I am going to continue down the road of reviewing games one might not initially perceive as a ‘kids game’, and this week I am reviewing Zoo Tycoon 2 by Microsoft Studios. Unlike other games we have reviewed here, Zoo Tycoon 2 is not a console game, and is only available for PC. This may be obvious, but the objective of the game is to build a zoo. Like other 'Tycoon' or 'Sim-' games, you have a bevy of tools at your disposal to build youir zoo. A cool feature that my kids love is the ability to take pictures of your zoo and store them in a photo album.

You also have three modes of gameplay to choose from, Campaign, Challenge or Freeform.

• Campaign Mode: In Campaign Mode you choose scenerios with specific goals and a limited amoutn of money to accomplish the goals. Some of the goals include taking over dilapidated zoos and making them profitable, rescuing animals from abuse, or creating an environment for endangered species to thrive.
• Challenge Mode: In Challenge Mode, you select from different types of zoos, a 'City Zoo' for example, and complete 'Challenges' for each zoo. In one zoo, the first challenge is to take pictures of certain animals in different environments. When you choose a zoo, you have a certain amount of money, but you can control how much, or how little, you will have during the game.
• Freeform Mode: In Freeform Mode, you choose a template of a zoo, which basically consists of a basic topography, and an entrance. From there, you have an unlimited amount of money to build you zoo however you choose.

In Campaign and Challenge modes, as you progress thrugh the game, animal and other objects, such as shelters, buildings, toys, trees, plants, etc, become available to you. In Freeform mode, not only do you have unlimited funds, but you also have all animals and objects available from the start. As you could probably guess, my kids pretty much play Freeform mode.

When you start a game in Freeform mode, all you have is an entrance. You will need build the animal enclosures, hire staff to care for the animals and maintain the zoo, build shops, restrooms and other objects to keep your guests happy. When you start to build an enclosure, you must choose a fence that will be appropriate for the animal that will live in the enclosure. A tiger or lion will need a stronger fence than a grey wolf or a zebra.

After erecting the fence, typically you would add what ever animal the enclosure was built for. The game allows you to choose from male or female animals, though typically the animals will be happy if there are both male and female animals in the same enclosure. After that, you begin to customize the enclosure, by adding trees, shrubs, rocks, shelters and other items, until the animals are happy. If a green smiley face appears above the animal's head, then you animal is happy. If a red fronign facw appears above your animal's head, they are not happy. You will also need to hire zookeepers, who are responsible for feeding the animals, keeping the enclosures clean and general care of the animals. You will also need to hire maintenance workers who are respnsible for fixing broken enclosure fences and keeping the zoo clean for your guests. You cannot just build the enclosure and forget about it. As the game progresses, your animals may give birth, which might require additional shelters, or even a bigger enclosure. The enclosures themselves suffer damage as time goes by, and could lead to escaped animals.

You also need to remember to take care of your guests by providing restaurants, shops, restrooms and benches. Like your animals, there are smiley or frown faces that appear over each guest's head to let you know if they are happy or not.

There are currently 2 full 'expansion packs, 'Endangered Species' and 'African Adventure', available, as well as a smaller, downloadable package named 'Dino Danger Pack'. Each of these add new animals and objects to the game. We currently have the 'Endangered Species', which adds the ability to build a path through your zoo with self-guiding vehicles that follow the path, similar to the vehicles shown in Jurassic Park. One of the greatest features of the game is a 'Zoopedia' which displays information about each of the animals such as what their preferred diet is, what part of the world the animal is from and a list of 'Fun Facts' about the animal.

Kids who are able to read will be more 'self-sufficient' in learning how to play the game, and what the different menu options and icons mean. However, there is enough visual feedback so even kids who cannot read can enjoy the game just as much as those who can. Both my 7-year old and my 4-year old have put together fairly complex zoos with a wide variety of happy animals, and many happry guests. On a recent trip to the National Zoo, my 7-year old was ecstatic when he noticed that the outdoor gorilla enclosure at the zoo looked a lot like one he had built for his own gorillas in Zoo Tycoon.

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