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November 7th, 2006, 07:31 Posted By: wraggster
Via Worthplaying
If you're a theme-park game equipped with intuitive, console-friendly building features as well as a fully integrated social mechanic, do you really need anything else? If you're Thrillville, the answer is simple: "Yes. Definitely." In order to further bring home the eclectic theme-park experience, LucasArts and Frontier Developments have loaded up their November 21 release for PS2, PSP and Xbox with more than 20 diverse minigames not unlike those you might find along the midway at your local amusement park.
"We wanted to re-create the feeling of the theme park, where there is just so much different stuff to do," says David Walsh, Managing Director at developer Frontier. "In addition to the building, riding and socialization aspects of the game, the way to achieve that was to pack in tons of different gameplay via minigames. Further, we made sure that the whole thing hangs together really well - so there's always a reason for you to play that links back to the main game."
Though they can be accessed completely outside of the core game via Party Play mode - an excellent feature for those wanting to challenge up to three friends - mastering certain minigames plays an important part in single-player Career mode. "In order to gain your Uncle Mortimer's confidence and gain access to his other parks, you'll need to complete a certain amount of tasks, such as besting a challenger at certain minigames," explains Dave Cerra, associate producer at LucasArts. "For example, a kid named Tim Twinklefingers may start talking smack and challenge you to beat his score in a quirky, Japanese-inspired 2D platformer called Sparkle Island. If you're good enough, you'll take the next step toward advancing to the next park; if you're not, you might have to find another way."
From first-person and 2D shooters to arcade-style racers and action/adventure experiences - even playable miniature golf and go-kart racing on courses that you can design yourself - Thrillville's unique mix of minigames alone is enough to entertain any gamer for hours. But which individual games rise above the rest? Frontier posed the question to those who know it best - the dedicated testers in its
quality-assurance department - to the following results:
Luftwaffe 109
"I like Luftwaffe 109 because the graphics look great," says Stephen Tuffery. "You really feel like you are in WWII behind enemies' lines, flying high up in the air in your very own airplane. The background changes from day to night, making the action more intense. There are four airplanes to choose from, each with its own different style, that can dogfight, drop bombs and fire different weapons. The end bosses are very impressive (especially the enormous zeppelin airship), and you can play up to four players."
Auto Sprint
"Anyone who doesn't like Auto Sprint as much as I do most likely isn't any good!" boasts Adrian Fife. "I'm now able to maneuver the vehicle with near-perfect accuracy, taking perfectly timed corners in order to cut inside my opponent's vehicle, as well as break my opponents down while observing their heads drop, one by one, as I constantly make new time-slicing, fastest-lap, hall-of-fame history!...Whew!"
"I've always loved top-down racers such as this," adds Simon Brace. "They take me back to when I was a kid and used to go and play a game just like this in the cafe just down the road. I think that's what's great about all of our minigames: For younger players, they're just fun side games, but for the older players they'll bring back memories of playing on arcade machines in their childhood. Ahhh...happy days!"
Sparkle Island
"Sparkle Island battle can be a pretty cool minigame in Party Play mode," says Pete Gent. "We've had some pretty intense battles leaping around like ninjas trying to steal the last few [little chick-like things that you collect called] Feeyos from each other. The 30 levels for cooperative mode also make it one of the more challenging minigames available to the player in Thrillville."
Event Horizon
"My favorite is our side-scrolling shooter Event Horizon on hard - what a challenge!" enthuses Michael Brookes, Frontier's QA manager. "This is the one minigame that kept the testers trying time and time again to complete it. It reminded me fondly of the horizontal shooters I played in my younger days. The varying weapon types add a strategic element to the game, each weapon type being better in different circumstances than others. And as for the second-level boss - just watch out for the lasers!"
Mini Golf
"If you thought Mini Golf was fun, wait until you play TIMED Mini Golf!" says Michael Michael. "You must perform skillful putting shots under the pressure of a countdown, so make sure you complete the course before the timer reaches zero. Better yet, in co-op mode, every successful putt you make adds extra valuable seconds onto your teammate's timer. Whether you fail or succeed depends on the performance of your teammate (and vice versa), so concentrate, and don't let the timer put you off. Breathe, relax, don't panic...you have plenty of time to make the shot."
Saucer Sumo
"Saucer Sumo is my favorite minigame within Thrillville because it is very simplistic to pick up but will take an age to master," says Stuart Fraser. "It is a simple concept - bash or be bashed out of the ring - and collecting power-ups improves your chances of defeating your opponents. The real art is to know when to dodge an attack as you see your friends go flying off, pulling yourself back onto the ring with a well-timed boost and knowing when to hang around for power-ups."
"There are minigames, and then there is Saucer Sumo," agrees Cerra. "This deceptively simple game is has swept up the testing team here at LucasArts. Reputations live and die based on Saucer Sumo. People enter the test lab with controllers in hand and leave with tails between legs. Don't miss the power-ups or you're toast."
An entire list of minigames follows:
RC Wars Smash, bash, destroy and conquer in remote-control CARnage!
Saucer Sumo Front up and shove until you're the last one standing in this frantic mechanized sumo-fest.
Shooting Galleries: Ghoul Gunner, Star Sniper, Prospector Stakeout and Blackbeard's Booty. Use your supernatural combo skills, alien accuracy, gunslinger reflexes and piratical cunning, respectively, in these shooting galleries with a pick-up-assisted twist.
Luftwaffe Air War Win the battle for air superiority in this awesome WWII arcade vertical-scrolling shoot-'em-up.
Event Horizon The amazing side-scrolling arcade space shooter is an alien fragfest with weapons galore.
Sparkle Island Jump! Shoot! Rescue and protect the Feeyos from Uasgi-san's Mekagoo in this enthralling 2D platformer.
Auto Sprint Burn rubber in some motorsport arcade mayhem as you race for the finish line.
Trojan Quest Hack, slash and strategize through this top-down arcade battler.
Mini Golf Test your miniature-golf strokeplay on the ramps, jumps, obstacles and windmills of courses YOU design.
Shootzones: The Haunting, Robot Invasion, Wild Frontier and Pirate Raiders. These four differently themed first-person shooters invite you to fight everything from ghouls and aliens to outlaws and pirates.
Bumper Cars It's "bump or be bumped" in Thrillville's ramjet-assisted take on this classic fairground attraction.
Saucer Soccer Show your soccer skills in Thrillville's frantic flying-saucer version of the world's most popular game.
Trampolines: Spooky, Sci-Fi, Wild West and Adventure
Four unique trampoline settings require you to perform sick tricks and combos to secure the high score.
Race Tracks: Go-Karts, Formula Thrillville, Monster Trucks, Dune Buggies and AntiGrav Racer Design race tracks for five differently themed vehicles: go-karts, high-performance cars, monster trucks, dune buggies and futuristic cars, respectively.
Entertainer Strut your funky stuff and hit the beat to pump up the Thrillville crowds.
Groundskeeper A frenetic race against the clock to BlowVac Thrillville clear of gunk.
Mechanic Link up the circuit boards, beat the clock, and keep Thrillville running smoothly.
Screens Via Comments
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