Publisher: Microsoft, www.microsoft.com
Ages: eight and up
Parental Advisory: Strategy game
Over the years, there have been lots of games, perhaps too many, with "Tycoon" in their names. This "tycoon," Zoo Tycoon, challenges you to build successful and profitable animal parks. As a strategic tycoon style game, Zoo Tycoon offers challenging play and mostly succeeds. But if you're burned out on the genre, there's not much that's new here, especially if you've already spent considerable time with the more exciting RollerCoaster Tycoon.
In Zoo Tycoon, you begin with an empty lot and go about building a zoo. Your success depends on several factors: providing good animal care, supplying appropriate habitats for the animals, creating entertaining attractions, obtaining exotic animals, and building and offering good zoo amenities that include gift shops, bathrooms, and food stands. Your success not only depends on attracting customers, but keeping the animals happy.
On the business sides, you charge admission fees, and hire zookeepers, tour guides, and grounds keepers. Here, the game offers options for improving workers' skills, and performing research that lets you buy and build better structures. As in all tycoon games, keeping everything in balance is the key to success. And as you play, you can take on more challenging scenarios that feature time limits and tighter budgets.
The game gives you some 40 animals that include elephants and giraffes, as well as exotic creatures such as white tigers and pandas. "Zoo Tycoon" also features some 175 habitat and zoo-building materials, and terrain options that include sand, forest floors, and waterfalls. I found the game easy to understand and learn, and the interface easy to work with. While the graphics are adequate for this kind of game, there were times that I wished they depicted more detail.
Just as I'm more inclined to choose a visit to an amusement park over a visit to the zoo (okay, call me shallow), I'll take RollerCoaster Tycoon any day over Zoo Tycoon. There's nothing wrong with Zoo Tycoon, but zoos just aren't as exciting as amusement parks. But if you've always wanted to run your own zoo, this may be the nearest thing.
