Airport Mania: First Flight

Genre: Arcade

Players: 1

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Review:

Airport Mania is an Arcade-style game released on PC in 2008 with the subtitle First Flight. This game was then ported to mobile devices in 2009, and then in 2010 it went to the Wii via the WiiWare service. When it came time to bring the game to the Nintendo’s handheld, the game got split up into two releases – a version with the subtitle Non-Stop Flights released on Nintendo DSi via the DSiWare service in early 2011, and then a version with the subtitle First Flight was released a few months later in 2011. Both of these games were later grandfathered into the Nintendo 3DS eShop when the Nintendo 3DS released.

At their core, the DSiWare versions of both First Flight and Non-Stop Flights feature the same basic gameplay and presentation, which has players directing planes at an airport from the air to a runway, to a gate, then back to a runway, possibly after repairs or refueling. This gameplay isn’t about creating paths or avoiding collisions so much as it is about time management – making sure no plane is waiting for the next step in its cycle for too long. Because of the strong similarities between the two games, I feel like any review of either at this point should note how it differs from its counterpart, meaning… that I’m going to be using the same writing to review both games.

What differentiates the two games is the overall game structure – Non-Stop Flights features only one airport, and it plays like an endless mode, with players continuing until they fail out of the game, aiming to survive as long as possible and building up a high score. Meanwhile, Non-Stop Flights is stage-based, with multiple states in a variety of different airports. Honestly, I don’t think either of these two games is necessarily better or worse than the other, but each has their own unique appeal. Having said that, I can’t help but feel like these two games each feel like they’re lacking the other half, and it almost feels like you need to get both to get the entire “Airport Mania experience”, so to speak.

Having said that, both games are fun, fast-paced, offer some good variety, as well as steady progression. There’s an upgrade tree that unlocks for both games that gives players the ability to upgrade their airport to suit their needs. This has advantages and disadvantages in both games – it’s certainly nice to have the freedom to choose your upgrade path, but in Non-Stop Flights it’s possible to choose an upgrade only to soon afterwards be faced with a dilemma that would have been more easily addressed if you purchased a different one instead. Meanwhile, First Flight gives players the opportunity to build up their airport over multiple sessions, but it can be frustrating to find that progress reset when you get to a new set of stages and an all-new airport.

Both games make use of an appealing, whimsical, colorful, cartoony presentation with goofy-looking cartoon planes with big eyes, and nothing really shown at a realistic scale. This is joined by silly nonsensical mumblings from the planes as you select them, and a lighthearted but forgettable soundtrack.

Overall, I like both Airport Mania: Non-Stop Flights and Airport Mania: First Flight, but I also can’t help but think that each of these games feels like half of a greater whole. Each features some good, fun, frenetic Arcade-style gameplay, but each also feels like a different game mode in the same game. If you’re looking for a fun time-waster, both games are well worth getting on Nintendo 3DS (especially since both are only $2), but unless you get both games I feel like you’re missing part of the experience.

tl;dr – Airport Mania is an Arcade-style game where players direct various aircraft and must manage time to ensure that none of them are waiting too long, with First Flight playing like a level-based campaign mode of the game. This is a fun and frenetic time-waster, but it feels incomplete without its other half. Thankfully, at $2 each, it’s easy enough to go ahead and get both games. If you’re looking for some lighthearted fun, that wouldn’t be a bad idea.

Grade: B-

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