Sim Theme Park - PC

Amuse yourself with endless variations on rides, themes, shops and much more in this virtual reality theme park builder. Building a city is a great and noble endeavor, but sometimes you just want to let loose and have some fun. Electronic Arts lets you turn in your city manager's contract and open up an amusement park in Sim Theme Park.

Using all the strategic decision-making skills you learned from the other Sim games, you'll start with a tiny, newly built park with only a few rides, games, and concession stands, and try to turn it into an thriving must-see attraction that people will come from far and wide to visit. Of course, if this is your first simulation game, you'll still do fine--it'll just take you a bit longer to get the hang of it.

There's plenty to do: train the staff, take care of prices, maintain trails, and (of course) build new rides. One of the many clever features of Sim Theme Park is the "visitor's perspective" view that allows you to ride the rides and meet the staff as if you were a guest. This can be helpful for getting insight into why people are staying away from the Regurgitator or some other new ride. Better still, you can go online and visit preconstructed theme parks--and a little bit of corporate espionage goes a long way. Once you're feeling secure and a little cocky, post your own parks online and wait for the accolades to start rolling in.--Rob Lightner