Title: RollerCoaster Tycoon® Adventures
Genre: Simulation
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Player: Single Player
Publisher: Atari
Developer: Nvizzio Creations
Release Date: 12/13/2018
Website: RollerCoasterTycoon.com
When you think of simulation game classics, RollerCoaster Tycoon has to come to mind. The popular franchise created by legendary game developer Chris Sawyer, and first launched on Windows PC in 1999, has now been around for nearly 20 years. Nvizzio Creations, developer of the critically acclaimed mobile title RollerCoaster Tycoon® Touch™, returns as the developer of RollerCoaster Tycoon Adventures, bringing an exciting and accessible new twist to the world of RollerCoaster Tycoon.
Game Overview:
RollerCoaster Tycoon® Adventures brings the legendary RollerCoaster Tycoon® series into the
next generation - combining classic RCT gameplay with the modernized user experience of the
critically acclaimed mobile title RollerCoaster Tycoon® Touch™, all customized for the unique
features of Nintendo Switch. Build your entertainment empire in three distinct game modes –
classic Campaign, tricky Scenarios, and the open Sandbox. Over 200 wonderfully wacky rides,
restaurants, shops and decorations ensure parks burst with action, and the intuitive coaster builder
lets you create wild, death-defying coasters with ease. Play it on your TV or on-the-go – it’s never
been so easy to become a RollerCoaster Tycoon!
The layout, menu's, music, and sound all work well in RCT Adventures. During our testing, we played in tablet mode, portable gaming mode with Joy Con's attached, and on the TV via the Switch dock, and my preferred method was playing on the TV with the separate controller and gaming headphones for superior music and sound.
In RCT Adventures, there are four main modes of game play, Tutorial, Adventure, Scenario, and Sandbox. The Tutorial walks you through the main controls and game play basics on the Switch. The Tutorial takes place in your choice of "Christys Fun Fair" or "Make Them Scream".
Adventure mode allows you to build a park from the ground up and make decisions that affect the outcome of your story. Your adventure will provide you with very big decisions that only a true Tycoon can make, and will have a huge impact on the success or decline of your park. There are ten Adventure slots, which you have a choice of "Flowery Forest", "Inspiring Island", "Marvelous Moon", and "Calming Canyon" to play and build in.
In Scenario mode, you play in a variety of parks by completing short challenges while racing the timer. There are 16 different scenarios to choose from in Roller Coaster Tycoon Adventures. Two of our favorites are the "Ecologist" and "Fundraising Fun" scenarios. A few other scenarios that we enjoyed are "Deep Space Tycoon" complete with Aliens, UFO's, and and Space for all the Sci-Fi lovers, "Mars Colony", and "Gold Standard", where you create a monumental park to perfection.
Sand box mode has ten slots to choose from to start building the park of your dreams on an empty canvas.
Playing RCT Adventures on the Nintendo Switch brings a unique playing experience that fans of RCT Touch may or may not enjoy. As a more traditional gamer, I prefer playing in console style, on the television, but for this article, I decided to bring in my seven year old son to get his opinion on the game. He has played many hours of RollerCoaster Tycoon Touch on both the iPad as well as the Samsung Tablet, and I was surprised when he told me after testing RCT Adventures on the Switch that he would rather play in tablet mode on the Switch, but his favorite is RollerCoaster Tycoon Touch on the Samsung Tablet.
Tip: While the game is loading, be sure to read the tips that display on the load screen.
Key Features:
● Exciting Game Modes: Create outrageous parks in three different fun-filled modes -
Adventure, Scenario and Sandbox.
● Choose Your Own Adventure: A first for the RollerCoaster Tycoon series, Adventure
Mode’s brand-new Event System makes every park unique. You’ll have to make tough
decisions when presented with park events, ensuring that every playthrough of
Adventure Mode is a compelling new Tycoon story.
● Customize and Personalize Your Park: Pick from over 50 vivid colors to customize
rides, roller coasters, shops and restaurants. Transform your park by adding pre-made
path, foliage and river tiles. And choose between four distinctive locations — Alpine,
Moon, Canyon and Tropics where to build your incredible parks!
● Thrill Rides: Place seven types of fully customizable roller coasters in your park —
Wooden, Steel, Winged, Hyper, Inverted, Dive and Accelerator.
● Intuitive Management System: Streamlined management and easy-to-use tools make
RollerCoaster Tycoon Adventures the most accessible entry into the RollerCoaster
Tycoon franchise, and a perfect fit for Nintendo Switch.
● Attractions Galore: Choose from over 120 wacky rides, restaurants and shops for your
park, from the humble Merry-go-Round to the death-defying Roto-Drop, all featuring
advanced shaders and effects.
● Gameplay Flexibility: Use either Nintendo Switch Joy-Con™ controllers or
touchscreen controls to play the way you want. RollerCoaster Tycoon Adventures runs
at 1080p when in TV mode and 720p in handheld mode.
Final Thoughts:
After spending some time playing RollerCoaster Tycoon Adventures on the Nintendo Switch, overall we think the game is a great additional to the franchise, and will bring hours of fun to gamers who enjoy the RCT games. With the many play configuration options the Switch allows, the type of gaming that each gamer prefers should be available on RollerCoaster Tycoon Adventures, which makes the enjoyment factor even higher than playing in a single available mode such as on a mobile device only.
