Zoo Tycoon 2

by Microsoft

Product Features

• Get closer to the action with all-new Zootopia functionality and enhanced 3D graphics.
• Features more than 300 hundred building objects.
• New gameplay scenarios in Campaign and Freeform modes.
• Camera mode to take pictures of your prized animals and favorite guests to share online with friends.
• Downloadable content

Product Details

• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B000300HJQ
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.3 x 1.4 inches ; 6.1 ounces
• Media: CD-ROM
• Release Date: November 9, 2004
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (130 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,489 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #36 in Video Games > PC Games > Strategy
  • #40 in Video Games > PC Games > Simulation
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Platform: PC

Featuring 30 incredibly detailed animals, a dazzling array of building tools and objects, a new zoom feature, and 3D graphics that allow players to keep a closer eye on the action and craft more creative zoos, Zoo Tycoon 2 is set to crank up the excitement, challenge, and fun of building the ultimate zoo. Easy to start and easy to play, Zoo Tycoon 2 gets you up close and interacting with the animals and zoo, offering intuitive controls and fun tutorials that allow players of all ages to enjoy the game right out of the box. From the start, you'll be immersed in the zoo experience with new features including the Zoo Guest mode, in which you can walk around and enjoy the game like visitors on a day at the zoo; Zookeeper mode, which allows you to interact with your animals as never before; and a new Photo mode, which lets you snap pictures of your favorite animals and guests and share them with friends. Zoopedia, detailing all types of entertaining and interesting facts about animals, rounds out the new and improved features of the upcoming game.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

414 of 421 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lots of Improvement, November 22, 2004

By 

Chrissy1018 (Nashville, TN United States) - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Zoo Tycoon 2 (CD-ROM)

I was going to resist getting Zoo Tycoon 2, having recently being disappointed by the update of Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 (which is NOT an improvement). I am, however, a simulation/strategy game addict--and I am happy to report that I don't regret giving in to the impulse to buy Zoo Tycoon 2.

The original version of this game was not one of my favorites. I found changing little squares of landscape and mending fences rather tedious for long term game play, not to mention only having income from entrance fees and food/drinks keeping my bank account in a permanent decline, and visitors loosing interest in the exhibits too quickly.

WHY THIS VERSION IS BETTER:
* 3D Animation - I tend not to care much about graphics in general, however these graphics are quite well done, and you can zoom in quite close to observe the animals. You can also click on any animal and find out what it's doing at any given moment.

* Photo Safari - In certain scenarios and challenge games, you can earn awards by taking pictures of specific events. Switching to a digital camera style view, you may have to take a snapshot of two animals, or an animal running, etc.

* Interactive Mode - You can switch to guest view, and walk around your park, getting a close-up view. Further, you can play caretaker and clean up after animals (and guests), clean animals and fill food dishes yourself.

* Donations/Income - Guests continue to visit all exhibits as the game progresses, and contribute donations at each exhibit. The more interesting the exhibit, the more they donate (they like biomes: exhibits in which the terrain, plants, rocks and animals are all appropriate to one another).

* Guest/Animal Detail - Similar to Roller Coaster Tycoon, you can view each guest or animal's specific needs, discovering which are fulfilled and which are not. You can also view lists of this information that can be organized by any category (which animals are pregnant, which guests most need a bathroom, etc.)

* Responsive Guests - In the previous versions, guests nearly dying of thirst would walk right by a soda stand complaining. Now they form lines (though they'll whine if the line is too long) or give an opinion ("I want something other than soda.")

* Atmosphere - Part of your score depends on the appearance of your zoo. Guests will get unhappy without fountains, arches and bouncy kangaroo rides to keep them entertained (and you'll get a message if too many of them are dissatisfied).

* Zoo Rating/Progress - As your zoo improves, so does your rating, unlocking more objects and animals.

* Exhibit Design - As with the previous version, you paint exhibits with appropriate terrain and fill them with the right vegetation for the animal. However, you paint in broad strokes, rather than micromanaging every square. Also, you don't pay for the change of terrain, which keeps the costs of building an exhibit much more manageable.

* Gifts to Wear - There's a different gift for each animal, and guests will buy those relating to animals they've seen in your zoo. You might see them walking around with moose antlers on their heads or peacock backpacks.

* No Broken Fences: The fences no longer deteriorate, so animals only escape if you use the wrong kind of fence, and predators will not kill other animals. Guests will still flee from escaped animals, however.

*Animal Adoption: No longer can you purchase unlimited flamingoes or tigers. A limited number and variety of animals are available at a time, the higher your zoo rating, the more species available and the more options you have. You can choose to pass on adopting a species, and it will be replaced by a random other species after some time that isn't already an option (but each level only makes certain species available, you need to earn 5 stars to get the rarest animals).

* Specified Research: Rather than having to research several things you don't want to get the one you do, you can choose the specific object you want to research next for a set fee. Objects available for research expand with your zoo rating.

WHAT IT LACKS:
* Number of Scenarios: I've had the game less than a week, and have already beaten most of the campaign scenarios. However, there are many challenge games still to be played. No doubt an expansion pack is already in the works to fix this.

* Number of Animals: There are only 30 different animals, mostly the same as those found in the previous version. However, there is a wide variety: for instance you have one species of tiger, one of elephant, etc. I imagine there will be an expansion pack to supplement this, too.

* Limited Initial Animal Choice: You always start out with the same three (Moose, Peacock and Camel) and need to establish them before more are made available, which gets a bit tiresome when you play a number of scenarios.

BOTTOM LINE: A family-friendly game, I'd say this is one of the best simulation games of 2004 (and I've played a lot of them). Easy enough for kids to play, but entertaining enough for adults. If you're a fan of Rollercoaster Tycoon or SimCity, this is an excellent choice.

86 of 98 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This game is Awesome..., November 15, 2004

By 

ThisThatNEverything "thisthatneverything" (Columbus, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Zoo Tycoon 2 (CD-ROM)

I love Zoo Tycoon 2. I played the original & the expansions & loved them as well but Zoo Tycoon 2 is so much better. I really like the ability to build diagonically. The zoo looks much better with this ability. I also find it really neat that you can go into Zoo Guest Mode which allows you to walk throug the zoo & see what everything looks like from the guest's point of view. The Photo Safari Mode is neat also. It allows you to go into the exhibits & take really good pictures of the animals. Did I mention that the animals are a lot more realistic & easier to please? This game is really awesome. I highly recommend it to anyone.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun Game, July 31, 2006

By 

Dawn M. Upson "Saazuka" (Greensboro, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Zoo Tycoon 2 (CD-ROM)

I love "tycoon" games of all sorts. Zoo tycoon 2 and its expansion packs are great and most of the scenerios are fun (if not a little time consuming). You can zoom in and walk around the zoo like a guest as well as save yourself some money (in the game of course) by doing the zookeeper and maintenance tasks yourself.

This is a great, educational game for kids. They'll learn about many different animals and conservation efforts. It's also the sort of game that you could sit down and play with your kids.. help them out with planning and ideas and read about the different animals with them.

I'm also happy to see that Microsoft is donating money from the sales of this game to the World Wildlife Fund.. all the more reason to buy it :)

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