If you’ve listened to our podcast you might have heard me gush over how much I love the Rollercoaster Tycoon franchise. I’ve streamed the first two games as I’ve gone through and dominated the parks one by one. So when the chance came up to play the port of RCT3 on the switch, I jumped at it. I lovingly played throughout including the DLC that is now part of the Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 complete edition. Does it hold up to the PC version?
PC ports on consoles have some a long way since playing the Sims on PS2. We’ve figured out how to seamlessly integrate the controller into what was mouse and keyboard. We’ve been able to map the analog sticks and buttons to mirror what we were doing years ago at our desktops. I played Civ on the Switch not that long ago and the port is pretty great. SO I was definitely hyped to play RCT. In all transparency I never played RCT3 on the PC, at the point it had come out, I was all about my xbox 360 and PS3 and had long forgotten my PC roots.
Starting up I was immediately brought back to highschool and playing the first two. The music, the set up, it was all there. I jumped into the first scenario and went to work. The overhauled scenario system actually has levels (apprentice, entrepreneur and tycoon) and allows you to have continuous goals. Something I feel the OG games lacked, you would complete the goal and be done with the park without and reasoning to continue or keep building.
The control scheme is nice, but does take some time to get used to (especially when coming from an Xbox game). You will often be tasked with using a bumped and then an analog stick to pick and choose what you want to do. The first scenario is a tutorial of sorts, but doesn’t get into some of the details you might need to have a successful park without being in the correct menu (entertainers and janiators come to mind).
Building the coasters, scenery and kiosks is just as fun as before. Building your own coaster can often feel daunting but worth while (until the cry baby tourists won’t go on your coaster because it “looks to intense” GET OVER IT AND GET ON THAT COASTER). You also have the ability to virtually ride the rides which is great. Essentially testing the coaster you make before you launch it to the public!
The DLCs add another level of fun, “Soaked!” tasks you with creating water parks infused with some roller coasters, and “Wild!” has you building a safari park with coasters as well. You can also use some of the items from the DLC as you go through the regular game (adding a wild animal are under your Top Thrill Dragster rip off is pretty fun!)
My only gripe with the game is the lack of touch screen capability, which seems to be something that most games don’t utilize when creating these games for the Switch. I love playing in handheld mode and sometimes would rather just touch where I want pathways or decor, but I’m stuck using the analog sticks. Aside from that the lacking of automatic tutorial might turnoff some newbies to the franchise. The graphics are great, the sound design harkens back to the OG games and gameplay is still fantastic! Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 for Switch is an amazing game and a great way to introduce new generations to this beloved series! Pick it up for the Switch or on the epic game store!
Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 Complete Edition for Nintendo Switch
Graphics- 8.5/10 Some great updating without sacrificing the old school feel.
Gameplay- 9/10 Still the Rollercoaster Tycoon you grew up with and love!
Control- 8/10 Wish there was touch screen support for the Switch!
Sound- 9/10 I never get tired of amusement park noises and circus music!
Total Score- 9/10 Complete great adventure for new gamers, veteran gamers and your casuals!
Info on the game and Frontier
About RollerCoaster Tycoon 3: Complete Edition
RollerCoaster Tycoon 3: Complete Edition brings the bestselling coaster park management game to PC and Nintendo Switch! Featuring enhanced visuals, optimised controls, and both Soaked! And Wild! expansion packs, you can build your dream amusement park at home or on the go. Pick from 500 scenery pieces, 300 rides, 20 animals, and 9 themes to let your imagination loose.
About Frontier
Frontier is a leading independent developer and publisher of videogames founded in 1994 by David Braben, co-author of the iconic Elite game. Based in Cambridge, Frontier uses its proprietary COBRA game development technology to create innovative genre-leading games, primarily for personal computers and videogame consoles. As well as self-publishing internally developed games, Frontier also publishes games developed by carefully selected partner studios under its Frontier Foundry games label.
About Frontier Foundry
Frontier Foundry is Frontier’s games label for third-party publishing. By forming partnerships with carefully selected high-quality external developers and leveraging the company’s proven publishing expertise, Frontier Foundry is best placed to bring players unique and memorable new games that break boundaries and create legacies.
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