If You Like Expensive Interactive Ads, You'll Love Playing 'Legoland'

By AARON CURTISS

July 6, 2000 12 AM PT

“Legoland” is the latest--but definitely not the greatest--in a long line of PC simulation games that put players in control of their very own amusement park. Since the original “Theme Park” in 1995 let every wannabe Walt Disney design the perfect park, a string of imitators has tried--mostly without success--to do the genre one better.

“Legoland” upholds that lackluster tradition with a game that offers some fun elements but not much in the way of creativity. At times during play, it feels as if “Legoland” is little more than an interactive advertisement for Lego’s three theme parks, in Denmark, England and Carlsbad.

An interactive advertisement that costs $40, that is.

Players start with an open field and a little bit of money. The goal is simple: Build rides and shops that separate patrons from their money in order to build more rides and shops that siphon even more money out of the pockets of guests. And so on and so on.

The original “Theme Park” was actually a sophisticated simulation that required players to manage everything from the number of restrooms and the allocation of ride research money to the placement of snack shops--lest one get built too close to a roller coaster that makes guests queasy. Games that followed have generally gone for less detail.

“Legoland” is no exception. The game aims at a younger audience, so the demands it places on players are minimal. Gone are worries about restrooms. Hey, all the visitors are made of plastic. And there’s no need to allocate money for research. Professor Voltage takes care of all that off screen, popping up with new rides and attractions as players progress.

Players do have to worry about money, though. And aesthetics. And about keeping all the rides working. And, most important, about making sure their plastic guests are happy. As they build new rides or add shops, players can click on the visitors walking around to see how happy or hungry they are.

The key to happiness--at least in “Legoland”--is to maintain a landscaped park with plenty of variety. Players control the layout of the park and then dispatch gardeners and mechanics to keep the flowers in bloom and the rides working. It’s the little things that count, such as planting cactus in the Wild West area and installing a fountain in otherwise desolate pockets of the park.

Small kids will probably enjoy the thrill of building their own park, particularly in the “Free Play” mode that disregards the wishes of guests. But, unlike some of the other theme park simulators, “Legoland” offers no ability to actually ride the rides players build. That’s a big bummer.

Perhaps some of the disk space gobbled up by videos of the three Legoland parks could have been put to better use by adding a few more features to the game itself.

“Legoland” requires a Pentium II 233 with at least 32mb of RAM and 150mb of available hard drive space as well as a 4mb graphics accelerator. The publisher recommends a Pentium II 300 with 64mb of RAM and 220mb of available hard drive space.

“4 Wheel Thunder”

It’s not every day that I quote Julie Andrews, but as I played “4 Wheel Thunder” on Sega Dreamcast, I found myself thinking that somewhere in my youth or childhood I must have done something good.

Racers are my favorite game genre, and tops among them are the off-road variety. “4 Wheel Thunder” delivers the kind of off-road racing action that nudges the red line of perfection. There is very little not to like about this game.

Players choose from a variety of off-road vehicles and then put them through some incredibly long and detailed tracks. The only downside is that players must win each race before the next track is unlocked. It isn’t easy, particularly because a timed checkpoint system prohibits players from noodling around in search of shortcuts.

What it does, though, is provide a long-term challenge for players who take the time to learn the curves of the various courses and understand the mechanics of the different cars. In other words, it takes some brains. Not so much that I would call “4 Wheel Thunder” cerebral, but enough to make it more than just another racer for people who move their lips when they read.

“Vagrant Story”

Far from being a typical dungeon crawler, “Vagrant Story” for Sony PlayStation blends the best elements of role-playing with the best pieces of an action game to create a title driven by the twin engines of story and playability.

Players assume the role of Ashley Riot, a member of the elite Riskbreaker militia. As Riot, players must solve the mystery of who murdered Duke Barboda.

Unfortunately, he himself is a suspect. The answer lies in the long-deserted city of Lea Monde, where the psychotic prophet Sydney Losstarot is rumored to be hiding.

Confused?

So was I for the first hour or so of the game, which unfolds piece by piece to reveal through cinematic interludes a fascinating and well-told story. Even before the opening credits wrap up, players are engrossed in a strange and beautiful world.

Play snaps right along, and it’s easy to control Riot as he explores Lea Monde and its environs. The battle sequences--usually tedious in traditional role-playing games--are intuitive and allow players to fight in real time.

A winner.

Aaron Curtiss is participating in a management training program, in which he currently serves as assistant to the senior vice president of advertising. He has no financial dealings with the companies he covers. To comment on a column or to suggest games for review, send e-mail to aaron.curtiss@latimes.com.

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Essentials

4 Wheel Thunder

* Platform: Sega Dreamcast

* Publisher: Midway

* ESRB rating*: Everyone

* Price: $50

* Bottom line: Awesome

Legoland

* Platform: PC

* Publisher: Lego Media

* ESRB rating: Everyone