Thillville

The Basics:
Platform: PS2, PC, PSP
Developer: LucasArts
Price: $49.99
ESRB rating: E10+

Summary: Amusing theme park simulation. Tweens.

Note: Parents should know that this is a good group interaction game with very little objectionable content. Parents can expect to see non-bloody first-person shooter action in some of the mini-games, and cheesy pick-up lines that have slight sexual undertones while the protagonist talks with some park guests. Since the game is mostly composed of mini-games and has a strong multi-player mode, it is a good game to pick up and play in short chunks of time.

Families who play this game may wish to discuss why amusement parks are so much fun. Can a video game do the experience of visiting a theme park justice? Is it all together different experience, or are there some similarities?

Further Breakdown:

Overall rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Best for ages: 10+
Playability: Easy. Half hour learning curve.
Graphics: Medium. Nothing spectacular, but does the job.
Reading Level: Medium. Some reading required to play the game.

Ages 3-7: Yellow
Ages 8-12: Green
Ages 13-17: Green
Violence Amount: Yellow
Fear: Green
Illegal/harmful: Green
Language: Green
Nudity: Green
Sex: Yellow

Review:
Almost every kid wishes at some point that they could own their own amusement park. Thrillville offers the rides, the games and even some of the excitement in a digital theme park experience. Unlike the Roller Coaster Tycoon games (which are popular in their own right), Thrillville is less about strategy and more about fast-paced action and just having fun.

The main attraction of Thrillville is the twenty-plus mini-games it is based around. From Dance Dance Revolution style games used to train park entertainers to trampoline games with Tony Hawk style moves, Thrillville has a full midway of tried-and-true game genres. Most of the mini-games are extremely well done, with more depth than would be expected. Personal preference aside, a few games suffer from slightly clunky controls. For example, it can be a challenge to aim during the shooting gallery and first-person shooter games.

The single-player mode has a thread of a story-essentially the protagonist's slightly eccentric Uncle Mortimer needs some help managing his five theme parks. By completing objectives, such as challenging guests to a mini-game, or building specific rides, players can advance to the next, more difficult park.

The game might make players a little nauseous when it comes to interacting with park guests. Chatting up other teens to become a love interest is an adventure in some of the cheesiest pick-up lines heard on this side of a Ferris wheel. Even non-romantically charged conversations become a bit tedious as the originally interesting factoids and phrases get overused as the game progresses.

A great feature is the included multi-player mode. Most of the mini-games are available from the beginning, making it easy to find a good game to challenge a friend at. Up to four players can challenge each other, and there is even a tournament mode to really get the competition going.

Gamers looking for more strategy might want to check out the Roller Coaster Tycoon games. However, gamers short on time and looking for a quick escape will find Thrillville a satisfying experience.