Besides aesthetic touches, is Theme Park a direct port of the original version or are there DS-specific extras?

The look of the game screen in the DS version may look similar to the PC version, but the contents are very different with many NDS (Nintendo DS) functionality enhancements. For details, please refer to the following answers.

How difficult did you find adapting the series to a portable for the first time?

We ended up re-designing the entire game in order to take advantage of the unique features of NDS such as "portability", "dual screens", "stylus" and "communication". We especially spent a lot of time experimenting with the dual screens and stylus functionalities to maximize the new game experience.

Are you happy that the stylus is able to replicate the speed and range of movements of a PC mouse? Was it a limiting factor in any way?

The PC version uses the mouse as the input device. Because the original game was developed so long ago and these old controls using a mouse did not translate directly to the NDS platform, we built the NDS user-interface from scratch.

I am very confident of the stylus-based interface in the DS version. While just placing the cursor on an icon can pop up a help text in PC games, the screen has to be tapped with the stylus in DS games to let the games recognize the coordinates. Most games on NDS do this by "double click (single tap to display the help text and double tap to execute a command)", but we developed the unique control of first tapping the icon to display the "help" text, and checking (or circling) the icon to execute the command. This makes the user feel like the manager of the park signing important papers, which I think is the biggest selling point of this game.

Does Theme Park DS include any options, either through Wi-fi or direct connectivity between two consoles? Will players be able to visit other parks, for example?

Yes. At the outset of the game, you enter certain information such as an avatar of your character, name and birthday to create your profile, which can be exchanged with other players with the wireless data exchange functionality. Once the profiles you receive from them are stocked in your friend list, their characters will come to your park. It will be fun to watch them playing in your park while you are busy managing it.

Do you think the Theme Park franchise still appeals to fans of the original game? What incentive is there for them to pick up the DS version?

Compared to the console versions in the franchise, the look of the visitors in the DS version is smoother and a larger number of the visitors can be drawn on the screen. Also, the sophisticated interface and the real-time game progression offer a more comfortable gameplay experience with a better tempo.

We believe that the DS version excels in the following features.

Revised game design - In the PC version, you are able to play every country as long as you have enough money to do so. Although the parameters vary from country to country, all parks look the same. However, in the DS version, we narrowed the number of the countries down to 16, 5 of which you need to clear to unlock the other 11 countries. Clearing only these 5 countries, which is the quickest way to complete the game, allows you to see the ending of the game.

As for the other 11 countries, you get various hidden elements (attractions, shops, etc.) by clearing them-for example, an attraction called "Medieval acts" that was only available in the console versions, option parts that upgrade the roller coaster such as "Cork screw" and "Loop the loop", and other facilities such as "Super toilet" and "water fountain" that symbolizes the park. The DS version provides players with more incentives to play every country and collect these reward items.

A new country-specific ride that appears in each country.

The avatars of the visitors and the entertainers that are unlocked via the wireless data exchange functionality.

New characters - The character designer who designed the characters of the Nintendo's popular game, "Advance WARs" created 4 attractive advisor characters for this DS version.

New opening - The modern-looking opening movie is newly created for the DS version.

If Theme Park DS is a success, do you think it will lead the way to other simulation favourites of the past such as Theme Hospital and Rollercoaster Tycoon?

Management strategy games that allow users to enjoy creating and growing an in-game world anytime and anywhere are perfectly suited for hand-held platforms. Not many games of this genre are released on NDS due to constraints such as processing speed and memory capacity, but I think that once you play Theme Park, you will agree that this is definitely one of the best games available.

I have developed this game so that fans are able to rediscover the fun of management strategy games. I would be thrilled if this game would help expand the fanbase for this genre.

Assuming it does do well, do you think would consider bringing new and original simulation games to the DS as a consequence?

We cannot discuss future products at this point, but any consumer feedback is always welcome and appreciated. One thing I realized in the of the game was how perfect the stylus of NDS was for simulation games. The stylus excels the mouse in that it provides users with a feeling of touching an in-game element directly, which gives the user an emotional connection to the game experience.

Lastly, is the game's eccentric brand of humour still intact?

Yes. From a Japanese point of view, I was really interested in Peter Molyneux's unique sense of humor in the old versions. Since it remains intact in this DS version, please look forward to it!

One thing I would like you to look at in the DS version is the re-created scenes in which a sweeper or mechanic is fired. They are also rich with that sense of humor, so please try firing them and enjoy their reactions!

Thanks for your time, good luck with the new game!

By Andrew Macarthy