You could loosely label Thrillville Off the Rails a "Theme Park Tycoon" type game in that it's got all the trappings of a "management simulator." That is, lots of pointing and clicking and menu surfing to build or repair or activate or administer a plethora of issues associated with running a fantastical theme park (as opposed to a real theme park, which never has you worrying about the state of the self-deploying, post rocket-launch parachutes).

As a management simulation, however, there's not a lot of technical depth and it's notably lacking in graphical splendor, shy on the visual minutia usually associate with such games. Such visual austerity befits the PlayStation2 and Wii versions of the game with their standard definition limitations, but it's something of a waste of the Xbox 360's 1080p mojo. However, where Thrillville skimps on technical niceties, it more than makes up for in gameplay wealth. Within its whimsical, cartoony, family-friendly presentation, there's really a lot to do, most of it fun -- some of it tedious in the micro-managerial way of things, but all of it conducive to the overall, world-is-your-playground motif. It's not really a game, but a treasure trove of little games and activities with a single, underlying theme park theme.

Among other thing, you play an active, interactive role within your theme park, Thrillville (several to choose from, actually), in that you choose a character, a young teen or 'tween, then, as him or her, you wander around, taking stock of the state of your park, its cleanliness and the reliability and profitability of the various attractions and what not, eavesdropping on or even talking with any guest you happen to bump into, engaging in an awkward (verging on perverse, especially if you're an adult playing as a kid talking to another kid... creeeeee-peeeee...) but effective, multiple choice conversations that will net you the gist of public perception as well as make you some grass roots friends that help keep your park hip and cheery.

You train your staff -- mechanics, janitors and cheerleaders -- by way of "Simon Says" or "Monkey See, Monkey Do" mini-games or activities, like matching button taps in a syncopated musical ordeal a la Dance Dance Revolution (minus the floor mat).

One of the more involved -- and ultimately more rewarding -- features of Thrillville Off the rails is the coaster building bit, where the veracity of physics plays only a small role but hurl-inducing ludicrousness is a mainstay. While the game is essentially the same on each console, the Wii version is the better coaster builder thanks to the entirely intuitive interface of the Wii-mote allowing for gesture based placement of curves, dips and loops.

You can also ride your park's rides or visit the midway booths, which is probably the most fun as those usually activate a cartoony mini-game. While riding a 'coaster (stock or custom built) is just a passive, visual affair, it is Thrillville's mini-games that'll keep you coming back. The side-scrolling, 2D game of Stuntrider, for example, is deceptively simple but thoroughly addictive -- and non-stop funny, too, as you control a ragdoll-ish dude navigating impossibly sloped and bumpy terrain with just a throttle and fore and back balance control to pop wheelies, pull mid-air 360s and land it helmet-side-up else you crash spectacularly but playfully, harmlessly.

There's also the likes Robo K.O., a robot boxing game and a dead ringer (ha ha) for Tyko's old Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots toy from the 60's, plus billiards, dune buggies... you name it, there's something for everyone. In fact, there are some 30 mini-games in all (50 in the PC version), racing games, flying games, shooters, puzzles and such, some original, some genuine emulations of age old classics and some decent knock-offs of age old classics. Collectively, they are probably Thrillville's most redeeming feature, much like Nintendo's Wii Play or similar "casual" game bundles, only more so because there's more of them (30 is a lot).

What's more, you can jump to the mini-games from the get-go and skip the management and coaster building portions of the game altogether. For instant action for up to 4 players, the Wii version of Thrilleville often boasts the most intuitive control, especially with the target shooting mini-games, but sometimes completely befuddles the whole point of motion sensitivity by trying to place the standard control conventions of the PS2, and 360 versions into that goofy Wii-mote and Nunchuk set up, so you're constantly juggling your hand positioning.

As for the PC version of Thrillville Off the Rails, well, it's got at least one glitch that makes it prone to crashing. Plus, as a multiplayer party game, it assumes you have one or three extras controllers hooked up and that everyone enjoys hunkering around the monitor for some "family time." Yeah, right. Still, Off the Rails' management sim and coaster building modes are more at home on PC (so are the troubleshooting and software patching shenanigans), making it the better single player game, as does its relatively low price.

All told, Thrilleville's developer, LucasArts, could have just as easily sold the mini-game bundle as a title unto itself; it's certainly overstuffed and good enough for a stand alone bundle, and it has long-lasting, family appeal coming out the whazoo.

The fact that there's also a ton of other stuff to do is a bang-for-your-buck bonus; finicky, nit-picky, pernickety play that is going to greatly appeal to some gamers of the Tycoon persuasion, while the rest of it will easily, casually, appeal to all.

TIP: When engaging in a conversation with a guest in Thrillville Off the Rails, just mash on the A button or otherwise select the top question or response from the multiple choice menu (rather than trying to guess what the guest might want to hear) and you'll eventually net a best friend (usually).