Airport Madness: Time Machine
- September 18, 2015
- Big Fat Simulations Inc.
- 9h median play time
Get on SteamIn "Airport Madness: Time Machine," players step into the role of an air traffic controller at a small grass airfield in 1925. As the game progresses, they'll witness the airport develop into a major international airport through 1970, watching as historic aviation events and milestones unfold. It's a journey through time, showcasing the evolution of aviation technology and airport infrastructure.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Engaging gameplay that offers a unique historical perspective on aviation, allowing players to manage air traffic across different eras.
- Excellent artwork and charming graphics that enhance the immersive experience, along with a well-executed sound design that complements the gameplay.
- Addictive and fun, with a good balance of challenge and strategy, making it a great stress reliever and casual game.
- The game is plagued by numerous bugs, including issues with planes getting stuck, taxiing at slow speeds, and erratic behavior during landings, which can lead to frustrating gameplay.
- Lacks the depth and features of its predecessor, Airport Madness 4, with limited content and replayability, making it feel less polished overall.
- Some gameplay mechanics are counterintuitive, such as the inability to control runway assignments for takeoffs, leading to random and frustrating collisions.
- graphics8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are generally praised for their charming artwork and detailed animations, effectively bringing aircraft and airports to life. However, some users noted issues with small sprites that can be difficult to spot, occasional flickering, and a lack of certain graphical features, leading to a mixed overall impression. While the visuals are simple and functional, they may not meet the expectations of all players.
“The game's graphics are charming and well-executed, with colorful and detailed animations bringing the various aircraft and airports to life.”
“I still need to finish the fantasy era, which has some more nice graphics (trains going around).”
“There are some bugs, but the artwork is excellent and there are plenty of levels to power through.”
“Graphically, the game is okay, but the sprites on certain levels are incredibly small. Green planes flying over fields can be particularly hard to spot, even with their silhouettes. On some of the space-age levels, these silhouettes occasionally flicker, which can prove somewhat off-putting!”
“There were certain graphical features I wish this game had.”
“Visually, the game is really underwhelming, but the graphics do their job.”
- gameplay7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
"Airport Madness: Time Machine" offers a diverse and engaging gameplay experience, allowing players to manage air traffic from biplanes to modern jets while incorporating historical events for added depth. However, the game suffers from frustrating glitches and mechanics that can lead to unrealistic collisions, detracting from the overall experience. Players are advised to be cautious due to these bugs, which can make gameplay feel counterintuitive.
“From guiding biplanes in the early 20th century to managing sophisticated jets in the present day, 'Airport Madness: Time Machine' offers a diverse and exciting gameplay experience.”
“The addition of historical events and milestones adds depth to the gameplay, making each level feel both challenging and informative.”
“It's a very good game and provides a good gameplay equivalent of being an air traffic controller.”
“Downsides are that sometimes traffic glitches (flies at taxi speed or doesn't follow taxiway routes) and also, it feels like there are mechanics to engineer collisions (for example, two aircraft landing of the same type. You tell number 1 to expedite vacating, yet halfway down the runway it slows down. The second one doesn't slow down and collides; it's stupid, as pilots would never do this in reality).”
“Just some frustrating mechanics and bugs.”
“Do not buy this game on its own as it contains bugs that make gameplay perform strange and counterintuitive.”
- stability7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, including landing and taxiway glitches, erratic traffic behavior, and collision mechanics that feel unrealistic. Many players find the experience frustrating, especially when compared to more polished versions of similar games. Overall, while some still find it entertaining, the prevalence of bugs significantly detracts from the gameplay experience.
“Some annoying bugs, including the occasional landing and taxiway glitches.”
“Downsides are that sometimes traffic glitches (flies at taxi speed or doesn't follow taxiway routes) and also, it feels like there are mechanics to engineer collisions. For example, two aircraft landing of the same type: you tell number 1 to expedite vacating, yet halfway down the runway it slows down. The second one doesn't slow down and collides; it's frustrating, as pilots would never do this in reality.”
“If you get this as part of a bundle, expect some frustration over this buggy mess compared to the crisp and well-polished game that is AM: World Edition.”
- music6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game features well-crafted, era-appropriate music that enhances the experience of each level, with options to toggle it on or off. Users appreciate the attention to detail in the music, which reflects the pop tunes of the respective time periods, although it is noted that the tracks are limited to looping pieces. Overall, the music adds a rich layer to the game's historical setting.
“The various time periods are really well designed, with perfect era-appropriate music and well-researched aircraft.”
“There's music that recalls pop tunes of each time period.”
“Even the music changes, depending on the decade.”
“The music is limited to looping time period pieces.”
“There's music that recalls pop tunes from each time period.”
“Even the music changes depending on the decade.”
- story4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game's story features a progression through various eras, from a simple grass field to expansive modern airports, but it is generally considered unimportant and a step back from its predecessor, Airport Madness 4. While there are bonus missions set in steampunk and futuristic settings, the narrative does not significantly enhance the gameplay experience.
“Even though it holds its own well by introducing different eras and progressive mission-style levels, it feels like a step back from the excellent Airport Madness 4 version.”
“+ progressive difficulty missions (from a humble grass field to huge modern airports)”
“This game has a story, but it's unimportant.”
“Even though it holds its own well by introducing different eras and progressive mission-style levels, unfortunately, it feels like a step back from the excellent Airport Madness 4 version.”
“After you complete 1970, there are some bonus missions set in a steampunk 1800s and a futuristic 2100s airport.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
While some users find the game short with limited content, others appreciate its depth and replayability, suggesting it can be enjoyable to revisit. However, comparisons to its predecessor indicate that it may not offer as much replay value, leading some to recommend the earlier title for a more fulfilling experience.
“It could be considered rather short (I have 9 hours played and have completed the game!), but it's also very easily replayable and quite in-depth!”
“If you are considering exploring the genre, I would recommend its predecessor, Airport Madness 4. For a small price increase, you'll get a lot more fun and replayability out of it.”
“- not enough content and little replayability value”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by catchy newspaper article titles that provide a lighthearted touch, though it is noted to be somewhat limited. Overall, players find the game amusing, likening its humor to that typically found in mobile or browser games.
“The game features some limited injection of humor in the form of catchy newspaper article titles.”
“It's a funny game, but it feels more like a mobile or browser type experience.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to the inability to select a runway for takeoff and the cumbersome method of dragging the plane to the landing runway.
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's optimization allows players to replay years for improved performance and additional stars, but this is not essential since there are no achievements tied to these actions.
“You can earn more stars by replaying certain years with improved performance, but it's not necessary since there are no achievements tied to this.”
“The optimization mechanics allow for strategic planning, making each playthrough feel unique and rewarding.”
“I love how the game encourages you to refine your strategies and optimize your resources for better outcomes.”
“You can get more stars if you replay some years with better performance, but it is not necessary as there are no achievements here.”
“The game feels unoptimized, leading to frustrating lag and performance drops during critical moments.”
“Despite having a great concept, the lack of optimization makes it hard to enjoy the gameplay experience.”
