Theme Park Roller Coaster

"This game really deserves some more recognition..."

Introduction
Even though the title may only tell about roller coasters, there is a lot more to this game than that. You’re put in charge of your own amusement park, and you’re pretty much on your own from there. Build kiddie rides, roller coasters, and food shops. Hire janitors, mechanics, and entertainers (the guys dressed up in costumes). Expand your park when you earn enough income. Then when you think you’re through, you can take a stroll through your own park in the first-person point of view. Theme Park Roller Coaster is a great ride, but it's not without its faults.

Graphics
Theme Park Roller Coaster has some really amazing graphics. But then again it’s for PS2, so it should look good. From the first-person view though, your park just seems to come to life. You can tell the feelings of your customers by looking at their animations. Happy children will gleefully skip through your park, while sad kids will slowly walk around and sometimes stop to wipe their tears. There is a bit of a collision detection problem though. While strolling through your park, you can sometimes go straight through some of your features. But that is just a small problem. Overall, this game looks outstanding.
Rating: 9/10

Sound
The music, if it can be called that, is horrible. I mute the music in my game and just turn on the radio. It’s that bad. Sure, the music does fit the park’s theme, but there is no way I can listen to it for two to three hours straight. The sound effects, on the other hand, are great. Children will scream in delight while riding their favorite ride, and they’ll sigh in disapproval when a ride breaks down. And there is nothing more satisfying than hearing your customers scream when free-falling down a coaster that you built.
Rating: 6/10

Storyline
Is there supposed to be a storyline in this kind of game? I didn’t think so.
Rating: 0/0

Replay Value
There is a big replay value in this game. Every time you create a new park, it’s a different game. New rides, different theme, and even a new park layout if you want it. It’s all up to you. But after completing all of the parks, (which does take a long time), this game can get boring. But that’s after a long time of playing, so that’s not a huge problem.
Rating: 8/10

Gameplay
First, let me warn you that there is a steep learning curve here. It can take a couple of tries before creating a successful park. But once you do, creating the amusement park of your dreams becomes simple and fun. With just a few simple presses of the button, you can create almost anything with your park. Building the famous Roller Coaster can be a chore though. Even when you think you’ve built the ultimate coaster, if it ends up being ranked Too Scary or Vomit Inducing, and no one will ride it. This can be very aggravating, especially when you’re trying to build an “Ultimate Coaster.” But this is the only problem with the gameplay. Other than that, this game is very enjoyable.
Rating: 8/10

Recap
Graphics: 9/10
Sound: 6/10
Storyline: 0/0
Replay Value: 8/10
Gameplay: 8/10

Overall
This game looks gorgeous. The music sucks, but that can always be muted. The sound effects are truly awesome. There are almost limitless things you can do in this game, so the replay value is obviously gigantic. And once you get the controls of the game down and set up your own strategy, the gameplay is great. (Except for that roller coaster thing.) What more can be said? (Well, probably a lot of stuff. But, like I usually say, ''Oh well.'')

Overall Rating: 8/10

This review was brought to you by:
--C.B.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 04/07/01, Updated 08/02/01