My Obsession! (RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 (PC))

Name: ~*pink-pilgrim*~

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Product:	RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 (PC)
Date:	18.11.07 (104 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: fun and easy to play, entertaining

Disadvantages: addictive

I first played a simulation game several years ago and became very obsessed. After playing Theme Park World at a friend’s house I really wanted the game for my own PC. The only reason I bought Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 at the time was because it was part of a buy one get one free deal.

The other day I noticed that a local firm were building a roller coaster in teh centre of town for the Christmas period. It was quite fun to watch it going up and I had this real urge to play the game again, so I could recreate the rollercoaster...big mistake because it is very obsessive.

ROLLERCOASTER TYCOON 2
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You can choose to play on 5 different types of park. These are beginner, Challenging, Expert, ‘real parks’ (Six Flags Theme Parks) or Other parks (Including 7 build your own Six Flags Parks).

The beginner parks are obviously very good to begin with but they are still very challenging.

‘Crazy Castle’ is situated in an old castle (well obviously) the aim of the game is to have at least 1,500 guests at the end of 4 years with a park rating of 600 (out of 1000). This game is fairly hard as you need to budget carefully. As with a lot of these venues the ‘disused’ land is full of scenery that could either help or hinder your park. You need to decide whether or not you want to build your rides and attractions in and around the old castle or knock it all down.


‘Electrical Fields’ is situated in an old disused farm. The aim of this game is to have at least 700 guests and a rating of 600 by the end of year 2.

‘Factory Capers’ is situated in an abandoned factory. This is quite a good venue to build a few high rollercoaster’s. The aim of this game is to get 1,100 guests into the park with a rating of 600 by the end of 3 years. I think this is one of the hardest levels in the beginner category due to its size and obstacles.

My favourite game overall is the Infernal Views situated in volcanic mountains with flowing lava streams. In the other parks the lakes, steams and seas are clear blue waters however this round is slightly different.

FEATURES
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At the top of the screen you will find the boxes with construction tools, scenery clearer, the tool which rises and lowers the land or sea levels these are very useful when building your own swan boat ride or creating really tall rollercoaster’s. You can chose the ‘build attractions’ button at the top where you can drag and drop a ride, food/drink stall, umbrella/balloon/map stall or find out about any current research. Whilst you can drag and drop a ‘standard’ ride you can also build your own, although the wimpy guests tend to stay away from the really tall/fast rollercoaster’s.


When building your theme park you need to think about building queuing systems, footpaths, benches, bins and scenery.
You can borrow money from the bank if you are struggling to build everything you want. Some parks are paid for through entrance fees whereas others are through ride prices. You can build a cash machine so your guests have no excuse to not spend their money.

You can hire and fire your own staff and give them specific jobs. You can hire mechanics who either inspect or fix rides, hire handymen who water plants, sweep footpaths or mow grass or you can hire entertainers who dress as many different characters. As guests can sometimes throw up after terrible rides a path sweeper is a very good idea.

You can build a monorail and railway which transports your guests around the park. This can get very busy with 200 people queuing at one time. It is important that your paths and queuing systems are well thought out else this can affect your ratings.

DETAILS
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If you build a rollercoaster without trying it before you open it you can try and kill your guests by making the rollercoaster crash. This however is not a great idea as it lowers the amount of guests in your park and significantly lowers your ratings.

You can often see balloons flying in the air if you click on these with your mouse you can pop them. You can change the colours of the t-shirts, hats, balloons and umbrellas using the colour tool.
The ducks swimming in the pool can quack when you click on them and sometimes fly away. If you pick up a guest with the pick up tool you can drop them in the water and make them drown!

You can click on the people button at the top of the page and see what your guests are saying or thinking. If you see a guest that is looking green click on them and you can see them being sick.

You can see your guests buying products from the stalls and dropping their litter on the floor. You can also hear the toilets flushing when a guest goes in them. You can charge them money for using the toilets.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
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You will need a 3MHz processor. You r computer should use Windows 98/ME or XP with a RAM of 64MB. You will also need a keyboard and mouse.

PRICE
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This game was part of a ‘Buy One Get One Free’ deal so was in fact free. You can expect to pay between 10 and 25 pounds for this game depending on where you buy it. I have seen the game going for 25 pounds in a local games shop but 10 pounds in Woolworths.

GRAPHICS
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The graphics are very good in this game; you can easily zoom in and out or rotate to see the park from another view. The details of balloons, umbrellas or maps is really good in this game. I do usually play this game on the highest quality although if you have a slow computer you can play the game on a lower resolution although it still looks clear enough.

SUMMARY
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This game is addictive so I would advise that you are very clear with how much time you plan to spend on it. I have written a review about Theme Hospital which I have found to be more obsessive. This game is not as bad and as it’s so easy to save your own ride designs and park designs you can come back to it quite easily. The box does specify that the game is suitable for children 3+ but I would disagree with this. You do need to be able to read and have an element of strategy.

I find it hard enough dragging and dropping objects so a 3 year old would find it a lot harder. Parental supervision would be required for a 3 year old.

Summary: Build your very own theme park from food outlets to killer coasters!