- Sensible Train Spotting
Infobox VG| title = Sensible Train Spotting
developer =Sensible Software
publisher =Sensible Software
designer =
engine =
released = August 1995"Amiga Power" issue 53 is dated September 1995 but, as with most magazines, was released late in the preceding month.]
genre = Train spotting simulator
modes =Single player
ratings =
platforms =Amiga
media = Floppy disk
requirements =
input = Keyboard,joystick "Sensible Train Spotting" is a
video game bySensible Software for theAmiga computer. It is Sensible Software's last ever Amiga game and was available only on an "Amiga Power "cover disk from issue 53, dated September 1995. Because of this, it is not nearly as famous as some of Sensible Software's earlier releases, such as "Sensible Soccer " and "Cannon Fodder "."Sensible Train Spotting" is the world's first ever computerized train spotting simulator. The game takes place at a
railway station , with a view looking over the train platforms. Varioustrain s pass through, each bearing a unique ID number. At the bottom of the screen is a checklist of train ID numbers, each of which must be selected by the player as the corresponding train appears. This must be done against a time limit, and attempting to record an incorrect number will result in a penalty. When all trains in the checklist have been spotted, the game moves on to the next level.Eight years later in
2003 , a PC games company called Demon Star released another train spotting simulator, called "Train Tracker". The company claimed their game was the first ever train spotting simulator, although the gameplay is nearly identical to "Sensible Train Spotting". British game journalist and former Sensible Software employee Stuart Campbell reacted to this by buying a fully registered copy of "Train Tracker" and making it freely downloadable from his web site, daring Demon Star to take legal action. [ [http://worldofstuart.excellentcontent.com/ripoff.htm STOP THE (RIP-OFF) EXPRESS] at worldofstuart.com.]There is also an [http://www.ratbike.org/tspotsim/ online game] which manages to avoid duplicating most of the gameplay features of the original, yet claims to bring "the power and excitement of one of the world's most favorite hobbies to your PC".
References
External links
* [http://hol.abime.net/4680 "Sensible Train Spotting" at the Hall of Light]
* [http://worldofstuart.excellentcontent.com/ripoff.htm Stuart Campbell's page about the Train Tracker issue] (has a link to download the coverdisk with the game on)
*moby game|id=/sensible-train-spotting
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