ThrillVille: Off the Rails – Both Fun and Stupid Simultaneously

I was a PC gamer originally, as a kid. Because for the most part, the computer games had more to offer than the games that were available on the older Nintendo consoles. And when the popular, sweeping and trendy, infamous hit that was Coaster was unveiled for the Windows 3.1 platform PCs – you know those 386’s that lauded having a whole 24 megs of RAM – wow – I was simply put: freaking hooked. If you don’t recall Coaster, as it does entirely relate to the game that I am about to review, here is the nutshell scoop. Coaster was an amusement park game where you could custom design any type of roller coaster that you could ever imagine. Then you had to open the ride and manage it, and make sure it was safe. Screw up the design and you could get sued and lose your park. Testing the coasters was the greatest of fun. If they were too dangerous, they would end up tossing your riders hundreds of feet in the air to their deaths. Coaster was awesome! Now on to this game—which reminds me fondly of Coaster yet which also fails to excite me nearly as much.

Why Kids will Love this Game
Kids will love this game as it is geared towards them. You manage a huge amusement park, and you can unlock five others upon successful completion of your in-game goals. You can go around and talk to kids and get their opinions and even make friends, who will update you from time to time, and you are a kid who just inherited an amusement park, pretty original. You also are responsible for the entire setup of the park. From bathrooms to eateries, to a variation of rides that will keep your customers happy. You must also manage your funds, maintenance, security and ticket prices, all to make your park successful. Kids love this stuff. It teaches them skills, it challenges them, and all in all itâ??s pretty cool. Itâ??s like Sim Amusement Park for all extents and purposes.

Why I disliked this Game
I just wanted to build another rollercoaster and make it the way that I wanted. Not get stuck managing a whole park. The roller coaster designer, while neat, is very limited. The controls have a finicky functionality that pissed me off. The rides have to fit into the park, so they can only ever be so big. Sure you can customize them. Change the colors and so on. But I wanted a more in depth roller coaster builder. And the other rides are not nearly as fun, and they donâ??t allow any customization, so whatâ??s the point? I was expecting a more fluent coaster builder and instead got stuck with a simulated amusement park creator that was geared towards younger children. An annoying narrative from an old man adds to the childlike notion that this game emanates. 

Case and Point: Coaster is still king of the Amusement Park Games but Kids will Love this one!

My Score: 5 out of 10