Happy Street – cute Tycoon game with joyful graphics
by Paul Wilks
Sep 10, 2012 11:14 AM –
Install
Happy Street is a cute tycoon game with bouncy graphics, simple controls and immersive gameplay. The game is distinctly different from the wash of tycoon titles we see in the Google Play Store- it doesn’t have an aerial 3D view and more menus than street full of restaurants. It doesn’t demand money from you within 5 minutes of playing and features genuinely great graphics. So, what’s going on??
Price: Free
Tested on: HTC One X
Content Rating: Low Maturity
Pros & Cons:
Pros
- Impressive cartoonish graphics!
- Easy to play!
- Lots to do- very interactive!
- Very responsive developers!
Cons
- Little bit of a battery hog.
Features:
Happy Street is a game with a decidedly innovative feel- if that’s even possible in the burgeoning tycoon-game market. It feels different, looks different, and gameplay isn’t the wholly casual waiting-for-items-to-restock style we are so familiar with. Instead there’s is always loads to do, things to collect, trees to grow, people to help and even fiestas to have. It’s really a game you can play as little or as much as you like, which considering so many such games come to a standstill after a short amount of play and demand in-app purchases, is a truly brilliant thing.
The graphics are cutesy, in fact you probably can’t get cuter if you tried. However, these do create a very friendly atmosphere as you build a street of cheery individuals, homes, shops and more. Essentially everything is in 2D, so your structures create a long street rather than a 3D town. You gradually expand outwards to the left or right. You build things with wood, and there’s a cool portal through to a forest where you can chop down trees and plant more on a regular basis. You also need coins and these are collected from local shops and citizens if you help them out. In typically tycoon fashion, you need to keep items stocked as you go along.
As is common with games like Happy Street, you progress through different levels and, as you do so, new items are available for your to build. There are ongoing tasks for you to complete, given by various members of your community. These typically help grow the street, generate money, act as a form of tutorial and help you discover new game elements as they are released to you. Also another familiar feature is the inclusion of two forms of currency; you have coins which are continually collected and ‘Flooz’ (the tricky-to-accumulate-and-most-powerful) currency. You can, of course, buy currency via in-app purchases, but there’s always so much to do, it’s not like gameplay comes to a standstill very often.
Watch on Mobile
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Happy Street – Typical street view
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Happy Street – Small beginnings
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Happy Street – Busy street view
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Happy Street – Buses visit and bring customers
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Happy Street – New neighbours
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Happy Street – Fiesta
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Happy Street – Daily mini games
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Happy Street – Play pranks
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Happy Street – Take photos and share
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Happy Street – Intro
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Happy Street – Tutorial and help
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Happy Street – Missions
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Happy Street – Various speech bubbles represent intractions
Fun Factor:
I think because there’s always so much to do, the game is lots of fun. You often need to help people and when you do a ‘Love’ meter builds up. When full you get to have a Fiesta where everyone goes shopping-crazy and buys up loads of stock! Some people want to select gifts for their birthday so you can choose new clothing items for them to wear, there are loads of additional tasks like stopping cyclists as they ride by and getting them to spend money in your street.
There are also pranks to play, cooking to be done in the forest, people who need directions and fruit to collect. Therefore it’s a game you can just play and play and play- with very little let up. So whether it is a game you want to play on a casual basis or for longer periods at a time, the game works brilliantly.
Addictive:
Yes, definitely. I can appreciate a good tycoon game, even though they are not perhaps my favourite genre. I can certainly spot good ones and bad ones. Happy Street however is excellent, very addictive and hard to put down.
Graphics:
The graphics, while 2D are just excellent. They are bubbly, vibrant and bouncy throughout.
Accelerometer, Vibration & Sound:
The sound effects are equally superb. There are loads throughout, from music and background noises to special Fiesta sounds and more. It adds a distinct richness to gameplay and works really well.