Why RollerCoaster Tycoon Is A Masterpiece 

Gabi: "RCT was programmed by a single man" Me: Damm he was really good Gabi: "He did all the code in Assembly" Me: He... he... he is a god amongst men.

I like how Gabi just randomly decides to put on a cowboy hat halfway through the video.

My favorite part about RCT was watching the individual guests. If you stalk one of them for long enough, eventually you'll see the thought "I feel like someone's watching me." appear.

He also made Locomotion, which was released in 2004 and I am so close to beating but the last scenarios are very difficult

Gabi is out here exploiting my weakness: watching people passionately talk about their interests even if I don't know anything about it

I’m so grateful for ORCT2 for keeping this amazing game alive!

glad you touched on the fact RCT was written in assembly, seriously crazy technical achievement

Xennial here. Interesting that you mentioned RCT predating The Sims, because RCT was actually a relative latecomer to the construction-management simulation genre of computer games that originally began with Utopia (1982) by Intellivision and then popularized by SimCity (1989) from Maxis (Will Wright). Simulation games then branched out into multiple sub-genres, including city-building games (Caesar, The Settlers, the Anno series), business/economy simulation games (Theme Park, Capitalism, Railroad Tycoon), and government/politics simulation games (Tropico, Civilization). Many of these games ran on MS-DOS or older Macintosh machines. The Sims, however, was part of the larger Sim game series (incl. SimCity2000, SimEarth, SimPark, SimLife, SimFarm, SimCoaster, SimGolf, to name a few) that applied the notion of a virtual dollhouse to the simulation genre, a relatively novel idea for gaming in Y2K.

I still play RCT to this day, and the carousel music is still fire

As a programmer, I really appreciated you going into the actually development of the game. You did a good job covering the topic ❤ You make programming sound somewhat cool (RARE)

Chris Sawyer is the Tame Impala of video game development, he’s just one guy

Gabi not only making a whole video about one of my favorite games of all time, but also including a clip from Call me Kevin in said video, is the real compound medication I've been needing all along!

is nobody gonna say anything about gabi keeping peanut butter in the fridge??

Some of my earliest childhood memories were watching my Dad play Railroad and Rollercoaster Tycoon. Then when I was in 5th grade he pirated RCT along with all of the Sims games (1,2, and the BRAND NEW 3) on to my computer. He was the best, RIP Dad and thank you for getting me into the life simulation genre

cereal was literally how I got to play RCT, thank you cereal. I recall there being another disney game included that I played.

The stylistic art and isometric veiw made that game so beautiful to play. So satisfying and allowed you to make parks that looked simply beautiful.

Damn, gabi. That was absolutely hilarious. I was already a huge fan of your style of comedy, but now you've made an RCT video, too? Hell yeah. Thanks for the OpenRCT2 shout-out!

When you forget to finish a roller coaster and accidentally green light it endangering your guest’s lives… But then you realize the lines to different places will get shorter

RCT is my childhood, and I am so happy to be providing back to that with code, pixelart, music and soundfx for OpenRCT2. The community is not massive but definitely very active. Thanks for putting a light on it!

Chris Sawyer did go on to make Chris Sawyer's Locomotion released in 2004 again in assembly, and then took a long break until being involved in mobile ports of Transport and Rollercoaster Tycoon games in 2013-2016 (although he wasn't the sole developer on the mobile ports). Btw I'm pretty sure if this video was made ten years ago, the one press image and his cameo on the Transport Tycoon box art would have been the only two pictures of him on the internet. Very super private person.

My cousin gave me the disc for my 10th birthday in 2000 and I still have it. Thank you Gabi, this video made me smile.

Gabi Explains Computer Science is my new favorite channel

The music the carousel plays is literally etched into my brain, so much nostalgia from playing this game

So I never played RollerCoaster Tycoon, but the partial view of the Petz 5 disk (9:14) hit me with a brick wall of nostalgia. I completely forgot the game ever existed.

Using Linkus and Kevin clips to illustrate speedrunning and modding is so cool! Love all these creators' content for different reasons, so cool to see all of their content in the one video here. Thanks Gabi, great video and really enjoying this format lately!

