Another new idea is presented in the form of Golden Tickets. Each island has a set of challenges (for example, attract 100 people into your park), and completing a challenge wins a ticket. Tickets can then be used to buy access to new islands or unlock special features. Obviously, as you progress further into the game, the challenges become more difficult.

Games like this aren't released on PlayStation every day. The big problem with taking a PC strategy title like Theme Park World and converting it (which, incidentally, is what Bullfrog have done) is the interface. Luckily for us, the developers have compensated for the differences between a PlayStation controller and a mouse. The result is a very smooth interface, which, once you've got through the initial learning curve, feels completely intuitive.

Theme Park World is everything we hoped it would be. Technically, the game is excellent and managing the events in each park is an addictive and involving challenge. It progresses at a well balanced pace and is a welcome break from the usual PlayStation fare.

That's not to say there isn't room for improvement. Although there's a helpful on-screen assistant and a Practice mode, we still found ourselves reaching for the manual on several occasions. A little more handholding at the start and a stricter tutorial wouldn't have gone amiss. There's also little in the game that hasn't been seen before.