Flight – General Aviation
Hello Kitty Adventure Island Airport Expansion
Not really a simulation, but we didn’t want FSX getting too complacent. Plus, the title just has us all excited! (Easy Dart, Kitty Adventure Island may not be what you imagine).
Microsoft FSX
Sleeper simulation made by a small upstart company that relied on word-of-mouth and Internet bloggers to sell their latest product. SimHQ review links here, here, here, here and here.
2006 Winner
Hello Kitty Adventure Island Airport Expansion. OK, get up off the floor and into your comfortable office-type chair, WE WERE KIDDING!
The real winner, deservedly so, is: Microsoft FSX.
Land and Armor Combat
America’s Army: Special Forces
The latest edition of the AA game required a completely new download that in some ways seemed to try and fix things that weren’t broken. Definitely still a great game, though.
Battlefield 2142
A solid game full of good fun, we look forward to the prequel set 18 years in the past, (as in Battlefield 2124).
Company of Heroes
Not only one of the best WWII ground combat themed games, it ranks as one of the best RTS games of all time.SimHQ review here.
Rainbow 6: Vegas
When is a console game good enough to be compared to a PC simulation? When it’s this one. SimHQ review link for PC here and Xbox 360 here..
Red Orchestra 2
The little mod that made the big time, for most of the SimHQ staff it gave a real appreciation for the phrase “On the Eastern Front, the average life expectancy of a rifleman was twelve seconds.” And yet we still play it online, it’s that good. But our life expectancy is about ten seconds. Go figure.
Steel Beasts Professional PE
Expensive at a $125 USD is probably the first thing many people think after deciding they must have this simulation, then the second and the third and so on things. But when the reality sets in, that this is a total armor simulation, key word simulation, as in what the military gets, you get it. And if you’re a wannabe tanker, you must have it. Add to that great support including patches and updates, and you have what is arguably the best Armor simulation ever. SimHQ review link.
The Regiment
While never released here in the good ole USA, it was available as an import; not as good as SWAT4, it was still a great tactical shooter. SimHQ review link.
2006 Winners
Flanking the enemy, Steel Beasts Professional PE takes the objective in the high-dollar end while Company of Heroes took the under $50 USD class.