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> Results: Zoo Keeper
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by Cary Woodham
May 10, 2005
Take a walk on the wild side with this now reasonably priced Nintendo DS puzzler.
Reviewed for DS.
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Scroll down for our Kid Factor.
Nope, sorry, this isn't the same game that was in early 80's arcades (too bad, that Zoo Keeper rocked). Instead, DS Zoo Keeper is a game that is naturally suited to the DS handheldﾗa pick-up-and-play puzzle game. In Zoo Keeper DS, you are presented with a grid of various animal heads (lions, gators, pandas, etc.) and use the stylus pen to flip adjacent animal heads horizontally or vertically. If three or more of the same kind of animal match up in a row, they disappear and other pieces will fall into place. You have to use strategy in order to cause chain reactions for a higher score.
If this sounds remarkably like the downloadable Internet Flash game Bejeweled, you're right! Zoo Keeper is the EXACT same game, except with animal heads instead of jewels. When Zoo Keeper first came out, it was nearly 40 dollars. Kind of a steep price to pay for a game you can play for free on your computer. But now that Zoo Keeper has been out for a while, the price has been reduced so it's more feasible to pick up this DS puzzler for on-the-go time killing. Even at 20 dollars or less, though, it's still not quite as engaging as you would think.
There are many modes of play in Zoo Keeper. Some require you to match a specific animal a certain number of times to progress, while another mode just has you matching animals and scoring points until the time expires. In yet another mode you are presented with specific tasks, like making a certain number of chain reactions to pass the level. Two players can also compete against each other. But in all the modes, you're doing the exact same thingﾗmatching up animal heads. It's the lack of variety that keeps Zoo Keeper from being as addicting as say, Tetris or Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo or the new PSP puzzler Lumines.
The simplistic cubism graphics have their quirky charms, much like the graphics in Cubivore or Katamari Damacy. Even so, these visuals could have easily been reproduced on the Game Boy Advance or even the Game Boy Color. You view all the action on the touch screen panel, while the higher screen shows your score and a larger picture of the animal for that level. There's no problem distinguishing between each kind of zoo critter on screen. The music is very repetitive and annoying, but luckily you can turn it off at any time in the options menu. Using the stylus feels natural and well-suited for this kind of game. Zoo Keeper is fun in short bursts, but it is best to not pay full price of admission for this zoo.
Puzzle games tend to be great for kids, as the abstract concepts usually are easy to figure out, there's no violence, and the games promote thinking skills. Zoo Keeper DS is no exception. Kids of all ages will enjoy the simple gameplay, funny animals and colorful graphics, plus no reading is required to figure out how to play. With the repetitive nature of the gameplay, some kids might get bored with it quicker. It could have been better, but Zoo Keeper still provides some enjoyment for puzzle game fans.
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> Results: Zoo Keeper
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