Theme Park

[red_avatar]

Feel free to comment and discuss this game here. Also, if you have any useful tips or tricks don't hesitate to share them with the others! Thanks!

Review and download (if available) (http://www.abandonia.com/en/games/4753/Theme+Park.html)

[Napostriouf]

It still rocks 15 years later! :thumbs:

[Saccade]

I have the CD for this game somewhere - I will see if I can find it and land it in the Cellar or something; it's quite nice to have the CD cut-scenes.
Especially if this is the first time you have had a chance to play this game.

I remember the smell of the brand new jewel case, back when CD-ROM's came in a full-sized game box. There was something really quite pleasing about opening one of those boxes and seeing that it contained nothing but a nicely presented CD, inlaid into the back of the box.

They say the first bite is with the eye (of food, anyway. Probably not jewel-cases...) and if Bullfrog's Theme Park is a Ben & Jerry's Phish Food Ice-cream Sundae Deluxe - the little bits of marshmallow are the beautifully rendered cut-scenes of each of your rides.

A sweet piece of eye-candy.
:3:

[red_avatar]

Sacc: I already have it packaged but I'm hoping there will be a way to add it as an extra - it's really not very big.

[Saccade]

Yeah man, the cinematics aren't that big.
A compressed disc image would be under the maximum size, I reckon.

In the mean time, before it's sorted out, is there a way to get the cinematics - using FRAPS or something - onto the Abandonia Youtube channel?
Maybe just the rollercoaster or mine train as a teaser..?



Just as Bullfrog's Syndicate had a load of cheats (activated by a call statement buried in the relevant section of the .exe) that were dependent on what you entered into the name box, Theme Park is no exception. Molyneux's coding team's habit of making cheating impersonal, by forcing the player to trade their free will - their own name - for the complete ownership of a game.

Unfortunately, this trade-off always tends to mean that your enjoyment of the game is lower as there's no challenge.

Because of this, I don't suggest cheating at Theme Park - having access to everything on demand - until you've given it a good play through a few parks.
Or fancy a break from managing and just want to build to your heart's content. :)

Money, all rides, scenery and shops cheat:

Enter your nickname as "HORZA" and start a new park.
The next time you're asked for your nickname, enter it as "HORZA".
From now on you can get $50,000 by pressing Ctrl-C.
Press Shift-Z for all scenery, Ctrl-Z for all the rides and Alt-Z for all the shops.


It is possible, if you know what you're doing, to use a Hex Editor, such as BEAV (google it), along with Windows Debug, to edit saved game files to - for example - give yourself massive lump sums of cash.
If you decide to give that a go, make sure you back up your game file first by making a copy.

[ThemePark]

Oh man. Oh boy. Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!

This awesomest of awesome games has not been on this site before? Ah well, good that it's here now! Abandonia's quality just went up 1000%.

I do have it and most other versions on CD myself, so no need for me to download it. But still, how can I of all members NOT comment on this little gem?

red_avatar, I could just kiss you. :D Well, if I was of the fairer sex, of course.

[BranjoHello]

Very nice addition to our rich treasure chest. :3:

[owen83]

Peter Molynoux who previously created populous and later black and whte and later the movies created this gem

screenshots

thes are very similer to rollercoaster tycoon which apeared 4 years later

gameplay

at first it can be baffeling to start but its easy to get into but it runs fast so moslo would be a good idea

rating 9/10

[Saccade]

Peter Molynoux who previously created populous and later black and whte and later the movies created this gem


I did work experience, at school when I was 14/15, at Bullfrog's main offices in Guildford back in 1994/5. I met Peter Molyneux then, along with a few of the other heads of department, before Bullfrog was totally absorbed by EA and became Lionhead and eventually Lame.

Not entirely clear, the memories from that long ago, but I think they had just released Magic Carpet or Syndicate Wars, as I was given copies of all the games that Bullfrog had produced up until that time as "wages" for work experience.
I didn't actually do any work... Just sat around with a bunch of techies and talked about Megadrive games and how much better PC's were for games - especially if you had a Joypad.

