Rating: 
Summary: tons of fun
Review: this is such a fun game, the music, the variety, all is great! the scenarios are very challenging and some are downright hard and frustrating when the people vote you off the island! i only wish they gave you more hints on how to win some of the scenaeios or to satisfy people's complaints, but i guess then it wouldn't be so challenging, huh? can't wait to get the expansion pack!
Rating:
Summary: A Pleasant Surprise
Review: This game was what I would refer to as a "sleeper". It didnt get alot of hype, and not alot of people know of its existance. I saw a review on it at a games demo website. I downloaded the demo and immediatly fell in love. I ordered it right away and I am not sorry at all. This game has given me and my teenagers alot of hours of fun. Its different everytime you play it, because you set the island up. The only thing I didnt like about this game was the fact that you could not turn the buildings around, face them in different directions, but with the Tropico "Paradise Island" Expansion pack, I understand this limit is gone. There are scenarios included, but I like freeform better. The developers even included some secret codes to help you cheat if you are so inclined :) Anyhow, this game is one of the best Ive played, so I gave it 5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Funny premise. Serious strategy.
Review: I look around the local gaming store, and I spot "Tropico- the Carribean dictatorship simulator." Looks pretty funny, but there's no way it's going to stand up to repeated playing, right? I mean, it's just a Sim in a clown's clothing, right? $40 for a gag game... I'm not paying it. Absolutely not. This thing will be down to 20 bucks in no time.
6 months later, this little "gag" has resisted the price decay one would expect for a simple gag game. My curiosity has grown to the point that I'm actually willing to shell out 40 bucks to check the game out.
So I pop Tropico into the CD tray. Holy cow! Look at all the options! You set the rent for appartments, the cover charge for pubs, and the salary for every job on the island. Buildings don't magically appear- You actually have to wait as your construction workers turn yellowish translucent images of buildings into reality, often taking months or even years to finish. The depth is astounding.
The music is far from being a joke, and rivals just about any game music out there today. Instead of having some video game composer pump out an hour of cheesy music with a tinge of latin cliches, they contracted the real thing. "Latin Music Specialists," the people responsible for Tropico's music, made a real gem of a soundtrack that fits perfectly into the whole Tropico experience. The music is content to stay in the background, but is certainly not unappreciated. It's perfect for the atmosphere of a tropical paradise.
If you want something that's different, but in a good way, I would recommend Tropico. Only be ready to learn by doing- the Tutorial is no help in the strategy department: it's more concerned with the mechanics of map rotation.
Rating:
Summary: thoughtfully made
Review: This is such a great game for those who love everything from SimCity to The Sims. On to Rollercoaster tycoon. I enjoy playing this game. The possibilities are endless. I'm sure any simulation lover will have hours of fun with this game. Right from the day I brought it home I loved it. I played it for hours straight. I've owned it a little while and continue to enjoy playing it for hours straight. I'm so happy that POPTOP is coming out with an expansion.
Rating:
Summary: Addicting Game!
Review: Tropico is a great sim game, that will make you loose track of time. You can change how hard the game is, which is my favorite part. (I set it to have a never ending supply of money). You are the new ruler of a Caribbean island. You must keep your people happy by building farms, homes, and providing them with entertainment. I love all the simulation games. The Sims, Sim Theme Park, Sim Hospital, and Tropico are in my top 4 list!
Rating: 
Summary: Very Impressive
Review: The only thing I regret here is not buying this game sooner. I passed over it several times while gameshopping, and settled on other games with which I quickly bored or found myself less than satisfied. I'm not sure why other reviewers found it too hard to follow, because the tutorial combined with the quickstart guide in the manual made it playable right out of the box. Instant gratification ends there however, since the games approach to city-building and management is more realistic. Buildings don't just appear. They take time to be built. You have to priofitize what you want built and when. Land takes time to be leveled. Crops take time to grow and be delivered to the docks. However, all of this makes for VERY rich gameplay. Besides the scenarios, the option of open-ended play, combined with all the variables offered when a new game is started creates nearly endless possibilities and hours of enjoyable and diverse gameplay. My advice? If you come across Tropico, especially in the bargain bin, grab it. You won't be sorry.
Rating:
Summary: I need more stars for this one
Review: This game was so awesome. I'm a huge fan of CIV and SIMCITY but I was getting a little bored of the same old thing. Tropico is just what I needed to revive my love for PC gaming. The theme is truly genius and graphics are great. What I like most about this is every game is truly different. Making the island a major tourist attraction is hard work but the money that comes rolling in is well worth it. The swiss bank account is a deliciously guilty pleasure when you are doing your best to be a "good" ruler. I love the cuban voice that says things like "el presidente, the people will be calling for an election next year" The only thing that is frustrating for me in this game is it is hard to get the people to go to high school and college for their education. Even though you might have plenty of teachers, the school will never get close to filling up... UNLIKE THE CHURCHES which need to constantly be built for your peoples religous needs. I LOVE THIS GAME and recommend it for anyone who loves Sims, CIV, Zeus, Pharoah, Ceasar III... etc.
