RollerCoaster Tycoon (Gold Edition) (PC, 2002)

the one that started it all: Roller Coaster Tycoon (RCT for short) is a very fun and addictive game with challenging scenarios, fun rides and endless possibilities. and what's great about this game is you design the park to try and win. there's not only 1 or 2 ways to win like with most games. in roller coaster tycoon there are dozens of ways to win (or lose) a scenario... some are just better or worse than others. which way is better or worse.. that is up to you, you decide ;)

so, you are in control. each expansion pack and game also adds new rides, scenarios, shops/stalls, options and challenges to keep things interesting.. plus much more

and once one installs the original game & it's 2 expansion packs there are over 90 scenarios for you to beat, with a few taking a hour - an hour and a half to some taking 2-3 & 1/2 hours to some taking over 4 hours (not counting having to replay it because you didn't beat any given scenario)

so there are countless hours of fun, countless possibilities and just an endless variety of possibilities of all kinds with roller coaster tycoon that should have you interested from the first scenario.

all of the roller coaster tycoon games offer this, which is why they are so great, in my opinion... and they just keep adding more and more to make it better, more interesting, more challenging and more fun.

this game is fun for the whole family. i've seen people who have never played a video game in their life get talked into playing RCT and they were hooked... same goes with people who barely know how to use a computer.

from young to old, to people who are new to video games or seasoned video game veterans, and beyond. they all love roller coaster tycoon... don't believe me? try it and see for yourself.... all one needs to do is give this game a fair chance to be hooked and have countless hours of fun.

RollerCoaster Tycoon Gold Edition is not a card box containing jewel cases. It contains another piece of card holding the shape of the box together along with those paper disc holders you get with un-boxed releases. I was somewhat disappointed with that.

The game itself is well-known for it's old popularity, and I've gone and bought it because I wanted a boxed copy of that old game. It's as good as it always was and has aged quite well. One thing I should mention though is that RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 is very similar and the successor to RCT1 so if you're going to buy either one or the other you might want to look at getting the second game. I have 1, 2 and 3 in my collection now for old times sake, and I'm glad I own this along with it's sequels.

The graphics & sound of this game are great. They fit the genre and theme of the game perfectly. In a lot of games the sound can get tedious but in RCT this isn't an issue as the constant tasks and changing scenes keep things fresh.

- The gameplay is the best I've ever experienced or seen in a tycoon / sim game. The menus and interface buttons are VERY simple to learn and use. The game can be completely run by the mouse - typing is optional. The tutorial is simple and effective, getting you into the game fast. The drive to build the best park can be obsessive - be warned!

- Value isn't even the right word! This Gold edition comes with so much game! There are dozens of scenarios on the discs with this edition: that will take a lot of time to complete. In addition you can re-play any scenario that you've finished to your heart's content. You can continue playing any scenario that you've won and keep building with no further goals than design and profit. The replay value alone is worth EVERY cent. Add all that to abundant online resources and you're good to go.

- Performance: check for any relevant patches / updates online (there aren't too many) and other than that any mainstream modern computer (even the name-brand junk boxes) won't have problems running this game. I remember playing it endlessly on a 450mhz machine with 128mb ram and it ran like a champ. If you have better (or equal) than that you're good to go.

Great game, super fun and exciting!I'm not a big computer game fan. I have Rollercoaster Tycoon 1 and 2, and I have enjoyed them immensely. They appeal to my creativity. RCT3, however, WILL COMPLETELY BLOW YOU AWAY! The graphics are simply astonishing. I particularly enjoy sandbox mode, whereby you simply build stuff and ride it without worrying about the game rules. It's a great way to kill a few hours and expend some mental energy. If you're a doodler, you'll love building attractions and then getting to ride them via the Coaster Cam. It's also fun to build attractive tableaus and simply glide through them with the camera, checking out the stunning visuals. One caution: Read the minimum system requirements and heed them. Slower systems will play a simplified version of the game, but to get the really awesome visuals you'll need a robust graphics card and a good processor. Highly recommended!

Roller Coaster Tycoon is a great game that still provides hours of fun more than 10 years after it was released. The Gold Edition includes the basic game and two expansion packs: Added Attractions and Loopy Landscapes.

The premise of the game is to successfully operate, maintain, and promote your amusement park while meeting the goals of individual scenarios. Along the way you win awards for “Best Value” and other categories. You “win” the scenarios based on reaching set goals such as: having 600 guests in the park in October of your third year of operation, or having your Guest Satisfaction level over 50%, or having a Park Gross Value of $50,000.00.

Each scenario has some rides and pathways already laid out, but it’s up to you to research new rides and handle all construction.

You have to balance the prices of admission and guest services, plus prices for the individual rides, against guest satisfaction with your park. You are also responsible for hiring maintenance personnel to keep your park clean and to mow the lawns, mechanics to fix your rides as they break down, security officers to keep the park safe, and entertainers to keep the guests amused while they wait in line to board the rides.

This is a fun game, and one that I’ve enjoyed playing. I’ve had no problem running it on my older laptop (PII 750 MHz with 512 MB RAM and 8 MB video onboard) using Windows XP as the OS, and it also works on systems using Windows Vista as the OS.