Theme Park Native

Theme Park Native is an unofficial Windows 11 modernization layer for the 1994 PC CD release of Theme Park by Bullfrog Productions. It launches the original game directly in a native window—without exposing a DOS prompt, installer, DOS/4GW splash, or emulator menu—and integrates modern video, audio, mouse, keyboard, and Xbox controller handling.

Warning

This project is not currently playable. CPU timing is constrained enough to keep the simulation near its intended speed, but map scrolling remains severely slow and clunky. Raising the emulated CPU rate restores scrolling responsiveness but makes the simulation run too fast. Resolving those two clocks independently is the main release blocker. This repository is public for development and testing, not as a finished replacement for the original.

Original VGA mode	High-resolution VESA mode

The repository contains no playable original game program or extractable game asset library. Testers must own the PC CD version and import its executable, artwork, data, music, and sound effects from their own disc image.

Implemented so far

• One native x64 Windows executable, built with Visual Studio and Direct3D 11.
• An embedded compatibility engine; DOS startup and emulator UI remain hidden.
• Direct first-run CD import; the obsolete DOS installer is never shown.
• Original 320x200 VGA and 640x480 VESA modes at their intended aspect ratio.
• Edge-aware reconstruction, restrained sharpening, and a configurable CRT simulation with scanlines, phosphor mask, glow, and halation.
• Sound Blaster sound effects and AdLib music at unity gain.
• Immediate mouse tracking with a compatibility repair for the original VGA/VESA cursor-freeze bug.
• XInput controller support, v-synchronized flip-model presentation, fullscreen switching, and optional save states.

Current blocker: scrolling and simulation timing

Theme Park couples several visible behaviors to the emulated CPU rate. At the rate that keeps construction, visitors, finances, animations, and other simulation systems close to original speed, edge scrolling is unacceptably slow and uneven. Increasing the rate makes scrolling feel better but accelerates the entire game.

A proper fix must identify and separate the scrolling/input cadence from the authoritative simulation clock. Simply increasing cycles, inserting native frame interpolation, or smoothing the mouse does not solve the underlying coupling. Until that work is complete, the project must be considered unplayable despite the working launch, graphics, sound, and input paths.

What testers need

• 64-bit Windows 11.
• A Direct3D 11-capable graphics adapter.
• A legally owned PC CD image of Theme Park.

Unlike mixed-mode CD games, Theme Park stores its music and effects in game data files. A normal ISO contains the complete soundtrack and sound library; separate CD-audio extraction is not required. BIN/CUE and ZIP sources are also accepted by the importer.

Install for testing

1. Download a test build and extract the complete archive to a writable folder. Do not run the executable from inside the ZIP file.
2. Start ThemePark2Native.exe.
3. On first launch, select your .iso, .cue, or .zip CD image.
4. Wait while the wizard validates and extracts the original game files.
5. The game starts directly; its DOS installer does not need to be run.

Later launches use the imported files automatically. The installation is portable: move the entire folder together and it will continue to work.

Controls

Action	Keyboard and mouse	Xbox controller
Point	Mouse	Right stick
Left click	Left mouse button	A or right trigger
Right click	Right mouse button	B or left trigger
Menu navigation	Arrow keys	D-pad
Toggle VGA/VESA mode	R	—
Fireworks	F	X
Open park	O	Y
Pause	P	Menu
Game Escape action	Esc	View
Toggle fullscreen	Alt+Enter	—
Release captured mouse	Ctrl+F10	—
Save / load state	Ctrl+F5 / Ctrl+F9	—

The Windows pointer is hidden over the active game and returns when the window loses focus. When the original game exits, the native window exits with it. See the complete controls guide for input details.

Building from source

Install Visual Studio 2022 with Desktop development with C++ and a Windows SDK. Open ThemePark2Native.sln and build Release | x64, or use:

.\build-release.ps1

To build and assemble a test directory in one operation:

.\build-release.ps1 -RuntimeDirectory 'C:\Games\Theme Park'

The project uses MSVC only; WSL, MinGW, Java, and a separate compatibility-core build are not part of the build or user installation. Authored code, scripts, and shader modules stay below 300 lines per file and are commented for readers who are new to C++ and emulation projects.

Documentation

• Architecture
• Rendering and scaling
• Disc import
• Music and sound effects
• Engine research
• Development guide
• Packaging public builds
• Third-party components

Legal

The source is licensed under GPL-2.0-only because the executable embeds DOSBox Pure. Third-party components retain their own notices, documented in docs/THIRD-PARTY.md.

This is an unofficial preservation and interoperability project. Theme Park, Bullfrog, Electronic Arts, and all original game content belong to their respective owners. The small screenshots above document interoperability; the executable cannot use them as game data.