RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 (Mac)

Released back in 1999, the original RollerCoaster Tycoon took the gaming world by surprise, managing to capture the attention of both hardcore gamers and casual novices alike. RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 not only contains all of the same charm and joy of the original, but wraps it up in a spectacular three-dimensional package. You can now rotate the camera and zoom in and out, which allows you to more clearly see where a new ride will be placed, and exactly how it will fit in your park. The 3D rendering also shows height and depth, which isn't just a superfluous change but really assists you when building custom attractions. Who knew that constructing and running an amusement park could be so much fun? Now, for the first time you can build, operate, and "attend" the amusement park of your dreams in RollerCoaster Tycoon 3.

Take a front row seat on any of your rides and zoom along with a pal. View larger.

And speaking of the pals -- they are completely personalized with unique facial expressions and behaviors. View larger.

Who knew that constructing and running an amusement park could be so much fun? View larger.

RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 allows four modes of play: tutorial, career, sandbox, and custom scenario. The Tutorial mode lets you quickly learn and experiment with how to set up and make use of all the game elements. Sandbox mode provides you with a large map and unlimited money, and makes all the rides, scenery, shops, and paths immediately available. This mode is great for just having fun and creating that super amusement park you've always wanted, without worrying about game elements such as time limits. The custom scenario, as the name suggests, lets you set up your own rules and requirements using the game engine. You can share custom scenarios with friends, or find ones that other people have created and posted online. The career mode that constitutes the main gameplay is a bit different than it has been in the past, with three goal sets of increasing difficulty for each scenario. Your job in career mode is to build the theme park of your dreams by accomplishing certain goals for each scenario. These goals can range from pleasing VIPs who like clean parks or coasters with certain excitement values, to keeping a certain number of people, referred to in the game as "peeps," in your park for a specific amount of time. Your ultimate goal, besides providing entertainment to all, is to work your way from Apprentice, though Entrepreneur, and eventually reach the lofty heights of Tycoon.

RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 includes a host of nice-touch elements. There is a fireworks display, as well as an editor that lets you customize your fireworks. You can add music that plays in time to certain rides or with your fireworks show. You can light up the night with a stunning park-wide lighting system, or take in the breathtaking vistas as nature intended, with realistic sunsets, moonlight and more. There is even a Coaster Cam that puts you right in the action. You can take a front row seat on any of your rides and zoom along with a peep. (The camera does such an amazing job of showing you what your "Death Spiral" coaster feels like that you might not want to play until at least an hour after you've eaten.) And speaking of the pals -- they are completely personalized, fully-animated individuals with unique facial expressions and behaviors. For example, teenagers often run straight to the high-excitement level coasters, while the younger kids like to stay on the more gentle rides, and the older folks tend to complain and chase both sets of kids around. You can even create your own family members and friends and add them to your park, where they will actually take pictures that will download directly to your My Documents folder.

There's also a lot of content to explore, as RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 includes five separate themes, including Generic, Spooky, Western, Adventure and Sci-Fi. Each theme has distinctive rides, amusements and shops, as well as animatronics and decorations. The game's sweeping variety lets you do virtually anything, from setting up water rides that have mechanical great-white sharks lurching out of the water, to creating a roller coaster straight out of your imagination. There are 18 distinct scenarios in the game, with two that are only playable when unlocked. Beating the Apprentice level of difficulty on each of the initially unlocked scenarios will unlock a new scenario, but you have to beat the much more difficult Entrepreneur and Tycoon settings on all the levels to unlock the final two scenarios. When it comes to the creative aspect of the game, RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 will allow players to create some spectacular parks with a level of detail they're sure to love. If you were a fan of the first two versions, you'll love this one. But if you never played the originals but love theme parks, you owe it to yourself to give RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 a try.  more