The 16bit 'home' computers (Amiga and Atari ST) were enjoying their time in the sun. Through regular price cuts that brought them down to under £400 each, and the gradually continuing support from software publishers who were finally beginning to get the best out of the machines, the 16bits were the only games in town.

Yet the best game - by a long way - released this week was on neither of these formats. It was a rather static, tedious-to-watch, strategy affair that didn't just have blocky graphics, it had blocky text too. Animation was limited to a few rudimentary scenes, in the most part, with the main screen arena being a featureless map upon which little trains slowly made their way from station to station. In appearance, it could have stepped straight out of the early '80s and its content could even be said to be educational.

What's more, it ran on a machine that very few households owned. Despite all of the above, the game became a huge success and captivated armies of grown men, some of whom were known to have spent all night sessions on it. The game was Railroad Tycoon, published by MicroProse, and the only machine it ran on was the PC. What it lacked in graphical sophistication it more than made up for with good, old-fashioned gameplay, which was hardly surprising, as its creator was a certain Sid Meier.

Amiga and ST owners of a strategic and managerial bent eyed the game with a covetous gaze, and at least two that this reporter knows of actually went out and bought a steam-driven PC just to run Railroad Tycoon (yes, he was one). Such a flash gesture was wholeheartedly rewarded 18 months later when MicroProse unveiled Civilisation - Mr Meier's masterpiece and the messiah of strategic gaming. Given that the title was PC-only, many more owners switched sides to the PC.

Eventually both Railroad Tycoon and Civilization made it to the Amiga (just RR Tycoon made it to ST), and were very successful, but by then the PC owners were being treated to Meier's Colonization and sundry other PC-only romps. The 16bits were losing an unequal struggle with low cost consoles for the hearts and minds of 'arcade' game players.

If Civilization is the messiah of strategic games (and it is), when the definitive book of the industry is written, if nothing else, Railroad Tycoon deserves to get a mention for its 'John the Baptist' role in preparing the way.