I don't think that Monsieur Molyneux was the chief designer for Black and White (I'm certain that he wasn't for B&W 2)... Pretty sure that he wasn't for The Movies, either.
But then, Molyneux has always been a name that's synonymous with Bullfrog / Lionhead, if not Microsoft. Yet.

A piece of trivia I can remember is that Populous, from 1989, may have been the first game to be self-published under the trading name Bullfrog, but Molyneux's first game (also self-published, in 1984 or something) was a business simulator, much like the text-based Drug Wars or AIV Network$, called The Entrepeneur. I don't think it did very well, as I've never found a copy.

One of my friends - a guy who got married to this really young, bulimic Chinese girl who seemed to have only gotten hitched for the UK residency (she was a mega-bitch and I'm pretty sure she was cheating on him. Not subtly either) - was one of the leads on Fable. He's got this gold DVD framed along with the box artwork.

We used to go climbing together at Craggy Island.
Rock Climbing, especially the urban indoor centres, is great for picking up chicks.
Everyone's got an excuse for checking out their belaying partner's tight buttocks, strapped into a harness, being squeezed in all the right places to make you not concentrate on feeding the rope and, instead, focus on how the muscles move under the spandex / lycra shorts.

Martin never really picked up on the women that tried to hit on him.
He may be an excellent programmer and be exceptionally good at his job - but, for a 30-something year old man, he's got the social skills of a 13 year old...

---

Incidentally, if Theme Park is unprotected now, does that mean that all the other Bullfrog games from this date and before can be unprotected now..?

Magic Carpet is also a 1994 game.

That'd be good.

[Cold]

One of the most important pc videogame in history

The only fault is that this game was unstable in some dos system expecially if it was played with lowest memory, suddenly generating macroscopical "dos4gw error".

I will never understand how could it be that no videogame house generate other's version like this one. Theme park world was below the quality and it's unplayable on winxp. Sim theme park was a truly failure. Then, nothing else.

I will never understand how it is possible that the publishers of video games lose time to create the thousandth fps shooter and have no desire to develop the heirs of a so important game. It's a shame.

[Stroggy]

I will never understand how could it be that no videogame house generate other's version like this one. Theme park world was below the quality and it's unplayable on winxp. Sim theme park was a truly failure. Then, nothing else.


Well, there was the RollerCoaster Tycoon-series, I particularly enjoyed the last game but the first game always reminded me a lot of Theme Park.

[red_avatar]

One of the most important pc videogame in history

The only fault is that this game was unstable in some dos system expecially if it was played with lowest memory, suddenly generating macroscopical "dos4gw error".

I will never understand how could it be that no videogame house generate other's version like this one. Theme park world was below the quality and it's unplayable on winxp. Sim theme park was a truly failure. Then, nothing else.

I will never understand how it is possible that the publishers of video games lose time to create the thousandth fps shooter and have no desire to develop the heirs of a so important game. It's a shame.
FPS games can be made by the numbers. Provide enemies, provide weapons, tadaa, you're done. A strategy game is a lot harder to make since you need to work on a balance so that the game is neither too hard or too easy.

Theme Park, however, did more than that. It had charm like few other games managed to achieve and for a strategy game, this was unseen! Theme Hospital had a similar but ultimately different charm but it showed that Bullfrog knew how to add some real atmosphere into a game. Dungeon Keeper did the same, after all!

I think that most developers these days are just incompetent in these areas. Most people may not realise, but the developing houses of old were talent 'traps' where musicians, artists, writers, etc. came together with an idea for a game. These days, it's mostly programmers and even more programmers. Sound & music is often outsourced to an out-side company, the art team are not as involved with the actual game and the result is nearly always a game that just doesn't involve you as much as the games of old. It's been proven many times over, that a small team is the best way to go about things.

