DESCRIPTION:
Rollercoaster Tycoon is a theme park MICRO-management building simulator with flowers, vomit and cleaners named Bob.
AGE RATING:
This game is suitable for all ages.
IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING GAME OPTIMIZATION:
This version of Rollercoaster Tycoon is an original port; it is not up-dated to higher resolution, like Age of Empires II HD version. You will be buying an original game. Check others reviews so you are confident it MAY run on your device BEFORE purchase.
MY MACHINE:
I play on a Hewlett Packard Mini-Netbook 110-3500. It runs Windows 7 Starter, with 1GB RAM and a 32 bit op. system. The resolution is fine for this game, (My max and current res. is 1024x600.)
GLITCHES AND DRAWBACKS CONCERNING RUNNING THE GAME:
There are quite a few glitches, depending on which version of Windows you use to run the game. I have as of yet not encountered the save glitch that seems to be affecting many. I will write a small list of what I have experienced in my first session:
- First: upon starting the game for the first time it ran superbly. When I proceeded to enter the first park to try out the save glitch*, I found that there is no return to menu button. So I exited the game and began to load it back up. On my second loading the game ran fine until displaying the main menu was concerned; after about ten seconds wait the screen showed. This also happens on my device when I minimise the game via the windows button whilst on the main menu screen. I pressed both escape and enter to give a nudge, so I am unsure whether that had anything to do with it finally loading.
- Second: If I press the windows key and return to windows desk top, upon return to the game it has serious lag.
- Third: this game has no Steam screenshot integration. There is an in game screenshot button which will take a screenshot, (this was put in by the developers of the original game.) I could not even find the folder that these screenshots went to, however.** As far as I know you can not upload hard drive files to the screenshot section of Steam anyway, so no show casing your parks.
*I saved multiple times with no issues.
**It will name the folder the screenshots go to, so just write it down and go folder delving.
MY OPINION:
Now on to my opinion of the game: I did play this over a decade ago in my youth and of course I had alot of fun. I have a bias nostalgia to this game, coming with the deeply veined emotions of memoriam of fun times long ago.
Playing this now was way more bland. I did not have a look around for a button, but I found the game to be painfully slow at times, so hopefully there is a nudge speed button like on Stronghold. There is a big variety of things to do, build and sort.
MICROMANAGEMENT: This game involves "rides" as the main concept of the game. The rides come with alot of customisation, from colours of the ride, to building your own custom rollercoaster. Rides and the park in general need maintenance, which requires staff. You can also customise your staff, their colors, tasks and outfits. Everything can be named. Prices are at your discretion.
You may get sick of seeing trees everywhere considering trees/shrubbery is the main feature of park misc. There are also fountains, novelty shaped bushes, different paths, seats, lights, bins, hedges and fences.
RIDES:
There are many rides, ranging from casual Monorails, to 'scary' haunted houses, sight seeing Ferris wheels, cascading water slides, peaceful row boats, raging log flumes, spectacular rollercoasters, burger shacks, drink stalls and of course toilets. Funds can also be extended in to research of new rides and stalls to exhibit at your parks. All of these are customisable in some way, from colors, to ride names, to fees, to the customers riding them.*
*This game relies heavily on customer satisfaction and approval. As a part of micro-management, you can click on every single visitor to your park which will give you a description of their levels of approval and enjoyment. Listen to them.
PRICE:
The price of $6.99 is good and fair in my eyes. This is an original port game, which is great for me because I just play on a small netbook. Generally older games re-done come with a hefty milking price tag. Many have complained about the price, for various reasons of not being able to start up or effectively run the game, so if that concerns you check out the specifications of your device and compare. Newer devices do tend to have backwards compatibility issues with much older material, and this game is no exception.
DLC:
This game also comes with the add ons that gradually became available in the original game.
CONCLUSION:
A joyfully fun if yawningly slow theme park management simulator that one can put many hours in to without regret. I recommend it for all ages. It can be extremely fun and absorbing. On occasion your over-confident grin will be ripped from your face when you realise you made a massive error, costing you your park funds and possibly the success of level completion.