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GAMES Air Traffic Controller (Airport Hero)
Air Traffic Controller (Airport Hero) Review
Posted: 13 months ago.
Author: @GeekDadGamer and Jo Robertson.
Overview
Play involves making decisions about how planes are allowed to land at your airport. You choose which runway is best based on wind direction, terminal, other air traffic and the business of the airport. You also need to manage planes on the ground to taxi them to the runways for takeoff, or to the gate to disembark.
It's both complicated and slow. On the earlier games (like the 3DS versions) you can't speed up the time between decisions that means you are often waiting for planes to arrive before the next decision is required. However, this quirky commitment to realism is part of the charm.
You are limited in how you can view proceedings and must often make decisions (when they arrive) with minimal time and information. As you do this you learn about the various stages a plane goes through from first entering airspace, being guided in by the tower, negotiating land and then taxiing to the gate.
As you progress you are faced with busier airports and different times of day. Unexpected events, like emergency landings or change of wind direction, raise the stakes further. You can have everything all perfectly balanced and then find a plane has a failed take off and you need to quickly reorganising the other air traffic.
The game started on PC with four versions spanning 1998 to 2020, originally called Air Traffic Controller but latest version named I am an Air Traffic Controller 4. It also became popular on PlayStation Portable, Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS and 3DS:
- Airport Hero (2006) PSP
- Air Traffic Chaos (2007) Nintendo DS
- Airport Hero 3D (2012) Nintendo 3DS with versions for Honolulu, Narita, Naha Premium and Osaka KIX
- Airport Hero 3D All Stars (2015) Nintendo 3DS with versions for Narita, Haneda and Kansai Airports
Game Details
Release Date: 01/01/1998, updated in 2020
Platforms: 3DS and 2DS, DS, PC and PSP
Content Rating: PEGI 3
Skill Rating: 14+ year-olds
Players: 1
Genres: Sequencing, Strategy and Simulation
Components: 2D Overhead, Day and Night and Weather
Developer: Techno Brain Jpn (@TechnoBrainJpn)
Lists
View our choice of games like Air Traffic Controller (Airport Hero). This game is good if you want to:
Duration
Play Style
You can play this game in the following styles:
This has been enjoyed by families in the following styles:
Benefits
This game has been the inspiration for the following activities:
Age Ratings
Skill Rating
14+ year-olds usually have the required skill to enjoy this game. You need patience, forward planning and three dimensional thinking to do well in this game. Older children enjoy this challenge and the sense of doing a grown up role.
Our Game Pathways reveal how 14-year-olds play this game:
- 14-year-old: Logistics of Airports
Costs
- In-Game Purchases: Additional in-game purchases are offered for items that enhance the experience.
It's important to set up your accounts and devices appropriately. More information is on our Financial Resources page.
Accessibility
We haven't documented accessibility features for this game yet. Our Air Traffic Controller (Airport Hero) Accessibility Report details system-wide settings that may help, and suggests similar games with accessibility features. Tweet the developer (@TechnoBrainJpn) to let them know about our Accessibility Questionnaire.
Diversity and Inclusion
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