Mollyneux said that the reason he left Bullfrog, was because it had grown too big to be able to still make the games he loved to make and it's a symptom that affected many other developers at the time.

[Dave]

Nice review red_avatar, what an awesome and brilliant game! :)

[_r.u.s.s.]

the game has real hideous controls and camera movement, totally turned me off

[Rabmonk006]

omggg you dont know how long ive been trying to find this game - i had it for playstation one.. still have the manual but not the cd.. or the playstation! lol i cant wait to play it again!!! need something to do while waiting for tales of monkey island episode two :O

[bimlanders65]

Hi. I haven't played this one in ages until tonight. But I don't remember the clock going so fast. A day goes by in a micro second, even when game speed is set at the lowest from the top menu bar. What's up with this?

[red_avatar]

Hi. I haven't played this one in ages until tonight. But I don't remember the clock going so fast. A day goes by in a micro second, even when game speed is set at the lowest from the top menu bar. What's up with this?
What's up is you need to learn to read the review ;). I mentioned at the bottom how many cycles you should use.

[Bimlanders65]

What's up is you need to learn to read the review ;). I mentioned at the bottom how many cycles you should use.

You fail to consider that not all retro-computer games nerds are especially smart. I have never changed cycles on any dosbox game, and I'm not even sure I know how to. But I'll try that. Thanks again.

[dosraider]

Increase: CTRL+F12
Decrease: CTRL+F11

Read this. (http://dosbox.cvs.sourceforge.net/viewvc/dosbox/dosbox/README?view=markup)
Section 5 (line 875-893)

[bimlanders65]

Increase: CTRL+F12
Decrease: CTRL+F11

Read this. (http://dosbox.cvs.sourceforge.net/viewvc/dosbox/dosbox/README?view=markup)
Section 5 (line 875-893)

Thanks. All I did was type in cycle 10000 at the dos command line before loading the game and it worked fine. I figured I'd try the most bonehead obvious guess first. ;)

[danesses]

My lord I love this game.

I always remember the negotiations with the staff being my favourite bit, the ridiculously long arms trying to shake on a deal ever extending. Love it :)

[Cold]

I've played in dosbox setting cycles to 20000 and "Vesa" video support, also I type "R" in the game to have heavy resolution, it's better than I remember.

There's only one error: the mouse freezes after a passage from a screen to another (example, from the research screen to the game screen) making it almost impossible to continue to play (because mouse cursor is blocked) so I have to close dosbox and reload it all again.

[wells]

great game, no question.
...though it`s been a while;
so: does anyone know where to get a full manual for theme park?

[red_avatar]

I may scan mine in the future - but scanning manuals is a lot of work and I'm busy redesigning the site so it may take a while.

[wells]

risking mortifying laughter - I plainly ask:
why can´t I get the freaking door of my park to open?

[Cold]

risking mortifying laughter - I plainly ask:
why can´t I get the freaking door of my park to open?


Slow down to an acceptable velocity and press "O", it should sound a gingle music like "peppereppè!!!"

[Dave]

There is a hidden bar at the top of the screen. Options, settings, saves...all there :)

[Khelbeta]

This games kinda reminds of the old tycoon series of games, like transport tycoon and the amusement park version, don't think it's a free game but worth getting u hands on if you like this game.

Anywho if you guys are into free flash gameswith no download you may want to check out my site *BLEEEP*

[Mike_B20]

Interesting game but very frustrating.
The inventory management screen is a real headache.
Micromanagement of stock reordering is not fun.
Oh, to be able to hire a purchasing clerk.
So often I find myself in there waiting,waiting, waiting for some stock to arrive, so as to reorder before I forget.
Then when I'm done there, I'll go back to the park to find yet another glitch that has sent my Handyman in a loop running around and around in circles, or find a guest has somehow screwed up a queue so that a ride has stopped functioning or discover that a shooting gallery that was working fine has now stopped accepting customers for some unaccountable reason.
Then as I try to fix these neverending glitches, to discover that mouse clicks do not always work as advertised or only spasmodically and that several clicks might be required to successfully accomplish a task; then to discover that I've spent so long trying to get the mouse clicks to work, I've neglected my ice cream inventories again and there are only six left in stock and it will take a forever to reorder more.
*sigh*
But apart from the infinite bugs and frustration, it's a great game.

