Jet de Go! What is it?

While I'm stuck during the Covid-19 pandemic, hear is a bonus blog on what I think is most interesting flight simulators on a home game console.

Over my years of using flight simulators from Microsoft, I wanted to try something different than that platform on PC. As we are preparing for the upcoming Microsoft Flight Simulator on PC and Xbox One (or Xbox Series X), let's like to take a look back into the 1990's from other flight simulators on home video game consoles.

Jet de Go is an arcade flight simulator originally released in 1999 developed by Taito behind classic arcade titles Puzzle Bubble series. Jet de Go was released only in Japan for the PlayStation, Game Boy Colour and Bandai Wonderswan. It was also released for the PC later on in 2003 so we're going to focus on the PlayStation version.

Jet de Go franchise is all based on Japan Airlines with fleets on various difficulty. The fleets on this game are, BAe Jetstream, Boeing 767-300, Boeing 747, Boeing 777-300, McDonnell Douglas MD-11 and unlock-able planes such as Boeing 737-400. I can't find any information if these planes on Jet de Go are licensed by The Boeing Company, McDonnell Douglas Corporation (for GPWS & Warning sounds as well as aircraft modeling) and British Aerospace Plc I guess they are from the developer Taito.

During the gameplay from beginner to middle difficulty, you are on the runway waiting for takeoff & make cabin crew announcements in Japanese only air traffic control & pilots speaks English. During takeoff from the arcade mode, you'll get a result on how you preform both takeoff & landing as long the aircraft follows the red line which this will lead to the next round. For landing, once you've touched down, the game ends with the same results but remember, this carry points to proceed to the next round.

Advanced difficulty which is a Boeing 747 for 300 & 400 series your in a taxiway but you need to taxi to the runway for your departure on arcade & career mode.

Their are two bonus stages. First one, you are a pushback vehicle towing any aircraft by pressing a button to gain pressure. If it's full, the pushback will tow the aircraft back faster. If it's in lower, the vehicle will have less pressure. A miss won't tow the aircraft.

Second bonus stage you are a marshaller. You don't need to do anything in control all you do is press a button on the controller till it get's to it's spotting point.

After the final round of the game is over, you are seen FMV of aircraft flying. Sadly none of these aircrafts are no longer in Japan Airlines fleet with the only exception of Boeing 767 and Boeing 777. 
Their is also what I think is a career mode. You can pick any aircraft & fly like a normal flight simulator from A to B only for Japan's domestic flights by selecting an airport if you can guess in Japanese.

Taito also released the official Jet de Go controller for the Playstation with small throttle and large yoke with traditional Playstation buttons. It looks very cool if you own one of these. When I was in Japan two years ago I saw one for pretty cheap till I realize my suitcases are small (the box is huge). 

If I come across it again, I'll  buy it. I have the game. However, PlayStation is region locked so you'll need a Japanese console in order to work.

Theirs also a sequel released in 2002 for the PlayStation 2 & PC Jet de Go 2 the controller might be compatible for the PS2 we'll talk about that in the future. And finally, Jet de Go Pocket was released for the PlayStation Portable (PSP). In future we'll look at those two games.