Let's just get one thing out of the way: this isn't the first time that Atari has brought RollerCoaster Tycoon to mobile devices. However, previous attempts haven't been entirely successful, as the company went a bit overboard on the in-app purchases, rather sucking the joy out of the game.
This time around, Atari is taking a slightly different approach by going back to its roots. Today, it launched RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic for iOS and Android devices, promising "the best features from two of the most successful and beloved RCT games in the series' history" - the original, and its immediate successor.
Atari says that the new game "includes a mixture of authentic playability, depth of gameplay and unique graphical style of Chris Sawyer’s original best-selling RollerCoaster Tycoon PC Games".
There are, however, some in-app purchases to be aware of - but it's not as bad as you might fear. Three 'expansion packs' are available, but none of them are essential to the core gameplay; indeed, perhaps anticipating some eye-rolling among potential buyers, Atari emphasized in the game's description:
PLEASE NOTE: Additional content for RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic is available via In-App Purchase, specifically the three expansion packs: Wacky Worlds, Time Twister and Toolkit. The expansion packs are the ONLY content that require an In-App Purchase and In-App Purchases are not used anywhere else in the game.
The new mobile game - which was actually announced in November as RollerCoaster Tycoon Touch - saw a limited release on Apple's App Store in the Netherlands and New Zealand last month, but it's now more widely available around the world for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and for devices running Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich and newer.
Download: for iOS (iTunes App Store) | for Android (Google Play)
14 Comments - Add comment