RollerCoaster Tycoon 2: Time Twister

"The addition of tons of out-of-place and useless attractions isn't what I call an expansion pack."

The Roller Coaster Tycoon series has always had very clever and inclusive expansion packs to support the main titles. When Time Twister was announced, I was thrilled! New rides, different scenery, and brand new scenarios!

However, "displeased" would be an understatement here. The new rides are mostly just the same ones you had on the original RCT2, but with highly unbelievable train designs, such as cars, dinosaurs, and even hippie buses. The new scenery is generally just a bunch of eyesores you wouldn't want to add to your park in ANY situation. The new scenarios are bearable, but it just seems the designers could've brought more to the table than just "xnumber of guests in your park by xdate with xpark-rating."

I'm not saying this expansion pack is worthless, mind you. There ARE a number of finer points and additions to the game which do enhance the experience, such as a wider variety of rides in the Gentle and Intense genres. But does it really balance out the piles of crap which accompanies it?

Gameplay: 7/10
Since this is an expansion pack, you still use your Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 game to play, so the interface and HUD is all still the same. It works incredibly well for what you get to do, and that's an important factor in any strategy game. In saying this, however, there are still numerous glitches which can occur with your staff, long paths, etc. that all could've been fixed in this expansion pack. Considering they weren't taken care of, that fact alone definitely drags down this score by a few points.

Originality: 3/10
I don't think I'm being harsh when I say that the designers essentially just took their wildest, nonsensical ideas and threw them into the game. Am I really the only person who doesn't think a roller coaster with 1920's cop cars for a train instead of a traditional coaster train is a good idea? To me, these rides just become eyesores after awhile, whereas normal roller coaster designs don't. How often do you see a roller coaster with a friggin' pterodactyl for a train and take it seriously? I'd say 80% of the new ride designs are very theme-limited, meaning they only work in a completely themed park. On the other hand, you have 20% of the new rides which are very simple to add to any park, like the Hall of Mirrors or the double-decker carousels.

Replay value: 2/10
As mentioned above, most of the new features and attractions in this expansion pack are just things you won't want to add to your park, unless you maintain a theme throughout the scenario. Except for a few of the better rides, you'll never use, say, the oddball dinosaur-coaster. In all of the new scenarios, you get tons of new rides from your research team, but most are the rides described above. Unless you strictly stick to the theme of your scenario, the ride'll just seem out of place to you and you'd wish you just had the normal roller coaster available instead.

Recommendation: Skip
The only way you should buy this game is if it comes with Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 itself, or with the 3 pack, along with "Wacky Worlds," the other, better expansion. If you have RCT2 and you find yourself at Best Buy or Target, though, and you're eyeballin' it, save yourself the $10 or $15 and pass it up. The handful of good rides and attractions don't match up to the mounds of useless junk you also get for your parks.



As with my other reviews, please feel free to contact me through email (found on my personal profile) if you wish to discuss the game further.

Reviewer's Score: 4/10, Originally Posted: 07/18/08, Updated 07/21/08

Game Release: RollerCoaster Tycoon 2: Time Twister (US, 10/22/03)