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 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.

Contents

[edit] Gameplay

The DOS Version of Theme Park
The DOS Version of Theme Park

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, 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 Colloseum themed Pizza Parlour for Italy, a 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] 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. Bankruptcy is a big problem in Theme Park.

[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] References

  1. ^ a b Theme Park for DS Review. Retrieved on 2007-04-12.
  2. ^ Interview: Theme Park DS. Retrieved on 2007-03-20.

[edit] External links

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