Tropico
Sold Out		(Win95/98/2000/Me/XP) (Retail) (TROPICOPR)

Publisher: PopTop Software / Gathering of Developers

- Violence / Suggestive Themes

Ratings:

9/10 from Gaming Gods

3½ out of 4 from Game Power

You Rule!

As the newly installed dictator of an obscure Caribbean island, build a path of progress for a nation mired in poverty, civil unrest and infighting. Oh, and uhh… stash a few million in your Swiss bank account just in case you need to take early retirement.

Tropico takes the addictive building-oriented gameplay of hits such as SimCity 3000 and Railroad Tycoon 2, combined with a healthy dose of Latin American political intrigue, and bundles it up in an easy-to-learn, hard to master, utterly addictive package.

Tropico is first and foremost a builder. Tropico provides over 85 structures to build, from hotels and spas for tourists to banana groves, sugar plantations and bauxite mines for food and basic exports, to rum distilleries and cigar factories for basic industry. Industry, mining, agriculture, or tourism, you choose to shape the economy to your vision. And don’t let your lust for Yanqui dollars overcome your concern for the plight of your people. (or they’ll overcome your palace guards and teach you a lesson in mob justice) As a precaution against such unpleasantness, may we suggest paying off the radio stations and educating your citizens to the, um, true benevolence of your rule?

Your island’s inhabitants are fleshed out individuals, most of whom support you as their leader (at least initially). They go about their daily business striving for happiness under your enlightened rule. They have homes, jobs and identities, and they like being safe, well-fed, employed and spiritually enriched. Plan your growth well, and you’ll have plenty of money to buy your people’s favor. Plan your growth poorly, and, well, there’s always martial law…

Build Your Island!

Over 80 different buildings, including sports arenas, cathedrals, airports, rum distilleries and cabarets. Build a tourist haven with spas, luxury hotels, swimming pools and night clubs. Just be sure to keep that shanty town from spilling into the tourist-only beaches.

Rule the Land!

Build your population from 35 to a bustling 500 unique individuals. Each mañana brings new births, marriages and even deaths (natural or otherwise ...). Your citizens' lives are interconnected, so take heed who you offend. Throw a rebel in jail and her extended family curses your name. Bribe her and her family may become your ally.

Create Your Dictator!

Dictators are people too, so you'll need to pick both good and bad qualities for yourself. If you've ever wanted to rule an entire island as a lying, paranoid, compulsive gambler, here's your chance.

And Remember: Take care if your people, Or they will take care of you!

Tend to your people as they deal with devastating disasters including, droughts, popular rebellions, military coups and US sponsored invasions. Feel their pain - compassion makes great propaganda.

Requirements:

Windows 95/98/2000/Me/NT4/XP: Pentium 200 MHz or faster, 32 MB RAM, 2x CD-ROM drive, 820 Mb hard drive.

Reviews:

Gaming Gods by Shawn

"You're a dictator, and you're running your own island. Each decision you make can leave some people mad, or others happy. This is the creativeness of Tropico, in that every single person on your island has a different personality, and everyone needs to be treated differently, just like in real life. If you choose to ignore the people, they will rebel, and can lead to many burnt flags and possibly many dead bodies."

"As soon as I started the game I knew this would be a joyful session. The music brought me to a surreal world, giving me the sense and that I was really on a foreign island- the music really sets the mood for the game."

"Needless to say, I loved this game. It was like The Sims, multiplied by 10 in a sense that everyone leads their own life and their lives are effected by your decisions. The realism in this game is awe-inspiring, and it makes me wonder if I really would be good at running my own island, because the people seem to love me. There is a feeling you get when you win elections, and when people love you- thats what good games do to you."

Game Power by Jeff Sengstack

"I've never been a fan of Havanas. But, somehow, with Tropico on my monitor, I have this urge to light up a Montecristo Especial, prop my feet up on my roll-top desk, and issue an edict or two. Being El Presidente has its pluses."

"Tropico takes you where no game has gone before -- a third world, Caribbean island nation. Sort of a combo city-builder/god game with a tongue-in-cheek edge..."

"That's the beauty of Tropico. It is eminently replayable. There are so many options -- the island's physical characteristics, victory conditions, El Presidente's personality quirks -- that it never plays the same way twice. It also has the feature that makes games like Civilization and Age Of Empires great -- it's easy to play...and difficult to master. With the option to adjust difficulty levels from ridiculously easy to virtually impossible, you can test multiple tactics, swap strategies online, and hone your dictatorial acumen."

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