Theme Park (video game)

Theme Park
Amiga/DOS Cover art for Theme Park
Developer(s)	Bullfrog Productions
Publisher(s)	Electronic Arts
Composer(s)	Russell Shaw
Platform(s)	3DO, Amiga, Amiga CD32, Mega Drive/Genesis, PlayStation, Sega Saturn, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Atari Jaguar, Macintosh, Mega-CD, MS-DOS, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3
Release	1994 iOS December 8, 2011
Genre(s)	Construction and management sim
Mode(s)	Single player

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, while Chris Sawyer's Roller Coaster Tycoon series has evolved the concept to offer a far more realistic selection of rides.

Theme Park has been announced for IPhone at Gamescom 2011 and it is an all new game and it was released on December 8, 2011 as free-to-play.

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. 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 handymen. Lack of staff can cause problems, including messy footpaths, rides breaking down (and with sufficient neglect, exploding), crime, and unhappy visitors. Occasionally, wages and the price of goods must be negotiated; failure to negotiate results in staff strikes and loss of shipment. Theme Park offers three levels of simulation, with the higher difficulties requiring more management of aspects such as logistics.

Ports

Theme Park has been ported to a wide variety of different gaming platforms.

PlayStation Network

In November 6, 2008 Theme Park was released in Europe on PlayStation Network.

Nintendo DS

The game was remade for the Nintendo DS by EA Japan. It was released in Japan on March 15, 2007 with releases in the US and Europe on March 20, 2007 and March 23, 2007. New features of the game are the user interface, which was designed to fit the stylus functionality of the DS platform, and bonus rides/shops exclusive to certain properties, such as a Tea Room themed on an AEC Routemaster bus for England, Japanese dojo-style bouncy castle for Japan, A Coliseum themed Pizza Parlour for Italy, a La Sagrada Familia-themed Paella restaurant for Spain etc. The remake is based on the DOS version. The game differs from the original in that the game provides four different advisors who each provide different advice. In-game music depends not on the ride that is focused on, but rather the adviser that is chosen. In addition, there is only one save game slot.

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).

External links

• Theme Park at MobyGames
• Official Theme Park DS Website (requires Flash 9)
• English Product Information at ea.com