RollerCoaster Tycoon at 25 inspired real coaster designers

What's absolutely fascinating about RollerCoaster Tycoon is that Chris Sawyer coded 99% of the game in assembly language, a low-level programming language that's much closer to machine code than the high-level languages commonly used today. For any non-geeks, Assembly is a lot harder to code, you really have to know how a computer CPU, how memory is managed and how to read and write to IO.

On a related note, as a pinball enthusiast, I'm curious about everyone's thoughts on the RollerCoaster Tycoon pinball machine released by Stern in 2002. It was a unique period for pinball, with Stern being the lone manufacturer during a time when the industry was struggling. Personally, I find the shots in the RCT pinball game to be enjoyable, although I think the modes and overall code could have been more polished. It's interesting to see how the essence of the video game was translated into a pinball format. For those who haven't seen it, here's a detailed look: https://pinside.com/pinball...ter-tycoon . Gonch, since you mentioned having the machine, what was your take on it? Did it capture the spirit of the video game for you?

Also, I was a huge fan of RCT and RCT2. My friends and I used to have build-offs and all sorts of timed competitions. That game has some magic that just keeps you wanting to play more and more. It was easy to understand and jump into, but it took some real understanding to build amazing parks and coasters. I met quite a few of my lifelong coaster friends through forums because of that game in the early 2000s.

Not a pinball guy, so my opinion is probably not representative.

It was fine. Pinball, to me, always eventually becomes repetitive. The RCT machine was no exception. Really fun at first and, by the time we sold it, sitting in the basement as a novelty to show people when they came to our house.

Mostly, (again - opinion as not a pinball guy), it felt like any pinball game with an RCT overlay. No idea what the game played like to pinball enthusiasts.

(and that's about as unhelpful as I can be)

For a game to sell that many copies and be coded by one dude was a total unicorn. Someone else did the art and sound (much of the latter is stock). It also wasn't expensive compared to the usual AAA game at the time.

The RCT pinball was OK. I think what makes a game enduring is the complexity and frequency around making "the thing" happen. I don't know if RCT had that because I didn't own it. I loved my OG Jurassic Park machine because getting the T-rex to eat the ball and activate multi-ball happened just enough to be satisfying with out being easy. I still regret selling it.

The thing I remember most about RCT was the summer I bought it, I had an internship where my dept. was eliminated before I showed up for Day 1. So basically, I had a computer, a cubicle, a paycheck, but no supervisor or responsibility. I spent that entire summer playing RCT and evetually just stopped showing up at all (and nobody noticed or cared.)

It’s been a while, but I still enjoy popping into sandbox mode and seeing what I can make. And the peep comments still appear in my park conversations . “Project 305 looks too intense for me.”

Jeff, that is cool that you owned a OG Data East JP. And on that note, over the summer I picked up a Data East JP machine at a local estate auction and refurbished it. There are so many cool mods now available for the older machines, from companies selling color DMDs to replace the orange found in most DMD era machines, to aftermarket sound boards that allow for custom soundtracks. Mod makers are now printing custom parts to enhance the "world under glass" with some really awesome results.

Here's a rundown of the work I did: I added a color DMD, upgraded to the custom sound board (complete with movie sounds that elevated the gameplay experience), installed a custom wireform ramp, performed an LED conversion, added teeth to the T-Rex (no more geriatric look!), and rebuilt all the flippers and pop bumpers, among other tweaks to bring the machine to life.

After all that work, I sold it to help get another machine that I wanted. But I've got to say, the JP machine is a classic for sure and still quite the market for them. For anyone interested, here's a photo album of the machine from when I brought it home to it sitting in it's new home: Album Link

And to keep my post on the subject, here is a cool YouTube video about Chris Sawyer and RCT:

LOL, first comment on that video:

"Put it this way if you arent familiar with programming. This madman was making a working tesla car with stick, stones and ooga booga cavemen language."

Loved this game. Used to play it all the time back in 99/2000 era.

My son got hooked on it too when he was around 10-12. Just a great concept, done really really well.

What are fair prices for those older pinball machines these days? Chris, your JP looks like it's in fairly good condition.