I love the super random "you know what, I'm gonna wear a hat now for the rest of the video" half way through 😂

Well really if you want to go even further back, Sim City was the first of this kinda omniscient, chill, planning and destroying game. Great video as always, Gabi!

Gabi started talking about 1999 and the culture then and it unlocked a childhood memory I had of playing this game as my parents listened to Macy Gray on repeat.

I had to learn a decent amount of Assembly and I still have nightmares. After that learning the basics of the other languages was almost a cake walk. It was like the difference between learning a language like English when you can already speak German compared to going from German to Korean. Not that intuitive but also not Impossible but also not that pleasant even if you like this shit like I do. This guy programming this all by himself is fucking amazing. I still occasionally play RCT1 & 2 and they are still bloody amazing today

One thing worth mentioning about Frontier Developments is that they are also the creators of Elite, which is probably the best space exploration game series ever made. The latest installment, Elite: Dangerous is kind of like if Star Citizen was actually a real game and delivered on its promises.

My favorite part of rollercoaster tycoon series as a child is subjecting my guests to deadly amounts of g-force, not understanding what the "Nausea" rating was and why my guests thought it was a bad thing. I make them a work of art with enough corkscrew loops to cover the length of my park, and all they can do is feel sick? Having never gone on a rollercoaster myself, I figured the guests were programmed to have subpar taste

Had the worst nightmare as a kid that a vampire came to my park and it forced me to spectate the vampire as it went around killing guests, turning into a bat to fly up to coasters and tear guests off of it. Park rating was crashing. The only thing I could do to curb attacks was pinch him and just keep holding him, otherwise any time I let him go over a lake he would turn to a bat and fly to the ground and continue killing. I still feel fear when I imagine his little person walking around with that white face and high collared cloak.

as a comp sci nerd person, your explanation of programming was pretty great! Thank you for doing it well and not making progammer me want to jump off a cliff in Minecraft!

I was so happy when I found out about OpenRCT2, and I could finally play the game without having to worry about error trappers!

"I wanna get off Mr.Bones wild ride"

GABI WHY IS YOUR HYPOTHETICAL PEANUT BUTTER IN THE FRIDGE

I genuinely think it's insane for any developer to be against modding. Like, a healthy modding community is the main thing that can turn a good game into something immortal. I'm certain that if Microsoft or Mojang were to ever drop support for Minecraft, it would still continue to live on forever through projects similar to OpenRCT2.

OG gamer here. Marcel Vos has taken all of us levels beyond the basic games with his mind boggling challenges. RCT2 is still the most popular of these, with Planet Coaster catering to those who prefer a more 3D space.

Can't remember the last time I was this excited to see a new upload. I have such great memories playing RTC (particularly sending the rollercoasters off the tracks and watching them explode).

Dude, I was literally just deciding what to watch and I was like hey Gabbi probably got something good and I was scrolling through your channel to find a video I haven’t seen before and you angel came in clutch with the perfect timing thank you for saving me from being alone with my own thoughts

RCT is my favorite game of all time, and OpenRCT2 is an excellent addition that keeps me coming back to this game ever since I got the original on CD in a cereal box like 20yrs ago

“Zillenial” That’s the first time I’ve heard that term, and I’m so happy you introduced me to it.

I've only just found your videos thirty minutes ago thanks to the algorithm RNG and you're quickly becoming my favorite RU-vid creator. Subbed.

I love videos like this, where people just rant about stuff they like. Excellent

I love Transport Tycoon Deluxe: I cannot believe my fave RU-vidr talking about my favourite game! just like OpenRCT, Open Transport Tycoon Deluxe (OpenTTD) is a ground-up reworking of the original game, with a dedicated fan base playing multiplayer, developing the code base, modding and extending the game etc!! Love the vid Gabi!

Playing RCT on Windows 97 was one of the best parts of childhood. RCT holds our deepest secrets. Wow that game was chaotic in the most beautiful way.

