Thomas the Tank Engine is geared mostly towards younger gamers, but older gamers will find some fun with this game too, especially those that watched the show or played with the toys. The basic premise of the game is that you play Thomas, the new kid on the block, and have to complete missions for your boss. To do this, you have to find your cargo somewhere in the level and deliver it to the station. The trick is, you only have so many rails to travel on, and sometimes train cars are blocking your way, or other trains are travelling on the rails that lead to your goal.
Avoiding these trains takes some getting used to, especially the express trains, but is not that hard to get the hang of. If a train hits you, you have to go back to the beginning of the level. If you were carrying cargo, you have to go back and find it again.
Also, along the way you may find little bonuses you can pick up that will affect you in different ways. The game has pretty simple graphics, as would be expected in such an old game. Most of the frustration will be trying to get your timing down to avoid the trains. The fact that you can move forward and backwards on the screen was very cool when it came
out, as you could go anywhere you wanted on the rails and explore, unlike the old school side scrollers where you had to move forward at all costs. The storyline is practically non-existent and the gameplay may get a little repetative at times, but again, that's to be expected in a game from this period of development. Suffice to say, it's one of those games that you can pick up and play for a little bit, and find that you have lost a lot more time than you thought you had. It is addictive, especially for kids.
Kids who have seen the show will love the fact that they can play with and interact with their favourite characters, and older players will be entertained by the nostalgia of the game. I first played this game on the Amiga and would spend so much time as a kid trying to get through all the levels without being interrupted by Henry or one of the other train friends that Thomas has.
In summation, Thomas the Tank Engine is a very enjoyable little game if you're looking for something simple to get you through the day.
