Pros: Lots of possibilities, realistic animal movement and activity, very complex game
Cons: Images could be a little sharper
The bottom line: Almost as good as going to the zoo!
Because I need one more distraction from studying, I recently picked up Zoo Tycoon: Complete Collection for my laptop. This Microsoft game includes the basic Zoo Tycoon game as well as the Marine Mania and Dinosaur expansion packs. I’ve spent two weeks ridiculously addicted to this game so I’m ready to share my impressions.

Installation and Getting Started
This CD set is relatively user-friendly. It can be easily installed by inserting the two CD’s one after the other. The program walked me through installation and I was able to start playing within ten minutes. Users are required to go through a quick tutorial before starting game play, which I was glad I did once I started playing. The instruction booklet is helpful with understanding the basics. There are many complexities which can be added to this game once a player starts to understand the basics. A word document is included in the program folder and Zoo Tycoon also has a helpful website with playing tips, cheat codes, etc.

The Animals
Zoo Tycoon provides plenty of fun to occupy me for hours and hours. The main purpose of the game involves selecting and creating exhibition areas for a variety of animals. As your zoo develops, more and more animals become available for adoption. Because I have this expanded version of Zoo Tycoon, there are quite a lot of options. Basic zoo animals include zebras, lions, elephants, gorillas, and pandas. Marine animals rage from schools of fish to sharks, whales, and performing seals. Dinosaurs are especially challenging and include both harmless plant eaters and dangerous carnivores.

In order to care for these animals, it is essential to learn a little bit about their natural environment. This is the educational aspect of the game. By reading the information given for each animal, players can see what types of plants, terrain, and toys each animal enjoys. Some animals can be grouped together, such as the savannah mammals of Africa. Others require a solitary environment, such as the rhino. Marine mammals must live in tanks, but many land mammals require significant percentages of water in their tanks as well. Animals will let you know if they are happy or not, and a zoo with happy animals will be much more productive.

Other Zoo Facilities
A great zoo requires more than just animals, so Zoo Tycoon offers plenty of building, scenery, and landscaping options. Adding restaurants, snack stands, and games will keep guests happy and bring in revenue for the zoo. As with animals, more options become available as the game progresses. One of the most enjoyable parts of the game for me has been creating shows for the marine animals. This feature includes creating a tank, schedule for tricks, and a grandstand.

(From my experience, the most important landscaping items to include are benches. Scatter them liberally around the zoo, because tired guests become cranky and don’t like anything else you do.)

What I Like
I have a lot of praise for this game. There is a ton going on all over the screen. Happy animals will do somersaults, play with toys, and snuggle with each other. Angry animals will stomp around their cages. Each zoo guest has his or her own personality and thought process. I really just love the complexity of the game and it is clear that a lot of work went into creating a realistic zoo simulation taking into account many factors. There are lots of fun ‘easter eggs’ to be discovered too. Online I learned that placing a lion, tiger, and bear in the same cage would unlock a special ‘yellow brick road’ path pattern. I doubt the game will get old any time soon either. After playing for two weeks I have filled only a quarter of the land space on one of the large zoo land maps.

Another nice feature of the game is the inclusion of a series of scenario challenges. There are some specifically for each of the three parts of the game – zoo, marine, and dinosaur. Completing the easy scenarios unlocks more difficult ones. The simple one I did most recently required creating suitable environments for three chosen animals. More difficult ones deal with panda breeding or other exotic animals. Even if I get tired of creating zoos from scratch, there are dozens of scenarios which should last me a very long time.

Finally, I like the emphasis on animals and conservation programs. I’ve learned some new facts about animals and I think this game could be a good tool for kids to learn while having a great time. You’ll learn pretty quickly, at the very least, that certain animals do NOT mix together! My husband likes me to put all the animals in one cage together to see what happens.

What I Don’t Like
I have just a couple minor complaints. The visuals aren’t quite as crisp as I would like. This may be in part because you can’t zoom in past a certain point like in the Sims or other simulation games. Additionally, sometimes the program slows down a little bit when there is a lot of action going on. Finally, the dinosaur expansion pack doesn’t have a lot of interest for me because they just aren’t as attractive as the beautiful and cuddly looking zoo and marine mammals. Dinosaur buffs might get a big kick out of them, however.

Overall…
This is a pretty great game. The possibilities for game play are practically endless and I can’t imagine ever beating all the scenarios. In addition, the game is fun, entertaining and reasonably educational. I recommend Zoo Tycoon: Complete Collection to any animal lover or zoo buff like myself, or anyone who just enjoys a good simulation game.