Let's Ride That Again!!

My children are computer geeks. I will start with that. I don't like them wasting their time with useless games though. So in my search to find something that would help them use their minds and be fun, I came upon Roller Coaster Tycoon. Installation is a snap. We are one of the few people who still have Windows 98. It works well with it. I have to say that this is one of the most imaginative computer games I have seen. I sat down to play it one day when my children weren't looking and I became instantly addicted.
The idea of the game is to build an amusement park. It isn't that simple. It is like running a business. You have a certain amount of cash to start out with. You can change this amount depending on if you want it easy or hard. I go for the easy. Then you can pick a different landscape and start adding rides. You can add food stands, bathrooms, souvenir type shops, haunted houses, ferris wheels, etc. Things you would find at amusement parks. Then when it comes to the roller coasters. You can either add pre-built ones or create your own. My 9 year son is a master builder. He even made one that goes under ground. As you get more money, bigger and meaner rides because available for you to purchase. You have to be careful so that you don't run out of money. I do almost every time. This is just like a business. You decide what the entrance fee is, you decide how much to sell the food for and also how much each ride costs to ride. You can change the colors on the rides and you can also field test some of the rides you create. My kids like to create ones that in testing the cars fly off and explode. Anyway, when the people start coming then the cash flow goes up. You have to be careful and make sure that the guests are happy. If a guest wants to leave, you can find out why and try to fix the problem. You also can hire security guards, maintenance workers and handymen. You need handymen, because some of the customers pewk on some of the coasters. The park will get dirty and people will want to leave if you don't keep it clean and well kept. The park runs on a calendar so some months you earn more than others. Goes on the same concept as "peak months" for real amusement parks.
This is a very fun and entertaining game. My children fight over who gets to play it. I believe that there are more programs from the same company such as:Zoo Tycoon, Mall Tycoon, Train Tycoon, Cruise Ship Tycoon, Lemonade Stand Tycoon, Semi Tycoon. All with the same concept of running your own business.
This is a great game and all of my children play it and even my 7 year old tells me what to do when I don't know how to do a certain aspect of it.
I paid $10 for it at Wal-Mart.