Theme Park: Roller Coaster
A fun-filled simulation with much to encounter and explore. Not alot more to offer from the PSX version, but still an excellent game.
Published: February 9, 2001
In Fall of 1999, Electronic Arts decided to deviate from their normal brand of sports games and high-octane action titles. They decided to set their mark in the world of simulations by introducing Sim Theme Park to the world. The game would arrive on both the PlayStation and PC platforms, and would do overly well when it came to gameplay and style. On a whole, Sim Theme Park offered a style much more positive than that of Rollercoaster Tycoon; a fan favorite. It's realistic settings and vivid style of rides is what made the game a true success.
More than a year later, EA and Bullfrog; the team who developed the first Sim Theme Park have finally set their mark again with a new game titled; Theme Park: Roller Coaster. Let me first start this review by stating the following: The moment you pop this game into your PS2, you will quickly notice more similarities to the original Theme Park than ever before. Everything from the "Loading Game" sequence to the menus will bear a certain amount of resemblance towards the original game. While these elements may be similar, they have taken full advantage of the PlayStation2 technology. Suddenly, polygons have become vividly smooth and the colors within the game appear more vibrant.
You start off by entering a primary map, where several theme parks can be seen on the screen. Only one theme park will be accessible by you. When you carry out various operations from within that first park, you will be able to unlock other parks. Each of the eight parks have their own distinct theme, and many of the rides and kiosks will attempt to match this universal theme as closely as possible. When you enter the park, you are given the ability to quickly add pathways, information booths, security posts, restrooms, stores and outlets, and of course the rides themselves. When you build a ride, you must designate a path for both the entry and exit queue lines. You must also ensure that the ride itself is properly maintained. In order to accomplish this, you can hire mechanics alongside other employees who will serve specific duties within the park.
A tiny (loud-mouth) critter will act as your guide. He will assist you in achieving your objectives in each individual park. Whenever a problem occurs within the park, he will quickly notify you. You also have the ability to read letters from your mailbox, written by customers entering and leaving the park. After just a few minutes of playing the game, that bug-like character may begin to get a tad annoying. Luckily, there's an option to silence him (sort of). Many of these features that I have just mentioned were already included in the original Theme Park game.
This game truly begins to deviate from the original when you start building your roller coasters. Suddenly, an array of options will become available to you. You can design each part of the coaster's track, and adjust specific portions of the track in terms of changing the height, and twisting and bending. After the coaster design is complete, you can then ride it yourself to ensure that it meet's your standards. I found the building operations for the coaster much more easier to use than those found in Rollercoaster Tycoon. Too often enough, creating your own coaster within Rollercoaster Tycoon often resulted in an either unsafe or unattractive coaster that no one wished to ride. Theme Park: Roller Coaster allows you to customize your coaster right from the start, and gives you a better chance of making a successful custom-built ride.
There are many intricate details and settings in the game that can be controlled. Everything from the amount of salt found in your fries, to the amount of difficulty encountered in a Carnival game can be adjusted to certain degrees. You will find yourself constantly changing these settings as more people enter your park.
If you own the original Sim Theme Park, you won't find much new here. I wouldn't truly consider this game by itself to be a sequel to the original, but more of an semi-improvement over the original. By itself however, Theme Park: Roller Coaster makes an addicting and enjoyable simulation. If you're interested to be apart of the fast-paced world of amusement parks, this is truly where you should make your beginning.
More than a year later, EA and Bullfrog; the team who developed the first Sim Theme Park have finally set their mark again with a new game titled; Theme Park: Roller Coaster. Let me first start this review by stating the following: The moment you pop this game into your PS2, you will quickly notice more similarities to the original Theme Park than ever before. Everything from the "Loading Game" sequence to the menus will bear a certain amount of resemblance towards the original game. While these elements may be similar, they have taken full advantage of the PlayStation2 technology. Suddenly, polygons have become vividly smooth and the colors within the game appear more vibrant.
You start off by entering a primary map, where several theme parks can be seen on the screen. Only one theme park will be accessible by you. When you carry out various operations from within that first park, you will be able to unlock other parks. Each of the eight parks have their own distinct theme, and many of the rides and kiosks will attempt to match this universal theme as closely as possible. When you enter the park, you are given the ability to quickly add pathways, information booths, security posts, restrooms, stores and outlets, and of course the rides themselves. When you build a ride, you must designate a path for both the entry and exit queue lines. You must also ensure that the ride itself is properly maintained. In order to accomplish this, you can hire mechanics alongside other employees who will serve specific duties within the park.
A tiny (loud-mouth) critter will act as your guide. He will assist you in achieving your objectives in each individual park. Whenever a problem occurs within the park, he will quickly notify you. You also have the ability to read letters from your mailbox, written by customers entering and leaving the park. After just a few minutes of playing the game, that bug-like character may begin to get a tad annoying. Luckily, there's an option to silence him (sort of). Many of these features that I have just mentioned were already included in the original Theme Park game.
This game truly begins to deviate from the original when you start building your roller coasters. Suddenly, an array of options will become available to you. You can design each part of the coaster's track, and adjust specific portions of the track in terms of changing the height, and twisting and bending. After the coaster design is complete, you can then ride it yourself to ensure that it meet's your standards. I found the building operations for the coaster much more easier to use than those found in Rollercoaster Tycoon. Too often enough, creating your own coaster within Rollercoaster Tycoon often resulted in an either unsafe or unattractive coaster that no one wished to ride. Theme Park: Roller Coaster allows you to customize your coaster right from the start, and gives you a better chance of making a successful custom-built ride.
There are many intricate details and settings in the game that can be controlled. Everything from the amount of salt found in your fries, to the amount of difficulty encountered in a Carnival game can be adjusted to certain degrees. You will find yourself constantly changing these settings as more people enter your park.
If you own the original Sim Theme Park, you won't find much new here. I wouldn't truly consider this game by itself to be a sequel to the original, but more of an semi-improvement over the original. By itself however, Theme Park: Roller Coaster makes an addicting and enjoyable simulation. If you're interested to be apart of the fast-paced world of amusement parks, this is truly where you should make your beginning.
