If you build it, they will come
Written: Jul 30 '00
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Easy to get started, good user interface, fun for the whole family
Cons: I would like more freeplay rather than playing scenarios all the time
|
|
|
| bwestman's Full Review: Roller Coaster Tycoon For Windows |
I have always been a fan of the build and design type simulation games. I have owned or played most of them at one time or another. The idea behind Roller Coaster Tycoon is to design your own theme park. This game is VERY similar in the feel and layout to Bullfrog's Theme Park, a DOS based game that came out several years ago.
Since I had played and loved Theme Park, I enjoyed the comfort of the familiar interface when I began playing Roller Coaster Tycoon. Since Bullfrog is owned by Electronic Arts (also the owner of Maxis, creator of the ever popular Sim series) and Microprose is not, there were some differences in the game engine itself and there is some difference in game play. But most of that is neither here nor there.
Based on its own merits, Roller Coaster Tycoon is a great game. You are given a plot of land, surrounded by a fence (to mark your owned territory)and then given free reign to design your park. You have a limited selection of attractions and concessions to begin with and you can somewhat control the speed with which new attractions are developed by how much of your limited income you allocate to R & D. In addition to the selection and placement of various rides and shops, you are also given trees, lighting structures, benches, trash cans, and a choice of sidewalks to enhance the look of your park. As you place your rides, you decide where to place the entrance and exit ports and how long to make the queue lines. You also choose how to price admission to the park and to each of the individual rides. Finally, you hire employees to maintain the rides, keep the park clean, and entertain the visitors. If necessary, you can also hire security to keep the peace in your park.
The game offers an interactive tutorial which covers most of the basics of game play. The built in scenarios provide an increasing level of difficulty and the game can be played and enjoyed without the temptation to cheat for more money (which is often a strong temptation for me!) Once the basics of park design have been mastered, you will then be ready to begin designing your own roller coasters. This is more difficult than it appears. I killed 16 people on my first custom designed coaster! Fortunately, my little park goers were very forgiving, and once I corrected my errors, they were flooding the queue line to get on the ride.
Overall, on a scale of 1 to 10, I rate the game this way:
Graphics: 8
Learning curve: 8
Replayability: 9
Sound: 9
Entertainment: 9
Overall: 8.6
If you like this game, you may also like Theme Hospital, Sim Theme Park, SimCity 3000, Sim Town, Railroad Tycoon, Caesar III, Pharaoh, and Civilization II. And, of course, if you already like these games, you'll probably love Roller Coaster Tycoon too!
BTW -- This is my 100th Epinion!
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
bwestman
|
 - Top 1000 |
|
Location: Maine
Reviews written: 240
Trusted by: 45 members
About Me:
I am hopelessly impulsive. I admit it.
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.