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Ok, if you don't have the PC version

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: July 27, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Since I love the PC version of this game, I thought I'd try it on DS so I could take it with me or just play in bed instead of sitting on the computer. That was a mistake. It does not have the detail of the PC version, I can hardly make any money on the restaurants and shops and at least the first few scenarios were too easy. If you've played this game before, it's not worth it, but if you're new to Tycoon games it might be a good place to start since it's pretty simple to pick up.

Good game overall

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: May 08, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I do enjoy this game. However, I have a major problem in the last campaign. It freezes on me. Does anyone else have this problem?

This game is enjoyable if you are into animals. I love seeing the little heart that pops up on new babies, I get so excited. You can click on any of the animals and interact with them by feeding, cleaning, etc. It's the kind of game, however, that gets boring after a while. But, the only major problem I had was with the last campaign. Right before it freezes, the animals get placed in other exhibits... I saw the dolphin swimming with the camels!

Better for younger kids

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: April 20, 2008
Author: Amazon User

We bought this for an 11yr old boy's birthday present. We decided to try it out first (lol, couldn't resist) and we were glad we did. We definately bought it for the wrong agegroup. My 6 yr old daughter ended up loving it... got something else for the 11 yr old.

The things I like: I believe its the computer version, but some of them you can drown the guests and feed them to the lions. I don't think you can in this one, not that any of us have discovered anyway. :) Also, you have to learn what habitats the different animals thrive in. A very small educational value added in.

Things I don't like: none so far. It's a favorite around here.

An 8-Year-Old's Opinion

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 15 / 16
Date: March 20, 2008
Author: Amazon User

My 8-year-old got this game about a month ago. We checked here for reviews before buying, but at that time, there weren't any. Therefore, she asked if she could provide one now to help other kids decide whether to buy the game. So here's her opinion, as dictated to me:

"I would give this game 8 stars if I could. For me, it took about one day to figure out. When you really get to learn it, it's really, really fun -- not too easy, not too hard. You get to take care of a lot of animals, have restaurants, bathrooms, and you just get to create your zoo. You can make as much money as you want. You want to make all the visitors happy. If you have a lot of animals, you can get medals. I haven't gotten the dolphins yet."

Now a note from me: Even though she said she figured it out in a day, I can tell from the game's description and from the other reviewer's comments that she has *not* figured it all out yet -- which is good in a $[...] game! The game holds her interest, and she can "grow into" the more strategic parts of it.

Freeform Game Players May Prefer the Original Zoo Tycoon for the DS

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 16 / 16
Date: February 26, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I should explain that I'm over 50, have not yet played any version of Zoo Tycoon on a PC, but have played the orginal Zoo Tycoon for the DS in freeform mode only, as I prefer designing a custom-made zoo with lots of attention to the landscaping. In this context, I found Zoo Tycoon 2 more limiting:

> The scenery items on offer are less attractive, and a player is limited severely as to the number allowed per game (about 30). The game doesn't warn you that you're approaching a limit; it merely locks up all scenery items when you're there. Though the allowance of foliage throughout the zoo is much greater, there's still a limit. I have yet to see such limits in the original Zoo Tycoon DS.

> The original Zoo Tycoon DS lets you place any type of terrain wherever you please, and I used this feature to arrange fresh-water tiles in gardens around the zoo. Zoo Tycoon 2 allows terrain tiles only within exhibits (and not even directly outside the exhibit for a bit of local color).

> It's fairly easy to construct fences of unusual shapes in Zoo Tycoon DS. I have yet to figure out how to construct anything but a square or rectangle in Zoo Tycoon DS 2.

I still enjoyed playing a freeform game, just not as much as with Zoo Tycoon DS. And there are some good features:

> Touching individual animals with the stylus brings up a fact sheet on that animal and a close-up picture with superb graphics. From here a player may play several mini-games in which success heightens the animal's happiness (for example, tapping the animal a specified number of times to pet it). In Zoo Tycoon DS, I haven't found a direct way of interacting with the animals like this to make them happier; animal happiness seems to depend solely on exhibit design.

> If the zoo reaches a certain level of success, it may add a dolphin exhibit and with it a dolphin show. The graphics here are really attractive: The upper screen shows an overhead of the dolphin performing, while the lower screen shows an underwater view. Each show consists of a video clip lasting several seconds in which the dolphin does its three tricks. It was well designed and relaxing to watch.

> Placing terrain in an animal habitat is much faster: An option lets a player lay it all at once and then change individual squares. As well, clicking the question-mark icon on the animal's fact sheet shows at a glance everything the animal prefers, taking much of the guesswork away.

There were some improvements and some detractions in keeping a player informed. Zoo Tycoon 2 has fewer messages, announcing only a player's awards. Unlike Zoo Tycoon DS, it will not issue a message about an animal falling ill or dying and says nothing about guest happiness, even in its charts, a lack I disliked. However, the message delivery itself is improved: A chime and a small envelope on screen tell the player of a message, which does not disappear until the player taps the envelope and reads the message.

I haven't played any campaign games in either version, though this one appears to have added some interesting scenarios. Primarily I enjoy designing a pretty, individualistic zoo, and the original Zoo Tycoon DS is preferable for that.

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