- This is a list of notable downloads from various fansites and the (former) official page.
- RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic is a construction and management simulation video game developed by Origin8 Technologies and published by Atari. The game combines features that were first seen in RollerCoaster Tycoon and RollerCoaster Tycoon 2, which were both amusement park management simulators created by Chris Sawyer for the PC.
Dec 13, 2018 At several times while playing RollerCoaster Tycoon Joyride, I became convinced I died and this was my personal hell. In a world where we thought the worst RollerCoaster Tycoon game had already shipped, Joyride shows up to claim that spot.
The RollerCoaster Tycoon series has been around for almost 20 years and we finally have a VR interpretation of the franchise.
RollerCoaster Tycoon Joyride is a weird game. Instead of managing an amusement park, all you basically do is build roller coasters then ride them. However, you don't simply just sit there and enjoy your ride as you're armed with a laser gun that you use to shoot down colourful orbs and other targets. Thankfully, riding the coasters feels awesome as it's genuinely dizzying and surprisingly authentic. I tried to make the fastest and most twisted tracks complete with plenty of loops and upside-down parts in order to make my friends have the ride of their lives. At first, I was so immersed in riding the virtual reality coasters that I had to hold on to the couch behind me because it was a bit overwhelming how realistic it felt. For the record, I usually don't like riding roller coasters at all but I got over my initial intimidation after riding my dozenth or so virtual one in Joyride.
Of course, you can build coasters however you like and doing so can't be done in VR which is reserved exclusively for riding the coasters. Creating your coaster tracks is super-intuitive albeit somewhat disorienting. First of all, you don't have to worry about much as you can build wherever you please as long as the track doesn't go through an obstacle or itself. Making it go all around your environment of choice then seeing how high you can build only to let the coaster drop and bank and twist and turn is just awesome. Once you've completed your track, you can finely tune each point in the track to your liking which is very intuitive as well. Finally, you can select from a variety of unlockable designs for the tracks, station, and coaster if you'd like. It's satisfying stuff and offers plenty of freedom, too.
One aspect of RollerCoaster Tycoon Joyride that's very well implemented is the online community. You can easily jump into various menus and leaderboards and download anyone's created coasters then edit and ride them. I found myself downloading one after the other to see what other people made and most of them were pretty cool but some were clearly made just to get high scores as they were flat and slow so you can shoot more targets. Anyway, there's a local multiplayer party mode, too, but it's frankly a waste of time. You just build a track then take turns riding it and see who gets the highest score. The fact that you need multiple controllers makes no sense. What's even weirder is that only player 1's controller vibrates even when another player is playing. Did anyone even test this mode?
Obviously, it's a little disappointing that all you do is build tracks then play a shooting mini-game as you ride them. Sure, it provides a genuinely thrilling experience whenever the track is well-made but that's really all there is to RollerCoaster Tycoon Joyride. A couple of other areas are also lacking such as the audio which doesn't feature any noticeable music. I would have liked to hear some exciting tunes whenever I was riding a coaster. Also, there are only 2 environments to play within (Canyon and City) but they are each impressively large and intricate. On the plus side, there are plenty of missions that task you with building your coasters in certain ways that can be somewhat rewarding to master and you can also unlock a couple of extra guns: the Hammerhead Zapper and the Kraken Zapper.
If you've ever wanted to ride a roller coaster in virtual reality then RollerCoaster Tycoon Joyride is sure to satisfy. It may not be a fully realised experience but what's here still provides creative fun and exciting thrills.
- + Making your own roller coasters is both intuitive and comprehensive
- + Riding the coasters feels authentic and fun
- + Well-integrated community aspect
- - Gameplay merely consists of building coasters then playing a goofy shooting game
- - Could use some exciting music
- - Currently only has 2 environments
RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic | |
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Developer(s) | Origin8 Technologies |
Publisher(s) | Atari |
Producer(s) | Laurence McDonald |
Designer(s) | Chris Sawyer |
Programmer(s) | Steve Clark Jason Austin Chris Sawyer |
Artist(s) | Simon Foster Laurence McDonald |
Composer(s) | Allister Brimble |
Series | RollerCoaster Tycoon |
Platform(s) | iOS, Android, Microsoft Windows, macOS |
Release | iOS, AndroidMicrosoft Windows, macOS
|
Genre(s) | Construction and management simulation |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic is a construction and management simulation video game developed by Origin8 Technologies and published by Atari. The game combines features that were first seen in RollerCoaster Tycoon and RollerCoaster Tycoon 2, which were both amusement park management simulators created by Chris Sawyer for the PC. The game was released worldwide for iOS and Android in December 2016, while a version for Microsoft Windows and macOS was released in September 2017.
