For many gamers, spending hours on the old PC version of RollerCoaster Tycoon is a core memory. It’s hard to believe, but the first game in the franchise recently celebrated its 25th anniversary in March. Even after all these years and versions, fan enthusiasm for the original hasn’t dampened.
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For gamers needing a nostalgic fix, the classic version of the game has been around on Steam and mobile for a while. Even so, many cozy gamers have yearned to see it on the versatile and portable Nintendo Switch. The franchise has released some newer titles, such as RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 and RollerCoaster Tycoon Adventures for Switch, but for many, they just don’t hit the same as the original. The newer games are great, but some fans feel they lack the full-on chaos coaster vibes from those days in the family computer room.
But at long last, the moment for revisiting that original feeling of building a dangerous coaster and launching your park guests to the sun has come. Atari is bringing RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic to the Nintendo Switch on December 5th. To remind fans why they need to return to their amusement park running roots, they’ve released a trailer to celebrate the upcoming release.
This Nintendo Switch port features the first two original games, RollerCoaster Tycoon and RollerCoaster Tycoon 2, for hours of entertainment and nostalgia. Publisher Atari has collaborated with their partners, Graphite Lab, to translate the original games’ mouse and keyboard controls for the Switch, and fans can get a quick first look at how the UI will translate in the trailer.
In addition to the two base games, the Switch version also features several expansion packs including Toolkit, Wacky Worlds, and Time Twister. With all of that content, fans are sure to find limitless options for making the parks of their dreams, or their visitors’ greatest nightmares.
Like it did back in 1999 when the game first launched, RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic puts the player in the role of park manager, with detailed options to build custom roller coasters and rides, tend to the park’s landscaping, and manage customer satisfaction. And hopefully this classic version of the game will ditch the training wheels from newer versions, letting would-be Tycoons once again design coasters of doom if they choose.
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This exciting release is just the latest part of celebrating 25 years of RollerCoaster Tycoon. Atari has showered fans with opportunities to grab merch featuring the iconic game, with items like a signed RollerCoaster Tycoon shadowbox art print, 25th-anniversary mouse pad, RollerCoaster coasters, and plenty of t-shirts featuring artwork from the game. And yes, that includes customer feedback on the price of hot dogs at the nearest food stall.
RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic is available for preorder now via the Nintendo eShop and will retail for $24.99 USD. Players who buy the game ahead of time will be able to pre-load the game and jump right in when it’s available on December 5th.