RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic, a collection combining the “best features” of RollerCoaster Tycoon and RollerCoaster Tycoon 2, is officially coming to Nintendo Switch on 5 December. As noted, this marks the first time the original RollerCoaster Tycoon games will be available on current gen consoles, which is great news for those feeling nostalgic for simpler times.
The classic keyboard-and-mouse set up has been adapted for console controls with this release, streamlining the park building process, hopefully without changing the art of customisation too much. Based on the early trailer for the release, the familiar aesthetic and design features of the series has been maintained, with the only major tweaks being to adapt the UI for the Switch.
For its part, Atari has expressed major excitement about bringing RollerCoaster Tycoon back in its classic, beloved form, particularly as the first two games are so memorable for those who played them growing up. Of course, it’s also a chance for newer players to discover why these games remain so popular.
“Bringing RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic to the Switch, with its massive install base, is an opportunity to re-engage lapsed players, provide active players with another great hardware platform, and reach a new generation of players who will now discover the franchise on the Switch,” Ethan Stearns, VP of Games Publishing at Atari said in a press release.
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After years away, it’s fantastic to see Atari revisiting the roots of RollerCoaster Tycoon with this release. While the company has released other games in the series, including some story-focussed adventure spin-offs, these sequels have never quite reached the same heights as the original two RollerCoaster Tycoon games.
Aggressive monetisation in some of the releases certainly didn’t help matters, but in straying away from the timeless pixel aesthetic and simple point-and-click customisation, the modern games lost a bit of the magic that made the originals so popular. Now, with the release of RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic, Atari appears keen to celebrate the legacy of the original games in their truest form.
Those feeling nostalgic about all the sights and sounds of these games will have the chance to revisit them on Nintendo Switch very shortly.
