''Roller Coaster'' is a

platform game A platformer (also called a platform game, and sometimes a jump 'n' run game) is a subgenre of action game in which the core objective is to move the player character between points in an environment. Platform games are characterized by levels wi ...

which contains some

strategy Strategy (from Greek στρατηγία ''stratēgia'', "troop leadership; office of general, command, generalship") is a general plan to achieve one or more long-term or overall goals under conditions of uncertainty. In the sense of the " a ...

and

puzzle A puzzle is a game, problem, or toy that tests a person's ingenuity or knowledge. In a puzzle, the solver is expected to put pieces together ( or take them apart) in a logical way, in order to find the solution of the puzzle. There are differe ...

elements. It holds the claim of being the first

video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...

to simulate

amusement ride Amusement rides, sometimes called carnival rides, are mechanical devices or structures that move people to create fun and enjoyment. Rides are often perceived by many as being scary or more dangerous than they actually are. This could be due to ...

s. ''Roller Coaster'' was released in

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a n ...

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

video game developer

Elite Systems Elite Systems is a British video game developer and publisher established in 1984 as Richard Wilcox Software. It is known for producing home computer conversions of popular arcade games. Elite also published compilations of games on the Hit-Pak ...

, to overwhelmingly positive reviews. It was, for a time, one of the most popular games for the

ZX Spectrum The ZX Spectrum () is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit home computer developed and marketed by Sinclair Research. One of the most influential computers ever made and one of the all-time bestselling British computers, over five million units were sold. ...

. A version for the Commodore 64 was planned but never released.

Gameplay

The game takes place in and around an

amusement park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, and events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central theme, often fea ...

after closing-time. The player takes control of the park's owner, Colonel G. Bogey. A disgruntled employee has scattered the takings all over the fairground in the form of

money bag A money bag (or money sack) is a bag normally used to hold and transport coins and banknotes, often closed with a drawstring.

s. The goal is to collect the money. In order to complete the game, the player must collect every money bag which is strewn around the city-sized amusement park, including money bags that are placed on precarious perches and in the middle of rides. In order to do this, gambles and risks will have to be taken. The player can also be killed instantaneously by some dangers. This can be caused by numerous careless acts such as jumping from a great height or getting

skewered A skewer is a thin metal or wood stick used to hold pieces of food together. The word may sometimes be used as a metonym, to refer to the entire food item served on a skewer, as in "chicken skewers". Skewers are used while grilling or roasting ...

by an erratic

turnstile A turnstile (also called a gateline, baffle gate, automated gate, turn gate in some regions) is a form of gate which allows one person to pass at a time. A turnstile can be configured to enforce One-way traffic#One-way traffic of people, one-way ...

. The player has ten lives. Once the protagonist has died ten times, the player loses and the game is over.

Reception

A 1985 review in '' CRASH'' gave ''Roller Coaster'' a 94%. Four years later, in a review of the budget re-release of ''Roller Coaster'', '' CRASH'' magazine wrote: "The emphasis in ''Roller Coaster'' is to have vast amounts of fun, and, boy, do you! Each screen is deviously devised, but not difficult to master once you get to grips with the gameplay. And the gameplay—it's so addictive! Don't hesitate to buy ''Roller Coaster''!"

Legacy

''Roller Coaster'' was reworked into '' Dragon's Lair: The Legend'', released for the

Game Boy The is a handheld game console developed by Nintendo, launched in the Japanese home market on April 21, 1989, followed by North America later that year and other territories from 1990 onwards. Following the success of the Game & Watch single-ga ...

in 1991. The plot and graphics were adjusted to resemble those of the 1983 ''

Dragon's Lair ''Dragon's Lair'' is a video game franchise created by Rick Dyer. The series is notable for its film-quality animation by ex-Disney animator Don Bluth, and complex decades-long history of being ported to many platforms. It has also been adapte ...

arcade video game An arcade video game is an arcade game that takes player input from its controls, processes it through electrical or computerized components, and displays output to an electronic monitor or similar display. All arcade video games are coin-oper ...

. As less of the playing area is visible in the Game Boy port than the Spectrum version, the display is effectively a window on each of the original version's screens, scrolling within each one and flicking to the next when the edge of the screen was reached.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Roller Coaster 1985 video games Cancelled Amstrad CPC games Cancelled Commodore 64 games Elite Systems games Platformers Roller coaster games and simulations Single-player video games Video games developed in the United Kingdom Video games set in amusement parks ZX Spectrum games