Rating:
Summary: They are making an add on!
Review: Cant wait for the add-on coming in January. This game is cool just wish the game play graphics were a little better.
Rating: 
Summary: Too challanging for me to get into
Review: I am a lover of sim games. My favorite sim game is Ceasar. I played about 7 or 8 levels before I got bored. Roller Coaster Tycoon is another good one. It is challanging and has a lot of different scenarios and rides.
One of the cool things about Tropico is its premise. Its got a cool soundtrack and the in-game tutorial really lets you get into the story line. The problem was, I spent over 8 hours of gameplay and couldn't succeed at anything. I tried several different strategies and even set the game to cheat modes (unlimeted budget with no elections)and I still couldn't make the citizens happy or even get an airport built.
One thing that differentiates this game from Tycoon or Ceasar is that there are no level advances and I am not sure what the purpose of the game is. You may start over and choose a different scenario, but you don't progress to new "missions" or "challanges." This may be alright, however,because it seems impossible to win anyway. Another thing; islands are only so big and that causes challanges in and of itself.
I would recommend this game to an economics or poli-sci major who is up to a real challange.
Rating:
Summary: A good game with a few flaws, albeit debilitating ones
Review: Sim City on an Island (hold on, didn't they make a Sim Island?? Oh nevermind). That's what it should be named. After reading the reviews here, I felt it would be worth my time and money to go out and buy a copy of Tropico. It is an enjoyable game, although frequently annoying. The premise, that you are a dictator on a Carribean island named Tropico, and that you and you alone, through wits or might, make it or break it by ruling your own banana republic. Promising, right? The developers actually manage to pull it off too...everything from the look of the buildings to the mood music in the background is just right. Having made more than a few visits to the Carribean in my military days tells me that the layout and operations of the island is surprisingly accurate too. Everything's not sunshine though...you'll start off relying on crops to bring in the major portion of your income. Your money levels fluctuate very erratically though, so be prepared by saving an extra few thousand before making any big purchases (power plants, cigar factories, airstrips, etc.)...and since I'm no farmer, I've had thus far some mixed experiences with my crops, most notably with my tobacco and sugar farms...they make lots of money, *when* they're working, that is. My only foray into tourism resulted in countless thousands of dollars lost while slob tourists depreciated the value of the land, regardless of whatever action I took to prevent otherwise. I set up nice bars, restaurants and hotel on thier end of the island, only to see them move to the other end of the island to congregate with the locals in the slum bar. I've been to those bars in the Carribean...no thanks, I'll stick with the nice hotel ones. ;) Education of your citizens if critical. After a while, filling certain jobs in whatever industry you want to make (you'll need a slew of High School educated people for most) is of incredible importance. In every game I build a High School to address this problem, but after a few citizens graduate, they have this crazy pattern of simply applying as a teacher at the same high school and staying there, thus depriving the industry that I educated them for of thier knowledge. Pretty soon you have a High School with 10 teachers and 2 students, and you still can't run your Cigar Factory because only one HS educated worker even works there, no matter how much money I pay them. This holds true also for the Church you build. Expect one foreign priest to show up. Also expect there to be only 3 parishioners to regularly attend church. It doesn't matter how many priest spots are filled, only 3-4 people will ever attend there. This after all manner of ruckus and complaint about not having a Church from my citizens. Logging brings in a heap of cash, as does mining, but the problem is that you have to put the things so close to your settlements...if the workers spend all thier time walking there, they'll usually arrive, chop once on a tree, yawn, and then head back the 1 mile to goto bed. All this is not bad, however...this game demands a good head for planning and urban development, as the developers have wisely programmed into the game building delays. Know *exactly* where it is you want to put that apartment building, because it's going to take a while to build it. A wide variety of dictator personalities is given at the beginning of the game for you to choose from, everything from Fidel Castro to Eva Peron. Still, I would have liked to custom build my own dictator, with my own name. The custom options are all great, no complaints there...your island can be customized to death with options ranging from making it mountainous/flat, to large/small, to deciding how many trees will be on it. The economy can be customized as well, making it either harsh or easy depending on your level of expertise. Be forewarned though that another critical omission in the game is the lack of ability to modify your tax rates. Tropico is a good game, and if you've ever played Sim City, you'll get the basic premise of it quickly. It does have good replay value because the base design of it is rock solid, but the few flaws that I pointed out, as well as a few others, are simply too big to overcome. My suggestion...wait until it's in the bargain bin... before you purchase.
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