My favorite fact about it is that it was coded in assembly, which is almost making a game in binary

I remember my friend showing me this game back in 2000, I was instantly hooked on watching him play 🙄 a years later, and we finally got a computer, and the first game I wanted to play was Rollercoaster Tycoon. Spent hours and hours playing. One day, my disc drive was over working, and I heard something popped. As a kid, I didn't think much of it when I heard it and kept playing until 2 mins later, my game froze. I opened the disc drive, and the disc was shattered. I was upset, but since this was in the 2000s, I went outside with my friends and forgot all about the game 😅 and now I can play the Rollercoaster Tycoon on my phone!! How times have changed.

I remember that one time I made a log ride called "the shitlog" and it plummeted to a drop off of death. Fun!

My brother and I used to take turns sitting, go on a coaster while in first person, and then the other person would tilt the chair around as if we were really on the coaster. Years later we did the same thing on the Quest 1 with a different roller coaster game.

I redownloaded RCT after not touching it for a decade, and I can confirm it still slaps.

FYI this is totally wrong. Chris Sawyer had help on every game mentioned, with graphics, sound, and production help on transport tycoon, and programming help on transport tycoon deluxe and rollercoaster tycoon. Not to say Chris isn’t a legend, but he did work with other very talented people! The mobygames pages for said games has a list of all of the cool folks who worked on it! Anyways have a good day!

rct2 was such a major game of my childhood, its a CRIMINALLY underrated game

I literally still play Rollercoaster Tycoon and SimCity2000 to this day. They are my favorite childhood games. Fun fact, they are both one of the very few games written in assembly language.

I’m not really a fan of these types of games but you got me ready to rethink it all and open a rollercoaster park

RCT was such an influential game. It was a blueprint for tycoon games today

I have 165 hours in roller coaster tycoon three and I have no shame. This was the start of something beautiful.

6:40 - to put emphasis on Assembly, she missed a step where she didn't specify which hand to put into the fridge and that would've put back an error, which would make most programmers scratch their head going "what did I do wrong?" for several hours while holding their emotional support rubber ducky for comfort.

omg this has been one of my favorites games of all time how did i not know ONE GUY made it?! great vid gabi thanks

Please I absolutely ADORE RCT. This and Zoo Tycoon and their sequels were my entire childhood. I remember staying up all night just to play these games, to the point where I saw the game every time I closed my eyes LOL. Not sure why I talk about this in past-tense, as I STILL do these things lmao. Roller Coaster Tycoon Classic is, in my opinion, the best modern way to experience this game for anyone who hasn't tried it before. I have sunk hundreds of hours into it, Planet Zoo, and Zoo Tycoon 2 (the deluxe edition of course). I love sandbox games more than I love to live.

So glad you made this video, used to play the hell out of RCT 1&2

This game is right up there with Sims and SimCity4 in my childhood collection. Guy is a legend.

Losing my silly goofy mind over the love for Callmekevin

I remember creating an amusement park I called Trash City, where every bench was broken, bathrooms cost $5 to use, and every bit of pavement was covered in sick.

Being a rollercoaster enthusiast myself it makes me so happy a relatively large commentary youtuber made a video about a relatively niche hobby

Roller Coaster Tycoon was a formative portion of my life. My best friends in elementary had their entire basement built as a knex amusement park that mirrored our tycoon parks. Theme and amusement parks are fascinating, and I don’t know if I’d have that love if not for this game.

Only psychos put p.b in the fridge

Genuinely one of my favorite RU-vid videos of all time

I bought RCT2 at a book fair for $6.99 and it’s a strong contender for my favorite game ever, take that $70 AAA slogfests

Rollercoaster Tycoon and Zoo Tycoon were my JAM when I was younger

My husband and I still play it daily and we’re nearly 32.

To this day, crowd noises anywhere remind me of this game. Good crowded times.

Gabi watching Kevin makes me happy today 🥰

Miss Gabi you always reach directly into my brain with these video topics

In an era where live service games' servers go offline a year after release, RCT2 still has multiplayer that works flawlessly.

Had to rewind to watch the coaster fly off the rails just made me who I am today

I had almost forgotten this game even existed. This was the one game I would always play when I came home from school, it was great!

