Airport Mania: First Flight Review
Price: 500 Wii Points
Time management games are a popular part of casual gaming. They are quick, easy, and addictive, and we have Diner Dash to blame for the endless incarnations that are out based on this genre alone. Airport Mania is an interesting take on the time management variety; there’s no cafes or food or babies in this one. You’re in charge of landing and managing planes, loading them up with passengers and sending the flights on their merry way. As you progress into each stage, the airports become busier especially with added elements such as repairs, fuel stations, repainting, and even in-flight movies.
If this concept sounds familiar, that’s because it is based off a PC game that was also released on the iPhone as well. However, instead of some lazy, uninspired ports that we’ve seen on Wiiware, this one is actually worth its Wii Points. The controls are simple, just point and click at what you want to operate. The colourful, cute graphics are appealing to the eye. More importantly, the game involves more depth than you’d expect for casual gaming.
After each stage, you are given the chance to buy upgrades for your airport, including more gates, more room, and upgraded gates. You can earn bonuses for more efficiency such as chaining your take-offs and landings, early arrivals and departures, and treating special planes with the care they deserve which leads to a higher score – which means you get to purchase more upgrades in the long run. With these aspects, there’s an appropriate amount of depth for different skill levels.
The Final Verdict
Airport Mania is definitely one of the better games out there for the Wiiware platform. It’s not often that we see Wiiware titles that work well in both concept and gameplay, and while Airport Mania is based on a simple concept, it’s executed well. While it may be a little too easy for seasoned gamers, it’s still an enjoyable ride, especially at its low price point.
By Jeann Wong
We say: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED