Ever have that one game you just adore but, if you’re being honest, you’re not exactly a pro at? For me, RollerCoaster Tycoon is the prime suspect. Over the years, I’ve poured hours into the original masterpiece and its iconic sequel. Yet, despite all that time, I’ve never really mastered the art of crafting coasters or running the park smoothly. What I truly love is simply watching those tiny guests scamper through the intricate and often chaotic playgrounds I create. For many, the original games are almost sacred, and the sequels didn’t quite capture that magic. That’s why the sudden release and announcement of RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic, a cleverly designed port of the beloved mobile version, felt like a brilliant surprise. It might take a bit of adjustment, but this offers you a fantastic opportunity to dive back into the heights of park management once more.
In essence, RCT is a classic management simulation. Picture yourself as the all-powerful park director, tasked with hitting specific challenges within a set timeframe, all while building amusement parks in varied locations. Challenges might be as straightforward as reaching a certain number of guests with a positive park rating by a deadline, or it could be about achieving a specific profitability mark. The strategy and creativity are entirely up to you. There’s a wide array of maps, each presenting its own unique set of hurdles—from a lone, expensive rollercoaster in a desert, to a lake asserting most rides to be built on water, or even managing existing parks like Six Flags. The rides are abundant, most allowing for bespoke designs where you place the tracks and adorn them as you wish, all while ensuring you stay within budget, maintain cleanliness, and keep your visitors safe.
The central gameplay loop of RCT is addictive in its satisfaction. I can’t get enough of crafting and continuously tweaking my, admittedly, imperfect rides. Observing guest reactions and gradually refining park sections never gets old. Although there are myriad tutorials, I’m unsure they effectively convey the game’s deeper mechanics to newcomers. Much of what you learn comes from testing rides, understanding guest feedback, and exploring each menu. The scope for customization is vast, whether it’s terrain manipulation, underground pathways, or scenery creation—no two parks will ever mirror each other. Your evolving understanding of these mechanics is often mirrored in your financial success and guest attraction. For those eager to experiment freely, there’s a designer mode where you can build and save spectacular attractions. However, the absence of a ‘scenario editor’ in this version is notable. It was a blast to go wild with creativity and infinite resources without worrying about park ratings in previous iterations.
Visually, this version replicates the original PC’s charm almost perfectly. There’s a timeless allure in the sound effects, music, and the way guests appear to move like armies of ants across the map. It’s a game that looks delightful whether still or in motion, which is ideal given you’ll spend countless hours immersed in these worlds. I was caught off guard by occasional performance stutters, especially when zooming out. The Switch struggles slightly with this, which is peculiar since RCT Classic was initially crafted for mobile devices. This performance issue ties into some control gripes I have.
Originally made for mouse and keyboard, translating RCT’s controls to a controller likely posed quite the puzzle. Mostly, the controls function adequately. Constructing rides or laying path segments with the A-button and adjusting direction with the directional buttons is straightforward. Camera navigation with the right stick, combined with ZL and ZR buttons for zooming and rotating, becomes second nature after some practice. However, the real control challenge lies in cursor movement. Sadly, you can’t alter its speed, making it a trek to move from top-screen park management options to bottom-screen building tools. Although there are shortcuts with the X and Y buttons that snap the cursor to main menus, they don’t actually open them, which is a little frustrating. Fully customizable controls with specific shortcuts, especially for viewing world layers or accessing tasks with radial menus quickly would’ve been ideal. Such limitations are glaring when laying pathways, for instance. Using the bridge feature requires closing and reopening path menus multiple times to build efficiently. Hence, you can understand my disappointment when playing on my Switch in handheld mode and discovering no touch input support. Considering this version is based on a touch-friendly mobile version, it’s indeed a letdown.
RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic stands as a highly faithful adaptation of the management classic we adore. While there are stumbling blocks like control hitches and occasional performance issues, it’s still one of the most comprehensive and detailed versions of RCT available. Hardcore fans may stick to Open RCT2 on PC, but for a more casual player seeking a nostalgic thrill, this Switch version offers a fantastic way to revisit those cherished memories. As for complete newcomers, the experience might be a tad rough at first, but the vast challenges, creative freedom, and robust design context make it a ride worth taking. Maybe this time, I’ll actually hone my skills and build the dream parks I always fantasized about, inspired by the iconic title screen.
