RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic

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RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic
RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic.jpg
Developer(s) Origin8 Technologies [a]
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) Android, iOS, Microsoft Windows, macOS, Nintendo Switch
Release
  • Android, iOS
  • December 22, 2016
  • Microsoft Windows, macOS
  • September 28, 2017
  • Nintendo Switch
  • December 5, 2024
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's initial release is a port of both RollerCoaster Tycoon and RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 combined into a single game. Both games are amusement park management simulators created by Chris Sawyer for the PC. RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic was released for Android and iOS in December 2016 and for Microsoft Windows and macOS in September 2017. A Nintendo Switch port was released on December 5, 2024.

Contents

Gameplay

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

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. [2] Sawyer allowed Frontier Developments to develop RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 while he worked on Locomotion , a 2004 spiritual successor to Transport Tycoon. [2]

Sawyer re-emerged in 2010 with the opening of 31X Ltd. a holding company for his Transport Tycoon intellectual property, and took 31X in a direction towards mobile development. [3] Sawyer 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. [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. [2] Origin8 continued to work with Sawyer to help port RollerCoaster Tycoon into a similar mobile format.

In March 2016, Sawyer affirmed he had started work on RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic with Origin8, to be released for mobile devices. [2] 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. [4]

The game was released for both Android and iOS devices on December 22, 2016. [5] [6] 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. [7]

A Windows and macOS port of the game was released on September 28, 2017. [8] [9] The game was later ported to Nintendo Switch on December 5, 2024. [10]

Reception

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. [13] Alex Olney of Nintendo Life praised the game, opining that the Nintendo Switch port is "the best way to play this classic in your living room." However, Olney criticized the lack of touch-screen support as well as some performance issues when the game is zoomed out. [10]

Kotaku Australia was critical of the release, citing the system specification requirements- which are considerably higher than that of the original games- and the lack of multiplayer support, which had been added to the original game via the community-driven OpenRCT2 project. [14] In 2022, an update to OpenRCT2 would allow the use of RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic as a base install path, rather than the original games. [15]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Transport Tycoon</i> 1994 video game

Transport Tycoon is a city-based video game designed and programmed by Chris Sawyer, and published by MicroProse on 15 November 1994 for DOS. It is a business simulation game, presented in an isometric view in 2D with graphics by Simon Foster, in which the player acts as an entrepreneur in control of a transport company, and can compete against rival companies to make as much profit as possible by transporting passengers and various goods by road, rail, sea and air.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Sawyer</span> Scottish video game designer

Christopher Sawyer is a Scottish video game designer and programmer. He is best known for creating Transport Tycoon, which has been considered "one of the most important simulation games ever made", and the best-selling RollerCoaster Tycoon series.

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<i>Chris Sawyers Locomotion</i> 2004 video game

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<i>RollerCoaster Tycoon 2</i> 2002 video game

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References

  1. ↑ https://graphitelab.com/portfolio-items/rollercoaster-tycoon-classic/
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Yin-Poole, Wesley (March 3, 2016). "A big interview with Chris Sawyer, the creator of RollerCoaster Tycoon" . Retrieved April 3, 2016.
  3. ↑ Rose, Mike (July 19, 2013). "Chris Sawyer on his reentry back into video games". Gamasutra . Retrieved September 28, 2017.
  4. ↑ Zarrouk, Alexander (July 15, 2016). "Chris Sawyer Interview anlässlich der Eröffnung von Klugheim im Phanatasialand - TALK ABOUT GAMES" (in German). Archived from the original on September 27, 2017. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  5. ↑ Souppouris, Aaron (December 22, 2016). "Classic 'RollerCoaster Tycoon' comes to iOS and Android". Engadget. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  6. ↑ Sarkar, Samit (December 22, 2016). "First two RollerCoaster Tycoon games arrive on Android, iOS". Polygon. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  7. ↑ Moscaritolo, Angela (December 22, 2016). "RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic Arrives on iOS, Android". PC Magazine. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
  8. ↑ Devore, Jordan (September 27, 2017). "RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic is sliding onto Steam". Destructoid . Retrieved September 27, 2017.
  9. ↑ Yin-Poole, Wesley (September 28, 2017). "RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic launches on Steam". Eurogamer . Retrieved September 28, 2017.
  10. 1 2 3 Life, Nintendo (December 5, 2024). "Review: Rollercoaster Tycoon Classic (Switch) - One Heck Of A Ride, But With A Few Leaves On The Track". Nintendo Life. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  11. ↑ "RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic for iPhone/iPad Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  12. ↑ Ford, Eric (January 3, 2017). "'RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic' Review – The Perfect Classic Ride". TouchArcade . Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  13. ↑ Fekete, Bob (December 27, 2016). "'RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic' Review: Wonderful Nostalgia To Go". iDigitalTimes.com. Archived from the original on December 31, 2016. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
  14. ↑ Walker, Alex (September 27, 2017). "I'm Not Sure Rollercoaster Tycoon Needs That Much RAM". Kotaku Australia . Archived from the original on April 23, 2018.
  15. ↑ Dawe, Liam (October 12, 2022). "RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 game engine OpenRCT2 gets another big upgrade". GamingOnLinux. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
  1. ↑ Ported to Nintendo Switch by Graphite Lab. [1]
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