Tropico
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- This article is about the computer game. For the juice drink, see Tropico (drink).
| Tropico | |
Missing image Tropico.jpg PC Box cover | |
| Developer: | PopTop Software |
| Publisher: | Gathering of Developers |
| Release date: | 2001 |
| Designer: | Phil Steinmeyer |
| Genre: | Real-time strategy |
| Game modes: | Single player |
| ESRB rating: | Teen |
| Platform: | Windows 95/98/2000/ME/N4/Mac OS 9/Mac OS X |
| Size: | 2 CD |
| System requirements: | P200 MHz CPU, 32 MB RAM, 820 MB HD |
| Input: | Keyboard and mouse |
Missing image Tropico_screenshot.jpg Tropico screenshot | |
Tropico is a real-time strategy computer game developed by PopTop Software and published by Gathering of Developers (Also known as GOD Games, now known as "The Gathering"). The game is centered around being the ruler ("El Presidente") of an island in the Caribbean during the Cold War era from the 1950s to 1970s. Games based on Caribbean city-building have been created before, but Tropico was the first to be centered on a Cuban Revolution/Cold War theme. The game has serious themes, such as totalitarianism, electoral fraud, iron-handed rule, and the interventions of powerful companies and nations (the United States and Soviet Union); this is contrasted with a playful sense of humor in the form of parody, for example, its manual references the All Your Base phenomenon.
Game features include micromanaging citizens with individual needs and families. All the decisions you make directly involve the people. You try to stay in power and appease the populace as long as possible by providing education, entertainment, food, and an individual job to each person. Different factions have a different opinion of you. If the populace is not pleased, it may rebel or vote you out.
Tropico has several expansion packs and new editions, including Tropico: Mucho Macho Edition, Tropico: Paradise Island, and Tropico: Pirate Cove.
Gameplay
The three modes of gameplay are tutorial, scenario, or custom game/random map.
The tutorials are designed to help users learn how play the game.
Scenarios are predetermined game conditions with predetermined goals that must be accomplished in order to achieve a "win." There are several scenarios, each with a stated level of difficulty.
Custom games allow virtually all starting conditions to be controlled. This includes the specifications such as elevation, vegetation, water coverage, and random event probablity, each of which effects gameplay. Players can also control what type of ruler he or she will play. The custom game also allows the goals to be set: how many years (game years) the simulation will run for, what conditions will determine a "win vs. loss." The goals can also be left open-ended. Examples of specific goals: environmental preservation, personal wealth accumulation.
Music
Tropico features Latin-styled Dominican music, largely performed by Daniel Indart. The game won the Original Music Composition category in the 2002 Interactive Achievement Awards.
External links
- Official website (http://www.poptop.com/Tropico.htm)
- Publisher Homepage (http://www.gathering.com)
- Publisher Homepage (Mac) (http://www.macsoftgames.com)
- Tropico guide (http://db.gamefaqs.com/computer/doswin/file/tropico_a.txt)
- Tropico FAQ/walkthrough (http://db.gamefaqs.com/computer/doswin/file/tropico.txt)