OpenTTD (game)
It's 1994, your PC is just about stable (as long as you don't look at it the wrong way), and the latest game to come out promises to be an interesting mix of trains, planes, lorries, buses, and boats. Coming from the legend Chris Sawyer, you know its going to be good. You spend hours (that soon become days / weeks) refining your construction, getting ever better at climbing the leaderboard, before putting it down until your next 'free moment'.
In my case, that free moment happened to be more than 20 years later (what can I say, work keeps me occupied). In that time, with the help of contributors across the word, a remake of the game is made (OpenTTD). Technically OpenTTD is a remake of Transport Tycoon Deluxe, but taking that aside, its a remake none the less. In the time that has passed, an older game has been brought back to life (though classics never die), adding new functionality and bringing enjoyment to those who like retro-style games once more.
Are these airports too close? Potentially, but it works
One of my favourite features of the remake is the stable multiplayer (that is, when you configure your firewall correctly). Being able to spend an evening debating how much town bribery is too much, while laughing at your friend adding yet more signals to an already over-signalled line (you know who you are...), is something I really enjoy over the original version. All told it works really well, providing your firewall isn't blocking UDP to/from the server (otherwise it gets entertaining as the clock periodically jumps backwards and the clients desync/disconnect).
Of course, what would a game be without some experimentation and bending of the rules. As with every game, there are things you can do to make it more interesting, even if some of it defies common sense / fiscal advice. I personally think that while it may not be in the spirit of competitive gaming, it does make for an entertaining playthrough and does get the brain going (that's the line I'm sticking to).
Is building a train station next to each oil rig cheating? Quite possibly...
In a world where games are so involved / overstimulating, its nice to be able to relax into a game while also putting some thought into it. Finding that balance between overstimulating to the point of not sleeping, versus being bored as its more repetition with little involvement, is a nice to have. Also, it runs on just about anything these days (which with current hardware pricing) is definitely a benefit.