- Platform: IBM PC Compatible
- Release Date: 2000 11
- Genre: Simulation
- Style: Business Sim
- Similar Games: Pizza Tycoon (IBM PC Compatible)
Game Description
You've just started your own chain of pizza parlors when, to your surprise and consternation, the customers start to get sick! But what could possibly be wrong with your maggot, mozzarella and ant pizza pie? You'd better figure it out fast because your competitors are now getting all the business and, by the way, don't forget to watch out for the gangsters in the other stores! They have a completely different idea of "business as usual" -- you've no time to waste and a business to save!You have three options at the beginning of Fast Food Tycoon: New Campaign, Personal Missions or the tutorial. The latter takes you through the pizza business step by step and introduces you to the game's functions. Using the tutorial helps you learn the ins and outs of the game and gives you some tips for success.
The Personal Missions are challenges aimed towards your own personal tastes. They can be used for training or a chance to prove your savvy in a given situation. Before you begin, you must choose the size of the market, number of rivals and the objective of the mission.
Starting a New Campaign is the main mode of Fast Food Tycoon and your goal is to become the head honcho of the world's pizza industry. Each mission pits you against competitors who will do whatever it takes to succeed. Your recipes, choice of location, staff and interior design are all factors that will eventually impact on your success or failure. Another consideration is whether or not your business is legal -- an aspect that can affect your franchise and how it runs. Design your own interiors with pop machines, video games, jukeboxes, tables with custom colors and even select which ovens to utilize.
Over 800,000 character possibilities are available with locations in 20 different international cities including Venice, New York, Chicago, Moscow, Barcelona, Munich, Paris and Rome. In each city, you encounter 140 interactive characters walking the streets. When you click on a character, a screen pops up and shows you their likes and dislikes in terms of pizza. Additionally, you can face up to six computer opponents at one time.
When you create a pizza, you have over 80 ingredients from which to choose and a shredder to slice and dice each one. Garnish your pizza with the standard mozzarella cheese and sausage or go for a fruit pizza with pineapple, apples, kiwi and blackberries. Choose from such ingredients as ants, bacon, beef, caviar, chicken, cockles, crabmeat, ham, kangaroo, lobster, locusts, maggots, mincemeat, mussels, octopus, squid, snake, sardines, peaches, pears, strawberries, avocado, banana, eggs, garlic, goat cheese, ginger, gorgonzola, parmesan, bamboo shoots, broccoli, bean sprouts, carrots, cucumbers and tomatoes.
The interface is entirely mouse-controlled, with the exception of typing in a pizza name or description. During the game, you can check each city's information, existing syndicates, advertising agencies, staff and your different branches, after you've expanded your franchise, by clicking on their corresponding icons. Research the available ad agencies and sign a contract with one of them to promote your business to the world. Once you sign a contract, you need to conduct marketing research in the area of your choosing to determine your slogan and angle of advertising.
Better start making your pizzas from ingredients that customers like or else you can kiss your pizza franchise goodbye. Do research, construct shops and warehouses and be the best pizza maker you can be! Whether you begin in New York or Rome, work hard and you just might become a Fast Food Tycoon!
~ Nick Woods, All Game Guide
Roots & Influences
This title is similar in concept to another Activision Value game, Ski Resort Tycoon. The game simulates the building of a fast food chain of stores worldwide but in a humorous manner. It exhibits elements of business building seen in such simulations as SimTheme Park, Theme Hospital and SimCoaster, among others.~ Michael L. House, All Game Guide
Review: Overall
Your pizza place is flourishing, customers love you, and money is rolling in faster than you can bank it. As you go through the daily checklist of food to restock, a scream pierces the establishment. Rats are swarming around the customers' feet, woodworms are eating away at the chairs, and they're crashing to the floor! You've been invaded by the competition with their underhanded tactics.Fast Food Tycoon places the fate of a pizza franchise squarely on your shoulders. The short tutorial masks a very complex experience. You must build, stock and maintain pizza places, generate profits, advertise, deal with syndicates, hire security and make good pizza that sells. Customers won't like your product immediately -- you begin at the bottom of the pizza chain and have to hire chefs to create tasty pizza but you're limited by your beginning budget.
A manager will make the operation run more smoothly, but it'll cost you. Just as important is hiring a top staff of people and determining proper work schedules. If your cook is on the job but you have no waiters, say goodbye to the customers. You can track public opinion of your staff from the staff screen display.
