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I have never played Roller Coaster Tycoon, but Bullfrog's Theme Park (1994) was a massive hit with us kids on the Amiga. That one really defined the genre five

by rerx 6y ago

I have never played Roller Coaster Tycoon, but Bullfrog's Theme Park (1994) was a massive hit with us kids on the Amiga. That one really defined the genre five years earlier, to be fair.

madarco 6y ago
Transport Tycoon is the predecessor of RCT, using the same engine and it was released in 1994 too. Having played both on my 386 back then, I'd say that TT run much more smoothly and with a bigger world
- mekster 6y ago
  What's very impressive is that you'd still think the graphic doesn't look so bad 25 years later and the music was superb too. Some of the tracks are stuck in my head indefinitely.
Maken 6y ago
What Roller Coaster Tycoon brought to the table, and makes it shine even years later, is not the theme park simulation but rather what the title promises: the roller coasters. The game comes with quite complete roller coaster (and some other rides) designer tools, which not only let you build the entire track from scratch, but also includes a simulation of vertical and lateral acceleration and g-forces along the track. It also has a appeal system for the rides, which is directly linked to the ride simulated operation parameters (plus some theming bonuses). Designing rides is what (for me) takes most of the playing time and I judge every later entry in the amusement park entry by its roller coaster design tools.
- rerx 6y ago
  Yes, laying out roller coaster tracks was the major thing that made Theme Park so exciting to us in 1994. I am sure Roller Coaster Tycoon did a much better job at everything, but the genre was already defined. :-) Edit: I kind of enjoyed reading this flame war from 1999 between fan boys and girls from both camps https://groups.google.com/g/comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.strategic/c/O6ABvWUAvBQ?pli=1 https://groups.google.com/g/comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.strategic/...
mekster 6y ago
I remember deleting the introduction movie file because 5MB sounded like a good space saved.

by rerx 6y ago

I have never played Roller Coaster Tycoon, but Bullfrog's Theme Park (1994) was a massive hit with us kids on the Amiga. That one really defined the genre five years earlier, to be fair.

madarco 6y ago

Transport Tycoon is the predecessor of RCT, using the same engine and it was released in 1994 too. Having played both on my 386 back then, I'd say that TT run much more smoothly and with a bigger world

mekster 6y ago
What's very impressive is that you'd still think the graphic doesn't look so bad 25 years later and the music was superb too. Some of the tracks are stuck in my head indefinitely.

Maken 6y ago

What Roller Coaster Tycoon brought to the table, and makes it shine even years later, is not the theme park simulation but rather what the title promises: the roller coasters. The game comes with quite complete roller coaster (and some other rides) designer tools, which not only let you build the entire track from scratch, but also includes a simulation of vertical and lateral acceleration and g-forces along the track. It also has a appeal system for the rides, which is directly linked to the ride simulated operation parameters (plus some theming bonuses). Designing rides is what (for me) takes most of the playing time and I judge every later entry in the amusement park entry by its roller coaster design tools.

rerx 6y ago
Yes, laying out roller coaster tracks was the major thing that made Theme Park so exciting to us in 1994. I am sure Roller Coaster Tycoon did a much better job at everything, but the genre was already defined. :-) Edit: I kind of enjoyed reading this flame war from 1999 between fan boys and girls from both camps https://groups.google.com/g/comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.strategic/c/O6ABvWUAvBQ?pli=1 https://groups.google.com/g/comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.strategic/...

mekster 6y ago

I remember deleting the introduction movie file because 5MB sounded like a good space saved.