JP machines typically go for anywhere between $3,500 and $5,000, depending on their condition. I managed to score that one at the auction for $1,800 and put about $1,500 into refurbishing it. I listed it for $4,500 OBO (or best offer) and it sold for the asking price within 3 days of listing, with several people interested. With all the extras I added, I probably could have gotten more for it, but I was aiming for a quick sale to purchase a machine that was on my wish list that popped up.

With older machines, the value really comes down to whether it's desired or not. For example, 90's DMD era machines Attack from Mars, Medieval Madness, and The Addams Family from that era can fetch over $10k for a decent one. But then you have "Shaq Attaq"(1995) barely fetch $1500. The website I linked above, "Pinside," is a great resource for researching the market values of machines you might be interested in buying. Each machine has it's own page with all sorts of information, from reviews, to how many times it was listed for sale and what they sold for. I linked to the JP one above.

Before COVID, pinball prices weren't all that high, and deals were everywhere. For some reason, during COVID, pinball experienced a bit of a surge in popularity from streaming and not being able to go do anything, and with the release of games from Stern that were really good(Godzilla, Jurassic Park, The Mandalorian). Stern and some of the other companies struggled to meet demand due to COVID-related supply issues. In the last year and a half, the used market was pretty crazy. Stern has now caught up and somewhat flooded the market, and the prices have been leveling off and subsiding somewhat. For a while, you could buy a new Stern, play it for 6 months and sell it for more than retail because of Stern being behind on production.

With brand new machines, Stern now offers 3 price points for newly released games. The 3 model variations are Limited Edition, Premium, and Pro. The LEs have more aesthetics to them with limited production (recently it's been around 1,000) and are signed by the designer. They are priced at $13k retail. The Premium is the same game as the LE but with fewer aesthetic features and is priced at $9.5k retail. The Pros are the most basic version of the Pre/LE but do not include some of the more expensive playfield features. The Pro is priced at $7k retail.

With all this in mind, it's fascinating to see how hobbies like pinball and classic games like RollerCoaster Tycoon have evolved over time, not just in terms of technology but also in their communities and markets. It's a testament to the lasting impact these games and machines have on us, blending nostalgia with modern interests. Whether it's refurbishing an old pinball machine or reminiscing about creating the perfect virtual theme park, it's pretty crazy the things we do to feel connected to the past from our 'member berries.

Haven't ever gotten into pinball, mostly because it's cost prohibitive for me, but also because they were very secondary to video games to me when arcades were a thing. But I do have a Virtua Fighter arcade cabinet that houses a bunch of arcade and console emulators...and a Japanese Pachinko machine from the 60s (maybe 70s?).

I did want Gonch's RCT pinball machine though, both before and after he won it. I'm almost certain I submitted something for the contest, but if I did I'm absolutely certain it was crap.

I remember making making a handful of layouts, but early on, having two that clearly stood out. After showing those to anyone who would look (and not swipe my ideas), one was easily favored over the other.

I tweaked that thing obsessively eeking out every last stat and considering every twist and turn and seat rotation.

You can still grab that file on the internet archive - Delusion

If anyone actually opens that, post a screenshot or three. I probably haven't looked at it since the contest.

Somehow I imagined a new machine being significantly north of $10K.

https://web.archive.org/web...coon2.com/

The RCT2 website at the time that the winners announcement was the top item. There's a link there to download a zip that includes ALL of the winners. There's no indication of who did what or which one won which prize. The coaster names are:

Delusion
Desert Storm
Firestorm
Oblivion
The Jungle Escape
Trans-DV8

My request for screenshots from any of you guys still playing and able to open these stands. Specifically mine, but seeing all six would be neat-o keen too.

(don't make me figure out how to do it myself)

Pinball fan here; boyfriend and I have around 40 games currently (not counting projects). It helped that I started buying them in the 90s when most locations were going under and the auctions were rich with machines.

Unfortunately, I (and most of the pinball community) find RCT to be pretty bad... probably Pat Lawlor's worst game TBH. It has a clunky layout, the scrambled eggs feature didn't work well and the rules were pretty basic. Not to mention that troll being incredibly annoying to listen to. The Pinside rankings have it in the 230s, which is about right. I'd take the original JP pinball over it any day.

