Roller Coaster Tycoon
With two competing "build your own amusement park" games on the market, it was inevitable that I try both and compare them with each other. The first to be loaded on our main gaming machine was RollerCoaster Tycoon, by Microprose.
Like Pharoh and Caesar III, this is a game of designing buildings and walkways to keep your people happy. In this case the people are not residents, although with some staying in your park for 60 days or more, you have to wonder where they are sleeping! And, like all games, you start with rather easy missions and work your way forward.
You begin by planning walkways that make sense for your visitors, and putting down inexpensive but entertaining rides. Each visitor has his or her own sense of what's fun - something exciting, something laid back, something truly wild or something mild. You need to set up food, drink and restrooms, and put out benches and trashcans. You hire repairmen, sweepers, entertainers, and security folk. Vandalism can strike, and rides can break down.
The game, once set up well, can almost run itself. Your various minions roam around your park, cleaning and fixing items. You earn money based on quite a few variables - how much you charge at the gate, how much you charge for food, how much you charge for each ride. Rain comes and visitors are now buying umbrellas, and avoiding the open rides. Marketing campaigns can help your draw, although coupons might affect profits short-term.
There are great graphs to help you manage the economics of your strategy, and the graphics themselves are quite fun! The merry-go-round spins, the roller-coaster cars will with little people and go around the tracks. You can customize colors, add statuary, research new theme decorations like Egyptian and Roman buildings. You can raise and lower terrain, building raised walkways and underground roller coaster tunnels.
The game will run quite well on a low-end system, which can't be said for the second in the series, SimThemePark. It's easy to use, and quite satisfying to play. You can name the park, name each ride, and even name each individual visitor! It's easy to get attached to your creation, and sit for hours tweaking it.
The game was entertaining both for me and for my 11 year old son. We both found the options varied and fun. My son especially enjoyed when you accidentially cranked a roller-coaster's speed up too high - the practice run would set the cars careening off the track, warning you to decrease the speed a bit! His only complaint had to do with item placement - if you raise and then lower a piece of land, it double-charges you for each phase of the change. There isn't really an undo feature, so if you make a mistake (which can be easy, sometimes) there is no simple way to just go back to your previous state.
With that small amount of inconvenience, however, this is a great game for computer users of all ages, and with the varied terrains available, one able to always offer a new challenge!
Buy RC Tycoon on Amazon.Com
Microprose
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