[red_avatar]

I think it's a case of knowing how to treat the game Mike, since I don't run into these glitches. For example, you need to know how to click on a building to select it. For example, don't start building a road at the edge of the screen, don't place more than a few pieces at once, etc.

[Mike_B20]

I think it's a case of knowing how to treat the game Mike, since I don't run into these glitches. For example, you need to know how to click on a building to select it. For example, don't start building a road at the edge of the screen, don't place more than a few pieces at once, etc.

Thanks for the advice, red_avatar.
Yes, I've discovered ways around a few of the quirks.
For example, inventory management is only a feature of the FULL simulation level, and is avoided on SIM.
The funny little graphic animations are very good in this game.
The Strongman is a riot as he goes through all the classic muscleman poses :clap:

Despite some bugs it's still :thumbs:

[Dave]

Yup, this game rocks. :)
Unfortunately sometimes the only way to solve a bug is to sell the park and start a new one.

[albar]

ive been playing theme park for the past few days but ive got a problem, it all started with dosbox 075, where i couldnt regulate the speed properly. then i read in a forum that it would work mo smoothly with version 065, now that ive got that one the game speed is ok, but every now and then it gets stuck all of a sudden and i have to restart.
anyone got an idea?

[_r.u.s.s.]

dosbox 075 doesn't even exist yet

[Dave]

Can't you set cycles from dosbox config file and then use F11, F12?
http://www.abandonia.com/vbullet/showthread.php?t=17499
You should be able to do that with every version of DosBox...

After that start a game and reduce the speed from the navigation bar, it's hidden at the top of the screen.


About the crashes, save often because it's full of bugs.

[DaveDigsRR]

Hi everyone! 1st time poster, long time lurker. Can one of you tell me the advantage of using the installation disks vs. the regular download? The regular download works ok for me, and I cant remember how to swap out discs in DOSbox. Can do it in my trusty C64 emulator, just not DOSbox ;)

Thank you!
DW

[tiltex]

i can´t install the game
how can i do it????

[The Fifth Horseman]

You don't install it. Just unpack and use DOSBox to run it. :)

[tiltex]

after click on "INSTALL.exe" of Theme Park, and after many minutes in DOS prompt:

"Loading Data Files...
ERROR: Allocation data/impall.dat.
Press return to continue"

=/

What i have to do????

[dosraider]

What i have to do????
Read the dosbox tutorials, always a good begin.
http://www.abandonia.com/vbullet/forumdisplay.php?f=90

And also read what people write in their reply:
You don't install it. Just unpack and use DOSBox to run it. :)
Do not run install, the game is pre-installed, ready to run in dosbox 0.73.
Delete what you have done till now and start over from scratch.

[supa_mario]

Whenever I used to play this game as a kid I would always go bankrupt in 5 minutes. I now realise it was because the game ran far too fast even on my old PC. Thank god for the ability to reduce cycles in DOSbox.

[awils1]

omggg you dont know how long ive been trying to find this game - i had it for playstation one.. still have the manual but not the cd.. or the playstation! lol i cant wait to play it again!!! need something to do while waiting for tales of monkey island episode two :O

If you have a PSP, it's available from the playstation network. For me, the game drives me nuts - Theme Hospital had better controls and a better building system.

[Saccade]

If you have a PSP, it's available from the playstation network. For me, the game drives me nuts - Theme Hospital had better controls and a better building system.

If you can get the PSP version of this to actually work, no problems, please tell me as the Mrs has it and it always fucks up.
I want to delete it off the PS3, but she's holding out hope that I'll become proficient in how Playstation works so I can fix it and she can play it for 5 mins before forgetting about it.

