Feeding Time At The Zoo (Zoo Tycoon (PC))

Member Name: t4mof

Product:	Zoo Tycoon (PC)
Date:	13/11/04 (924 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great graphics and sounds, You start thinking you're really at a zoo...or is that just me?

Disadvantages: It's impossible to keep all animals and guests completely happy, Very addictive which usually means late nights

I’m not a big computer games player. I enjoy the odd season of Championship Manager but find that generally games get too addictive and take up way too much of my time. This was confirmed when Paul came to bed very late one night and when I asked what he had been doing for so long, the only response I got was “Zoo Tycoon”. It turns out he had loaded the game onto our computer and then couldn’t tear himself away. So, of course, I had to find out what the big deal was.

Well, not surprisingly, Zoo Tycoon encourages you to become a tycoon in the zoo world. To do this you have to build a zoo that looks after its animals, pleases its guests and makes money. It is fairly simple to get the hang of and the tutorials that are included in the game are very useful for getting the basics right. Tutorial 1 teaches the basic game controls such as zooming in and out of your zoo, rotating your view, undoing the previous action and clearing any unwanted items. Tutorial 2 takes you through basic gameplay. This includes learning how to build exhibits, adopt animals, hire staff, build paths and satisfy your guests needs. Tutorial 3 focuses on making and keeping your animals happy and teaches you how to choose the correct terrain and foliage, how to gauge animal likes and dislikes, how to understand the suitability rating of an exhibit and how to follow the zookeepers recommendations. I found the tutorials useful and good preparation for the game.

There are two types of game – Freeform and Scenario. In the freeform game, you get to choose from a long list of types of zoo from the basic grass map to hostile rocky landscapes. There are 12 small maps, 9 medium maps and 7 large ones. You can choose the difficulty by changing the amount of money you start with. $10,000 - $20,000 is Hard, $25,000 – 100,000 is Intermediate and $105,000 - $500,000 is Easy. These levels are the same whatever size of zoo you opt for.

The Scenario games are more structured and listed in order of difficulty. There are four beginner zoos you have to complete to unlock the more difficult ones and as you complete these, more zoos unlock. Altogether there are 15 scenario games at four different levels – beginner, intermediate, advanced and very advanced. Just to give you an idea of the difficulty levels, the first scenario gives you 3 exhibits already constructed that need animals in them. You then have to create a further 3 exhibits and achieve a certain degree of suitability and guest happiness. You have six months in which to complete the task. The last, very advanced scenario asks you to breed an endangered Giant Panda. But as well as doing this, you must construct 15 exhibits all with a very high suitability rating to attract the attentions of the Chinese Government and your guests must also be happy. You have 36 months to achieve these requirements. At any point in a Scenario game you can check on what is expected of you and it is clear which requests you have accomplished. At the end of the allotted time for the scenario, it lets you know if you have been successful and also gives you the option of continuing to build the zoo.

For my first zoo building attempt I decided to play a Freeform game and chose the small basic grass setting. The land is flat so it is easier to build exhibits and it looks like the kind of place you could make into a nice zoo. I started with the default $75,000.

So I chose my first piece of fencing and built my first exhibit. I find it easier to put up the fencing, adopt my animal and then get the suitability correct. This may not be the way you are supposed to play the game but once the animal is in its enclosure, the zookeeper will let you know what needs to be done to improve the living conditions. For each animal you must find the correct terrain, foliage, rocks and shelters including how much of each it requires. This may seem easy enough but these animals are fussy creatures and placing just one extra patch of Savannah grass than is necessary will send their happiness rating plummeting.

Through playing the game, I have found that certain animals are easier to please then others. For example, I usually start with a Grizzly Bear. They enjoy solitary living and one is cheaper to buy than a herd, and they are fairly easy to keep happy once their enclosure is to their satisfaction, enabling you to go on and build your next attraction. Reindeer, lowland gorillas and chimps are extremely hard to please.

Once the exhibit is complete, you should hire a zookeeper to attend to the animals needs. They don’t last very long before getting hungry and the zookeeper will make sure they have food, keep the enclosure clean and hygienic and heal any animals that get sick. I usually employ one zookeeper for every two exhibits.

Before you know it, guests are pouring into your zoo and of course they need looking after too. It is now time to build hot dog, burger and drinks stands, give them picnic tables and benches to rest on and remember the toilets. Guests can become angry very quickly if they are not catered for. And don’t forget to hire Maintenance Workers who keep the zoo clean, the bins emptied and the fences fixed.

As the game progresses more items become available for your zoo. This includes a wider variety of animals and better facilities for your customers such as restaurants and gift shops.

Putting money into research and conservation reaps its rewards. Endangered animals become available for adoption and if you can get them to breed, this means extra money for the zoo. Also it becomes possible to buy “houses” of animals including the Primate House, Insect House and Reptile House. These can be quite useful as good attractions for the guests without having to get the exhibit suitable or employing a zookeeper.

Making money is an important object of the game and you have to be prepared to drop into debt before the money starts building up again. One top tip for making some extra cash is to build a lion exhibit and a saltwater crocodile enclosure. The reason being that they breed fast. Of course, you can’t keep them all so you have to sell, earning the zoo more funds. Once your zoo is making a profit, it can then be improved upon. For example, I change my dirt paths into red brick ones and start making eating areas more attractive by adding in fountains and flowerbeds. Tour guides can also be hired to show guests around the exhibits.

Everything in the game is under your control from admission fees to prices paid for food and gifts to how much advertising you do. The happier your animals, the happier your guests and this ultimately leads to more donations and more money.

I am very impressed with the sound and graphics of the game. The guests walk around the zoo very realistically and the animals run around their enclosures. There are different sounds to be heard and these change as you focus on a different area. The animals make sounds, the ice cream stall tinkles like an ice cream van, guests can be heard saying “Wow”, the tills ring in the gift shop – the list is endless. Overall a lot of thought has been put into this area of the game.

Add on packs can be bought including Dinosaur Digs and Marine Mania which include different items to be put into your zoo. I haven’t got either of these – yet.

There are cheats that can be played in the game, some of which give you more money, some of which are amusing to try out (like making your guests sick) and some which unlock more extravagant animals (a unicorn and a dinosaur). I’m not going to mention them all here but if you are interested, a comprehensive list can be found at www.gamesites.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/zt/.

I think this game retails at around £30 from all major computer software stockists but since mine came as an extra with my computer for free, it was definitely a bargain. If you’re into simulation games, I would recommend Zoo Tycoon. It’s a game all the family can enjoy and educational at the same time (I’m starting to sound like an advert). Enjoy making your first million – even if it is in computer dollars!

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