Zoo Tycoon: Complete Collection

"Lions and Tigers and Dolphins and…....T-Rexes?"

Zoo Tycoon. Sounds like a strange elementary school field trip, right? Well, don’t let the name fool you. This is one of the best in the Tycoon series, with A LOT of variety. Just think, you could place a Great White Shark tank right next to a T-Rex cage!

It should be noted that Zoo Tycoon: Complete Collection is just a combination of Zoo Tycoon and its two expansions, Dinosaur Digs and Marine Mania, but at a much more affordable price.

Gameplay 10/10
Not that complicated. You build a cage/tank, you adopt an animal, you plop it in its new home. But, oh? What’s this? It’s unhappy? Oh, I see, it’s indigenous to the desert, but its cage is made up like a rainforest. This is where the fun starts. After building a cage/tank and adopting the animal, you have to make sure the cage/tank is up to scratch. This is done by changing the kind of ground is in the cave (ie: sand, grass, etc.), adding in ground cover to match the ground type (ie: Pine Trees, Kelp, etc.), throwing in some well placed land formations (ie: Caves, small rocks, runes, etc.) and maybe a few toys (ie: balls for dolphins, swinging tires for monkeys, etc.). Of course, we can’t forget about our paying guests. In addition to the animals, you will also have to keep the customers happy by adding places to eat, sit, take pictures, providing bathrooms, souvenir shops, and a multitude of other things all while making sure your zoo stays attractive and clean. That’s about 98% of the game right there, keeping the your guests and animals happy.

Graphics 10/10
The best! The plants and animals look authentic to the point that it seems that you’re looking at some hi-res pictures instead of playing a game. Especially the dinosaurs. The level of detail placed on the dinosaurs blows my mind.

Sound: 9/10
Not much in the way of music in this game. But, the sounds effects MORE than make up for that. The animal sounds are as authentic as it gets (aside from going and seeing the animal in person). Ever hear a T-Rex roar?

Play Time/Replayability
Other than the hundreds of Scenarios to play through, you also have the option to make a zoo to your liking…..from the ground up! Will all of the animals and other attractions available for use, there are endless zoo format possibilities. Try making a an all Dino zoo.
Or an all bird zoo. Or a zoo that has at least one of every animal. Truly, the replay ability is directly proportional to the extent of your imagination.

Final Recommendation:
If you didn’t like any of the other Tycoon games, at least give Zoo Tycoon the once around. You may find that this game has what the other ones lacked: enough depth, control and variety to hold a persons attention span for more than an hour. If you’re already a Tycoon fan, then you’re in for a treat.

If you’re skeptical, barrow it from a friend before you make a final decision. Love it or hate it, Zoo Tycoon broke the mold for Sim games.

Overall score: 10/10

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 04/26/04