Do you have a background in computer science?? You explained the CS of the game so well, bravo

Probably either my 1st or 2nd most played game of all time. I was an RCT addict in the late 90s/ early 2000s. I got really good at building coasters and intertwining them with attractions and landscape.

As someone who is technologically challenged, I really appreciate your coding examples that even I could understand. Super interesting. Oh, and I love this game, it’s the best 😍

There was a game like this, it was called Transport Tycoon, made by the same guy in 1994. It was similarly adictive. I like roller coaster better because it was level based and you had a goal and ofc the individual guests and employees :D, where as in transport tycoon it was more about your one map and going through times and upgrading your infrastructure. Both amazing fucking games that are defo top 10 games for me personally. Love your vids btw! (recently found you through the great algorithm) EDIT: OH you actually mention Transport Tycoon (OFC U DID) lol, nvm my comment xD EDIT2: As a programmer, your analogy of assembly vs higher level programming languages is amazing, I'm gonna have to use that haha.

As someone who grew up on RCT, this was a great video! Earned my subscription😁👍🏼

Truly a wonderful video. Its 4am where I am and I'm about to drink a milkshake, download RCT 2 and meld into my chair over the next few hours. Merci Gabi.

A quintessential documentary on a timeless game that ignites me with hyper-focused nostalgia. This game was so beautifully design that it made me smile when I heard the corny theme music and sound bites of riders screaming for the first time in a couple decades. The other night, I coincidentally downloaded Roller Coaster Tycoon Classic in a sentimental fever dream but had no idea of the epic back story to legendary coaster man Chris Sawyer. In college, I wrote one program in assembly language then promptly returned to the comfort of modern programming languages. It never occurred to me to write something other than the simplest, lowest-level programs in assembly. Chris is truly the GOAT for bestowing this wondrous game and technical feat upon us. Thank you for sharing his story with us. God bless ✨

This was geeky to the max and I love it!

The CallMeKevin jump scare at 10:45. My boy. My beautiful boy.

RCT was the first PC game (besides Solitaire and Minesweeper) that I ever played. When I was 10 I had a school friend who owned a PC. He showed me this game and then every time I was at his place, I asked him if I could play. I think his parents got a little upset and complained to my parents, because a couple of months later my parents bought our first family PC, with Rollercoaster Tycoon (and also The Settlers 3).

An Icon talking about an iconic game ❤

This is my favorite game of ALL time. I feel so much joy from hearing the opening credits music, the carousel, and the guests laughing. They just don’t make games like this anymore

i was more of a zoo tycoon kid but i also relate to this video

The fact that the dude decided to code RCT in Assembly blows my mind to this day. On a scale of 1 to 10, his hatred for going outdoors is 11.

a callmekevin cameo in a gabi belle video was unexpected but appreciated lol

Had this on the DS and was wondering if it had been a fever dream 😂 Thank you for covering this gem from my childhood

one thing that i dont see anyone mention is how beautiful this game looks for its time, the asymetrical 3d/2d mix and all the different buildings and scenes, all while in assembly .... a madman tully

if you just clicked on this video, grab your ticket to the early club here

RCT was an absolute generational treasure, i take nothing away from it. BUT theme hospital (1997) was not only 2 years earlier but the king of that genre hands down. The most hilarious, wacky and enjoyable sandbox game of all time. Look into it if you didn't play it.

Do you put peanutbutter in the fridge???!!!??????

Brings back memories of elementary school when my friend had this game and I always wanted to play it at her house but it basically turned into just her playing it and me watching and then she’d get bored of it and stop but I wanted to keep watching cuz it was fascinating lmao. I really wanted it but don’t know why we never wound up getting it at my house. I did have zoo tycoon tho, and the first one was in this similar isometric style and had some similarities in how the guests acted

I poured dozens of hours into Rollercoaster Tycoon when the game was already 10 years old. It definitely holds up.

you can say a lot abt EA but it's awesome how cool they are about sims custom content and mods. there's a dedicated folder and settings just for that, and CC communities are thriving.