Theme Park (video game)
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| Theme Park | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Bullfrog Productions |
| Publisher(s) | Electronic Arts |
| Platform(s) | 3DO, Amiga, Sega Mega Drive, Sony PlayStation, Sega Saturn, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Atari Jaguar, Apple Macintosh, Sega Mega-CD, MS-DOS, Nintendo DS, Sega Genesis |
| Release date(s) | 1994 |
| Genre(s) | Construction and management sim |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: E ELSPA: 3+ OFLC: G |
Theme Park is a construction and management simulation game designed by Bullfrog Productions and originally released in 1994, in which the player designs and operates an amusement park.
Like most of Bullfrog's games, Theme Park is permeated by an eccentric sense of humor.
Theme Hospital is Bullfrog's thematic successor to the game.
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[edit] Gameplay
Starting with a free plot of land in the United Kingdom and few hundred thousand dollars, the player must build a profitable amusement park, making money by opening rides and selling merchandise and refreshments. The goal is to increase the park's value and available cash so that the park can be sold and a new lot can be bought from another part of the world and start building a new theme park.[1] Newer products can be bought after researching them. Once enough money has been made the player can move on to newer plots. Plots are located all over the world and have many different factors that affect gameplay, including the economy, weather, terrain and land value.
There are over thirty attractions available in the game. Depending on the platform, it is possible to tour the park or the rides. There are simple rides like the bouncy castle and tree house, and more complicated and expensive rides like the roller coaster and the Ferris wheel.
There is a focus in the staff side of the park as well. People employed in the park include entertainers, security guards, mechanics, and cleaners. Lack of staff can cause problems, including messy parks, blown up rides, crime and sad visitors. Occasionally wages must be renegotiated; failure to renegotiate results in staff strikes. Theme Park offers several levels of simulation, with higher difficulties requiring more management of aspects such as logistics.
[edit] Ports
Theme Park has been ported to a wide variety of different gaming platforms.
The game was remade for the Nintendo DS by EA Japan. It was released in Japan on 15 March 2007 with releases in the US and Europe on 20 March 2007 and 23 March 2007. New features of the game are the user interface, which was designed to fit the stylus functionality of the DS platform, bonuses such as a Japanese dojo-style bouncy castle for Japan, a Tea house themed on a double-decker bus for England, A Coliseum themed Pizza Parlour for Italy, a La Sagrada Familia-themed Paella restaurant for Spain etc.[2] The remake is based on the PC version.[1]
The game differs from the original in that the game provides a number of different advisors who each provide different advice. In-game music depends not on the ride that is focused on, but rather the advisor that is chosen. In addition, there is only one save game slot, and it is not possible to view cut-scenes of the attractions.
[edit] Differences
Theme Park has some differences on the PC version, the Playstation version and the Nintendo DS version like the music of the rides and custom-styled shops and rides.
- Monorail - The same in all three versions.
- Bouncy Castle - On the PC version, it is stood up straight. On the Playstation version, the walls are leaning and on the Nintendo DS version, it is stood up straight like on the PC version and converted into a Japanese dojo-style bouncy castle in the Japan level.
- Snakes & Ladders - The same in all three versions.
- Tree House - On the PC version, when someone is on the ride, there's an elephant and a creature appears and a pipe-shaped telescope appears. On the Playstation version, it happens as the same on the PC version but without the creature and the pipe-shaped telescope. On the Nintendo DS version, you'll find that the Tree House does the same moves as the PC version's, but it is converted into an African Tree House in the South Africa level. On the African Tree House, instead of an elephant, a giraffe walks on a conveyor belt. The African Tree House has leaves that are lighter coloured than the normal Tree House's leaves. A creature appears and instead of a pipe-shaped telescope, a gorilla appears and beats its stomach.
- Rubber Tubing - The same in all three versions.
- Planet Rocket - On the PC and Nintendo DS versions, the lights come on as the rocket spins, but on the Playstation version, the rocket and the lights do not move when people are on it.
- Merry-Go-Round - On the PC version, the teacups are at 90-degree angles. On the Playstation version, they are in slightly different places and on the DS version, they are at 90-degree angles like on the PC version but in the Brazil level, the Merry-Go-Round is converted into a carnival ride called Rio Carnavale. On the Rio Carnavale ride, the teacups are football-liveried and a female dancer is in the middle and there's a sign saying "Carniv Cup"
- Water Splash - The add-on for the Big Dipper can be seen in the PC and Nintendo DS versions, but not the Playstation version because it doesn't appear with the Big Dipper.
- Maze - On the PC and Playstation versions, a mechanic goes to the entrance of the Maze instead of putting a fence around it but on the Nintendo DS version, he puts a fence around the whole ride.
- Roller Coaster - On the PC version, the Roller Coaster has flags but on the Playstation and Nintendo DS versions, it doesn't.
- Clown Acts - The same in all three versions.
- Super Spinner - On the PC and Nintendo DS versions, the Super Spinner spins and raises off the ground to do what a spinning centrifuge ride does and on the Playstation version, it stands still in one place.
- Observatory - The same in all three versions.
- Parasol Chairs - The same in all three versions.
- Ghost House - On the PC version, the cart goes into a tunnel and the lightning above the Ghost House strikes. On the Playstation version, the cart goes into the tunnel but the lightning above the ride doesn't strike. On the Nintendo DS version, the Ghost House does the same as the PC version. The Ghost House is converted into an Australian Safari ride in the Australia level. Instead of a skeleton's head, a crocodile tries to bite the cart as it goes past.
- Race Car Ride - The same in all three versions.
- Big Dipper - This roller coaster appears in the PC and Nintendo DS versions but doesn't make an appearance in the Playstation version.
- Plane Flyer - On the PC version, the planes go around the sun, which rotates anticlockwise. On the Playstation version, the planes go around the sun, but the sun does not spin around. On the Nintendo DS version, it's the same as the PC version. In the USA level, the Plane Flyer is converted into a New York ride called Empire State Flyer. The Empire State Flyer has bi-planes that go anticlockwise around the Empire State Building in New York City.
- Cowboy Acts - The same in all three versions.
- Big Wheel - The same in all three versions.
- Observation Tower - The same in all three versions.
[edit] In-game promotion
Some versions of the game (e.g. the Amiga and DOS versions) were sponsored by Midland Bank Livecash and displayed the Midland Griffin on the title screen and bank statements.
[edit] Sequels
Bullfrog has since released two sequels: Theme Park World (sold as Sim Theme Park in the United States and some other places) and Theme Park Inc (also known as SimCoaster).
[edit] "Game Over"
Somewhat controversially as it was a game for all ages, Theme Park shows a cutscene of the park owner jumping from a window while a family photograph fades, and Chopin's Funeral March plays if the player's park goes bankrupt. The following text about bankruptcy in the game is from the manual booklet: "' When the value of all the shares and stock in your park won't cover the cost of your loans, any interest you owe, debts to the bank, and the 20,000 leeway you're given, you are legally declared bankrupt. The park has to close, your life's work collapses around you, and there's only one honorable way out.
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Theme Park for DS Review". http://www.gamespot.com/ds/strategy/themepark/review.html. Retrieved on 2007-04-12.
- ^ "Interview: Theme Park DS". http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=156590. Retrieved on 2007-03-20.
[edit] External links
- Theme Park at MobyGames
- Official Theme Park DS Website (requires Flash 9)
- English Product Information at ea.com
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