Train Simulator is a Japanesetrain simulationgame series produced by Ongakukan. The game is significant as it was one of the earliest of its kind since the series started in 1995. No versions were licensed outside of Asia, therefore all of Train Simulator games are only available in Japanese, except which is also translated in Traditional Chinese and English. The original Train Simulator series was designed from technology which was previously used to develop the Ongakukan product "Touch the Music by Casiopea", which synchronized video with audio. This particular game was based on music from the jazz fusion band Casiopea, whose keyboard player at the time, Minoru Mukaiya, was, and is, also the CEO of Ongakukan. With Train Simulator Ongakukan filmed video from the cab of a train on the desired railway and recorded sounds from that train. Later when the simulation had been completed and was running on a PC, the video would be displayed in a silver metallic box and the sounds would be played according to what was happening at that particular moment in the simulation. The video for the original Train Simulator series of games was 308×156 pixels at 30 frames per second using Intel Indeo 2video compression and AVI file container. Each game contains Japanese lines and trains, with the exception of four episodes located overseas, in Germany, France, United States of America and Taiwan. Video shot from the cab of the train synchronized with the computer is used as a basis for simulation. Ongakukan have endeavoured to produce true to life simulation with much technical details, and since 2005, Ongakukan has started producing professional simulators for driver training.
Versions
Six distinct series of the game have been produced through a decade:
The Train Simulator Plus series was designed for the Windows system and its releases were limited to Japan. The first episodes were published by Pony Canyon while the last one was published by Ongakukan.
Released on PlayStation Portable system from 2005 to 2006 and available in Japan and Asia. The first episode was co-developed with rival series Densha de Go! producer Taito..
2005.02: Mobile Train Simulator ＋ Densha de GO!: Tokyo Kyuko Line
2006.02: Mobile Train Simulator: Keisei, Toei Asakusa, Keikyu lines
''Railfan'' (2006–2007)
The latest series was renamed Railfan, it started in 2006 and was designed for the PlayStation 3 system. The first episode introduced in December 2006 was developed by Ongakukan and published by Ongakukan in Japan, by Sony Computer Entertainment in Asia and by Cyberfront Korea in South Korea.
2006.12:
2007 Railfan Taiwan Koutetsu released in Japan late 2007 for PlayStation 3, published by Ongakukan. The game simulates the early-2007 high speed rail line in Taiwan, from Taipei to Saei. The game provides a simulation of a train moving at 300 km/hour and details of 300 locations.
Controllers
A number of external controllers with realistic controls have been manufactured for use with the games:
