Thrillville is odd. It's a bargain with three completely separate games in one. Even better, they're three excellent games. Unfortunately, Thrillville mixes those games into a single package and convolutes a concept aiming for simplicity.
While sitting in the kids market with its bright colors, overly happy people, friendly demeanor and generally suitable content, there's enough here to grab any simulation fans attention. Taking the best parts of EA's now archaic 16 and 32-bit Theme Park and the superb PC hit Roller Coaster Tycoon, Thrillville puts you in control of various parks. Your goals vary in each, though it generally comes down to staying profitable and making enough money to advance.
Thrillville is unique with its interface. It's hard to imagine a better way to handle it on a console. You'll control a slightly customizable avatar from a third person perspective. Through this you can chat with guests, place rides or attractions, set prices, and manage all available aspects of your (hopefully) growing park. The somewhat bland graphics keep the tone light, though make it difficult to believe you're riding a roller coaster when you have the opportunity to do so from a first-person perspective.
Managing all of that is fun. The easy to access and even easier to follow interface keeps everything within a few button presses. Things go wrong when you're asked to complete and keep track of too much at one time. Tedious quests and interface problems begin to seep in through extended play.
Earning money in Thrillville isn't only done through ticket or attraction prices. You'll need to complete missions, which vary from something as odd as riding a ride (why would earn money for this?) to beating a high score set by one of your guests. Yes, Thrillville has a lot to do. That leaves hardly any time to focus on a specific aspect.
Mini-games compound these issues. Hiring employees requires training, and to do so, you'll need to complete a specific mini-game. While fun on their own, especially with some peppy kid-friendly licensed pop music in the backdrop, you'll need to repeat this multiple times whether to fully train them or to hire more help. All of this happens as your guests roam the park, and addressing their needs ends up secondary to training your new mechanic or beating little Bobby's score in the arcade.
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