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IGN Preview of RollerCoaster Tycoon
RollerCoaster Tycoon 3D is the story of a man who doesn't have time for his son. Well, OK, that sounds a bit melodramatic – but it's accurate, at least, as the game opens with an eager young teenager getting the brush-off from his old man. He dreams of being a thrill ride designer. A theme park architect. A rollercoaster tycoon, of course – and it seems like he's set up well to realize those dreams, too, since his father happens to be employed in that very field.
The dad, though, is too busy with his own tycooning. So he passes the buck to an old retiree to instruct his son instead.
And so begins "Coaster Story," the new narrative-focused tutorial mode included in this latest RollerCoaster Tycoon sequel to ease players into its simulation of money management, attraction construction and virtual vomit clean-up.
It's been a while since we've seen this series. The franchise first kicked off back in 1999, when the first RollerCoaster Tycoon shipped for PCs and offered home computer players a new alternative to earlier sims like Theme Park. The foundation of its gameplay was engaging – you'd build your own tourist destination full of attractions and you'd manage ticket prices to score piles of cash off the ride-addicted visitors – but the real fun was in its deep custom coaster construction mode. There you had the power to put together incredibly complex roller coasters of your own elaborate design, full of enough loops, tunnels and sharp descents to send any hapless park-goer running to the restroom for a toilet to hurl into. Well, if you chose to build any restrooms, that is.
RollerCoaster Tycoon 3D offers that same fun foundation, adds in a few of the features and tweaks that debuted in 2002's Tycoon 2 and 2004's Tycoon 3, and once again turns you loose with an empty lot, a pocketful of cash to pay the contractors and an array of amusement park staples to build. Veterans of those past installments in the series can select the "Park Sandbox" mode to jump straight into management, or go directly into coaster construction to start assembling some stomach-turning high-speed machines.
Newcomers, though? They'd be best served to pick Coaster Story, as I did. And there – after getting the cold shoulder from Papa Tycoon – they'll meet their new friend Chappy.
Chappy, at first glance, looks a bit like Mario might if Nintendo ever let him age. He's got the cap and the overalls. He's got the same blue/red color scheme. He's even got the facial hair, though there's more of it and it's all gone grey. I thought the design might be an homage at first glance, and I still think that after spending some time with him in-game – it wouldn't be too out-of-place, after all, as this is RollerCoaster Tycoon's Nintendo system debut.
Chappy starts to get chatty right off the bat, serving as the voice guiding you through the game's tutorials. He teaches you the interface - how to build your first ride, how to control the cameras (upgraded from the series' roots in a locked perspective to allow full 3D rotation), and everything else.
The tutorial gets to be a bit tedious after a while, which is either a failing of this new narrative approach or an unintended strength – Chappy is an old man teaching a teenager, after all. The rambling on could just be character-appropriate.
The game doesn't force you to sit through all of the sage's advice, though, as you're free at any time to bounce back into the no-handholding modes and play at your own pace. Sticking with Coaster Story will get you to some exclusive building challenges, though, so it may be worthwhile to be patient with Chappy's prattling.
Beyond this newcomer-friendly story mode, RollerCoaster Tycoon 3D's big draw is, of course, the 3D. From my hands-on/eyes-on time with the game so far, I'll say I'm fairly impressed by the effect. You might need to take your 3DS outside on a windy day to get your hair whipped around and have lunch at that Mexican dive down the street to put your stomach into the proper state, but the visual effect of actually riding a roller coaster in first-person is pretty solid here, especially since this is all running on a handheld screen.
Altogether I think there's plenty here for both long-time fans of the franchise and newcomers alike to get excited about – and RollerCoaster Tycoon 3D should be shipping to stores on May 22.
Lucas M. Thomas has a son, and he's growing so fast he'll be tall enough to ride roller coasters before he's 2. Join Lucas on his IGN blog and Twitter.
©2012-04-16, IGN Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved
The dad, though, is too busy with his own tycooning. So he passes the buck to an old retiree to instruct his son instead.
And so begins "Coaster Story," the new narrative-focused tutorial mode included in this latest RollerCoaster Tycoon sequel to ease players into its simulation of money management, attraction construction and virtual vomit clean-up.
It's been a while since we've seen this series. The franchise first kicked off back in 1999, when the first RollerCoaster Tycoon shipped for PCs and offered home computer players a new alternative to earlier sims like Theme Park. The foundation of its gameplay was engaging – you'd build your own tourist destination full of attractions and you'd manage ticket prices to score piles of cash off the ride-addicted visitors – but the real fun was in its deep custom coaster construction mode. There you had the power to put together incredibly complex roller coasters of your own elaborate design, full of enough loops, tunnels and sharp descents to send any hapless park-goer running to the restroom for a toilet to hurl into. Well, if you chose to build any restrooms, that is.
RollerCoaster Tycoon 3D offers that same fun foundation, adds in a few of the features and tweaks that debuted in 2002's Tycoon 2 and 2004's Tycoon 3, and once again turns you loose with an empty lot, a pocketful of cash to pay the contractors and an array of amusement park staples to build. Veterans of those past installments in the series can select the "Park Sandbox" mode to jump straight into management, or go directly into coaster construction to start assembling some stomach-turning high-speed machines.
Newcomers, though? They'd be best served to pick Coaster Story, as I did. And there – after getting the cold shoulder from Papa Tycoon – they'll meet their new friend Chappy.
Chappy, at first glance, looks a bit like Mario might if Nintendo ever let him age. He's got the cap and the overalls. He's got the same blue/red color scheme. He's even got the facial hair, though there's more of it and it's all gone grey. I thought the design might be an homage at first glance, and I still think that after spending some time with him in-game – it wouldn't be too out-of-place, after all, as this is RollerCoaster Tycoon's Nintendo system debut.
Chappy starts to get chatty right off the bat, serving as the voice guiding you through the game's tutorials. He teaches you the interface - how to build your first ride, how to control the cameras (upgraded from the series' roots in a locked perspective to allow full 3D rotation), and everything else.
The tutorial gets to be a bit tedious after a while, which is either a failing of this new narrative approach or an unintended strength – Chappy is an old man teaching a teenager, after all. The rambling on could just be character-appropriate.
The game doesn't force you to sit through all of the sage's advice, though, as you're free at any time to bounce back into the no-handholding modes and play at your own pace. Sticking with Coaster Story will get you to some exclusive building challenges, though, so it may be worthwhile to be patient with Chappy's prattling.
Beyond this newcomer-friendly story mode, RollerCoaster Tycoon 3D's big draw is, of course, the 3D. From my hands-on/eyes-on time with the game so far, I'll say I'm fairly impressed by the effect. You might need to take your 3DS outside on a windy day to get your hair whipped around and have lunch at that Mexican dive down the street to put your stomach into the proper state, but the visual effect of actually riding a roller coaster in first-person is pretty solid here, especially since this is all running on a handheld screen.
Altogether I think there's plenty here for both long-time fans of the franchise and newcomers alike to get excited about – and RollerCoaster Tycoon 3D should be shipping to stores on May 22.
Lucas M. Thomas has a son, and he's growing so fast he'll be tall enough to ride roller coasters before he's 2. Join Lucas on his IGN blog and Twitter.
©2012-04-16, IGN Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved