Happy Park Review

Happy Park is a Rollercoaster Tycoon-style game for iOS that lets players build and operate their very own amusement park.

The game is set up just like the popular Rollercoaster Tycoon series. Gamers are in charge of operating their own theme park and responsible for everything from building attractions to hiring employees to decorating the landscape to marketing their park. And despite the fact that this title exists on a mobile platform, the experience is actually quite comprehensive. Players can choose to build a wide arrangement of attractions, including rollercoasters, water rides, kid's rides and more. Futhermore, there are just as many options when it comes to everything else about park design. For example, there are a number of restaurants to choose from, mascots to hire and scenic options to explore.

At the heart of any amusement park are its rides, and Happy Park is no different. But much of what makes the game entertaining has very little to do with the actual rides themselves. Like other sim-type games, this is an experience that is about managing a creation. Yes, the game is designed around building and expanding upon exciting rides for park guests. But the majority of the time, gamers will spend their time managing their park. For instance, the game lets players gradually upgrade their park's attractions over time using the Super Upgrade feature, which will increase how many visitors can ride and how much money the attraction generates. But these upgrades are costly, as are many of the other improvements that can be made within the park. Gamers will have to be careful about which rides they invest in and when they do so, otherwise they may find themselves without the money to invest in other attractions.

Happy Park is a mostly intuitive, enjoyable experience thanks to the well-designed and easy-to-use interface. Getting a good view of the park and panning in, out and around it is made incredibly effortless because of the game's touch controls. Gamers swipe the screen to move the camera where they want it and can zoom in and out by pinching the screen. It all works quite well, despite some framerate lag here and there.

Considering that Happy Park is a free download, it's difficult not to be impressed. This is a well-designed, fun amusement park sim for iOS.

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