Gameplay[edit]
Classic implements the same gameplay as the first two games in the RollerCoaster Tycoon series. Played from an isometric view, players are tasked with building or revitalizing an amusement park by adding rides, attractions, facilities, paths, landscaping, and staff to manage the park. In particular, the game allows players to plan out a wide array of custom roller coasters and other rides using tracks, such as log flumes and go-karts. The player also must manage the park's finances to make sure they bring in sufficient revenues from guests to cover the cost of running the park and installing new features.
Development[edit]
Chris Sawyer had developed the original RollerCoaster Tycoon and its sequel RollerCoaster Tycoon 2, which released respectively in 1999 and 2002. The games had come out of his work developing a sequel to Transport Tycoon, which he released in 1994.[1] Sawyer allowed Frontier Developments to develop RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 while he worked on Locomotion, a 2004 spiritual successor to Transport Tycoon.[1] Following this release, Sawyer had appeared to disappear from the games industry; according to Sawyer in a 2016 interview, he took this absence in part over the legal difficulties he had over securing unpaid royalties from Atari, whom had acquired the rights to publish the RollerCoaster Tycoon series through Infogrames' purchase of Hasbro Interactive. He also stated that he was disappointed with the state of video games during this period which focused too much on violence.[1]
Sawyer re-emerged in 2010 with the opening of 31X Ltd. a holding company for his Transport Tycoonintellectual property. However, he saw there was interest in a mobile version of this game, and took 31X in a direction towards mobile development.[2] In 2013, he announced the mobile version of Transport Tycoon, developed with Origin8. With Origin8's help, Sawyer was able to convert the original Transport Tycoon code from a form that relied heavily on assembly code to transfer it into a more portable form.[1] The title was released in late 2013. He considered the mobile release of Transport Tycoon a success, and that Origin8 was willing to continue to help port RollerCoaster Tycoon into a similar mobile format. Sawyer also recognized that there was a demand for a game that used the more simple controls and graphics offered in the original Tycoon games, which worked well for mobile and touch-screen devices.[1]
In March 2016, Sawyer affirmed he had started work on RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic with Origin8, to be released for mobile devices.[1] As with the rework of Transport Tycoon, this required Sawyer and Origin8 to rework the assembly code from RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 into C. They were also able to add new elements to the game during this period.[3]
The game was released for both Android and iOS devices on December 22, 2016.[4][5] On that same day, Sawyer released a statement explaining his reason for developing the game: 'It was my long term ambition to bring the classic game to modern touch screen devices as its visual style and tactile nature are so well suited to smartphones and tablets.' Meanwhile, the CEO of Atari stated that the game should appeal to both long-time fans, as well as new players.[6]
A Microsoft Windows and macOS port of the game was released on September 28, 2017.[7][8]
Reception[edit]
Reception | ||||||||||||
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Bob Fekete of iDigitalTimes praised the game for faithfully porting the original games on mobile devices for a low price tag, but criticized the game's 'cramped' feel and occasionally low framerates.[11]
References[edit]
- ^ abcdefYin-Poole, Wesley (March 3, 2016). 'A big interview with Chris Sawyer, the creator of RollerCoaster Tycoon'. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
- ^Rose, Mike (July 19, 2013). 'Chris Sawyer on his reentry back into video games'. Gamasutra. Retrieved September 28, 2017.
- ^Zarrouk, Alexander (July 15, 2016). 'Chris Sawyer Interview anlässlich der Eröffnung von Klugheim im Phanatasialand - TALK ABOUT GAMES' (in German). Retrieved July 24, 2016.
- ^Souppouris, Aaron (December 22, 2016). 'Classic 'RollerCoaster Tycoon' comes to iOS and Android'. Engadget. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
- ^Sarkar, Samit (December 22, 2016). 'First two RollerCoaster Tycoon games arrive on Android, iOS'. Polygon. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
- ^Moscaritolo, Angela (December 22, 2016). 'RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic Arrives on iOS, Android'. PCMAG. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
- ^Devore, Jordan (September 27, 2017). 'RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic is sliding onto Steam'. Destructoid. Retrieved September 27, 2017.
- ^Yin-Poole, Wesley (September 28, 2017). 'RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic launches on Steam'. Eurogamer. Retrieved September 28, 2017.
- ^'RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic for iPhone/iPad Reviews'. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
- ^Ford, Eric (January 3, 2017). ''RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic' Review – The Perfect Classic Ride'. TouchArcade. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
- ^Fekete, Bob (December 27, 2016). ''RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic' Review: Wonderful Nostalgia To Go'. iDigitalTimes.com. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
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