by Pam Thompson

Created on: April 23, 2008   Last Updated: April 27, 2008

I just whiled away the past several hours with my four sons playing the delightful new game from Reflexive, Airport Mania.

In general I am a huge fan of any game with mania in the title, because that generally promises a time management game with the potential for chaos. Airport Mania certainly is not a disappointment.

I was not initially impressed by the childish graphics, including airplanes with googly eyes. But after playing through the well written and enjoyable tutorial, I was hooked on this game. Airport Mania is masterfully written and presented so that the whole family can enjoy the game. Even my youngest child enjoyed watching the planes land and take off.

Airport Mania offers 84 levels of game play at eight different airports, which start off at the small community level airports to sprawling metropolitan airports. As you progress through levels you can add increasingly large and profitable airplanes to your fleet and you can purchase upgrades for your airports that make take offs and landings smoother.

Airport Mania is no simplistic time management game. Like other games in this genre the airports and planes become increasingly more difficult to manage, and completing all levels at the three star level is said to be impossible, but can be an enjoyable challenge.

The graphics for this game, though cartoonish, are effective and entertaining as well. The backgrounds have interesting themes, and there is a surprise to be found in every level. I especially look forward to finding and unlocking the super secret paper airplane level.

The music blends well with the game and the different themes of airports and the ambient sounds are entertaining and enjoyable.

I found this game to be both creative and extremely enjoyable. I have a relative who is very knowledgeable about both airplanes and airports and I suspect that she will enjoy hours of diversionary fun with Airport Mania.

There are so many time management games available, and while I enjoy many of them, I rarely find one that makes both me, and my sons willing to part with money for them. My 12 year old son played the game for the last two minutes of the sixty minute free trial and handed me $10 to go towards the $19.99 purchase price. In my opinion, that speaks volumes for this game!

I rate Airport Mania a 5/5 for amusingly, frustratingly, fun, game play! A huge thumbs up to Reflexive Games, you've wowed me once again.

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