I Have a Job Building Roller Coasters!
Written: Sep 30 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Challenging, fun game
Cons: none
The Bottom Line: Great Game, A Lot of Fun
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| BryRrose's Full Review: Roller Coaster Tycoon For Windows |
It has been a while since I wrote an epinion. I haven't written much lately because I have been building theme parks on Roller Coaster Tycoon. My friend downloaded Roller Coaster Tycoon and played it for days. Every time I would call her or visit her, she would be playing Roller Coaster Tycoon. So, I had to check it out. Guess what? Off to Costco I went to buy this game for my computer; I paid $24.99 for my new addiction.
What is Roller Coaster Tycoon?
Roller Coaster Tycoon is a computer game that challenges the user to build, manage and operate a Theme Park.
BUILDING - There are 14 different parks to choose from and customize according to your likes and dislikes. Some of the theme parks come with a few roller coasters and others have nothing; you must start from nothing and build your way to becoming a major theme park owner/operator.
There are more than just roller coasters. You have different rides with everything from race car tracks to log flumes. Your park will need everything a real theme park does including: pathways, restrooms, snack shops, scenery, landscaping, customers, mechanics, security guards, and handymen. Even entertainers are not left out. You can choose your entertainers to wear a number of different costumes.
MANAGING AND OPERATING - When you start your park you must have a vision of what you plan to build. The roller coaster that you buy and construct might fit in a number of different places. However, you must pick the best place that will allow your customers to have easy access to your coaster and allow other attractions in your park to be accessed also.
Your customers will need to be fed, have restroom facilities, and other needs fulfilled like umbrellas for when it rains. Your entire park must be constructed with your customers in mind. Your customers are your park and how they feel determines if you will meet your goals.
GOALS - Each park has a set of goals that you must achieve in order to be a success and are needed to open up new parks to play. Some of these goals might be attendance goals or park satisfaction goals. Attendance goals can be achieved by "advertising" your park through a system of promotions. Park satisfaction goals are achieved by keeping your park clean and in good operation.
An example of customers who are not happy is park vandalism. You must hire security guards to keep the park in order. If you allow your park to become dirty and rundown vandals will strike your park.
CUSTOMIZING - A lot of the roller coasters can be designed and built by the user. You can make your own twists and turns--ups and downs, or you can just purchase and already made roller coaster. I have not been able to get the customizing down to a science yet. I am starting small by building railroads and monorails. After I master the skill of building these, I will move on to bigger and better roller coaster building.
COST OF RUNNING YOUR PARK As the owner/operator of the park it is up to you to set the prices of the entrance fee, ride fee and anything else you want your customers to buy. You must pay attention to your customers because if they do not like the fee they will not ride your rides. It cost to build rides and attractions. For example: it cost about $250 to build a restroom, $5 for park benches or $5,000 for a roller coaster. When you start a new game you are given an amount of money to start building with, but to make a better park you have to earn money.
The game is as much a challenge as you want it to be. I like the ability to create multiple theme parks from a single plan you are provided with. I feel this game would be an excellent tool to allow children to learn about costs and why things are expensive. The game allows the user to go beyond the gate entrance fee and see why theme parks can be so expensive.
If you don't want to buy the game you can download a sample of the game from their website at : www.rollercoastertycoon.com
Game specifications
Minimum System Requirements:
Pentium 90 CPU: Windows 95/98
16 MB RAM
4x CD-ROM Drive
50 MB Free hard drive
1 MB SVGA Card
Windows 95/98 compatible Sound Card
DirectX 5.0 (included on CD)
Mouse
Recommended:
Yes
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BryRrose
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Location: California
Reviews written: 235
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"If I live another day, Make mine a Chardonnay!"
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