My take on Theme Park Roller Coaster.
Theme Park Roller Coaster was released in late 2000 for the Sony PlayStation 2. The game was developed by Bullfrog, and was published by EA. Theme Park Roller Coaster is the PS2 adaptation of the PSX and PC game, Sim Theme Park on the PC. All versions of the game are the spiritual successor to the legendary early 90s PC smash Theme Park. A game that saw a release on the Genesis (and, therefore, the Nomad, making the Genesis version the only portable version of the game available on a console), Sega Saturn, Sony PlayStation, and even the Super Famicom, in Europe only. This game adds polygonal graphics and some revamped gameplay mechanics to the Theme Park series, and it, for the most part, pulls them off well.
The goal in each and every Theme Park game has remained constant; make your theme park succeed at any cost. While the methods required to achieve this goal have changed from game to game, the principle goal remains the same. For example, in the original Theme Park, success was determined entirely by business success and financial power. You also had to crush all of your competitors in every ranking category before you could move on to another park. This particular goal has become much easier to attain in TP RC. Now all you have to do is earn enough golden tickets to move on to a particular park. You acquire golden tickets by reaching a certain goal, like having X number of ticket sales. This new method is easier, but it takes a lot of the fun out of the game. You really felt a sense of accomplishment when you were able to move on to a new park, now, it's just a regular occurrence.
The original Theme Park required you to have a strong sense of the business world if you wanted to achieve success. Thankfully, much of success in business is determined by common sense. The successors to this game have stripped away many of the business aspects of the original game. Aspects such as staff pay negotiations, ride price negotiations, and in-depth research and development have been either eliminated entirely, in the case of pay negotiations and ride price negotiations, or they have been simplified beyond belief, as is the case with research and development. The simplified business aspects really take away from the game for those who enjoyed them in the original Theme Park, like myself. However, I can see why the changes were made. The simplified business aspects do make the game more accessible for younger gamers, so, in this sense, they're not that bad. If you're a gamer looking for a cerebral game, check out the original Theme Park. If you don't feel like dealing with the business side of things all that much, then pick this game up as soon as possible.
The controls in the game are about as good as can be expected given that they had to be reconfigured from the PC version's keyboard and mouse control style. The transition to a controller-based control scheme is seamless. The controls are responsive, and the control scheme is logical and unobtrusive. You really can’t ask much more than that from a PC-to-console port nowadays.
The graphics in the game are a huge mixed bag. On one hand, everything has a nice, solid look to it that is easy on the eyes. Also, everything is bathed in color, and life. There is always something going on, and the game never slows up. However, they also don't do much to use the power of the PS2, which is a bit of a disappointment. Given that it's a sim game though, it's kind of understandable. This genre has never been known for having jaw-dropping graphics, and to expect this from a PC port would be laughable. The graphics serve their purpose, and definitely get the job done. They're the very definition of average. Despite their faults, they are, beyond the shadow of a doubt, the best graphics I have ever seen for a sim game. As long as you don’t come into the game expecting a visual tour de force, you will be fine. If you do, you will be setting yourself up for a tremendous letdown. Simply be realistic about your expectations for the game, and you will be all right.
The sound in the game is yet another mixed bag. There are some nice music tracks that match the theme of the park they're found in perfectly. The jungle-themed park has a
really catchy jungle song that will stay in your head for quote some time. Now that the good stuff is out of the way, it's time to talk about the negative aspects of the sound. The sound effects in the game are horrid. Most of them sound like they were recycled from the Genesis version of Theme Park. The helper ant, who acts as your advisor during the course of the game, has quite possibly the most annoying voice ever in the history of gaming, it's very high-pitched, and he never seems to know when to shut up. All in all, the sound isn’t half-bad. I could do without the bush league sound effects, and the annoying helper ant’s voice from Hell, but the park-specific music adds a nice, small touch to the game that may not seem like much at first, but it adds a lot in the end.
The replay value of Theme Park Roller Coaster depends on how much you are willing to put into the game. If you simply coast along, and don’t do anything to your park, you will be cheating yourself out of most of the fun involved with making your own theme park. You’ll have to sink your teeth into the game if you hope to get some enjoyment out of it. Come into the game with an open mind if you’ve never played a sim game before. This game eases you into the harder sim games thanks to the simplified business aspects, which I could have done without, but, if you need that help, it’s there for you. This game is perfect for gamers of all ages and skill levels. It is about as open ended as you make it, and you can attain success without needing to know a whole lot about the business side of things, although that will give you a leg up during play.
Overall, Theme Park Roller Coaster is one of the most enjoyable sim games out there. The game has an easy-to-use gameplay style that’s perfect for those new to the genre, although sim veterans may be put off by the dumbed down gameplay system. The controls are about as good as could be expected for a PC-port of a sim game. The graphics aren’t the greatest in the world, but they more than get the job done. The sound needs a ton of work, but it doesn’t detract from the game too much. You should be able to pick the game up for about $20, so give it a go if you are even the least bit interested in it.
