, and the ability to replay completed levels with trains that have already been unlocked. The player starts each level with ¥10,000,000,000, and will fail the level if their funding goes into the red.
There are 38 different trains available for the player to use in four categories. Commuters have high passenger capacities, suburban trains have generally slightly lower capacities but are faster, express trains have the lowest passenger capacities but are often the fastest, and freight trains, which haul cargo from industries which can be delivered into commercial and residential areas to boost growth.
Released in May 2001 in Japan for thePS2,A-Train 2001 is an improvement overA-Train 6.[citation needed] The game and its dependencies can be installed on the system's hard disk drive. Also, for the first time, people were featured in the game.
Released on June 19, 2003, in Japan forWindows, this is essentially a rebadged PC version ofA-Train 2001.
Released on theDoCoMo 504i/505i/506i/900mobile phones as a service planning game and distributed byHudson Soft. Players had to pay a monthly fee to access the game. The game is no longer available as of March 2012.[citation needed]
Marketed as the 20th anniversary title for the A-Train series, it revives the "urban development" gameplay that had been missing sinceA-Train 5. It was released in Japan on June 26, 2005, forWindows 2000,XP andVista. Several expansion packs were released for the game.[citation needed]
Released by the mobile phone companyau by KDDI on theBREW platform in January 2006 and distributed byHudson Soft,A-Train EZ is similar toA-Train in that it is also a service planning game.[citation needed]
A-Train HX (A列車で行こうHX,A Ressha de Ikou HX) is arailroad simulation for theXbox 360. It was released on December 21, 2006, in Japan, supportinghigh definition graphics (720p resolution) andXbox Live support for uploading and downloading maps and leaderboards. It is also the first title published byArtdink under theA-Train name for the Japanese market. It was also released in Europe.
The gameplay is similar toA-Train 7, but it has a full 3D view that was previously used in A-Train The 21st Century. However, it comes with map editor as a standard feature. Custom maps can be shared through Xbox Live. Additional Xbox Live features includes leaderboards which contain "Total Capital", "Population" and "Time to 1 Trillion Yen" categories for each map. The Xbox Live features can be used with an Xbox Live Silver account.
Artdink offered over 150 types of trains for sale inXbox Live Marketplace, based on real-life Japanese trains. The game itself comes with the following trains designed by Artdink: AR3 (Commuter), AR4 (Express), AR5 (LimitedExpress), AR7 (LimitedExpress), ARX (LimitedExpress), U-Shape (Subway), DC4 (Cargo), EC6 (CargoExpress), 186Exp (SuperExpress), Linear (SuperExpress). Before the release of Taiwan version, publisher TTIME Technology held a paper train model contest for winning the game.[24]
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Eurogamer | 2 / 10[25] |
| Famitsu | 27 / 40[26] |
| Official Xbox Magazine (UK) | 3 / 10[27] |
| Xbox World | 60%[28] |
Eurogamer reported that they liked the music inA-Train HX, but concluded that "A-Train HX is badly designed, poorly presented, overcomplicated and utterly tedious", giving it a score of just 2/10.[25]Official Xbox 360 Magazine gave it a slightly better score of 3/10. However, they still called it "The most confusing train wreck of a game ever".[27]
Released on March 21, 2008, in Japan for Windows, the game was also released in Europe.[29] The game was released on Steam worldwide on September 18, 2013.[30]
A-Train DS was released on April 23, 2009, in Japan for theNintendo DS for 5500 yen. The game featuring touch screen controls and became the first handheld title in the series to have the 3D train view.[31]
A-Train 9 was released on February 11, 2010, in Japan, and on March 15, 2012, worldwide by UIG Entertainment under the namesThe Train Giant in English andDer Bahn Gigant in German. It is compatible withWindows XP,Vista,7 and10, and is also compatible with the said64-bit versions. Two Japan-only building kits were released, the first on October 8, 2010, and the second on December 23, 2010. The Japan version also includes a 3D patch costing ¥1050 that can be played using3D glasses, and the German version includes anunofficial patch that adds 200 trains to the game on top of the existing 11 trains. This also includes a digital manual featuring how-to-play instructions on urban growth, development and financial management, which are the carried-over core game components.
A-Train 9 includes buses and trucks, grouped by distances they travel and the work they manage (e.g. intercity, local, heavy goods, etc.),power plants, Japanese castles and more authentic-looking Japanese buildings.
On December 7, 2012,A-Train 9 Version 2.0: Professional Edition was released in Japan, supporting Windows XP, Vista, 7 and8. It is available inDVD format as well as asoftware patch which users of the originalA-Train 9 can upgrade to. Version 2.0 includes all content from the two expansion packs intended for the original A-Train 9 plus several new buildings and trains, as well as several bug fixes. Three DLCs were released forThe Train Giant starting on August 1, 2012, with "Shanghai". "Boston" and the "Elbe Estuary" were to follow but are impossible to find.[citation needed] "The Train Giant" can be purchased on eBay for about $10–15. The version with a "3" on the cover contains the three DLCs. On June 29, 2014, a second new version, entitledA-Train Version 3.0: Railway Simulator was later released. This version was then released worldwide on October 10, 2014, viaSteam, although due to licensing issues fewer real life trains are available from the Japanese version.[citation needed]
On October 21, 2015,A-Train 9 Version 4.0: Japan Rail Simulator was released on Steam, supporting Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8.1 and 10.
On September 6, 2018,A-Train Version 5.0: Final was released in Japan, supporting Windows 7, 8.1 and 10. No English version of the game has been released thus far.
Originally planned for 2011,A-Train 3D was released in Japan on February 13, 2014, in North America on April 14, 2015, and in Europe on April 16, 2015, asA-Train 3D: City Simulator. It was published byNatsume Inc. for theNintendo eShop onNintendo 3DS. Nintendo eShop pre-orders also received the soundtrack.
Based onA-Train 3D,A-Train PC Classic was released in Japanese on Steam on December 14, 2016. On June 8, 2017, the English version was officially released.[32]
A-Train Express, a port ofA-Train 9 withPlayStation VR support, was released in Japan for thePlayStation 4 on December 21, 2017.[33] In January 2019, the game received a rating fromESRB signaling publisher Degica Games intent on bringing the game to the United States.[34] It was subsequently released by Limited Run Games on May 22, 2019.[35]
A-Train All Aboard! Tourism was released worldwide on March 12, 2021, forNintendo Switch. Published by Artdink themselves, it was first announced on February 12, 2020, via Artdink's Twitter account as a "Switch version of A-Train", the latest game for Nintendo systems following the 3DS version.[36] Following shortly after the game's announcement. Artdink revealed the new secretary character, designed by Yuji Himukai,[37] best known for character design works for theEtrian Odyssey series, and also work as the character designer for this game.
On October 28, 2020. It was revealed that the game's official Japanese title isA-Train Hajimaru Kankou Keikaku, and it will come out in 2021 in Japan.[38] On January 6, 2021. The game's release date was revealed to be March 12, 2021. And it would support Japanese, English, Traditional / Simplified Chinese, and Korean language.[39]
On January 14, 2021. The game's official English website was opened. The game's official English title was revealed asA-Train All Aboard! Tourism.[40] The game was also revealed to be a simultaneous worldwide release, with both physical and digital releases available in Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, and digital releases everywhere else on launch.
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