RollerCoaster Tycoon 2
A 2002 amusement park simulation with expanded building and editing tools.
Atari / Infrogrames / Chris Sawyer Productions · via Wikipedia: RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 · Fair use
RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 is a construction and management simulation game that came out in 2002 for Windows. It was created by Chris Sawyer and published by Infogrames, serving as the follow-up to the original RollerCoaster Tycoon. The game puts players in charge of running amusement parks.
Players manage parks by completing scenarios with specific goals. The game keeps the isometric view from the first title, which makes it easy to use parks built in that earlier game. Attractions include transport rides, gentle rides, thrill rides, roller coasters, water rides, and shops or stalls, plus landscaping and decorations. To keep visitors happy, players build food stalls, bathrooms, souvenir shops, ATMs, information kiosks, and hire staff, all while balancing expenses and income.
A major change from the first game is a more detailed building system where each wall and roof piece can be placed individually. Scenery, rides, and other structures can now sit at different heights above and below ground. In the original, custom buildings were harder to make, and only rides with tracks could go underground because the first track section had to be above ground. Many rides from the first game were modified or renamed, and some old designs were combined.
User-created scenery items appear for the first time here. A bulldozer tool lets players remove multiple scenery pieces at once instead of one by one. A scenario editor allows players to design their own landscapes, set objectives, and choose available rides and scenery. The Roller Coaster Designer lets players build and test coasters to save for other levels. The game includes a licensed promotion with Six Flags, featuring content and scenarios based on five of their parks: Magic Mountain, Great Adventure, and Over Texas. Walibi Holland and Walibi Belgium, which were under the Six Flags brand during development, are also included. Many popular Six Flags rides can be used in other scenarios but are locked from editing. New themes and music for attractions were added, and guest AI was improved to allow more complex paved areas.
All scenarios are available from the start, unlike the first game's unlocking system. They are grouped into five tabs: Beginner, Challenging, Expert, Real, and Other parks. The Real tab has prebuilt Six Flags parks, while the Other tab has empty versions.
- Developer
- Chris Sawyer
- Publisher
- Infogrames
- Release year
- 2002
- Platform
- Windows
- Genre
- Construction and management simulation
- Notable features
- Scenario editor, Roller Coaster Designer, Six Flags parks
Lore & Background
RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 was developed entirely by Chris Sawyer in x86 assembly language, with some parts based on efforts to develop a new version of Transport Tycoon. The game was published by Infogrames and released on October 15, 2002. It retains the isometric perspective of its predecessor, allowing high compatibility with parks from the first game. Notable improvements include a more robust building system where each piece of wall and roof can be laid individually, and the ability to place scenery, rides, and structures at varying heights above and below ground. User-created scenery items debut in this title, and a 'bulldozer' tool allows removal of multiple scenery pieces at once. The game includes a scenario editor and a Roller Coaster Designer for creating and testing custom coasters. A licensed promotion by Six Flags adds content and scenarios based on five of their parks, including Magic Mountain, Great Adventure, and Over Texas, as well as Walibi Holland and Walibi Belgium. All scenarios are available at first launch, divided into tabs: Beginner, Challenging, Expert, Real, and Other parks.
Reader's Guide
RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 is significant for refining the formula of its predecessor while introducing powerful editing tools that expanded player creativity. The scenario editor and Roller Coaster Designer allowed players to create custom parks and coasters, fostering a lasting community. The inclusion of Six Flags parks provided real-world inspiration. Two expansion packs, Wacky Worlds (May 2003) and Time Twister (November 2003), were developed by Frontier Developments and added new rides and scenarios. The game was re-released in compilations such as the Triple Thrill Pack, which later appeared on digital platforms. Reception was generally positive, with praise for the editors and value, though critics noted the engine and interface were nearly identical to the first game. The series' sales reached 7 million copies by April 2004. RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 has been called the best game in the series by several publications and spawned the 'Mr. Bones' Wild Ride' internet meme. Its open-source recreation, OpenRCT2, was first released in 2015, and features were ported to RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic in 2017.
Did You Know?
- RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 was programmed entirely by Chris Sawyer in x86 assembly language.
- The game includes a licensed promotion by Six Flags with scenarios based on five of their parks, including Magic Mountain and Great Adventure.
- Two expansion packs, Wacky Worlds and Time Twister, were developed by Frontier Developments without involvement from Chris Sawyer.
- The 'Mr. Bones' Wild Ride' internet meme originated from a 2012 4chan post featuring a slow ghost train track ride in RCT2.
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