So even when we're playing at our worst - our park is in shambles and the Vampire mascot is trying to suck our guest's blood because he's gone insane - the money still goes up. Even when rides break down or the park gets overly messy it doesn't cost any money to fix it up. Players can hire staff, but only have to pay for them once. There are no expenditures to keep the park running. Besides physically building things, nothing ever costs money. There's money in the corner of the screen, and all the rides and attractions cost something, but it's never an issue. Whee? Thrillville: Off the Rails is not a sim game. A quick glance gives the feeling of Roller Coaster Tycoon or Theme Park, but that feeling is quickly expelled like a queasy park-goer's stomach contents after riding the Tilt-a-Whirl. Unlike the 3D version of Thrillville on every other system, the DS version is presented in an isometric view, reminiscent of all the great micromanagement classics. It recognizes how silly its premise is and just goes with it. The writing is actually pretty good and there are a handful of funny moments within the game. When the player converses with people, it's all talking heads within the game screen. It's odd that the only cutscenes, simple as they may be, are from the bad guys' perspective. The evil clowns constantly try to think up new ways to take down the park. The only cutscenes are those of the Globo-Joy corporate board room. Do clowns somehow cheapen the carnival games and miniature golf? Or maybe they clash with the funhouse, which already has a giant clown on it? Regardless, they cause mayhem, and the player has to lay the smackdown, by way of minigame challenges and building wicked sweet coasters, but not by throwing pies. Personally we can't see how adding clowns to an amusement park really detracts from the feeling already generated. Globo-Joy, instead of being a shady organization run by a guy named Vernon, is a company run mostly buy clowns.
While it does keep the general theme of putting some random kid in charge of an amusement part, and brings over the antagonist Globo-Joy, that's pretty much the end of the similarities.
Nearly everything about the DS version of Thrillville: Off the Rails is different. Everything good about Thrillville is gone, turning the game from an E-ticket ride, to a kiddie park reject. For this year's sequel Thrillville: Off the Rails, LucasArts entrusted developer DC Studios with the Nintendo DS version, who managed to screw it up completely. For portable fans the PSP version was the only option. Last year's Thrillville was a surprise smash that attracted gamers of all ages.
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