Friday, September 26, 2008

Old-school tycoon games remembered

For some unknown reason, I've been hit with the entrepreneur bug these past few days. But since I don't have any real capital in hand to start a real business, I settled for the next best thing. I reinstalled my tycoon games so I can earn some virtual cash and scratch that entrepreneurial itch. so I immediately craved for tycoon games.

Except for the lame names (*insert type of business* tycoon - c'mon, game developers can do better than that) tycoon games are one of my favorite video game genres. They test your creativity and business acumen. What's more - they're absolutely fun to play.

My all-time favorite tycoon game is Theme Hospital. I never aspired to be a doctor because I get nauseous at the sight of blood. I had no such problems with Theme Hospital, with amusing illnesses such as chronic nosehair, 3rd degree sideburns, bloaty head, broken heart and the uncommon cold. Despite the simple graphics, I was addicted to this game because of its challenging yet amusing levels.

As for the newer tycoon games, my favorite is the Lemonade Tycoon 2. A few minutes into the game, I thought that it was too simple. Was I wrong! This is one of the more challenging tycoon games there is, as you really have to calculate if you are selling the lemonades at the right price, if opening a new branch is worth the investment, or if the upgraded equipment are worth buying. This is more cerebral than your average tycoon game.

Another one of my favorites is Gameboy's Jurassic Park III: Park Builder. The title says it all: you have to build Jurassic Park and hope that the cages are sturdy enough to withstand the prehistoric beasts. The dinosaurs are more docile here than in the movie. But that doesn't mean that you're job would be any less easier. While it seems to be a run of the mill tycoon game, its breeding feature keeps the game from being tedious after a few hours of playing.