Like any truly great park, the game seemed to exist outside the normal boundaries of time. RollerCoaster Tycoon, released 20 years ago this past Sunday, became the greatest theme park of all for a generation of kids who found it easier to visit the Scholastic Book Fair than Walt Disney World. Eventually he decided to build his own fantasy world-not with wood or with steel, but with computer code. As Sawyer got older, he gained an increased appreciation of roller coasters, and came to enjoy them more as he understood their complexities. For adults, they’re a fleeting reminder of that carefree mind-set. For kids, theme parks are proof that life can be as thrilling as their wildest fantasies. Sawyer has long been fascinated by coasters and the precisely constructed worlds in which they reside. They learn not only to conquer their fear, but to take control of the machines that once terrified them. This is a common trait among people who ultimately become obsessed with theme parks. As a child growing up in Scotland, he rode them with a mix of curiosity and dread, screaming to get off every time he barreled through another stomach-flipping plunge. At first, Chris Sawyer hated roller coasters.