And Theme Hospital, too, please. That one's *really* bugged.

[arete]

Dude, that avatar hurts me eyes :o

I would love to review Theme Hospital, but Branjo got in first /rant

Anyway, it's only unprotected in 2013. Feh. :spy:

[LizVac]

This is probably a dumb question BUT, how to I play this on my MacBook Pro?

[dosraider]

You run the game in dosbox. (http://www.dosbox.com/download.php?main=1)

And before you ask, read this (http://vogons.zetafleet.com/viewtopic.php?t=8933) , scroll down forthe Mac dosbox how to.

[LizVac]

Thank you, is there a game manual out there? I forget how to do some things, lol.

[DarthHelmet86]

Try Replacementdocs, they might have one.

[The Fifth Horseman]

This is probably a dumb question BUT, how to I play this on my MacBook Pro?DOSBox (http://dosbox.com/) has a Mac version. Alternatively, you can use Boxer (http://boxerapp.com/) which is essentially the same thing, just with a built-in frontend.
Install whichever you chose, then use it to run the game.

[LizVac]

Manual can be downloaded here:
http://www.oldgames.sk/en/game/theme-park/download/3703/

It's for Atari but I think you can get the gist.

[LizVac]

Me again :o)
Anyone else get a frozen mouse about 10 minutes into game play? Any idea how to fix it? Read somewhere to not play in the high resolution option but playing otherwise isn't fun because it is too close. Hope I'm making sense and would love a solution.

[sl9]

Me again :o)
Anyone else get a frozen mouse about 10 minutes into game play? Any idea how to fix it? Read somewhere to not play in the high resolution option but playing otherwise isn't fun because it is too close. Hope I'm making sense and would love a solution.

You're not the only one. I'm running Windows 7 x64, and I *think* I have found a fix for this very annoying problem. right-click on your dosbox.exe, select "compatability" tab, make sure the "run as administrator" box is ticked and then select "run in compatibility mode for: Windows XP (SP3)". I played for a few hours and this setting seems OK, failing that try the other compatibility options (avoid Win95 and Win98 though, and NT4 may be a bit too slow so try Win2000 next).
Note: Applying

I will report back if this fix doesn't work, but I've been playing for about 2 hours now and it seems ok :D

[Ribon]

I'm having a weird problem with the mouse. When I ran the game on my laptop (Win XP, cheap laser mouse), I had no probs. But when I run it on my PC (Win 7 64-bit, compatibility mode set to XP SP3, G500 mouse), the mouse stutters at the beginning and fails to respond completely 5 minutes into the game.

Anyone has/had similar probs?

[Cold]

I'm having a weird problem with the mouse. When I ran the game on my laptop (Win XP, cheap laser mouse), I had no probs. But when I run it on my PC (Win 7 64-bit, compatibility mode set to XP SP3, G500 mouse), the mouse stutters at the beginning and fails to respond completely 5 minutes into the game.

Anyone has/had similar probs?


I confirm, I see tonight that using dosbox 0.74 "Theme Park" is almost unplayable because mouse stucks every minute, almost when the screen changes to "negotiation" or "research". The mode "Compatibility with old windows" of win7 is not working at all (as usual, "compatibility mode" of win7 it's almost useless) ... very very very bad thing, it was a great game I would like to replay tonight but with "mouse stucking" is impossible to play... :no:

[The Fifth Horseman]

Try a different (older) version of DOSBox.

[nyr56]

If I remember correctly, to scroll around the map you would just put the mouse at the edge of the screen. This doesn't seem to work at all with DosBox, am I missing something? How do you all scroll around? Thanks!

[Unregistered9000]

Ok this might be odd, but O downloaded the game, and yet I cannot roder any stock as "it's not the full version of the game", and yet even your printscreens show it works with you...
so why not with me.. :(

[Ultroman]

There is a FIX for the MOUSE FREEZE problem.

See this post:
http://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=31983&sid=6a3a397399f9c7837e222a265b195f4a#p263514