November 27, 2001 - Taito, finally, has proven itself to be just as crazy as we have always thought it was. The unending stream of Densha De Go! games was probably enough, but just to hammer the point home, we now have Jet de Go! 2, a sequel to the little-known absurd-controller-bedecked PlayStation airliner simulation. Like its earthbound fellow, it apparently speaks to the deep desire buried in the Japanese cultural consciousness to deliver mass-transit vehicles to their destinations on time -- no combat or aerobatics are involved, just the calm, measured progress of passenger jetliners. Ours is not to reason why too heavily, but at least there's one good sign here. Perhaps an RC de Go! 2 is on the way...

But we were talking about jets, yes? Specifically, the passenger jets of Japan Air Lines, whose license is in full effect. It's possible to fly the following aircraft:

* Boeing 737-400
* Boeing 747-400/D
* Boeing 767-300
* Boeing 777-200/300
* DC-10-40 (for the old-school)

Available destinations now include the whole of Japan, including Hokkaido and Okinawa, which is a step forward from the original game, which only let you fly about the more well-traveled central areas of the country. Regardless of your destination, though, the routine of progress is simple. Take off, climb, cruise, descend, approach, land, repeat -- mind your glide slope during the last bit, but for the most part, the issue isn't maneuvering in the moment. Rather, you have to manage your progress over the course of the trip in order to make sure you land on time. ON TIME. Japan has some kind of strange obsession with things being On Time. Whatever the root of this, it certainly makes the Tokyo train system a joy. If you're some miserable gaijin twit who doesn't understand the importance of being On Time, you can pick the "Automatic" control setting, which takes care of a few more things automatically in comparison to the default Manual setup. Of course, those who desire a greater timeliness challenge can kick things up to Professional, which sure sounds like fun.

While up in the air, it's possible to view the flight from a great number of different angles. There's the pilot's seat, the co-pilot's seat (with an exciting new set of pretty winky lights and dials), and outside views from the top, front, and rear of the aircraft. There's also a variable Panorama view where you can orbit the plain and rotate the camera through 360 degrees.

The structure of flights is determined by the play mode you select, of which there are several. Scenario Mode offers a number of one-shot flight challenges, without all the details involved in a complete trip. Lesson Mode, operating along similar lines, teaches basic and advanced techniques with a series of short scenarios. Pilot Mode is the full-blown simulation, where you work your way up the ranks by performing as well as possible during your flight career, while the pleasantly named Freak Loose mode removes all constraints and lets you fly wherever you like (Crash Tokyo Tower! Whee!).

Even without those constraints, though, Ace Combat this ain't, even with the new generation of the wacky Jet de Go! controller (a new version is promised, although pictorial evidence isn't available yet). It has its appeal, though, given the success of the original in Japan, and the PS2 sequel's good looks should secure it a similar place in the hearts of the ever-punctual Japanese game fan. Expect more news on Jet de Go! as its Spring 2002 Japanese release approaches.