Theme Park World PS2

Based on the PC title of the same name, the aim of the game is to build your dream park and keep it running, dealing with the day-to-day trials and tribulations of keeping the rides working and the punters happy. Strategy is all important here--place your burger stand too close to a rollercoaster entrance and the riders will stagger off the attraction and become "unwell" all over the floor. Too much salt on your chips and not enough fizzy pop results in parched visitors who vote with their feet and don't come back--this is not a game for those who like action fast and furious and pick up a game for a quick five minutes now and again.

The user interface is a joy to use, making Theme Park World easy to play; in tutorial mode an interesting park advisor pops up to give tips on what needs to happen, where and when. But it's in the rollercoaster design phase that things get interesting. Lay out the track for your ride in full 3D, then alter it in differing ways to produce a killer ride--corners can be banked, straights raised and lowered and sections can be added and removed to create the kind of white knuckle ride Walt and Mickey would be proud of, then, using the game's first-person mode check it out from the front seat for that impression of being there.

Successful park management results in golden tickets being awarded. Collect enough tickets and the player can progress to bigger and more challenging themed parks, each of which presents its own unique challenge.

The long-term attraction of this game is doubtful, and only significant playing will reveal whether the whole procedure will become a little samey, but for a break from the traditional arcade-style fare usually associated with the consoles, Theme Park World holds bags of promise and is a worthwhile investment for the more thoughtful PS2 owner.