Theme Park DS (Nintendo DS) - Review by Andrew

Introduction

I first played Theme Park some years ago on my Apple Mac and my lasting impression of it was the fact that I was forced to delete the thing as it was completely engulfing my life. This is hardly unique now, especially given that The Sims franchise has been the best selling game in the world for some time. What I didn't realize though, is just how many platforms and consoles this classic management sim has been released for. This DS version was a logical step with EA so confident of its success they are also developing Sim City for release in the next few weeks. Are you ready to sell over-priced refreshments to your weary Theme Park visitors then? You'd best be...

Gameplay

If you've never encountered a business sim before the objective is simple: run and improve a business so it may expand and continue to serve the needs of staff, customers and the all-important shareholders. Theme Park puts you in charge of (surprise, surprise) a simple Theme Park with others available if you wish to expand your portfolio. You're not alone though. From the beginning you can select one of a handful of aids with experience in the industry. These are invaluable initially in getting your park up and running but you will find less need for them as you become more confident. The amount of control you actually have over the park is very impressive but it's also been kept reasonably simple even though you start out with a blank canvas. This means you must build your park with everything from paths and landscaping to attractions and gift shops. You may start out small but as your park becomes more popular you can slowly expand.

It's at this point where the micro-management elements come into play. You must keep a watchful eye on your park so feedback from customers can be essential. The most common problem you'll have to begin with is maintenance with rides breaking down and litter to be collected but hiring groundsmen and mechanics and deploying them where necessary will solve these problems. You may not have enough toilets (which is very common), space to actually queue for attractions may require expanding and you may even want to alter rates of pay or even the cost of entry to the park. All these elements can make or break your new empire and you'll discover just how you're doing with regular bulletins from head office. It's generally wiser to actually check which are the weaker elements though via one of the many menus in order to fully maximize your earning potential. There's even a stab at a multi-player option but, given that this is a simple case of allowing you to share your profit details with other gamers, you are unlikely to use it very often.

Controls

I've already mentioned that this had previously appeared on the majority of consoles but it would all be a great deal more fiddly using a traditional controller so, lucky for us, it's all done via the touch screen. What you also get is an in-depth tutorial taking you step by step though the set up and tweaking of one of the simpler parks. This is just long enough for you to absorb the necessary information to go it alone.

Graphics

While the visuals are a little dated they do have a charm of their own and the DS is well suited to this style of graphics and there's actually a fair amount of detail here even though it may be a little on the blocky side. One of the things that made the game so great in the first place has been perfectly maintained though - the overall presentation and interface make doing business a pleasure rather than a chore. You are also treated to a nice FMV at the beginning but just don't expect the rest of the game to follow suit.

Sound

The best way to describe the music is 'an acquired taste' but it certainly won't be to everyone's liking. Much better are the ambient park noises, which bring the whole thing to life.

Dual screen

While the screens do swap around from time to time, most of your important decisions are made by selecting and dragging a variety of items around the touch screen. Simple and effective.

Final comments

It's refreshing to find that a game we were all looking forward to that has actually delivered and all budding tycoons should bag themselves a copy of this Bullfrog classic. There's very little been compromised in this miniaturization and you'll find this just as immersive as the larger PC and console versions, which is a rarity in itself these days. What is most apparent though is that even after all these years, Theme Park is proof, if it were needed, that good ideas stand the test of time and even with the dated visuals and uninspiring soundtrack it's still very satisfying.

Pro: Very Open Ended With Possible Endless Gameplay.
Con: Audio and Visual Elements Seem Dated.
Final score: 7.9

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