RollerCoaster Tycoon 2: Wacky Worlds

In these heady days of high-speed interwebs and DIY modifications, the expansion pack is becoming increasingly marginalised. Why fork out for a few 'official' levels when there are usually countless free ones available for download through your phat pipe? The answer is either that you've got money to burn or are a massive fan of the game.

It's the latter group that Wacky Worlds will primarily interest, as if you've exhausted RollerCoaster Tycoon 2, this may briefly bring back the old spark. As the name suggests, there's a geographical bent, with scenarios drawn from a series of unlikely locations based on the seven continents of Earth. So for instance, you may find yourself building a park straddling the Grand Canyon, kicking out a few native Americans in the process. Also included among the 17 scenarios are such recognisable landmarks as the Statue of Liberty, Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower, the Great Wall of China, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa, with the European locations seemingly thrown together after a quick tour of Las Vegas, which is the closest most Americans come to leaving the country.

And? Rudimentary graphical representations of familiar sights aside, it makes not a jot of difference to the gameplay. Identical to the original game, it is by turns immensely frustrating and annoyingly moreish.

Same Game

The new scenarios are all very well, but we can't help feeling the time could've been better spent addressing some of the issues in RollerCoaster Tycoon 2. The interface is far from perfect, and tackling some of the more intricate path building is like trying to plait snot, enough to make you shout out loud in anger.

And besides, much of the fun in RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 (or indeed the near-identical original) lies in building a park from scratch rather than taking over someone else's effort. Admittedly, some of the scenarios do effectively allow you to do this, but simply sticking an Incan City in the corner of the map doesn't make it a new game.

Let's Play Golf!

Fanatics may be thrilled to learn there are more than 50 new rides and 200 "new game elements," but to be honest, you'd be hard-pressed to recognise them. It's not all bad though, and even I have to concede that designing my own 18-hole mini-golf course ranks as one my proudest gaming moments.