Everyone who aspires to be a pilot and take control of a real aircraft must get his/her hands on a flight stimulator game. Such games are extremely popular due to their uniqueness. They put the player in a real setting giving the control of a plane to fight enemies and move ahead. It’s a thrilling experience that is worth cherishing.

There are several flight stimulator games available for you to choose from. Some of them are ‘online’ that require no installation and can be played whenever you want to. Such stimulator games haven’t found a major success mainly because they lack a few good things. Due to them being essentially Flash games, there are no high quality graphics and variety to choose from. Most these games revolve around moving ahead and killing the enemy. There is not much to do and experience due to the limitations.

However, one does not need to worry as there are better solutions available. One franchise that stands out is the Microsoft’s Flight Stimulator. It is among the pioneers of such games and has found great success all over the world. It is one of the most comprehensive stimulator video games on the market today. Microsoft Flight Stimulator is the longest running software from the giant software house that now concentrates more on business software. Microsoft bought the game in early 1980s and it is today the longest running video game franchise in the world.

The makers have always come up with updates to give players more to look forward to. Things like these have helped this franchise reach this stage of popularity. Its latest edition, Flight Stimulator X, released in 2006 contains better graphics and functionality so that people can enjoy the game even more. The new version is compatible with the latest version of Windows and comes on two DVDs. In addition to this, the company has constantly released new add-ons to add more to the existing game. There are airports, aircrafts and other items that one can add to the game for more enjoyment.

The game offers a unique interface with high quality graphics. To add more realism, the game allows players to join networks and communicate with each other using voice and text functionality. This adds a new dimension to the game making it more interesting. Some experts think that the latest version is the most realistic flight stimulator games to have ever come up. Several reviewers even stated that it can be used for real-life flight training. All these qualities make this game a must have for everyone who wish to feel how it feels to take control of the throttle and call the shots.

The game has a legacy of its own with as much as seven Guinness World Records to its credit including: Longest Running Flight Sim Series, Most Expensive Home Flight Stimulator Cockpit, and Most Successful Flight Stimulator Games. Even though Microsoft has discontinued production of this game, its popularity denies dying down. It is still among the most widely played flight stimulator games. There are numerous websites dedicated to Flight Stimulator X add-ons and other information.

In 2010, Lockheed Martin announced buying the source code of the game from Microsoft and came up with their version called Prepar3d. The game based on the same source code is easily available, offering high quality gaming experience.