Thrillville: Off the Rails

Cheat Code Central (4.1 out of 5)

Sure it's a family-oriented game, but it was so fun that its kid-friendly nature did not hinder it in the slightest from being fun for gamers of all ages. And any comparison between this game and the classic Roller Coaster Tycoon are unfair because the games have completely different focuses.

GameZone (8.2 out of 10)

Charming and loads of fun, Thrillville: Off the Rails is a truly enjoyable gem that is a slight improvement over the original.

G4 TV: X-Play ( )

One of the few ideal family games on the 360, Thrillville: Off the Rails is an impressive feat. The variety of fun mini-games mixed with an excellent roller coaster creation tool, and a surprisingly fun and light theme-park sim all add up to a good casual gamer romp.

IGN (7.9 out of 10)

The 360 version is definitely our favorite and feels the most refined. It not only runs just about as well as the PC version, but it has the party game element that the PC lacks. Give it a shot. Go ride a rollercoaster.

4Players.de (78 out of 100)

Was an Thrillville so gelungen ist? Dass ich nicht nur im Rekordtempo Achterbahnen oder Buggystrecken entwerfe und den Besuchern so den Magen umdrehe, sondern mich auch nach Lust und Laune in meinem eigenen Spaßparadies austoben darf. Es ist einfach toll, ein Minispiel nach dem anderen zu zocken, Gäste anzuquatschen, sich teuflisch über lange Schlangen an überteuerten Fahrgeschäften zu freuen, neue Baupläne einzusammeln, Personal zu trainieren und ein bisschen am Finanzierungsplan zu schrauben. Leider kann nichts davon länger als die kurze Sitzung zwischen Feierabend und Kinobesuch an den Bildschirm fesseln - dafür fehlt es jedem einzelnen Aspekt an Tiefgang. Frontier hätte auch dran denken müssen, wie man Managernaturen und Spieler mit geschickten Fingern für die Minispiele bei der Stange hält. Ganz abgesehen davon, dass die Wiederaufbereitung der ursprünglich für PS2 entworfenen Kulisse dem PC- und 360-Bild nicht gerecht wird.

GameSpot (7.5 out of 10)

You can spend hours building your park, or you can just play minigames; you can play alone, have someone play the role of advisor, or get a group of people together and play the minigames like a party game. It's how everything comes together that makes Thrillville: Off the Rails such a good overall experience and one that truly is "fun for the whole family."

GamePro (US) (3.75 out of 5)

The game's youngster charm ultimately ends up as its greatest strength and weakness. Off the Rails does a great job in appealing to a younger crowd, which is encouraging for those looking for a good holiday gift; however, its cheesy style is lost on anyone over the age of 12.

Jolt (UK) (7.5 out of 10)

Thrillville: Off the Rails is aimed squarely at mid-teens and under, which is no bad thing. The management side can be toyed around with, but it otherwise practically runs itself while you’re off planting rides, indulging in mini-games and trying to turn teenaged guests into your love slaves. This makes it particularly perfect for the modern gamer mildly afflicted by ADHD – you know who you are because you just skipped the whole review to read this paragraph and look at the score.

XBox Front (74 out of 100)

Alles in allem ist mit Thrillville - Verrückte Achterbahn ein familienfreundlicher Titel auf den Videospielmarkt gekommen. Die doch anfangs sehr komplex wirkende Steuerung kann schnell erlernt werden und bietet Spielspaß für jedermann. Wer nun eine echte Simulation erwartet hat, sollte den Kauf vermeiden. Für alle, die einfach nur etwas Spaß haben wollen, bietet das Spiel mit den vielen Minispielen die perfekte Abwechslung zu den bereits bekannten Genres für die Xbox 360.

360 LIVE (7.3 out of 10)

(...) Endlich mal wieder ein Game, das jung und alt gut unterhält. Wenn jetzt noch etwas mehr Spieltiefe dahinter steckte...

Game Informer Magazine (7.25 out of 10)

Regardless, there's a ton of game here, and most of it is worthy of your time (just don't pass on doing your English homework to play it).

Gamer 2.0 (7.2 out of 10)

For what its worth, Thrillville does a fine job of offering more amusement park managing fun while also adhering to the kid in everyone. The new customization options and managing modes give players tons of ways to create their park, while the mini games and rides offer hours of endless play time, both online and off. It’s still a little too kiddy for its own good, but if you are a fan of the series you will no doubt have a great time.

PAL Gaming Network (PALGN) (7 out of 10)

If you’ve played the original Thrillville, there isn’t a lot that’s new in Off the Rails. There are some new mini-games, a few customisation options and more over the top missions but otherwise, it’s just an expansion. Newcomers can be assured though, Off the Rails is a fun experience.

