They’re certainly not showing any signs of slowing
Roller coaster riding should be in games more often. It’s easy to simulate and usually a really fun part of any game that has it. A great example is Rocket: Robot on Wheels, which even lets you build your own coaster. The problem for some games is that the activity is by its very nature passive, so the developer makes it only a small part of the larger experience.
Mad Panic Coaster is a 1997 Japan-only PlayStation release put out by an obscure company called Hakuhodo. It’s one of the few (perhaps only?) console games dedicated one hundred percent to riding coasters. Technically, however, it plays more like a mine cart ride from a 3D platformer. The player has some freedom to steer around the track, and it’s very easy to fall off. Each coaster exists in a themed world, including a beach, a forest, and the requisite ice level.
While trying to stay on the track, the player must also contend with a bizarre barrage of enemies like sharks, octopi, wolves, yeti, and even Little Red Riding Hood. The only defense against these baddies is an unlimited supply of balls to throw at them. Make three trips around without getting killed, and you get to move onto the next coaster. The game also rewards you with a bizarre scene related to the stage you finished, such as a cartoony image of a disemboweled shark.
The game has become a bit rare, so it’s a little pricey on eBay. It’s also difficult; be prepared to repeat some of these levels over and over again. Still, Mad Panic Coaster can be pretty fun, and it’s completely in English. So if this sounds like your kind of thing, you might want to track it down.
That said, for about the same price, you could just go to Six Flags. I’d rather skip the lines myself.
