Whewwww… I think this game is the most addicting thing that you can do and still be legal to fly!

The Logisoft Air Control game runs on Google’s Android OS, and for this review I tested it out on a Droid X.  You’re milage may vary with other phones.  At the time of this post, Logisoft, a Denmark based company had three games out.

Air Control comes in two flavors, Air Control Lite and Air Control paid for 1.99 euros (abut $2.50 US).  The paid version will get you multiple runways including a cool aircraft carrier enviroment.

I’m warning you, this game is highly addictive. So downloading it may cause you to skip out on mowing the lawn, taking the trash out and possibly even simple things like taking showers and brushing your teeth. So be fore warned, if you download it – don’t say we didn’t warn you when your signifigant other leaves you or if your mom kicks your butt to the curve. Then again, that will leave you more time to play Air Control.

Getting Air Control installed is simple as hitting up Android Market and searching “Air Control”.  Mash the install button and you’ll be king controller in a flash.

Air Control starts up with the default airport with two runways and a heliport.  There are three kinds airplanes to land, prop jobs, jets and helicopters.  Of course the jets fly faster than the smaller propeller planes, and the helicopters slower still.  That’s what makes this game so challenging, you have to account for these things flying at different speeds.

The jets can only be directed to land on the long runway and the prop driven airplanes only to the shorter runway.  The helicopters must land at the heliport.  The planes can only be landed in one direction too.  This ups the challenge signifigantly.

You direct the planes to land by putting your finger on them and swiping your finger to the runway you want them to land on. You can also give them a flight path to fly that doesn’t go all the way to the runway.

In the beginning it’s pretty easy. Kind of like running the tower at 2AM and 50 miles out the tower clears you to land, and then clears you to “Taxi to park” in the next breath.

It will get tougher. Generally the game starts you out with a few of something, jets, props or heli’s. After you’ve landed 2 or 3 of those it will throuw in another type.  Pretty soon you’ll be juggling 8 or 10 planes at once!  When two planes get too close (oh and they will), they’ll blink red. If they collide, you’ll hear a “CRASH!” and it’s game over! No thee lives here like the old packman!

Like I said, this game is highly addictive.  You get one point for each plane or helicopter landed. First you will get 10 or 20 points. Then that’s not enough. Then you’ll work your way up to 30 or 40.  That’s when it keeps sucking you in. You play untill your battery is dead, then when your Droid is charging you’ll be thinking “why oh why didn’t I see that helicopter smash into that jet!”

At the end of the game, it will tell you what level you’ve made it too. Don’t get discouraged. After 1200 hours of flight time, and 600 hours of being a flight instructor, I’ve just made it out of “wanna be” pilot status to full fleged “private pilot” status.

When playing this game, it helps to be like real air traffic control. Don’t give the planes landing instructions too far out. Just get them headed in the right direction. That way you won’t forget about them, and they won’t run into things.

Don’t be afraid to redirect traffic, and I try and organize my traffic into traffic patterns with some sort of flow.  Whoever the area contoller is, seriously needs to be fired. Planes will come from every direction! I also like to use the pause button (lower right).  I use it for two things, checking out the traffic when it’s really busy and also for when I get inturrupted by the family. You know to take the trash out, among other things.

So maybe you can be addicted to Air Control and still stay married, we’ll see.

I’d rate this game a “gotta have”, even if you just get the free edition.  But consider getting the paid app.  It’ll support development and maybe even another cool app or two.

Links: Logisoft on Facebook, Logisoft Homepage