GameSpy ( )

No one ever said that games needed to be deep to be fun, though, and that's the case with Off the Rails. If you can put up with some repetition and the simplicity of the management system, you'll enjoy yourself. Most of the mini-games are quite a bit of fun, too, and they make for some good multiplayer sessions. So gather up the family and take a trip to Thrillville. It'll be cheaper than going to a real amusement park.

Game Informer Magazine (7 out of 10)

Like last year’s Thrillville, Off the Rails, requires some research on the part of the player to discover which things are fun (designing faulty rides) and which are a waste of time (talking to guests). Unfortunately, even the content that survives the cull isn’t enough to make the whole experience more than a diversion.

Jeuxvideo.com (14 out of 20)

Déclarons-le d'emblée, ce nouveau Thrillville fait figure de petite mise à jour de son prédécesseur. Le jeu n'apporte effectivement rien de vraiment nouveau à la formule, mais délivre néanmoins une très bonne expérience. On aura surtout plaisir à pratiquer les nombreux mini-jeux avec des amis, le temps de quelques parties. Mais les possesseurs du précédent volet ainsi que les amateurs de gestion pure et dure feraient sans doute mieux de passer leur chemin.

TeamXbox (7 out of 10)

At the end of the day, when the sun sets and the crowds have all moved on back to their homes, Thrillville: Off the Rails winds up giving gamers more of what made the first game such a hit. With the exception of a couple of extras here and there, this game is basically just more of the same. Of course, that’s not always a bad thing, and in the case of Thrillville, adding Off the Railsto your collection is like adding a brand-new Disneyland to your Walt Disney World.

Games TM (7 out of 10)

In fairness, many of the mini-games don't reveal their true quality until experienced in multiplayer, but this is clearly the way that Off The Rails is supposed to be played. Granted, the concept is better than the execution, but that doesn't stop this being a good game that provides more than enough choice to justify its price tag. We would have preferred a few less concessions made to younger players, but then those elements can be avoided without too much damage to your overall enjoyment then the impact of such a problem is significantly dulled.

Game Revolution (B-)

In the end, Thrillville: Off the Rails is a great kids game that adults can enjoy playing with their kids, though they're unlikely to touch it after the little darlin's are put to bed. Despite some obvious faults, kids will love managing the parks and dealing with the wacky situations that they must solve. This is a family game that even the most die-hard antigame activist could not possibly have a problem with, and is a great addition to your video game library if you have young ones about.

Game Shark (B-)

Although there is a lot to do in Thrillville, it is really designed for the pre-teen crowd. It's pretty easy to successfully manage a park, the missions aren't challenging, the carnival games and arcade games are simplistic, and the options for building rides and coasters are limited. Roller Coaster Tycoon this is not. That said, for kids, or as a game for family play, Thrillville definitely provides enough excitement and innocent fun to warrant a purchase or a weekend rental.

Gamesmania.de (61 out of 100)

Thrillville mag sich nicht so recht entscheiden, ob es nun eine Aufbauwirtschaftssimulation oder lediglich eine Minispielsammlung sein möchte. Leider legt das Spiel den Fokus letztlich zu stark auf die absolut langweiligen und anspruchslosen Minispiele, die auch im Partymodus zu viert nicht mehr Spaß machen. Betrachtet man allein den Aufbaupart hätte Thrillville durchaus ein ansprechendes Freizeitparkaufbauspiel werden können. Auch wenn man gegenüber dem PC-Spiel Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 natürlich in allen Bereichen Einschränkungen auf der Konsole hinnehmen muss merkt man doch, dass dieselben Entwickler für beide Spiele verantwortlich waren. Eine Empfehlung gibt es für Thrillville dennoch nicht - wer sich wirklich für Aufbausimulationen interessiert, kommt um das Spielen am PC nicht herum.

GamesRadar (6 out of 10)

In other words, like the rest of the game, it's perfect for children, for whom things don't have to "be integrated" or "logical". A series of semi-amusing, unconnected activities: sounds a lot like a sandbox, which, once you graduate middle school, loses its charm unless you can bring your gat.

Game Tap (6 out of 10)

In the end, Off the Rails is a solid collection of minigames and a decent coaster creator, a nice party experience for the family. It's a shame the management system wasn't beefed up a bit more--even the little kids could benefit from creating their own theme parks from scratch. If you don't already own Fuzion Frenzy 2 or Rayman Raving Rabids, then you may want to give Off the Rails a spin.

Consoles Plus (7 out of 20)

Pour briser l'ennui vous pouvez faire un tour dans vos manèges et participer à des épreuves du niveau des jeux en flash disponibles gratuitement sur le Net. On attendait davantage d'un titre vendu plus de 60 euros.