From a Sega perspective the game is fairly interesting, as it technically released twice on the Saturn in Japan, first as regular Theme Park seen here, and again as Shin Theme Park, a localised variant. The game was originally designed with a mouse in mind, but none of the Sega ports are compatible with their respective mouse add ons, whether that be the Sega Mouse or Shuttle Mouse.
Theme Park was the first successful theme park simulator, and would go on to inspire other Theme games and the RollerCoaster Tycoon series. Players are given a plot of land and are tasked with buying (and creating) rides, as well as organising the general layout of the park, staff and attempting to keep visitors happy without going bankrupt.
Rides
All versions
Monorail
Bouncy Castle
Tree House
Merry-Go-Round
Rubber Tubing
Maze
Roller Coaster
Super Spinner
Observatory
Ghost House
Plane Flyer
Big Wheel
Observation Tower/High Tower
Pirate Boat
Flight Sim
Haunted House/Spooky House
Mega Drive/Mega-CD exclusive
Barn Dance
Worm Hole
Clown Ride
Speedway
Band
Buzzy Bee
Octopus
Subride
Magic Carpet
Dolphin Acts
Saturn exclusive
These rides aren't in the 16-bit versions, but were in the original IBM PC version, as well as the Saturn.
Snakes and Ladders
Planet Rocket
Clown Acts
Parasol Chairs
Race Car Ride
Cowboy Acts
Space Shuttle
Loop the Loop
Corkscrew
Shops
Coffee Shop
Balloon World
Mr. Wally Ices
Big Time Fries
Pokey Cola
Duck Shoot/Hook a Duck
Big Time Burger
Novelty Shop
Saloon
Gun Shoot
Tin Can Alley/Duck Shoot
Steak Restaurant/Toy Land
Coconut Shy
Race Track
Arcade
Features
Birch Tree
Tree Stump Fence
Lamp Post
White Fence
Orange Tree
Apple Tree
Castle Wall
Not in the 16-bit versions.
Privet Hedge
Not in the 16-bit versions.
Tropical Bush/Tropics Tree
Rose Bush
Weeping Tree
Palm Tree
Spooky Tree
Oak Tree
Not in the 16-bit versions.
Outhouse/Toilet Shed
Lake
Boggy Crapper/Out House
Super Toilet
Centre Fountain
Staff
While the Saturn verison has five different types of entertainer, the 16-bit versions condense it into one, who looks like a clown.
Teddy Man
Shark Man
Handyman
Chicken Man
Strong Man
Mechanic
Rhino Man
Guard
History
Legacy
Theme Park would later see a true sequel in the form of the fully 3D Theme Park World (known as Sim Theme Park in North America) in 1999.
Versions
Mega Drive version
The Mega Drive version of Theme Park is stripped back from the IBM PC original, partly due to cartridge space but also a decision to simplify and speed up gameplay. Low level management aspects such as buying shares in rival parks and ordering replacement stock for shops was omitted for the latter reason[9]. In addition, the user no longer has to set patrol zones for staff, with a new AI routine causing them to actively seek out broken rides or rubbish. Rides are also more durable, and are less likely to explode and destroy parts of the park.
Many of the samples were cut, though roughly 300kB of the ROM is still devoted to sound[10]. The Mega Drive port also adds more rides, bringing the total number to 27. Games cannot be saved in the Mega Drive version, meaning all progress is lost of the console is turned off or reset.
One trick used in the Mega Drive version to save space was to draw most of the in-game graphics "flat", shifting pixels at runtime to give the illusion of an oblique camera perspective[9]. Snow and desert stages, not seen in the computer versions, were created by changing the palette of the grass[10]. The adviser also only appears when needed, rather than being a permanent feature of the HUD.
Mega-CD version
Theme Park on the Mega-CD derives from its Mega Drive incarnation, with an added CD soundtrack and re-introduced full motion video clips. There is still no saving on the Mega-CD - while the idea was discussed, it was ruled out as saves would have required several megabytes - far bigger than what was available with the CD BackUp RAM Cart[11].