The look and sound of the game has an authentic amusement park feel. The graphics are cartoon-like, but sharp and colorful. You do have some basic customization options for your main character's appearance, and for either painting or "tricking out" (applying a pre-designed theme) the rides, games, and stalls you build. The animations are pretty smooth, although the camera can be a bit wonky, making it somewhat easy to lose your avatar in a tunnel, or behind a building, or something similar. It's easily correctable with the right-stick, though. Amusement park ambient sounds abound, drawing you into the environment. There's also a rockin' kid-centric soundtrack, adding to the fun atmosphere.
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.