Zoo Keeper (Nintendo DS) - Review by Andrew

Introduction

In the US Zoo Keeper was something of a 'bridge release'. It hit the shelves around New Year and sales were practically guaranteed as it was one of the few new products released since the late November launch of the DS, especially when Ubi Soft's Rayman was put back to 2005. Its European release though is a little more competitive as it's one of the fifteen launch titles available from day one. The obvious question here though is that if each new DS user shells out for an average of three games (one of which must be Mario 64) what will the other two be? If you've been a gamer for some time there's a good chance you know what you are looking for, but the DS is new so what about that touch screen thingy and which games actually use it and more importantly is Zoo Keeper one of them?

Gameplay

Ever since Tetris, game companies have been falling over themselves trying to produce a puzzler, which is both quick and simple to play. Zoo Keeper is one such title although here you start off with a grid full of blocks with a handful of different animal designs on them (hence the name). The objective is to swap blocks either vertically or horizontally in order to create a chain of three or more of the same animal. Once you've collected the allotted number of animals (as indicated on the top screen) you move onto the next level which is generally more difficult because the chains become harder to spot and new species of animals will be introduced. Success is all about points and the longer the chain or even series of chains the greater the number of bonus points you get and scoring enough can lead to your name being saved to the elusive leader board. There is help at hand should you find yourself in a state of panic as the timer reaches zero in the form of binocular icons. Activating one of these will point out a series of chains, which you've no doubt been staring at for some time, but once you've used all three you're on your own.

To flesh things out a little more there are a number of modes where you must tackle the puzzle from different angles. The main Zoo Keeper mode is as described above and allows you to go on as long as you solve the grids within the time limit. The Timed mode is the same with a 6-minute limit, which is highly recommended if, like us, you suddenly find the game taking over your life. Tokoton challenges you to capture 100 of the same animal to move a level up, whilst Quest involves you clearing 10 stages of progressively more difficult grids. Also included is a single card multiplayer mode but to be honest this isn't nearly as enjoyable as the single missions although it's a nice bonus anyway.

Controls

Really as simple as can be and while we've seen games like this on the GBA it works a great deal better on the DS. To see exactly what we mean just scroll down to the 'Dual Screen Use' section. As well as all this there's even a 'How to Play' section detailing everything you want to know about keeping your zoo running smoothly.

Graphics

It's always difficult to rate visuals like these because, while they're hardly cutting edge and certainly nowhere near as visually pleasing as we already know the DS is capable of, they suit the style of gameplay perfectly. Most of the graphics consist of a collection of rather angular looking animals, which are then transferred to the game blocks. The thing is that it doesn't have to be animals, it really could be anything with the main criteria being that the in-game visuals are clear and easily recognizable, especially if the clock is ticking down and you are frantically searching out a chain. So there you have it: more functional than outstanding but that's just what the game requires.

Sound

With sound effects almost redundant in a game of this nature it's all about the soundtrack which is best described as functional and not really anything that demonstrates the enhanced sound chip of the DS. It's also sounds somewhat generic with little evidence that the themes have been composed with animals in mind. The highlights are the crystal clear voice samples that greet you on start up and when entering each mode. It's not much but with gameplay this good the sound was always going to be secondary.

Dual screen

Like Wario Ware this is what the DS was made for and although I've previously played a variety of PC versions of this game using a mouse the stylus is really where it's at. In fact other than actually switching your DS on you'll never have to touch the controls at all making this a wonderful example of just why the inclusion of the touch screen was such a good idea in the first place.

Final comments

Let me say before I even start summing up that I actually had to ask a colleague to hide this game from me. Yes, it's that addictive and you'll be muttering 'just one more go' over and over again in attempt to get on to those slightly out of reach high score tables. Zoo Keeper's strength is arguably its simplicity but it's also its undoing in some respects, and it could have easily been included in one of the many unlockable mini-games in Mario 64. For whatever reason, it's not, but for any DS owner who wants a quick puzzle fix or to flex your stylus this could be just what you're after. Be warned though, once you start, you may never stop!

Pro: Incredibly Addictive.
Con: Incredibly Addictive.
Final score: 7.5

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