Each of the characters (you select one at the start of the game) has a certain amount of starting money and skills. His or her initial assets vary a great deal, ranging from Dickie Dosh's $23,000 to Fran Friendly's $8,579. The less money you have, the higher the degree of difficulty. You start from a tough position -- each month requires you to pay rent and employee salaries. At a minimum, you'll shell out at least $8,000 dollars which is more than some characters have at the beginning of the game.
Simply making the rent is taxing enough but you also have to get your business to turn a profit if you're going to become the world's most successful Fast Food Tycoon. Think of the game as building a colony, only many of the resources you have to build are invisible. In games like 1602 A.D., you begin with a port and build your colony gradually with more buildings and resources. This game works in the same fashion but your goal is to build pizzas and attract customers while balancing your budget.
After establishing one successful operation, you can always build more since many empty buildings are available around the world. Location is one of the most important issues of the game but advertising can change things. You can check on who lives in each building by clicking on it and often find that employees inhabit the flats in some areas. It just doesn't make good business sense to build a pizza place in an area where there aren't any customers.
In some cases, you can build near another pizza chain and feed off of their residual traffic before going out on your own. This is often a good idea if you've never played the game before as you can get ideas from your competitors. For example, look at their interior decorations and study how each item is placed. How your restaurant looks can play a major role in your success, especially with upper class customers. Conversely, if you're starting out in an area with few people, television or other advertising will draw them to your establishment.
You can earn dirty money by doing chore jobs for a syndicate but this aspect is somewhat limited and uninspiring. All the jobs entail the same duty -- drive to a designated circle. Each underground job may have a different title and explanation but, in essence, the end requirement is always the same: drive to the circle without getting caught by the cops.
To be successful in all areas, you must study the game to determine the best strategies. The tutorial is not comprehensive and omits several important aspects. For example, it doesn't give instructions on the underground scene but does explain how to open a branch, join a bank, create an advertisement and make pizzas. You must figure out how best to do the rest of the activities.
The game has no manual -- it's a complex game with few instructions beyond the tutorial. Small gameplay items such as the meaning of the icons above the customer's heads are left for you to figure out. Some gamers will undoubtedly welcome this tough challenge and the game is certainly colorful and fun. It's not realistic, though, and leaves room for a better pizza outlet simulation. Don't be deceived by the funny voices and cartoon characters -- becoming a Fast Food Tycoon is a demanding experience.
~ Nick Woods, All Game Guide
Review: Enjoyment
It takes a while to figure out how to run the business properly with what little instruction the tutorials give you. Once you do, the game can be addictive. It's fun to experiment with the dozens of different toppings (even ants or maggots)!~ Nick Woods, All Game Guide
Review: Graphics
The graphics adhere to a basic cartoon format but some of the characters, like the male cook, look very lifelike (in a cartoon sort of way). The customers are grouped generically and a specific body type represents each type.~ Nick Woods, All Game Guide
Review: Sound
Each city has its own music such as Venice's Italian flavor and Chicago's rock oriented sound. Some of the dialogue is very amusing and fits the generic group. For example, a teen might say something to the effect: "Like, go away man."~ Nick Woods, All Game Guide
Review: Replay Value
The custom game mode is fun even after you've beaten the campaigns since you start out with plenty of money and can be much more creative in how you build the business.~ Nick Woods, All Game Guide
Review: Documentation
The tutorial during the game is the only way to understand how to play. It guides you through the beginning steps of opening a branch, joining a bank and advertising and making the pizzas. Much of the game you're on your own, though, and a manual would've been very helpful.~ Nick Woods, All Game Guide
Production Credits
SOFTWARE 2000; Executive Producer: Mathias Reichert; Programming: Dirk Baltinowitz, Chris Schmitz, Martin Wölk, Michael Kriegel, Ralf Mohmeier, Carston Stolpmann; 3D Graphics: Andre Schneider, Dirk Bialluch; 2D Graphics: Frank Ilfrich, Kay Poprawe, Oliver Papouliaz; Screen Editor: Hermann Jahnke; Quality Assurance: Lukas Kugler, Paul Guillaumon; Development: Hans-Arno Wegner; Art Director: Tom Thiel; Music and Sound Effects: Michael Franck
~ Michael L. House, All Game Guide
