RollerCoaster Tycoon: Educational Fun
Written: Dec 08 '00 (Updated Jan 09 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: fun and educational
Cons: addicting
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| jsaunt's Full Review: Roller Coaster Tycoon For Windows |
In watching my 10 year old nephew play RollerCoaster Tycoon I noticed how quickly he became addicted to it and how long he has remained so. Initially, I think it was his love of roller coasters that drew him in. He had so much fun figuring out how tall he could make the roller coaster in order to allow the biggest drop. He had a blast and his mom had as much fun playing it with him.
I was sure that the novelty would wear off, but it didn’t. So, my natural tendency as a speech pathologist was to (probably over-)analyze why it was that he has continued to enjoy and learn from this game.
Description: The program is a simulation game that allows the user to design and build roller coasters and other theme park rides. The player is able to create traditional wooden or modern steel roller coasters of varying sizes and shapes. The game is designed so the rides are realistic and work the same ways that real roller coasters do. The child (or adult) has to devise the ride so that gravity assists in making it work, just as engineers do in designing roller coasters. According to the information provided by the manufacturer, the rides feature “accurately simulated motion dynamics.” There are other types of non-roller coaster rides such as trains, monorails, towers, and skyways that must be built without interfering with other rides. The sounds heard when playing the game range from the screams from the passengers on the roller coaster to the distinct loss of the contents of their stomachs after the ride is over.
The land is not always suitable for building so it might have to be excavated or increased in order to build the rides. Even the entrances and exits to each ride must be planned in light of the landscape. Ramps may have to be built or creativeness in combining pathways might be necessary. In addition to creating the roller coasters, the player (who is really the park manager) must provide food and drink booths, restrooms, benches, trash bins and anything else necessary to make and keep the customers happy and satisfied.
The “manager” has to decide on prices for everything from entrance fees, to rides, and food. They must coordinate the timing of the completion of the building of the structure and the opening of the ride, being sure that there are adequate routes to and from the ride.
Keep an eye out for the puke/ heave/ yak/ barf/ tossed cookies!
The “manager” has to hire mechanics, janitors, landscapers, entertainers, and security guards. All staff wages are deducted from the park income. The fun part is seeing the vomit that the visitors leave when the rides are too intense. If the janitors aren’t doing their jobs the park gets to be a disgusting mess. The manager has to make sure everyone is doing his or her job.
Creativity is also encouraged in designing the landscape, including plants and other esthetic aspects of the park. When the weather changes the manager must respond to his “customers” (in true capitalistic fashion, creating a booth that sells umbrellas).
Educational Stuff (Don’t let your kids read this part.): Looking at RollerCoaster Tycoon from the purely educational viewpoint, a child could actually be tricked into learning quite a few skills with this game. You wouldn’t have to be strict about it, but depending on the age and abilities of the individual child, it might be helpful to give some supervision. If a teacher were to use this game in the classroom, they might use it as a reward, or if used as to address the curriculum they might want to be very clear in their expectations of the students.
The game could address a few different academic subjects and skills depending upon the grade level. First, it could be used for understanding economics or business.
The child can be given certain goals that they would have to meet within a certain timeframe. The game keeps track of the months and years the park has been open. The child could be given guidelines as to how much money they should have by a certain date. They could be given some (simulated) money to begin with, but would have to pay off all loans by a deadline. A certain number of visitors could be required to be using the park by another date. The child could be required to advertise and figure out when and how much advertising is necessary. They would also have to consider the entrance price in relation to the cost of running the park, making sure they are competitive with other theme parks.
They would have to hire people both in anticipation of, and then in reaction to the mess left by the visitors, promoting planning and responsiveness. The game allows the player to see how well the employees are doing their jobs. The student might be required to fire people if they are not meeting certain goals. (Don’t worry. It’s just a matter of clicking a button. No liability issues here!) The child would be expected to become the manager of the park and reach all of the goals set for the park. The challenge of keeping all of these things in mind while building structures and having fun require selective attention and concentration skills. If a child had difficulty with distractibility they could be assisted initially by redirecting them to the task that they were not paying attention to, decreasing your help as they progress.
Another possible way of rationalizing the educational side of the game is to use it to address math skills. Again, the child could be given or could help to develop certain goals for money, loans, and visitors. They could also be required to have a certain ratio of employees to customers or restrooms to customers. The child would have to make a predetermined percentage of profit on rides, food, and souvenirs.
A third possibility would be to use it only to create roller coasters from a scientific viewpoint. The player could have to figure out how high the first drop must be in order to have enough momentum to carry the ride through the remainder of the trip. Aside from momentum, the students would have to consider G-force, banks, turns, and safety issues. In designing a skyway, the height of the tower would have to be appropriate in relation its stability.
The child would need to understand when the ground is too high or low and what must be done to correct the situation, which would also tap into problem solving skills in general. The child might also have to build rides with enough clearance to make it over or under pathways and other rides. Building everything so that it all fits like a puzzle requires organization and reasoning skills.
With any of the three scenarios, the child could present their parks, show you their creations, and discuss how they did or did not meet the goals. Presentation skills and ability to answer questions about their projects could be emphasized at this stage of the process.
Now if you want to read a review of RollerCoaster Tycoon written by a mother, rather than from the strange viewpoint of a therapist, I’d refer you to the one my sister wrote: http://jsaunt.epinions.com/game-review-3A49-68A22A3-39B66E21-prod1
The official website is at: http://www.rollercoastertycoon.com/test/index2.html.
Boring details:
Publishing company: Hasbro Interactive
Publication date: February 1999
List price: $29.00
Hardware and Operating System Requirements:
Platform: PC only
Minimum: P90MHz, 4XCD, 1MB SVGA card
Recommended (for good game performance): P200MHz, 8XCD, 2MB accelerated SVGA card
Ideal (for ultimate game performance): PII 350MHz, 8xCD, 4MB accelerated SVGA card
Operating system compatibility: Windows 95/98
Requires 16-64Mb RAM and 50-180Mb Hard disk memory
Other hardware requirements: All specs require Windows 95 compatible Sound Card, DirectX 5.0 (included on CD) and Mouse. Does not need 3D support or accessories.
Recommended:
Yes
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jsaunt
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Member: Leslie
Location: Southern California
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