Thrillville jumping tracks in October

Taking a few corkscrews, loop-the-loops, and vomit spills out of its sim-heavy Roller Coaster Tycoon series, Frontier Development scored a mostly unexpected hit last year with its kid-friendly theme park management game Thrillville. Hoping to duplicate that success, LucasArts announced construction was well under way on Thrillville's follow-up, Thrillville: Off the Rails.

Management sims are all about starting small with a mind toward building bigger to attract more crowds. Taking a page out of its own gameplay principals, Frontier has expanded its operations to include the Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and PC, though Microsoft's aging teacup console, the original Xbox, was left off the list. Off the Rails will feature 20 rides, a story mode that includes more than 100 missions, and 34 multiplayer minigames. Slated to arrive this October, Off the Rails has not yet been rated or priced.

LucasArts also sends along word today that the original Thrillville has been added to Sony's Greatest Hits games for the PS2 and PSP, as well as Microsoft's Platinum Family Hits line on the Xbox, and will now retail for $19.99. Thrillville is rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older.