Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
As Good As The Original, March 26, 2007
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
I was a fan of this little gem back in 1994 when it first came out on the original PlayStation and am glad to see it's been released on the DS.
In Theme Park you own and operate your own amusement park. You control everything from ticket prices to negotiating wages. Each financial year new rides and attractions become available to help lure in new visitors and boost your bank account.
You can hire handymen to help clean up the mess left by guests (including giving them specific sections of the park to monitor), mechanics to tune up rides and ensure they don't explode (literally), guards to stop unwanted guests, and entertainers to keep your guests happy.
While game play is not particularly hard, my only setback initially was the controls. You use the stylus to sift through options, place rides and so forth while using the control pad to move around the park itself. Placing rollercoaster's and water tubes is a little tricky with the stylus. Sometimes you can accidently place a new section or move the ride higher/lower instead of what you really wanted to do.
All the old charms of the original game are still around. The rides, staff members, scenarios and map screens are the same. They've even kept the annoying coughing sound for when something isn't right in the park and the old-style graphics. There's also the addition of new rides, attraction booths, advisors to help you along the way, gift stores and entertainers. You also get to make a little profile for yourself before you start your first park including an avatar, your blood type (I gather this is due to it being produced by EA Japan) and your gender. Your little avatar is then able to visit other people's parks via Wi-Fi.
My only major complaint with this title would be that it really is too much like the original. You build a park, make the required amount of money and move on to another country and repeat the process. It would have been nice to have a little more this time around, but the game itself is still very much worth the purchase. It's addictive, humourous and great for both young and old DS players. Younger players will be able to pick up the basics with every icon needed in your park being available on the bottom of the screen and an advisor (of your choice) on the top screen giving you handy tips as you go.
|
|
|
23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
4.5 Stars! Just as Fun as the Original!, April 4, 2007
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
Before there was Rollercoaster Tycoon, there was Theme Park. For those who don't know, Theme Park was originally released back in 1994 for the PC and Sega Genesis. It was a little gem of a game that was addictive, humorous, and it helped pave the way for future amusement park simulation games such as Rollercoaster Tycoon. The basic premise of Theme Park is to build successful Theme Parks around the world, in real world locations like Japan, and bring in profits. When I initially heard Theme Park was being released for the Nintendo DS, I was thrilled, and fortunately Theme Park is still just as fun to play as the original. Here are some pros and cons:
Pros:
+ Faithful Update - Pretty much all of the elements from the original Theme Park game are included in the DS version. Remember the Bouncy Castle? The exploding rides? The cartoonish 2D graphics? Mr Whippies Ice Cream? The theme park patrons who have no regard for throwing away their litter and who don't mind vomitting all over your park? Well they're all here, even the ride music is the same...
+ Various Difficulty Levels - There are three difficulty levels, with each giving you more responsibility and control over your park. You also have control over various items, from the prices of your shops, to the amount of caffeine used in your coffee shops (really pour on the caffeine if you want your parks patrons to move around the park at light speed)
+ Touch Screen Controls - All of the controls are touch screen based which I personally like. You lay paths and ride queues by sliding around your stylus, its actually quite easy and innovative..
+ Wi-fi - You can create your own profile and actually visit other DS owners Theme Parks in Wireless mode, I haven't actually tried this out yet...
+ New Attractions - Theres a few new attractions, including rides and shops. And according to the game box there is unlockable content..
+ It's Fun! - I love amusement parks and I love building my own even more, so if you like building your own amusement parks then you should have fun with this game, whether you're familiar with this game or not.
Cons:
- Music - The background music gets kind of repetitive. Though you can choose from five background music choices, I found them all to be kind of grating, luckily you can turn the volume down or even turn the music off altogether. And in order to hear the ride music you have to click on the ride, I wish that you could be able to hear the ride music without having to click on the ride...
- No New Game Play Elements - While Theme Park is addictive and building Theme Parks can keep one occupied for hours on end, I wish that they had included new gameplay elements such as certain scenarios or missions to complete.
- Those unfamiliar with the series may find it too simplistic or may have expectations that this game is going to be like Rollercoaster Tycoon. Remember Theme Park was released back in 1994 so the graphics and gameplay may not be as complex as Roller Coaster Tycoon, however, I find that the simplicity of Theme Park is what makes it such a charming and fun game (and don't be fooled, despite its cartoony graphics, Theme Park can be a pretty difficult game). So don't expect this to be like Roller Coaster Tycoon because they are entirely different games, with Theme Park having a more cartoony and humorous bent.
Overall I highly recommend this game, whether you're familiar with it or not. Gameplay is simple, building various amusement parks around the world is bound to keep one busy for hours on end, and there's a lot of fun and humor, so give Theme Park a visit!
|
|
|
27 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
As good as the original -- maybe even better!, June 6, 2007
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
Theme Park is a remake of a simulation game released in the mid 1990's in which you took on the role of an entrepreneur who built and maintained, well, Theme Parks. The game was great then, and the graphics were quite advanced for the game's time. The game has now been rereleased for the Nintendo DS, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that not only the integrity of the original game had been preserved but that some new exciting features were added as well!
Audience: Obviously the primary audience for this game are those who loved the original Theme Park. The game was available on the PC and a couple of gaming platforms so there are many fans of the old game. It has aged surprisingly well, however, so even fans of sim games overall should enjoy this classic.
Graphics: Hey, the game is from 13 or so years ago. The graphics are primitive but are great considering how old the game is.
Gameplay: Gameplay is pretty basic. Build a park, make it profitable, keep customers happy, repeat. You build and customize your park with rides, food vendors and games, entertainers, and trees and other decoration. You hire maintenance people to keep the park clean and the rides working and security officers to maintain order. The game gives you total control over the speed of the rides, the amount of salt in the French Fries (more salt makes your patrons thirsty!), etc. Oh, and don't forget to put some bathrooms in.
Control: Control is mostly done with the stylus as you point, click, and circle things you want to build, move, or maintain. I am not very experienced with the DS's controls so it took me a little time to get used to, but it was easy enough once I got the hang of it. The control pad and buttons can be used to scroll around the park.
Challenge: There are several ways to customize difficulty, including how involved in the park's maintenance you really want to be, how fast time passes, and how the economy is in each of the places you build.
Storyline: You start with one park in the UK and go from there, building around the world as you make money and make your existing parks profitable. It's a great concept, but there isn't much of an actual storyline.
Overall this is a great game, as fun as the original but with some excellent new features. I tried to buy this for my PC a few years ago and got frustrated trying to run it in DOS--this not only solves the problem but makes the game much easier to play and much more enjoyable.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
