While out in Vegas I got to ride the rides at the top of the Stratosphere tower and the rides are relatively lame, but on top of a skyscraper, they are amazing. Each one sits over 100 stories above the ground and just the thought of them makes most people scared.

First up I tried Big Shot. Big Shot shoots riders up 921 feed to an amazing total of 1,081 feet above the ground. This ride can be seen at many amusement parks across the country but atop the Stratosphere, it’s the tallest thrill ride in the world.

Second I tried X Scream. I didn’t think it’d be that bad, but boy was I wrong. “Shaped like a giant teeter-totter, X Scream is an open vehicle that propels riders head-first, 27 feet over the edge of the Stratosphere Tower and dangles them weightlessly above the Strip before pulling it’s riders back and over again for more!” For some reason, X Scream scared the crap out of me.

Then it was off to Insanity. Insanity The Ride looked the worse of them all. It’s kind of like the swings, only you swing 900+ feet above the ground below. As the ride goes around, the seats angle out and you point down. In the end, this was not that scary and was very fun! A must ride for anyone who likes a good thrill ride!

Thanks to YouTube, you can get a better idea of Insanity with this video:

All three rides are lame by most standards. They don’t go fast and they don’t do a lot. But on top of the Stratosphere Tower in Vegas, over 100 stories in the air, they are amazing, scary and fun all at the same time.

Sadly though, the rollercoaster is gone.

In our Wii downtime, I checked out Thrillville for Xbox (also available in Playstation and PSP). Where it may seem similar to Rollercaoaster Tycoon, it’s much different.

Listing off the objectives and game play of both games, one would think they are quite similar. However, Thrillville is more about mini-games and goals than it is about building the biggest and best amusement park. For example, when you hire a park employee, you have to train them via a mini game. The more training, the better they’ll do. You also have to talk to people and make friends. You can ask them what they’d like to see or talk about sports or animals. You even get the ability to flirt with the ladies.

The rides in Thrillville are cool, but there doesn’t seem to be as many as Rollercoaster Tycoon. And the coasters, well they can’t compare. Or not that I’ve seen anyways. Thrillville’s are mainly smaller and shorter.

Rollercoaster Tycoon is more of the Sim City type of environment where you just try to make things bigger and better. You get lots of options and there is a ton to do. Thrillville is more like the Sims where it’s more about the people, specific goals and minor details.

Thrillville pros:

• Works on a game console. (PS2 or Xbox)
• Mini Games
• You get to run around with first person point of view.
• You can really talk to people.
• Great music from today’s top artists.

Rollercoaster Tycoon pros:

• Lots of rides & stalls.
• Waterparks and Expansion Packs
• More detailed customization. (sidewalks, land, trees, benches)
• More land to develop on.
• Bigger, better and many more coaster designs.

Both are great games, but quite different. It is really hard to explain, but once you play them you’ll find out. Both have their positives and negatives, but in the end, I think Rollercoaster Tycoon is better. Although I’m addicted to Thrillville at the moment.

Here is a quick preview of what’s new:

The main downfall in the game is that it’s a system hog. I couldn’t get the Mac version because my computer is no where near what is needed. My wife’s PC was closer and we found out that the only thing needed was a better video card. So we ran out and go one just so we could play.

The game takes forever to load, but once in you can do just about anything.

The ability to zoom in and out is great as it feels much more realistic. The details are great too as you get to see clothes, ride details and so much more. We even caught two park visitors making out.

We’ve been playing in Sandbox mode as you get to do whatever you want and don’t have any money concerns.

Since we bought the GOLD version, it came with Soaked, the water park addon. Let me tell you, building a pool is fun!! We also built a big water slide but had a heck of a time figuring out how to get people to the top to get on. It seems that instructions aren’t something the creators thought much about. There is a PDF for RCT3 on the CD, but nothing for Soaked.

Oh and the best part of Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 Gold? Ride the rides!! Yep, you can ride about anything and it’s great. However, the more your park is built up, the worse your ride will seem as you’re computer will slow trying to render all those graphics. But it’s still fun!!

All in all it’s a great game. Just beware that it’s a systems hog. Having the minimum requirements will have it running slow at times and even with your PC pimped out, I think you can easily slow your machine.

On January 19th the mall’s indoor amusement part will be called “The Park at MOA” until a new theme is decided upon. The rides will remain open, however a lot of re-branding has to be done as the park is heavily Peanuts themed.

No word on new deals, but Nickoledian or Disney would be great additions I think. However, they’d probably be spendy. What do you think would be a good theme for the park?

Technorati Tags: disney, nickoledian, peanuts, moa, snoopy, Theme

It’s a little tricky on the take off and landing but other than that it’s smooth sailing! We didn’t go to high in the air but enough to see for thirty miles or more. Check out the pictures and you can see the birth and death of a hot air balloon.

Also check out Christi’s post about our hot air balloon experience and the company we went though.

Check out all the pictures here.

I can’t wait. I’ll have that on my Christmas List for sure!