I haven't even tried this damn game yet. Want to know why? It doesn't work. Every time I've tried to launch it, it comes up with the same thing... A black 1024x768 window, regardless of your resolution or fullscreen setting, which is always on top http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=346063230 A "Critical Exception" error message behind said black window http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=346063746 Despite all my attempts and all my searches, I still can't get it to work. I've tried the direct EXE and the GOG launcher, I've tried all the compatibility modes, I've even tried turning down lighting as some have said fixes the issue. For now, I give up. I can't find the damn solution, I've tried everything and yet nothing works. Even Fallout 3 worked at one point for me, but this just can't be done. Buyer beware, this game might not even launch properly.
Big mistake on my part. This game is much better than any of its sequels, and its latest title seems more like a farmville than a game. However, if you buy on Steam, you get a half-assed port to Steam that isn't even integrated right (overlay won't work, no screenshots or anything either), but still gets the DRMs. Buy it here, and you have infinite downloads standalone, plus it seems to be more compatible than the "steam edition." To sum it up, RCT is another title by developer Chris Sawyer, a sim gamemaker who was way ahead of his time though his reluctance of popularity led to him being outshined by EA's cash cow franchises such as The Sims and SimCity. Even around the time of DOS, he was innovating, most notably his state-of-the-art Interface in Railroad Tycoon. RollerCoaster Tycoon, on the other hand, is just what it sounds like. Being a Win95/98 game and not DOS, you won't need any emulators. Rather than railroads, you'll be making a theme park of your own. It can be as simple or complex as you want it to be, as far as interface goes. You always seem to have two options, a simple tool that can serve its purpose in a well-planned park, or a much more complex tool that can accomplish much more but is a little trickier to learn. Around nearly every corner is a graph you can find, an EXCELLENT economy system that will feel right from both your period as an entertainment superpower to a run-down carnival with a long list of debts to pay. Within at least 3 hours of the game you can learn nearly every trick, but your game doesn't end there. With this game's excellent scenarios, neat-but-powerful interface, and nostalgic 256-color isometric visuals, the only downside is a lack of support for widescreen. As long as you don't mind a bit of a stretchy screen, I can't recommend this game enough to you. As a fan since its release, this was what I remembered from my childhood more than any other game and it's still a lot of fun to this day. GET IT.
