Game: "X-Plane."

Platform: Windows 98/2000/XP, Macintosh OS X, Linux.

Developer: Laminar Research.

Genre: Flight simulator.

Number of players: 1.

ESRB: E for everyone.

The premise: A flight simulator so realistic that the FAA has approved it in devices to log flight time for pilots in training.

Game play: The core of this product is utter realism. Most PC flight sims, including Microsoft's, are preprogrammed with how the software designers thought the plane should fly, which explains why a jumbo jet may seem almost as easy to maneuver as a small Cessna.

In contrast, "X-Plane" actually computes the flight behavior of the plane based on the aerodynamics of its size and shape. Payload distributions and ground interactions with landing gear are also computed. The cockpits are accurate, and even pilots are surprised that this simulator covers obscure systems failures that periodically deploy mid-flight.

There are also bonus scenarios such as dropping water on a forest fire, flying a helicopter to an oil rig, landing a fighter on an aircraft carrier in choppy water, and best of all, an eye-poppingly difficult simulation of the landing of the heaviest glider ever created: NASA's space shuttle. All are simulated in a realistic way that is unlike a video game — you'll often have to prepare for contingencies such as not catching the arresting gear on the carrier. There's even a scenario of a futuristic glider on Mars, complete with an accurate rendition of the ultra-thin atmosphere and low gravity.

"X-Plane" also includes extensive tools for designing your own airplanes and scenery.

Tips: Find the html manual and read it first, for you will find yourself in a cockpit on the runway with no idea what to do. There's a short tutorial on how to get airborne, and a few more on understanding your instruments, as well as how to do things real pilots do, such as communicating the flight plan with air traffic control and entering it into the autopilot.

To delve any further, the user forums at x-plane.org with tips and FAQs are required reading unless you are already a pilot in real life. Although X-Plane is flyable with a mouse alone and is compatible with most joysticks, the serious user can graduate to purchasing third-party peripherals such as throttles, yokes and pedals.

My take: "X-Plane" is serious stuff, and is not forgiving for casual use. The depth of available options is extraordinary, but the menus can be overwhelming and the learning curve is steep. If you're already a Microsoft "Flight Simulator" fan, this product may well be the next step.

Although the sounds are good and the graphics acceptable, "X-Plane's" strength is not that of a flying camera depicting a breathtakingly rendered landscape. It's about the plane. If that's what you want in a simulator, then "X-Plane" is for you.

Robert Uyeyama, a University of Hawai'i-Manoa graduate student, founded the Macintosh game site http://Macologist.org.