Game or Stress Inducer: We Review Air Traffic Chaos

One of the least likely occupations to be simulated in video games, is also one of the most stressful- the air traffic controller. On duty, a moment of inattention can mean the loss of hundreds of lives. Thankfully, the shifts in Air Traffic Controller, a new title for the Nintendo DS, are significantly shorter; usually in the area of ten to fifteen minutes.

While we have never had the chance to control the trajectories and altitudes of simultaneous aircraft, we have a strong hunch that ATC simplifies the process. In fact, the title of the game is a bit of misnomer- at least half the time you will be directing ground traffic. Surprisingly, most of our collisions came from jets slowly taxiing away and toward the gates, not midair. This led us to infer that pilots lose all the cerebral and visual skills as soon as the plane hits the tarmac. Remind us to take the train next time.

ATC’s top screen exudes detailed Japanese cuteness, from plump airliners, and miniaturized airports displayed in an isometric perspective. Superimposed on the screen, is the flight path for descending jets, which is used when you have multiple flight inbound. The bottom screen is all business, with a display board of departures and arrivals. One feature that added a bit of aeronautical flavor to the proceedings was the incorporation of a flipping flight board display, complete with the iconic sound of falling boards. The ATC sound track features garbled, yet intelligible tower to air communication, giving a bit of authenticity to the title.

Having an airline jet depart or land is a four step process. For departures, players first confirm routes by tapping a box to communicate between the tower and plane. Next, a runway is determined for the jet to taxi to. Once authorization if given to taxi to the runway, the plane waits for the ‘clear for takeoff’ confirmation. Finally, one most press confirms the departure with ground control. Landing a plane mirrors the process in reverse. With a minimal number of airliners onscreen, the game is a cakewalk. Player use the stylus to select flashing board entries and wait for commands. Once players move up in difficulty rankings, the game becomes much more immersive; with little time spent waiting. Additional difficulties, such as wind that requires planes to land in certain directions, complicate things further.

While there’s a sense of satisfaction in being able to manage the airports at the higher level of difficulties, the game didn’t feel wholly enjoyable to us. There is a systematic way of doing things in ATC, and once the player understands this, play feels…like work. After a while, ATC felt less like a game, than a simulation to teach us a very methodical flow chart. Gamers who played Full Spectrum Warrior or Brother in Arms may have experienced the sensation- when a game’s internal logical shows, it loses a majority of its ‘fun’ factor.