There has been a bunch of really innovative games released over the last 7-8 years, thanks to new some new designers, programmers and artists working for the various pinball companies (yes there's more than one now!) In particular, check out Stern's Iron Maiden, Jurassic Park (a new one) and Godzilla by Keith Elwin. Jersey Jack pinball has some good games (Elton John, Godfather) and Spooky Pinball is making Looney Toones and Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Another company, Multimorphic, makes games that incorporate a videoscreen playfield with the mechs mounted above it. All kinds of cool new stuff replacing the old dot-matrix games.

Stern also has an online system now where you can create an ID, login to the machine by scanning a QR code, and your scores and achievements are tracked, just like PSN and Xbox Live achievements.

Re: pinball being repetitive? Yes it can be, but just as it says on the old backglasses, "It's more fun to compete!" While going for a high score (or, in the case of a few new machines, finishing the game) is fun, the best times in pinball are had playing against other people. Whether for simple dollars or multi-day high-value tournaments, direct competition is what drives a lot of interest in pinball.

Re: new games over 10K: Those are actually pretty common now. Stern Limited Edition and all Jersey Jack games MSRP are all >10K. Cheapest new games these days are 6500 or so.

I’m not going on Scrambled Eggs 1. It has a clunky layout.

metallik:

Pinball fan here; boyfriend and I have around 40 games currently (not counting projects).

I’d love to see a photo of these. Are they at your house?

Yeah, I considered buying one of the new JP machines, maybe with a portion of my bonus. I couldn't do it. I kept thinking about how that's a really good vacation (and I did in fact do that Northern Europe tour last year). I do have a real Namco Pac-Man's Pixel Bash cabinet, with the beverage fridge in it, and it gets a fair amount of action even after two-plus years.

Jeff,

I really appreciate that perspective on opting for experiences. Now at 41, looking back on my twenties and early thirties when I traveled more, I realize I don't dwell on what cell phone I had, the things I owned or things I thought I needed. I find the memories created with others, the photos taken during those times and the experiences mean the most to me. For me, pinball isn't just about owning the machines; it's about the experiences they facilitate. My brother and I own three machines and play almost daily when we can, often playing in tournaments around the area. So, in a way, those purchases have brought their own set of experiences. I see your point, though—if it's not something that would be used much, the value isn't there, and opting for an unforgettable experience like your Northern Europe tour is awesome.

metallik:

Pinball fan here; boyfriend and I have around 40 games currently (not counting projects). It helped that I started buying them in the 90s when most locations were going under and the auctions were rich with machines.

That's awesome I'm glad there is more than me that is addicting to batting steel balls around. And thank you for diving deeper with your information; I was trying to restrain myself from going full pinball nerd/fanboy in my initial post. 😄

I don't have quite the collection that you do, but my brother and I do own three machines: Fish Tales, a Godzilla Premium, and most recently, a Jaws Pro. Fish Tales was our first machine and the thought behind it is, if we can get super jackpots, then we know we are getting quite good. With that, we have owned it for about a year now and I've only got to the super 3 times.

I love pinball. I’ve never had the mind or physicality for sports and I found pinball to be an activity, competitive or otherwise, at which I was good. There seems to be a resurgence of places for play, and locally our Pins Mechanical locations are fun places for drinks, duckpin bowling, and more pinball machines than I’ve ever seen in one place. (I went straight for the classic Pin-Bot and almost wept for joy) There are also leagues here in town and it’s a fun and friendly environment. I’ve never signed up but one night I went with a friend who belongs and had a great time. I just might do that next season.
Anyway, my family is from a small town in southern Ohio and my mother’s uncle was a partner and technician in a business they called City Amusements. They supplied and serviced all the coin-op machines in the county- cigs, jukeboxes, and of course pinball. I’ll never forget the days Uncle Walter would take me to work with him and open up the back room where they had rows and rows of pinball machines. He’d turn em on for me and I’d play for hours and hours without spending so much as a quarter. I think that’s where I got my interest and honed my skills. Plus, I had an appreciation for the artwork on the playing fields and the cabinets. I think it helped lead me or somehow ties in to my love of fairground art.